Chinese EV giant BYD sales surge by 880% in UK

Chinese (Build Your Dreams) BYD car manufacturing giant claims that the United Kingdom (UK) is its biggest market outside China, as sales surged by 880% in September compared to the previous year.

The leading EV manufacturers reported selling 11,271 cars in the UK last month, with the plug-in hybrid version of the Seal U sports utility vehicle (SUV) being the most popular model. The sales make their share of the UK market to a 3.6% surge in September.

The latest figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) indicate that sales of electric vehicles (EVs) jumped to an all-time high in September.

The UK is more confident in buying cars from firms like BYD as the country has not imposed tariffs on Chinese EVs, unlike other major markets such as the European Union and the US. Moreover, BYD cars are cheaper than their Western competitors.

With the 100th retail outlet opened across the UK, BYD’s UK manager, Bono Ge, stated that the company will launch more new hybrid and electric cars in the months ahead. He added that the brand’s future in Britain looks “hugely exciting”.

UK EV sales reached a record high last month, with nearly 73,000 pure battery electric vehicles sold, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).

Sales of plug-in hybrid cars increased even more rapidly, the report noted.

The best-selling cars in September included the Kia Sportage, Ford Puma, and Nissan Qashqai, while Chinese models such as the Jaecoo 7 and BYD Seal U also made it into the top ten.

Despite the significant rise in overall EV sales in the UK, petrol and diesel vehicles still accounted for more than half of new car sales last month, according to the SMMT.

In October of last year, the European Union announced that it would impose tariffs of up to 45% on imports of Chinese electric vehicles (EVs). This measure is intended to protect European car manufacturers from being undercut by what the EU considers to be unfair subsidies provided by the Chinese government.

Chinese car companies, such as BYD, have effectively been blocked from entering the US market due to high tariffs, which received support from both former President Donald Trump and his successor, Joe Biden.