Guan Cha Zhe Wang·2026-01-06 08:18Group 1 - The core point of the article highlights the recovery of the UK new car market, with sales surpassing 2 million units for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic, driven primarily by the rising demand for electric vehicles (EVs) [1] - The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) reported that approximately 2.02 million new cars were registered in the UK last year, marking a 3.5% increase from 2024, but still below the 2.31 million units sold in 2019 [1] - The market growth is significantly attributed to the increasing market share of Chinese brands, which rose to 12.8% in the UK EV market, up from 8.5% in 2024 [1] Group 2 - Chinese automakers, including BYD and Chery, are actively expanding in the UK market, benefiting from the absence of higher import tariffs on Chinese-made EVs compared to other European regions [3] - The sales of new cars from Chinese brands are expected to double in 2025, exceeding 196,000 units, as more affordable EVs and hybrid models are introduced [3] - Despite the popularity of Chinese EVs, SMMT's CEO Mike Hawes warned that the growth outlook for EV sales remains "fragile" [3] Group 3 - The UK has set a regulatory requirement for a certain percentage of new car sales to be zero-emission vehicles, increasing from 28% in 2025 to 33% in 2026, and reaching 80% by 2030, with penalties for non-compliance [4] - In December, the market share of EVs in the UK surged to 32%, marking the only month where sales exceeded the government's 2025 target of 28% [4] - Analysts noted that the UK government had lowered some related targets, including reducing penalties, which may prevent manufacturers from facing fines for not meeting last year's targets [4] Group 4 - In 2023, Chinese automotive manufacturers achieved a record by becoming the world's largest car exporters, surpassing Japan for the first time [4] - Predictions indicate that Chinese automakers may take the lead in global new car sales by 2025, displacing Japanese manufacturers from their long-held position [4] Group 5 - BYD announced its 2025 sales data, reporting deliveries of 4.6 million vehicles, a 7.7% increase from 2024, with electric vehicle sales growing by 28% to 2.25 million units [5] - Market estimates suggest that Tesla's electric vehicle sales may decline by 8% in 2025 to 1.64 million units, positioning BYD to potentially surpass Tesla and become the largest EV seller globally [5][6] - Tesla barely maintained its global leading position in 2024 with just a 20,000 unit sales margin [5]