The Chinese car brands that are heading to the UK - or are already here
Chinese electric car brands in the UK
Though China already has a longstanding reputation for car building it has, in recent years, ramped up its offerings - particularly in the electric vehicle market. Rather than building cars on behalf of other manufacturers, many standalone Chinese brands have formed, too, meaning that there are some new names arriving on the scene that you might not have heard of.
Let’s take a look at some of the brands that you could expect to see on the UK’s roads soon - though some are already here.
BYD
You may not have heard of BYD - Build Your Dreams - but it’s actually a really big player in the new car industry. During 2022, it sold 1.86 million vehicles, with almost half of these being electric vehicles.
It has just arrived in the UK, too, having been sold in other parts of Europe for a little while. Things have kicked off with the hatchback Atto 3, which we have a brand-new deal on offer for December 2023 delivery! And we are looking forward to more new models to come from BYD like the new Dolphin.
Chery
Another Chinese firm that is dead set on having a presence in the UK is Chery. In fact, it has recently confirmed that it hopes to start selling cars in the UK in 2024.
The first vehicle that the firm expects to sell here is the Omada 5, which will be sold as a hybrid model as well as a fully electric version. With a 64kWh battery, the Omada 5 should deliver up to 280 miles of range from a charge.
GWM Ora
A little while back a company called Great Wall supplied hard-working pick-ups to the UK. However, stricter emissions regulations saw Great Wall depart in 2016, but it’s now back with a new brand - Ora.
It has made quite a splash in the UK with its interestingly designed - and named - Funky Cat (coincidently we have a great deal on at the moment), which brings a range of up to 193 miles. It’s expected that further GWM Ora electric models are already in the works, too.
Xpeng
Xpeng is one of the newer brands to announce plans to sell cars in the UK, having already launched in Scandinavian countries such as Norway and Sweden. It’s expected, however, that models could arrive here in 2025.
The key car for Xpeng is the G9, which is a large SUV with a more premium-focused interior than others here. It’s also got an impressive range of up to 354 miles.
MG
Though many people would naturally relate MG to the UK, these days it’s a fully-fledged Chinese brand. It’s a company that has been transformed by new ownership - in this case, the Chinese government-owned SAIC Motor - and has quickly morphed to become a big player in the UK’s EV industry.
It’s a creator of some great-value EVs that tend to undercut rivals by some margin. These vehicles also have really long warranties, making them even more attractive to buyers. if you like the idea of affordable and well known EVs then click here to see what fantastic MG offers we have for you.
NIO
NIO already has a presence in other European countries - namely Germany and the Netherlands - but it has already committed to delivering cars in the UK during the latter part of 2023.
With a pair of smart-looking models - the saloon ET7 and ELZ SUV - it’s on track to rival others already in the market. Plus, it has already established some clever battery-swapping technology. Rather than waiting to charge, an owner can take their vehicle to a swapping ‘station’ where they’ll be able to swap out a depleted battery for a fresh one in a matter of minutes.
