One place that we don’t really buy cars from, however, is China, but this country’s car market is huge. More new cars are sold here than in any other country, and a lot of those are sold by Chinese car firms, which have been rapidly improving and growing in recent years.
Many are now at the point where they’re looking to expand elsewhere, with Europe and the UK being key because of the number of cars purchased here. Some Chinese car firms are already selling cars here, while others are planning on doing the same very soon.
Let’s take a look at the Chinese car brands already in the UK, or which will be entering soon.
MG
You might remember MG as being a British sports car brand, but for almost 20 years this firm has been owned by Chinese car firm giant the SAIC Corporation. It started introducing its first ‘new’ MGs in the early 2010s, and while they weren’t all that impressive, its growth and improvement have been remarkable.
In fact, during the first eight months of 2023, MG sold almost 50,000 cars, more than firms like Skoda, Volvo and Peugeot. It is finding particular success with its range of affordable electric cars.
BYD
BYD, standing for Build Your Dreams, launched in the UK in 2023, and is beginning to build its reputation here. It’s a huge deal in China, and globally sells more ‘new energy vehicles’, including plug-in hybrids and EVs, than any other car firm globally.
Selling purely electric cars, it launched with the Atto 3 crossover, and will soon be joined by the more compact Dolphin EV and the Seal saloon, a rival for the Tesla Model 3.
GWM Ora
Great Wall Motors (GWM) is another big player in China and introduced its youthful Ora brand to the UK at the end of 2022. So far it only has one model – the amusingly named Funky Cat, a relatively compact EV that shares various elements with Mini’s new electric Cooper.
Though sales of the Funky Cat have been fairly small so far, GWM has partnered with hire firm Europcar to get more of these EVs out to users.
Omoda
One of the latest Chinese firms to confirm its introduction is Omoda – a subsidiary of the large Chinese car company Chery. Omoda will launch with just a single model, the 5 SUV, which is set to be available with both conventional petrol engines as well as an electric model.
Sales of the Omoda 5 are set to begin in February 2024 with first deliveries expected soon after.
Lynk & Co
Lynk & Co is a company already operating across many European countries, with its 01 SUV being quite successful in markets such as Spain and Italy. Though the firm has kept promising a UK introduction, we’re yet to have a confirmed date for this.
Lynk & Co is owned by Chinese automotive giant Geely, which is also behind Lotus and Volvo, with many of the 01’s parts shared with the latter firm’s XC40 SUV.
HiPHi
One of China’s boldest car makers is HiPhi, which makes three wild-looking, futuristic cars. The firm is yet to finalise a date for a UK entry, but it’s expected to be in 2025.
Given HiPhi debuted several of its models at this year’s Goodwood Festival of Speed in the UK, you know it’s serious about coming to Britain. It’s worth noting the brand is already operating in key markets for electric cars in Europe, such as Norway and Germany.
NIO
NIO is one of the better-known Chinese car firms owing to its participation in the electric Formula E racing series. It also has innovative battery swapping stations, rather than having to wait for the car to recharge. There are already several of these in Europe where NIO is already selling cars.
While it was expected NIO would bring its line-up of electric cars to the UK in 2023, but is now set to launch at some point in 2024!