Chinese car brands reach 10% of UK car sales
Chinese car brands now account for one in ten new car sales in the UK, with rapid growth expected.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
Chinese car brands now account for one in every ten new cars sold in the UK, a figure that is expected to rise rapidly. Once a rare sight on British roads, these brands are making a determined push into the market, led by BYD, already the world's biggest electric car maker. BYD sold more than 50,000 cars in the UK in 2025 and is on course to double that this year. Other Chinese giants such as Omoda and Jeku are also expanding their share, joining Chinese-owned MG at the forefront.
At the Goodwood Festival of Speed, the country's biggest motoring event, Chinese brands were out in force. BYD showcased its technology, including a flash charger that can take a battery from 10% to 97% in just nine minutes. The company aims to tell its brand story and demonstrate how technology is changing people's lives.
However, Chinese brands still face an image problem in Britain. Jeku's large SUVs have been widely derided online as 'Timu Range Rovers' - cheap substitutes for premium products. The company says such criticism often comes from people not in the market for a new car, and that those who try the vehicles see the value and premium quality. Surveys suggest some consumers remain wary, with concerns about data security and lingering worries about safety. Safety experts note that while Chinese models performed notoriously badly in crash tests 10 to 15 years ago, new vehicles coming to market now meet global safety standards and do not present a safety problem.
Analysts say the transition to electric cars has given Chinese brands a golden opportunity. With names that may be unfamiliar today, a car with one of these badges could soon be parked on many British drives.
On screen
Stills are sampled automatically at 60-second intervals. Where shown, the still is the nearest available frame from the relevant broadcast segment and is included to show what was on screen during that part of the broadcast. A still may not correspond to the exact second of a quoted phrase.
Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, mapped by channel. Ordered by how many channels carried each claim.
| Claim | BBC One |
|---|---|
| BYD sold over 50,000 cars in the UK in 2025 and expects to double sales this year. | |
| Chinese car brands account for one in ten new car sales in the UK. | |
| Jeku's large SUVs have been widely derided online as 'Timu Range Rovers'. |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
The report focuses on the rapid growth of Chinese car brands in the UK, highlighting both their technological advances and the lingering image and safety concerns. It balances positive developments (BYD's sales, fast charging) with consumer wariness and online criticism, using interviews and expert commentary to provide a nuanced view.
- “We want to bring this technology to show all the customers and tell the brand story and then demonstrate the one principle, technology, changing people's lives.”
- “I think a lot of people that use that terminology, they're not in the market, they're not looking for a new car, so maybe it's a lazy portrayal of the model.”
- “You can all go and look at the videos online of 10 to 15 years ago where some of these Chinese cars really didn't meet the standard. But since then there's been a huge amount of work globally in the new car assessment programmes and safety regulations which have driven those standards up and we're really not seeing a safety problem with new vehicles coming to market now.”
Broadcast Timeline
News broadcasts tracked for this story, in time order.