Latest news with #SteveBeattie
Auto Express
18 hours ago
- Automotive
- Auto Express
Six new BYD cars by 2026, but they won't all be EVs
BYD may have only started selling cars in the UK in 2023, but it has already successfully launched a diverse range of six models and the Chinese brand is not slowing down, with plans to double the size of its line-up in half that time. Speaking exclusively with Auto Express at the UK launch of the new BYD Dolphin Surf – the brand's newest, most affordable and probably most attractive offering to date – UK sales and marketing manager Steve Beattie revealed BYD will launch another six models here before the end of 2026. Advertisement - Article continues below Next to arrive in showrooms will be the new BYD Atto 2, a tech-focused compact SUV which we drove for the first time earlier this year, and is set to finally go on sale in September. Initially it'll only be available as an EV, with a choice of standard- or long-range batteries, however Beattie told us there will also be a plug-in hybrid 'DM-i' version sometime in 2026 – which will give the newcomer an edge over rivals like the Kia EV3 or Smart #1. The BYD Seal 06 estate car and saloon will also be launching in the UK before the end of the year, also featuring plug-in hybrid power, along with another BMW 3 Series-sized saloon called the BYD Seal 05. Skip advert Advertisement - Article continues below The company is going to be updating some of its existing models soon, as well, Beattie tells us. We've already seen the updated BYD Seal – the brand's rival to the Tesla Model 3 – which features a revamped interior and LiDAR system for more advanced autonomous driving capabilities. The Atto 3 family SUV is in line for a spruce-up, too, as this was the first car the brand sold in the UK, and images of a facelifted version surfaced online earlier this year, sporting a new sharper look, more in-line with the smaller Atto 2. Advertisement - Article continues below Three more as-yet-unnamed new models will be joining the BYD line-up in 2026. Beattie didn't tell us anything about this trio, but it seems likely that the BYD Seal 06 GT will be come here eventually, as the electric hatchback could serve as a rival to the Volkswagen ID.3 and Cupra Born, plus there's a hot 416bhp version too called the Seal X. While not confirmed for the UK either, the BYD Shark hybrid pick-up truck also has a strong chance of coming to our shores. For one thing it would offer a new challenger to the best-selling, multi-award-winning Ford Ranger, a plug-in hybrid version of which recently went on sale, offering up to 27 miles of pure-electric driving. Skip advert Advertisement - Article continues below The Shark meanwhile manages to boast up to 62 mils of EV range, thanks to its much larger 29.58kWh battery, plus a combined power output of 435bhp – compared to the 275bhp for the Ranger PHEV. However the BYD's 2,500kg towing capacity does fall short of the Ford's 3,500kg limit. Beattie informed us that BYD has now brought a few Australian-spec Shark pick-up trucks into the UK for testing. 'We're driving those around at the moment and it's definitely been getting some really good and interesting reactions from the UK team.' Advertisement - Article continues below He added that the team is working to bring the truck to the UK, because 'we want that truck here, because I think there's an opportunity for it here.' The opportunity he's referring to is double-cab pick-up trucks used to be classed as commercial vehicles, meaning company car drivers running one had to pay a flat tax rate of little as £792 per year. However these types of trucks are now classed as private vehicles, like passenger cars, and because they're not very efficient, they fall into the highest Benefit-in-Kind (BiK) band for company car tax. But of course, electric or plug-in hybrid trucks get around this thanks to their much greater fuel efficiency and zero-emissions driving capabilities. That's why the Ranger PHEV attracts as little as 19% company car tax, while the equivalent diesel is slapped with the maximum 37% rate. Skip advert Advertisement - Article continues below '[The pick-up truck] market is dominated by the Ranger and Ford does an incredible job with that. But what's interesting is the market has just changed for that vehicle because it was effectively a company car tax break, but [trucks] are now being classed as cars 'So, ultimately, all of those diesel [pick-up truck drivers] now have to move to something that is either plug-in hybrid or electric, and this being plug-in hybrid I think is going to fit really well. 'It's also just something different, you know. We've seen that with Tesla Model 3 customers and Model Y customers, they say 'I've had this for a while, I want to change into something different' and that gives us an opportunity. Now for those Ranger customers, we'll have an alternative here.' As well as launching six cars in less than two years, BYD accounted for 2% of all new cars sales in the UK in April and May this year, with Beattie hoping to retain that market share this month. Another milestone that seems in sight is 20,000 sales within the first half of the year. All the while, BYD plans to continue expanding its dealership network, which included 50 locations at the start of the year, but now stands at 75, and according to Beattie will reach 90 locations by September. Tell us which new car you're interested in and get the very best offers from our network of over 5,500 UK dealers to compare. 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Yahoo
09-06-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
China's electric cars are becoming slicker and cheaper - but is there a deeper cost?
