A flood of cheaper and well-stocked Chinese cars, especially electric ones, is hitting UK shores.
This is turning out to be a double-edged sword. Chinese cars can be up to 20 per cent cheaper, according to the EU, which is great news for consumers looking for more affordable plug-in vehicles in the sub-£30,000 “sweet spot”.
But the UK government, EU and US have warned that China’s aggressive policies pose a “challenge” to Western values and economies. It is making us overly dependent on batteries, microchips and other technologies from China. China already controls (via Africa) global supplies of cobalt vital for electric car batteries.
Sales boost: new Chinese import to Britain, the BYD Atto3 electric SUV
In October last year, the European Commission announced an “anti-subsidy” investigation into imports of electric vehicles from China, claiming that “the global market is flooded with cheaper electric vehicles” sold in Western markets with artificially low prices supported by “huge state subsidies.” .
President Biden has already imposed tariffs of 27.5 percent (Trump would increase them to 100 percent) and the EU and the UK could follow. The United States also fears that smart chips in Chinese cars could turn them into “spies on wheels.”
Warning: The UK government, EU and US have warned that China’s aggressive policies pose a “challenge” to Western values and economies.
In this context, Chinese car companies are presenting their arguments. Among the brands going down this path are BYD, the world’s largest exporter, Omoda, the legendary British brand MG, now owned by China’s SAIC, and Volvo, along with Polestar, owned by Geely.
And Mini is building its new Cooper and Aceman electric models initially in China as part of a joint venture with Great Wall Motors.
Renault presents the renewed Captur compact crossover
Available from autumn, it is the taller brother of the Clio and comes with two propulsion options.
The base 90PS 1.0-litre three-cylinder engine is linked to a six-speed manual gearbox, averages 48.3mpg and is expected to cost around £22,000.
Colorful: Available from autumn, it is the taller brother of the Clio and comes with two propulsion options.
The 143PS fully hybrid automatic E-Tech variant combines a 94PS 1.6-litre 4-cylinder engine with two electric motors and a 1.2kWh battery and will cost around £29,000. It averages 60.1 mpg.
Pressing an ‘E-Save’ button near the steering wheel maintains a battery charge of at least 40 percent for optimal performance under stress.