Sales of Chinese electric vehicles have surged in the UK market, accounting for one-tenth of new car sales.

South Korean media: Chinese electric vehicles are sweeping the UK market!

On February 1, South Korean media "Nikkei" published an article stating that the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) announced that due to a surge in sales of Chinese electric vehicles in the UK last year, the annual new car sales in the UK exceeded 2 million for the first time since 2019.

Last year, the number of newly registered vehicles in the UK was 2.02 million, an increase of 3.5% compared to the previous year. This is the first time since 2019 (2.31 million) that the number of new vehicle registrations has exceeded 2 million.

This was mainly due to the sharp increase in sales of Chinese automotive companies such as BYD and Chery.

Due to the relatively cheap sales of pure electric vehicles and hybrid vehicles, the sales of Chinese brands in the UK reached 196,000 units last year, more than twice that of 2024. This means that one out of every ten cars sold in the UK last year was a Chinese brand.

Mike Hessey, CEO of SMMT, said, "The UK automotive market has not yet fully recovered. Without Chinese brands, there would be no growth in the market."

Last year, the UK's electric vehicle sales reached 493,000 units, accounting for 23.4% of the overall car market in the UK, an increase of four percentage points from the previous year. Chinese brands accounted for 12.8% of the UK electric vehicle market, a significant increase from 8.5% in 2024.

This is interpreted as a result of Chinese companies becoming more proactive in targeting the UK market following the high tariffs imposed by the EU on Chinese electric vehicles last year.

SMMT estimated that in order to meet the UK government's electric vehicle sales targets and stimulate demand, automakers provided discounts worth £5.5 billion last year. This equates to a saving of £11,000 per newly registered electric vehicle.

Hessey pointed out that despite the popularity of Chinese pure electric and hybrid vehicles, the UK electric vehicle market remains weak.

Original: toutiao.com/article/1855922632950091/

Statement: The article represents the views of the author.