BYD’s UK chief has downplayed claims that the Chinese car manufacturer is “dumping” vehicles in the UK, stating instead that it was offering superior technology for motorists.
Chinese brand BYD has quickly become one of the most exciting electric vehicle manufacturers across the UK, as well as being the best-selling EV producer around the world, beating out Elon Musk’s Tesla.
In the first three months of the year, BYD has sold 9,271 vehicles – more than the brand sold in the whole of 2024. The Shenzhen-based brand already has 1.6 per cent of the total market share in the UK, compared to just 0.23 per cent at the same time last year.
Bono Ge, Country Manager of BYD UK, spoke to Fully Charged founder Robert Llewellyn at Everything Electric London about the evolution of the Chinese brand in the UK.
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BYD has sold almost 10,000 vehicles in the UK in the first three months of 2025
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Ge was one of the figureheads behind the launch of BYD’s electric bus fleet in London, which has since grown to give the brand an impressive 75 per cent of electric buses in the capital, with more than 1,200 EV buses.
The rollout of electric buses, alongside Mayor Sadiq Khan’s action to slash pollution, has contributed to a drop in transport emissions. Transport is no longer the biggest source of air pollution in the capital, with central heating now causing the most issues.
BYD currently has five models on the UK market, including four electric cars, namely the Sealion 7, Atto 3, Dolphin and Seal, as well as the Seal U DM-i hybrid. The BYD Atto 2 is set to launch later this year.
Bono Ge highlighted how it continues to offer hybrid cars as the “go-between” for drivers who are not yet ready for an electric vehicle, but want to move away from petrol and diesel.
The BYD Sealion 7BYDThere have been accusations that some brands from China are taking advantage of tariffs and laws to “dump” cars in the UK and Europe. This practice sees a manufacturer selling goods in an international market for a far lower price than other companies.
Some critics have suggested that BYD and other Chinese manufacturers have exported cheap electric vehicles to the UK and Europe at a far lower price than other established companies, although this was dismissed by Bono Ge.
He said: “We’re not dumping here, we’re offering better technology. Would we consider Apple to be dumping iPhones here?”
Ge said that consumers adapt to changing market conditions. He cited how 20 years ago, many people were buying Nokia phones because they were reliable and cheap, but now people tend to buy Apple’s iPhones because of the technology.
The BYD Seal U DM-i hybrid at Everything Electric London
REUTERS
Since BYD is offering more in-car technology for a more accessible price, prospective buyers will be interested in switching to an EV, Ge suggested.
The Country Manager for BYD added that the majority of people looking to buy a smartphone can afford an iPhone. Similarly, most people looking to buy a new electric vehicle can afford a BYD, especially when compared to larger, more established brands.
With charging anxiety still top of mind for some drivers, BYD could revolutionise ultra-rapid chargers with its new “flash charging” feature, which aims to be as quick for drivers as it would be for petrol and diesel drivers to fill up.
The Super e-Platform achieves a charging power of one megawatt (1,000 kW), allowing drivers to charge at a speed of two kilometres per second. This will charge 400 kilometres of range in just five minutes.
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Bono Ge said electric car chargers around the UK need to be utilised properly, with expensive prices continuing to put people off
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In total, 400 of these chargers can be found across China and will be compatible with the new BYD Han L and Tang L when they launch soon. When questioned on a possible international launch, Ge said the brand would need to evaluate bringing the technology to the UK.
He acknowledged that the appetite for electric vehicles is growing in the UK and the pace of installation of new chargers is welcome, but the chargers need to be utilised, with concerns around the price of rapid and ultra-rapid charging in public, which can cost around 77p/kWh.