Theo will be responding to reader comments about this article between 12pm and 1pm today. Go to the comments section at the bottom of this page to share what you think about the rise of these more affordable EVs. In China, they call it the Seagull, and it has looks to match. It is sleek and angular, with bright, downward-slanting headlights that have more than a hint of mischievous eyes about them. It is, of course, a car. A very small one, designed as a cheap city runabout – but it could have huge significance. Available in China since 2023, where it has proved extremely popular, it has just been launched in Europe with the name Dolphin Surf (because Europeans apparently aren't as keen on seagulls as Chinese people). When it goes on sale in the UK this week, it's expected to have a price tag of around £18,000. That will still make it, for an electric car on western markets, very cheap indeed. It won't be the outright lowest-priced model on offer: the Dacia Spring, manufactured in Wuhan jointly by Renault and Dongfeng, and the Leapmotor T03, which is being produced by a joint venture between Chinese startup Leapmotor and Stellantis, both cost less. But the Dolphin Surf is the invasive species that has long-established brands most worried. That is because the company behind it has been making ever bigger waves on international markets. BYD is already the biggest player in China. It overtook Tesla in 2024 to become the world's best-selling maker of electric vehicles (EVs), and since entering the European markets two years ago, it has expanded aggressively. "We want to be number one in the British market within 10 years," says Steve Beattie, sales and marketing director for BYD UK. BYD is part of a wider expansion of Chinese companies and brands that some believe could change the face of the global motor industry – and which has already prompted radical action from the US government and the EU. It means once-unknown marques like Nio, Xpeng, Zeekr or Omoda could become every bit as much household names as Ford or Volkswagen. They will join classic brands such as MG, Volvo and Lotus, which have been under Chinese ownership for years. The products on offer already encompass a huge range, from runabouts like the tiny Dolphin Surf to exotic supercars, like the pothole-jumping U9, from BYD's high-end sub-brand Yangwang. "Chinese brands are making massive inroads into the European market," says David Bailey, professor of business and economics at Birmingham Business School. In 2024, 17 million battery and plug-in hybrid cars were sold worldwide, 11 million of those in China. Chinese brands, meanwhile, had 10% of global EV and plug-in hybrid sales outside their home country, according to the consultancy Rho Motion. That figure is only expected to grow. For consumers, it should be good news – leading to more high-quality and affordable electric cars becoming available. But with rivalry between Beijing and western powers showing no sign of subsiding, some experts are concerned Chinese vehicles could represent a security risk from hackers and third parties. And for established players in Europe, it represents a formidable challenge to their historic dominance. "[China has] a huge cost advantage through economies of scale and battery technology. European manufacturers have fallen well behind," warns Mr Bailey. "Unless they wake up very quickly and catch up, they could be wiped out." China's car industry has been developing rapidly since the country joined the World Trade Organisation in 2001. But that process accelerated rapidly in 2015, when the Communist Party introduced its "Made in China 2025" initiative. The 10-year plan to make the country a leader in several high-tech industries, including EVs, attracted intense criticism from abroad, and particularly the US, amid claims of forced technology transfers and theft of intellectual property – all of which the Chinese government denies. Fuelled by lavish state funding, the plan helped lay the groundwork for the breakneck growth of companies like BYD – originally a maker of batteries for mobile phones – and allowed the Chinese parent companies of MG and Volvo, SAIC and Geely, to become major players in the EV market. "The general standard of Chinese cars is very, very high indeed," says Dan Caesar, chief executive of Electric Vehicles UK. "China has learned extremely quickly how to manufacture cars." Yet competition in China has become ever more cut-throat, with brands jostling for space in an increasingly saturated market. This has led them to hunt for sales elsewhere. While Chinese firms have expanded into East Asia and South America, for years the European market proved a tough nut to crack – that is, until governments here decided to phase out the sale of new petrol and diesel models. The transition to electric cars opened the door to new