The Chinese car market is the biggest in the world. Last year alone more than 30 million of them were registered – three times the number in Europe. That’s not a surprise, of course: it’s why European firms have long flocked to China to sell their wares.
What might be news, though, is that China is home to 61 domestic manufacturers. Those brands are split among 18 different powerhouses, from the behemoths of Geely (owner of Volvo, Polestar and Lotus) and BYD (the world’s biggest maker of PHEVs) to the state-controlled Changan and SAIC (MG‘s new parent).
Strong sales in their home market has, over the past few years, resulted in these Chinese companies attempting to go global, and with much success: from 2020 car exports quintupled in just three years to 4.9 million. This means the country is now the biggest exporter of vehicles in the world, overtaking Japan (home of the world’s biggest car maker, Toyota).
It’s not just sheer volume that’s putting China on the automotive map – these days it’s quality, too. For instance, the MG 4, priced from £25,000, was the UK’s second-best-selling electric car last year, behind the Tesla Model Y. BYD and Geely-owned Zeekr are other Chinese car firms making waves in the UK, with Xpeng, Nio (the one with the battery-changing stations) and Chery-owned Omoda coming soon.
Another name to take note of is Great Wall Motor. GWM is the fifth-biggest player in its home country, with 1.2 million global sales last year, and under its wing are five brands: Poer (pronounced Power), Haval, Wey, Tank and Ora.
GWM isn’t strictly new to Europe – although its efforts so far don’t inspire confidence. Once the only Chinese brand to sell vehicles in the region, it flirted with the UK with the now-discontinued – and two-star-rated – Steed pick-up. You can be forgiven for not remembering it.
Its latest venture here is Ora, the EV-only brand that focuses on quirky styling to carve a niche in some saturated segments. It arrived here in 2022 with the Funky Cat (now the GWM Ora 03), a Volkswagen ID 3-chasing, well-equipped but flawed raised hatchback. The Ora 07 saloon – think a Chinese Hyundai Ioniq 6 – is on the way later this year, and an SUV has been tipped to follow.