China’s share of the UK car market has increased tenfold in two years, MailOnline can reveal.
Nearly 10.3 percent of imported cars are now made in Chinese factories, up from just over 1 percent in 2022, government data suggests.
Only Germany now exports more to Britain than China.
These include thousands of them channeled by BYD, which is flooding gas stations with ultra-cheap electric motors amid the huge push to phase out gasoline and diesel engines.
Other Chinese brands MG and Great Wall Motors They have also taken advantage of demand for green cars, driven by Beijing’s desire to dominate the multibillion-dollar market.
The rise in sales from China has raised fears that Britain could become dependent on a rogue state, with senior MPs raising concerns that electric vehicles sent to the country will be “weaponized” to gather intelligence.
In addition to Chinese companies like BYD dramatically increasing production, factories across the country are also churning out major Western brands.
Tesla’s ‘Gigafactory’ in Shanghai can manufacture more than 1 million vehicles a year.
Shanghai Automotive Industrial Corporation (SAIC) owns the British brand MG and also works with major European manufacturers including Volkswagen and Audi.
The MG Cyberster is the world’s first convertible electric car. It is built by Shanghai Automobile Industrial Corporation and will go on sale shortly with a list price of between £50,000 and £60,000 depending on options.
The roadster also features exotic scissor-style doors, which were first found on the Gandini-designed Lamborghini Countach.
Mercedes-Benz has an agreement with Geely Holding Group to manufacture electric cars under the Smart brand.
During the first eight months of 2024, Germany exported £11.6bn worth of cars to the UK, according to figures compiled by the Office for National Statistics.
China took second place, ahead of rivals from Spain, France, Belgium and South Korea.
Before Covid, the value of Chinese car imports into the UK was below £400m annually.
This year, ONS figures show Chinese imports between January and August amounted to £2.7bn.
Separate data from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) shows the extent of China’s aggressive electric vehicle strategy.
According to the SMMT, BYD sold 445 cars between January and September 2023, compared to 5,260 during the first nine months of 2024, an increase of 1,082 percent.
The company, best known for its battery technology, began manufacturing cars in 2003. It now boasts of “ranking first in the world” in the electric vehicle market.
GWM Ora saw its sales increase from 668 to 1,076 during the same period.
Between January and June 2024, Tesla remained the best-selling electric car manufacturer in the UK with 13.8 percent of the market, followed by BMW (11.3%), Audi (7%), Mercedes-Benz (6.5%) and then MG. (6.2%).
Last year, China overtook Japan to become the world’s largest automobile exporter.
Part of its enormous growth has involved purchasing legacy brands like MG. The historic brand, founded by William Morris in 1924, was acquired by SAIC in 2007.
They acknowledge in their annual report that “they will take advantage of the centenary of the MG brand as an opportunity to launch new products.”
This will include plans to “accelerate the application of new technologies such as AI Foundation models in vehicles.”
MG’s Cyberster, the world’s first electric convertible, is expected to sell for between £50,000 and £60,000 when it arrives in UK showrooms in the new year.
The increase comes amid fears that Beijing could hijack the green engines to spy on the British.
Security experts fear that highly advanced Chinese cars could be used to spy on Britain, collecting information as they drive around the country and transmitting real-time intelligence to Beijing.
Professor Jim Saker, president of the Institute of the Motor Industry, warned MPs in August 2023 that “connected vehicles flooding the country could be the most effective Trojan horse the Chinese establishment has.”
IMI has been working with the National Protective Security Authority (NPSA), part of MI5, on the threat posed by next-generation cars.
Professor Saker said hackers It could turn off the engine of a ‘connected car’ – one that has a constant internet connection to update software and provide location data – or unlock the vehicle remotely and facilitate theft.
He said: “Hackers could interfere with the car’s operational functions such as the horn, wipers, turn signals or even headlights, leading to safety issues.”
Former MI6 chief Sir Richard Dearlove urged the Government earlier this year to consider banning Chinese vehicles equipped with advanced technology that could transmit vital data to China.
Sir Richard claimed the Chinese car issue could be the “next Huawei”, following the decision to stop the telecoms giant from supplying infrastructure for Britain’s 5G mobile network over fears spies could intercept communications.
US President Joe Biden’s administration has proposed banning “Chinese connected car technology” over security fears.
The White House is also concerned about subsidies received by Chinese automakers, which they say undercut American manufacturers.
He angered Beijing by slapping Chinese electric vehicles with a 100 percent tariff.
MG chartered the Wisdom Ace car ship to transport 4,694 electric vehicles from Shanghai to Bristol, the largest ever car delivery to the port in April 2024.
EU officials have also expressed concern about the amount of subsidies offered by the Beijing government to Chinese manufacturers.
The European Commission has voted to impose tariffs on imports of Chinese electric vehicles, despite objections from Germany and Hungary.
The new charges could be introduced at the end of the month if a new trade deal cannot be reached between Beijing and Brussels. the ratesIf implemented, it will not affect British consumers due to Brexit.
China called them “unfair.”
The charges will apply to all cars made in China, even those from European or American brands such as Polestar, Volvo, VW, BMW and Tesla.
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