Osmond ChiaBusiness reporter
Chinese car making giant BYD says the UK has become its biggest market outside China, after its sales there surged by 880% in September compared to a year earlier.
The company says it sold 11,271 cars in the UK last month, with the plug-in hybrid version of its Seal U sports utility vehicle (SUV) accounting for the majority of those sales.
It comes after figures from the car industry body the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) showed that sales of electric vehicles (EVs) jumped to a record high in September.
The UK is particularly attractive to 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.
BYD, which offers cheaper models than many of its Western rivals, said its share of the UK market jumped to 3.6% in September.
The company will launch more new hybrid and electric cars in the months ahead, said the BYD’s UK manager Bono Ge. He added that the brand’s future in Britain looks “hugely exciting”, having just opened its 100th retail outlet.
UK EV sales hit a record high last month, with sales of pure battery electric vehicles rising to almost 73,000, according to the SMMT.
Sales of plug-in hybrid cars grew even faster, it said.
The Kia Sportage, Ford Puma and Nissan Qashqai were the best-selling cars in September. Chinese models – the Jaecoo 7 and BYD Seal U – were also in the top 10.
But despite the surge in overall EV sales in the UK, petrol and diesel vehicles still made up more than half of new car sales last month, according to the SMMT.
In October last year, the EU announced it would hit imports of Chinese EVs with levies of up to 45%.
The measure is aimed to protect European car makers from being undermined by what the EU believes are unfair Chinese-state subsidies.
Chinese car makers like BYD have been effectively shut out of the US by high tariffs, which were backed by both President Donald Trump and his predecessor Joe Biden.
Despite slowing sales in China, BYD remains well ahead of US rival Tesla globally.
Its sales have also outpaced European rivals, including Jaguar and BMW.
In July this year, the UK government allocated £650m ($875m) of discounts for car buyers in a bid to boost the adoption of EVs.
Car buyers can claim subsidies of up to £3,750 on purchases of brands including Nissan, Peugeot and Vauxhall.
But the scheme excludes Chinese-made vehicles due to the emissions produced in their manufacture.
BYD has criticised the decision and said it would damage the UK’s car market in the long-term.
