![Pinterest](https://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=https://uknews.evprotec.com/chinese-electric-cars-will-reduce-uk-emissions-but-what-about-rivals-here/&media=https://uknews.evprotec.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/131100697_cars.jpg&description=The UK is facing a dilemma: should it fight the rising imports of Chinese electric cars with big new tariffs, in the same way the EU has threatened to do this week? Or should it allow them to continue? Keeping open to the imports in would make it easier for the UK to hit its goal of no new petrol and diesel cars by 2030, and it would make electric cars cheaper. But the UK car industry could be damaged. The British car industry is showing off its green electric future at a Bedfordshire racetrack, and behind the marques, some familiar, some less so, there is a new force. China is cornering the market in electric vehicles. A friendly man from Chinese firm BYD shows me the Atto. "We're really proud of this car," says Mark Blundell. "It's new to the market, and packed full of technology. In simple terms we can pack 50% more battery into less space." The car's interior is inspired by a gym. It has a heat pump as standard, vegan leather, and strings on the door map-pocket tight enough to "get a tune out of". The display screen on the dashboard rotates at the press of a button. For now, hands should still be on the steering wheel, though China expects to be ahead of the game on autonomous driving too. And the all important battery life and range? Impressive. China has cornered the market in electric vehicle batteries. Indeed, many of the new car companies, including Byd, started off as battery manufacturers. BYD stands for "Build Your Dreams", and they are on course to overtake Tesla as the world's biggest producer of electric vehicles this year. If hybrids are included, they are already number one. Image caption, Mark Blundell (pictured left), BYD UK marketing manager, says the firm is "really proud" of the Atto BYD, long-backed by legendary US investor Warren Buffett, has just started selling in the UK, and recently wooed the Munich motor show with six models heading for Europe. Other Chinese brands, such as FunkyCat and Nio, are not yet as well known in Europe. There are){kind=link}
The UK is facing a dilemma: should it fight the rising imports of Chinese electric cars with big new tariffs, in the same way the EU has threatened to do this week? Or should it allow them to continue? Keeping open to the imports in would make it easier for the UK to hit its goal of no new petrol and diesel cars by 2030, and it would make electric cars cheaper. But the UK car industry could be damaged.
The British car industry is showing off its green electric future at a Bedfordshire racetrack, and behind the marques, some familiar, some less so, there is a new force.
China is cornering the market in electric vehicles.
A friendly man from Chinese firm BYD shows me the Atto.
“We’re really proud of this car,” says Mark Blundell. “It’s new to the market, and packed full of technology. In simple terms we can pack 50% more battery into less space.”