Chinese Car Manufacturers Projected to Capture One in Ten New Car Sales in the UK by 2025
Chinese car brands MG, BYD, and Chery are forecasted to sell about 200,000 new vehicles in the UK in 2025, representing roughly 10% of the market. In the first eleven months of 2025, Chinese manufacturers sold approximately 187,800 out of 1.87 million total new-car sales in the UK, roughly doubling their 2024 figures.
Across Western Europe, Chinese brands hold around 6% of new-car sales on average, with markets like Spain and Norway nearing 10%.
Despite a European Union tariff ranging from 17% to 38% on Chinese electric vehicles imposed last year, these tariffs apply solely to pure battery electric vehicles (BEVs), allowing hybrid vehicles from China to compete more easily.
In the third quarter of 2025, fewer than 40% of Chinese-brand models entering Western Europe were pure BEVs, with many sales driven by hybrid models.
Experts highlight that China’s market approach is region-by-region within the EU, supported by subsidies and robust supply-chain control, whereas the UK market lacks domestic mass-market car brands.
Industry forecasts suggest that Chinese manufacturers' market share in Europe may peak just below 10% between 2028 and 2030, and their share of the battery-electric market may peak around 13%.
Furthermore, an EU policy shift now permits 10% of new-car sales to be internal combustion engine vehicles after 2035, moderating the phase-out of such engines and influencing profitability and investment strategies in the sector.
