We will all soon be driving Chinese cars – but can we trust them?

Other successful and popular MG models followed – benefitting perhaps from the superficial link to Britain’s car manufacturing past (the British brand was bought by China in 2005) – and became a common sight on the country’s roads.

The rate at which Chinese cars are gaining traction is both remarkable and predictable. From having only a few hundred cars on the road five years ago, Chinese cars are now selling by the thousand; just as Japanese manufacturers took a while to find their feet in European markets, China’s sales offensive is now well underway.

Crucially, manufacturers like MG, Great Wall and global EV leader BYD meet two local needs in a way that European manufacturers haven’t quite managed – the obligation to provide zero-emission electric cars, and to do so at a price that money-conscious middle-class Europeans can afford.

Made in China, designed in the West

As a manufacturer, China is fairly established in the UK; almost a third of all electric cars sold in Britain in 2023 were built in China, with many sold by Western brands. 

What’s new is the arrival of Chinese-branded cars, like Great Wall, Chery, HiPhi, XPeng and Nio, none of which have any presence among consumers here, but all of which are readying their UK debut in the next 18 months. 

“The UK car market has always been open to new players – from US and European brands, to Japanese brands in the 1980s, Korean marques [Hyundai and Kia] in the 1990s and now some Chinese new entrants,” says Mike Hawes, chief executive of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).

“These brands widen consumer choice, something that is particularly important for the market as it transitions to electric vehicles. Providing competition is fair and free, the UK industry can compete, although we must continue to scale up our battery supply chains, build out infrastructure and ensure our costs – especially in energy – are not unduly high,” says Hawes.