One in 10 cars sold in the UK in June were built in China, a 40% rise on the same month last year.
Brands such as BYD, Polestar and Omoda are now among the most popular choices for motorists who are seeing them as cheaper and good quality.
The surge in sales has coincided with a tariff war in the west and job losses at Nissan in Sunderland.
Last month saw 18,944 cars made by China-owned brands, according to the latest figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).
That is up from 6% in the same month a year ago and includes MG, the former British brand now owned by SAIC Motor, based in Shanghai.
Over the first half of this year, more than 8% – or 1 in 12 – cars sold were built in China, up from 5% in 2023 and 2024. This was mainly electric vehicles.
This compares with 4.3% across the EU, only 1.6% in Germany, and 2.7% in France, according to a study by Jato Analytics for the first five months of the year.
According to a study by media intelligence and reputation specialist CARMA, a focus on innovation, competitive pricing and strategic technology partnerships is enabling China’s car industry to reshape consumer perceptions.
John Neill, former SMMT President and ex-chief executive of Unipart, said: “Chinese manufacturers are producing cars which are better, cheaper and more innovative in every sector of the market,”
Chinese manufacturers are opening factories in the EU which could avoid tariffs. SAIC Motors said in 2023 that it planned a plant in Europe though it not decided whether MG models would be made at the site.
The SMMT said that one in four buyers of new cars in the UK are now purchasing electric cars – although the transition to electric has been driven by “unsustainable” discounting by manufacturers, says Mike Hawes, the SMMT’s chief executive.
See also
China driving a boom in car exports
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