7:59 am, February 20, 2023
China is quite comfortably the largest car market on the planet. In 2022, almost 27m new cars were sold there, according to the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers.
It’s increasingly a market that Western car firms are designing vehicles for first and foremost. But Chinese car makers are now looking to do the opposite, and are setting their sights on Europe – some are even already here.
While the country’s carmakers got a bad reputation for building some copycat versions of popular vehicles a decade ago, Chinese automotive companies have progressed at an alarming rate.
Over the coming years there are a number of Chinese carmakers looking to arrive on UK shores. Here, we look at the brands you can expect to see, and how they’re planning to sell cars.
GWM Ora
You might remember Great Wall Motors (GWM) in the UK about a decade ago. It was the first Chinese car brand to ever sell vehicles in Britain with its Steed pick-up. An underwhelming choice, at best.
But GWM is now back in the UK, and selling models under its ‘Ora’ nameplate. Currently selling a single model – the curiously-named Funky Cat – this electric hatchback boasts a 193-mile range and a £31,995 starting price.
While offering the functionality to reserve cars online, it operates with traditional dealers, and has joined forces with Peter Vardy, Lookers and Wessex Garages. It has 17 sites across the UK, though the majority of these are service centres.
BYD
BYD, standing for Build Your Dreams, is likely a brand you’ve never heard of. But it is a major deal on a global level, producing more ‘Zero Emission Vehicles’ – including hybrid and electric cars – than any other firm.
But BYD will shortly be introduced to the UK, debuting with its Atto 3 – a compact electric crossover boasting a 261-mile range. BYD will also be selling cars with a conventional dealer network, with the Chinese firm’s appointed partners so far including Lookers, LSH Holdings, Arnold Clark and Pendragon.
Like GWM Ora, it won’t be operating an agency model. First cars are expected to arrive with dealers in March and go on sale shortly after.
Chery
Chery is another brand that likely doesn’t ring any bells, but again, this is a firm that’s already made a big footprint in other corners of the world, and is China’s largest car exporter.
Chery is set to make its entrance to the UK soon, confirming in a recent interview, that it hoped to start selling cars in Europe in 2024.
Its first model to be sold here will be the Omada 5 – a stylish SUV that’ll offer both electric powertrains, and a more conventional petrol engines. While Chery has boldly said it hopes to sell 10,000 versions of the model, no details have yet been revealed about how it will operate in the UK, but it is believed it also wants a traditional dealer set up.
MG
If there’s any hesitancy that UK buyers don’t want Chinese cars, the success of MG proves that wrong. While, the links to past MG helps, this firm is now controlled by SAIC, a Chinese automotive group ultimately owned by the state government.
With value-packed models like the ZS, MG5 and MG4 (above) – and a particular focus on affordable EVs – MG is now a huge deal in the UK. In fact, in January 2023, its HS crossover was the best-selling car overall in the month, and it registered more cars than the likes of Nissan and Vauxhall.
MG now has a particularly large dealer network, with more than 150 dotted across the UK and gives a good clue as to what template other Chinese firms may follow.
XPeng
Chinese firm XPeng aims to offer something a little more upmarket, and its high-end G9 electric SUV recently touched down in Europe for the first time. Available with a range of up to 354 miles, it boasts a premium interior and generous levels of technology.
XPeng already operated in Norway – a market well ahead when it comes to electrification – and is now expanding into Sweden, Denmark and the Netherlands.
It’s expected to arrive in the UK in 2025. In those markets the Chinese firm has opened ‘delivery and service centres’ with dedicated partners, hinting that a more traditional dealer model is being adopted.
Nio
Nio is a brand that’s already operating in several European countries, including Germany, the Netherlands and the Baltics, with models such as the ET5, ET7 and EL7.
The brand has an innovative trick up its sleeve too, with battery swapping stations that allow a fully-charged pack to be easily swapped, avoiding the need to park up and charge for a period of time.
Nio doesn’t operate with a traditional dealer model, and instead leads with online sales. It also has what are called ‘Nio Houses’, which can be seen as private members’ clubs where owners of its cars can use the facilities for both work and pleasure.
Nio is tipped to enter the UK later in 2023, with a ‘House’ planned for London.
Lynk & Co
Lynk & Co is another firm that’s already making a big footprint in other European markets, with its ‘01’ SUV already on sale in much of the continent, including the key German market.
Though not fully ‘Chinese’ because it has its headquarters in Sweden, the company is owned by Chinese automotive giant Geely, and all its cars are made in the country.
Lynk & Co has been toying with introducing its 01 SUV – a sibling model to the Volvo XC40 – for several years, but it looks like the firm will finally launch here in 2024.
A key part of the firm’s business model is its ‘mobility’ aspect. There are various subscription services available, as well as car-sharing schemes where one of its vehicles can be ‘borrowed’. There is still an option to buy the car in a traditional way, however.
Ones to Watch
As well as the Chinese brands mentioned above, there are a number of firms that could be introduced to the UK. Here we look at their chances.
Zeekr
If ever there was an EV maker to stir things up, it’s Zeekr. Coming from Geely, the company behind Volvo and Lotus’ success, it offers upmarket, boldly-styled electric cars capable of rivalling the established premium players. Given its success in China, we reckon it’s likely they’ll be brought over to the UK in the not too distance future too.
Airways
Aiways is another firm to watch out for, with this brand already on sale in 10 European countries, including Spain, Italy and France. It currently sells the U5, an electric SUV, in these markets, and is slowly growing in popularity. While the firm has previously said it would like to introduce cars to the UK, it has previously expressed the difficulties and cost of converting vehicles to right-hand-drive.
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