Gross sales of Chinese language manufacturers have doubled in a single yr.
Panic in UK as China on observe for ‘full scale takeover’ of automobile trade as 200k bought (Picture: Getty)
Chinese language automobile gross sales within the UK doubled final yr in a serious blow to Britain’s automotive trade. Virtually 200,000 Chinese language-branded vehicles entered UK roads in 2025, representing nearly one in ten of the automobiles bought and registered within the UK. It marked a staggering enhance from the 98,000 bought in 2024, in keeping with registration information shared with the Every day Mail.
The precise variety of Chinese language-made automobiles hitting UK roads was a lot greater while you issue within the 1000’s of vehicles manufactured in China by firms like Tesla and BMW for decrease prices. This will increase the determine to round one in seven of all vehicles bought final yr, equal to about 270,000 automobiles, in keeping with the Society of Motor Producers and Merchants (SMMT).
MG was bought to a Chinese language firm in 2007 (Picture: Getty)
This might be devastating for British producers, who’ve already misplaced iconic marques to international manufacturers. MG was bought to the Chinese language firm SAIC in 2007, and in 2017, 51% of the British-founded Lotus was bought to a different Chinese language model, Geely.
Lotus nonetheless has a producing manufacturing unit within the UK, however whereas MG vehicles are designed and engineered within the UK, most fashions at the moment are manufactured in China.
When its Longbridge manufacturing unit was closed in 2005, Tony Woodley from the Transport and Basic Employees Union described it because the “darkest day within the historical past of the British automobile trade”, with 6,000 dropping their jobs.
Brits nonetheless clearly have an attachment to MG, because it was the most well-liked Chinese language-manufactured model bought within the UK final yr. The MG HS was the best-selling Chinese language automobile, with 30,191 registrations in 2025.
China appears to be dominating one market particularly: electrical vehicles. In 2025, round one in eight new electrical automobiles (EVs) had been from a Chinese language model, up from one in 12 the yr prior, in keeping with the SMMT.
BYD, which launched in 2023, bought 51,422 automobiles within the UK final yr, primarily EVs, greater than 5 occasions the 8,800 bought the earlier yr.
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One other Chinese language model, Jaecoo, achieved greater gross sales figures than basic legacy manufacturers reminiscent of Jeep, Seat and Citroen final yr. It accounted for 1.4% of gross sales within the UK, in comparison with simply 0.5% for Jeep. Omoda’s 19,855 gross sales additionally surpassed the likes of Porsche, Suzuki and Lexus.
Britain additionally misplaced its iconic Mini and Rolls-Royce manufacturers to German-owned BMW in 2000 and 2002, whereas Jaguar and Land Rover had been bought by Indian model Tata in 2008. All nonetheless have factories within the UK.
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