27th June 2026 – (Paris) Chinese-made portable split air‑conditioners have sold out across parts of Europe as a punishing heatwave drives temperatures above 40°C and pushes demand far beyond normal seasonal peaks. Retailers and e‑commerce platforms in multiple countries report empty shelves and waitlists, with some units resold for nearly €5,000—far above typical list prices of €749–€849.
Shoppers are travelling long distances to find remaining stock. One Austrian buyer described deploying AI search agents and driving roughly 200 kilometres to Linz to secure what appeared to be the last unit in the region. In Germany, a developer launched an inventory‑tracking site, braucheklima.de, with paid email alerts, while stores in France reported crowds rushing through doors at opening to snap up machines.
The surge centres on portable split systems popularised by Chinese brands such as Midea (including its Portasplit series). These models avoid the need to core external walls—an obstacle in Europe’s heritage housing—and let users mount the outdoor module on a balcony or windowsill while moving the indoor unit between rooms. They also sidestep the negative‑pressure drawbacks of traditional single‑hose mobile units.
Extreme heat this week has pushed France into widespread red alerts, with outdoor readings in Paris briefly touching 45°C on 25 June. Parts of Spain and Portugal topped 42°C, and the UK issued red warnings with peaks forecast near 39°C. With only about 3% of German households and 5% of British households historically equipped with air‑conditioning, fans have proved inadequate, turning cooling from a convenience into a necessity—particularly for older people in flats and care homes. Preliminary estimates attribute around 15,000 deaths to the current heatwave.
Installation barriers have long restrained Europe’s AC uptake. Strict conservation rules in historic districts limit drilling for outdoor units; in many buildings, owners must win majority approval at residents’ meetings and navigate municipal consent processes. Labour adds further friction: summer installation can cost €1,500–€2,000 and involve waits of one to two months. These hurdles have helped portable split units gain traction this season.
Manufacturers say they are racing to replenish supply. Midea reports year‑on‑year sales growth above 70% in lower‑penetration markets including France, Spain, Germany and the U.K., with factories in Shunde adding shifts and using China–Europe rail to reach customers before the peak season ends. Gree cites more than 40% growth in local sales from January to June; TCL says some models are already sold out; Haier and Hisense are also expanding their European push.
Trade data point to a broader shift. From January to May 2026, China’s household AC exports to Western Europe rose 9.7% by volume, with mobile units up more than 70%. Export values to France, the Netherlands and Belgium roughly doubled, while Spain, Portugal and Germany recorded double‑digit gains. Some overseas consumers have even undertaken “reverse shopping” trips, using 240‑hour visa‑free transit to buy units in China and check them home as luggage.
Chinese suppliers also highlight environmental advances—such as R290 refrigerant models compliant with EU F‑Gas rules and A+++ efficiency ratings—while noting that European manufacturing costs can be two to three times higher than in China. That gap, even after freight, helps explain why grey‑market prices in Europe have spiked as formal inventories ran dry.
With temperatures still elevated and installation backlogs growing, retailers expect tight availability to persist into mid‑summer, especially for no‑drill portable split systems most suited to Europe’s older housing stock.