8:35 am, March 16, 2023
Chinese car brands are leading a new generation of electric vehicles and traditional manufacturers are still catching up, according to one car dealer.
Family-run dealership Shelbourne Motors might have been around for 50 years but it’s not afraid of diversifying with the right brands and director Paul Ward told the Car Dealer Podcast the business was considering the right new car partner.
Ward explained that they had already dipped their toe in with Maxus on a commercial vehicle front but were on the lookout for the right Chinese car partner.
He said: ‘The Chinese are definitely coming, it’s trying to pick which one will be the winner.
‘BYD is definitely up there. We took Maxus on nine or ten months ago as a commercial offering but I see they’re starting to bring more of a range of cars as well.’
BYD has confirmed it is planning to operate 20 to 30 UK showrooms by the end of the year and grow this to between 90 and 100 by the end of 2025.
This week it opened its first two showrooms in the UK, partnering with Pendragon.
Ward added that he believes those brands going for the solely online channels are making a mistake.
He said: ‘The traditional brands are still catching up – and I believe will catch up very quickly – but it’s trying to pick a partner that will be reliable and good for our customers.
‘I believe the brands that are solely online are missing that part with the customers. It’s their second biggest purchase, it’s a big experience, and they want to touch it and feel it still. We find that with our customers anyway.
‘Online was great with Covid when they couldn’t come, but when they were able to come back to the showrooms again they did and that’s part of why I think they need a network.’
You can listen to the podcast in full by clicking play above or by searching for Car Dealer Podcast on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.
On the latest show they also discussed Cazoo’s new COO, agency sales and the 2030 ban on ICE vehicles.