players. "[Chinese brands] have seen an opportunity to get a bit of a foothold," says Oliver Lowe, UK product manager of Omoda and Jaecoo, two sub brands of the Chinese giant Chery. Low labour costs in China, coupled with government subsidies and a very well-established supply chain, have given Chinese firms advantages, their rivals have claimed. A report from the Swiss bank UBS, published in late 2023, suggested that BYD alone was able to build cars 25% more cheaply than western competitors. Chinese firms deny the playing field is uneven. Xpeng's vice chairman Brian Gu told the BBC at the Paris Motor Show in 2024 that his company is competitive "because we have fought tooth and nail through the most competitive market in the world". Concerns that Chinese EV imports could flood international markets at the expense of established manufacturers reached fever pitch in 2024. In the US, the Alliance for American Manufacturing warned they could prove to be an "extinction-level event" for the US industry, while the European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen suggested that "huge state subsidies" for Chinese firms were distorting the European market. The Biden administration took dramatic action, raising import tariffs on Chinese-made EVs from 25% to 100%, effectively making it pointless to sell them in the US. It was condemned by Beijing as "naked protectionism". Meanwhile, in October 2024, the EU imposed extra tariffs of up to 35.3% on Chinese-made EVs. The UK, however, took no action. Matthias Schmidt, founder of Schmidt Automotive Research, says the EU's tariffs have now made it harder for Chinese firms to gain market share. "The door was wide open in 2024... but the Chinese failed to take their chance. With the tariffs in place, Chinese manufacturers are now unable to push their cost advantage onto European consumers." European manufacturers have been racing to develop their own affordable electric cars. French car-maker Renault is among them. At its factory in Douai, in northeastern France, an army of spark-spitting robots weld sections of steel to form car bodies, while on the main assembly line, automated systems mate together bodyshells, doors, batteries, motors and other parts, before human workers apply the finishing touches. The factory has been making cars for Renault since 1974, but four years ago, the ageing production lines were replaced with new highly automated, digitally-controlled systems. Part of the site was also taken over by the Chinese-owned battery firm AESC, which built its own "gigafactory" next door. It's part of Renault's wider plan to set up an ultra-modern EV "hub" in northern France. Mirroring the lean production techniques of Chinese manufacturers, the hub cuts costs by maximising efficiency and ensuring that suppliers are located as close as possible. "Our target was to be able to produce affordable electric cars here to sell in Europe," explains Pierre Andrieux, director of the Douai plant, arguing that automated processes "will enable us to do that profitably". But the company is also exploiting something the Chinese brands do not have: heritage. Its latest model, the Renault 5 E-tech, built in Douai, borrows its name from one of the company's most famous products. The original Renault 5, launched in 1972, was a quirky little everyman car with boxy looks and low running costs that became a cult classic. The new design, despite being a state-of-the art EV, pays homage to its predecessor in name and appearance, in an effort to emulate its popular appeal. But irrespective of how desirable Chinese cars are in comparison with European rivals, some experts believe we should be wary of them – for security reasons. Most modern vehicles are internet-enabled in some way – to allow satellite navigation, for example – and drivers' phones are often connected to car systems. Pioneered by Tesla, so-called "over-the-air updates" can upgrade a car's software remotely. This has all led to concerns, in some quarters, that cars could be hacked and used to harbour spyware, monitor individuals or even be immobilised at the touch of a keyboard. Earlier this year, a British newspaper reported that military and intelligence chiefs had been ordered not to discuss official business while riding in EVs; it was also alleged that cars with Chinese components had been banned from sensitive military sites. Then in May, a former head of the intelligence service MI6 claimed that Chinese-made technology in a range of products, including cars, could be controlled and programmed remotely. Sir Richard Dearlove warned MPs that there was the potential to "immobilise London". Beijing has always denied all accusations of espionage. A spokesperson for the Chinese embassy in London says that the recent allegations are "entirely unfounded and absurd". "China has consistently advocated