Chinese car sales top 300,000 in Britain this year as European rivals lose ground

Chinese car sales reached a record high of over 300,000 units sold in the UK this year, as European rivals continue to struggle. Chinese manufacturers claimed five of the top 25 positions in the market, accounting for nearly a quarter of the market by volume. MG, previously an Oxford-based marque acquired by Chinese owners in 2006, led among Chinese brands with nearly 80,000 registrations.

BYD and Jaecoo followed with 68,000 and 59,000 registrations respectively, with Jaecoo's '7' SUV being the best-selling model in September, with over 10,000 units sold.

September's total car registrations surged to 350,000, the best September performance since 2017, indicating a wider market rebound from the Covid-era lull. However, European brands such as Vauxhall Corsa, VW Golf, and Audi A3 failed to enter the top 10 in September. Chinese electric vehicle manufacturers in the UK capitalized on the shift away from combustion engines due to soaring fuel prices.

Plug-in hybrid registrations surged by 55.7% to a record volume, constituting 17.0% of the market. Battery electric vehicle (BEV) demand rose by 36.3% in September to nearly 100,000 units, with market share increasing by five percentage points to 28.3%. BEV registrations amounted to almost five per minute, more than double the rate three years ago, according to SMMT data.

Mike Hawes, SMMT chief executive, noted that drivers are increasingly embracing electric models, and high fuel prices are incentivizing more consumers to consider going electric. Despite these factors, uptake remains below mandated targets. Although flexibilities assist, the UK still has the world's strictest targets and highest energy costs.