While China's EV exports to UK are down, plug-in hybrids are bucking the trend
After years of driving cars from European marques, one self-employed Londoner opted for a change in December and bought an electric vehicle (EV) made by Chinese carmaker MG.
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'I was originally looking at a Tesla, but the price was just a bit too much for me,' he said. 'With everything being so expensive these days, I thought 'why not go for something more affordable?''
He joined a growing number of Britons embracing Chinese car brands. While Chinese electric vehicles have faced mounting headwinds in the European Union – including tariffs as high as 45.3 per cent – in the United Kingdom they are subject only to the standard 10 per cent import tariff, the same as other non-EU rivals.
The UK was China's second-largest export destination for EVs by country in the first quarter of this year, and the fifth-largest for hybrid electric vehicles, according to Chinese customs data.
Although total EV exports from China to the UK fell by 32.6 per cent year on year in the first quarter, plug-in hybrid vehicle exports surged nearly 600 per cent.
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In March alone, China's hybrid EV exports to the UK soared by 1,849 per cent year on year to 3,898 units.
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