the secure, open, and rules-based development of global supply chains," the spokesperson told the BBC. "Chinese enterprises operating around the world are required to comply with local laws and regulations. "To date, there is no credible evidence to support the claim that Chinese EVs pose a security threat to the UK or any other country." Joseph Jarnecki, research fellow at defence and security think-tank The Royal United Services Institute, argues that potential risks can be mitigated. "Chinese carmakers exist in this highly competitive market. While they're beholden to Chinese law and that may require compliance with national security agencies, none of them want to damage their ability to grow and to have international exports by being perceived as a security risk," he says. "The Chinese government equally is conscious of the need for economic growth. They're not hell-bent on solely conducting surveillance." Tesla's challenges run deeper than 'toxic' controversy around Elon Musk Xi's real test is not Trump's trade war Trump's chips strategy: The US will struggle to take on Asia But the car industry is just one area in which Chinese technology is becoming increasingly enmeshed in the UK economy. To achieve the government's climate objectives, for instance, "It will be necessary to use Chinese-supplied technology", adds Mr Jarnecki. He believes that regulators of key industries should be given sufficient resources to monitor cyber security and advise companies using Chinese products of any potential issues. As for electric cars powered by Chinese technology, there's no question that they're here to stay. "Even if you have a car that's made in Germany or elsewhere, it probably contains quite a few Chinese components," says Dan Caesar. "The reality is most of us have smartphones and things from China, from the US, from Korea, without really giving it a second thought. So I do think there's some fearmongering going on about what the Chinese are capable of. "I think we have to face the reality that China is going to be a big part of the future." Top image credit: Reuters BBC InDepth is the new home on the website and app for the best analysis and expertise from our top journalists. Under a distinctive new brand, we'll bring you fresh perspectives that challenge assumptions, and deep reporting on the biggest issues to help you make sense of a complex world. And we'll be showcasing thought-provoking content from across BBC Sounds and iPlayer too. We're starting small but thinking big, and we want to know what you think - you can send us your feedback by clicking on the button below.
Yahoo
04-03-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
BYD UK partners with Arval UK to introduce BYD Lease
Arval UK has partnered BYD UK, a unit of Chinese multinational manufacturing conglomerate BYD, to introduce BYD Lease to offer vehicle leasing services to UK customers. The BYD model range has expanded significantly over the past 18 months, now encompassing four new models, with the SEALION 7 set to arrive soon. All models within the range are now available through BYD Lease. BYD UK sales and marketing director Steve Beattie said: 'The introduction of BYD Lease is a big step for our growth in the UK. 'As one of the top leasing companies in the UK, we're very happy to be partnering with Arval to make it even easier for our customers to choose BYD. 2024 was a really successful year for BYD, with the launch of the first plug-in hybrid and hitting our 10,000th sale – in less than two years.' The introduction of BYD Lease follows another year of strong growth for BYD UK. Since its official UK launch in March 2023, the company has seen a 658% increase in vehicle sales. Last year, it delivered more than 8,700 cars and sold 4.27 million new energy vehicles, making it the third-largest automotive brand worldwide. Commenting on the partnership, Arval UK retail director Eliott Woodhead said: 'We are delighted to work with BYD and their franchise partners, to help them promote and sell their innovative range of electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles. 'BYD's ambitious volume aspirations complements our own plans for growth in the UK leasing sector and strengthens the existing relationship between BYD and the wider BNP Paribas Group.' BYD UK initially entered the market with the ATTO 3 C-segment SUV in March 2023. The company has since introduced four additional models in less than two years, with the SEALION 7 set to join the line-up shortly. The company's retail presence has expanded from 14 sites to 60 retailers across the UK, with further expansion plans slated for this year. "BYD UK partners with Arval UK to introduce BYD Lease" was originally created and published by Motor Finance Online, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site. Sign in to access your portfolio
