The new car brands coming to the UK by 2026

If you’re a regular Autocar reader, you will have been seeing the news channels pinging with updates of new car brands coming to the UK.

The influx of manufacturers entering our market can mostly be attributed to two reasons; the rise of the Chinese car manufacturer and the buying habits of the public.

China is the world’s largest market for new cars, with more than 30 million being sold there in 2023 alone. It’s logical then, that many Chinese firms are bringing their wares to Europe and the UK. 

China has long concentrated on electric cars, whereas European manufacturers are still catching up ahead of the ban on sales of new petrol and diesel cars that will come into force in the UK in 2035.

Some research even suggests that buyers are becoming more brand-agnostic when it comes to EVs. Relatively new brands such as Tesla have come to prominence by focusing solely on selling zero-emissions cars, with the Tesla Model Y becoming the fifth best-selling car in the UK in 2023.

And soon there will be even more new brands in the UK. Keep reading to find out what they are, what cars they will be selling and when you can expect to see them on our roads.

Aehra

Nationality Italian-American

Parent company None

Coming to the UK (estimated) 2025-2026

Founded in 2022, Aehra is an ‘ultra-premium’ EV brand with plans for a saloon and an SUV that are already progressing apace.

It will major on looks, and its creative team is headed by former Lamborghini chief designer Fillipo Perini.

Both of its cars – so far simply referred to as The SUV and The Sedan – have a theoretical range of 497 miles.

The SUV looks set to be powered by three motors, with two on the rear axle and one at the front, producing a combined 794bhp.

This configuration is expected to also feature in the saloon, although Aehra has yet to confirm such details.

The cars will share 70% of their components, of which “practically all” will be sourced from existing manufacturers in order to help Aehra scale up rapidly.

Aiways

Nationality Chinese

Parent company None

Coming to the UK (estimated) 2024

This Chinese EV company – which was originally pencilled in for a UK launch in 2023 – prides itself on its ‘clean sheet’ approach to car design.

So far, we’ve driven the Aiways U5 and Aiways U6 crossovers, both of which proved relaxingly softly sprung.

The company was founded as a start-up in 2017 and has since gone on to build a plant with an annual capacity of 300,000 cars, a full R&D centre and a battery factory, following deals with Changan and Jiangling.

Alps

Nationality Chinese

Parent company Nio

Coming to the UK (estimated) 2025-2026

Chinese car maker Nio (see below) is a big company and is already setting up offshoots. Alps is set to be the company’s family car brand, taking on the likes of Volkswagen, Renault and Ford.

Nio CEO William Li told the media in 2023 that validation of prototypes was well under way and production ready cars were likely to appear in 2024.

“Right-hand-drive prototypes do exist, but we will first focus on understanding and establishing ourselves in [other] European markets,” he added.

Deepal

Nationality Chinese

Parent company Changan

Coming to the UK (estimated) 2025-2026

Changan is set to launch off-roader brand Deepal in the UK as early as 2025.

Its new 4×4, named the Deepal G318, will be made in Thailand for right-hand-drive export markets such as ours.

Deepal has yet to provide any official technical information on the G318, but Changan officials have confirmed that it stretches to almost five metres in length.

It’s expected to be initially sold with a 1.5-litre petrol-electric range-extender powertrain, similar to that available on the Deepal L07 saloon and S07 crossover, which are both already on sale in China.

It will most likely have two electric motors, one powering the front wheels and the other providing drive to the rear, with the petrol engine acting as a generator and not driving the wheels.

Exeed

Nationality Chinese

Parent company Chery

Coming to the UK (estimated) 2026

Premium EV brand Exeed will likely launch in Europe in 2025 before coming to the UK in 2026.

The Chinese marque, already present in Saudi Arabia, Chile and Kazakhstan, offers four combustion-engined SUVs that are soon to gain PHEV options. 

Its electric offensive includes the BMW i5-rivalling Exlantix E03 saloon and the Audi Q8 E-tron-sized Exlantix E0Y SUV, and a third EV is on the horizon.

Its European chief engineer, ex-JLR man Peter Martin, confirmed to Autocar that a “cross-section” of powertrains including ICE, PHEV and BEV will cater to diverse market needs. 

Exeed is benchmarking itself against premium German marques such as Mercedes-Benz and BMW.

Firefly

Nationality Chinese

Parent company Nio

Coming to the UK (estimated) 2024-2025

This is the sister brand to Alps (see above). Firefly – just a codename for now – is set to be Nio’s budget offering and will likely be taking aim at the Volkswagen ID 2 when it launches its first car in 2024.

Nio has yet to reveal any details about the car’s specifications or pricing, but it will likely be a small hatchback or SUV.

Nio is also planning to introduce battery-swapping technology for the Firefly brand, enabling drivers to quickly change depleted batteries for fully charged ones at special roadside stations.

HiPhi

Nationality Chinese

Parent company Human Horizons

Coming to the UK (estimated) 2025

Chinese tech group Human Horizons launched HiPhi in 2017 as a luxury EV maker and released its HiPhi X SUV and HiPhi Z fastback in Europe in 2023.

Both cars have enormous 19.9in infotainment touchscreens and will start at around £90,000 when they go on sale.

HiPhi bills itself as China’s truly forward-facing luxury car brand.

Its chief technical officer for, ex-JLR executive Mark Stanton, told Autocar: “Our audience in China is younger buyers who’re now preferring Huawei electronics to Apple. They’re realising that the old ‘west is best’ mentality on luxury goods needn’t apply any more. But our ambition was always to be a proper global brand, and that’s where we’re going.”

IM

Nationality Chinese

Parent company SAIC, Alibaba and Zhangjiang Hi-Tech

Coming to the UK (estimated) 2026

MG’s parent company, SAIC, looks set to launch an upmarket EV brand in the UK by 2026.

IM, founded in 2020, is a collaboration between the car maker and tech-giant Alibaba.

Its first car, the L7 executive saloon, hit the road in late 2021, followed by the LS6 and LS7 SUVs, competing directly with Tesla’s Model Y and Model X respectively.

Priced between £32,000 and £52,000 in China, they offer premium quality at a competitive price.

Like HiPhi (see above), IM is positioning itself towards the luxury end of the market.

It made headlines last year when it inked a technical partnership with Audi, which will result in the German brand using IM platforms for a range of Chinese-market EVs.

Jaecoo

Nationality Chinese

Parent company Chery

Coming to the UK (estimated) 2024

Chery is a Chinese state-owned company founded in 1997 and best known as the joint-venture partner of JLR, handling production of Jaguar and Land Rover models for the local market.

Now its Jaecoo 7 SUV is coming to the UK, alongside the Omoda 5 (see below). It’s roughly Hyundai Tucson-sized and looks set to come with plug-in hybrid powertrains.

A dealer network of 50 sites is being established, with franchise partners Endeavour Automotive, Listers and Peter Vardy already committed.

Leapmotor

Nationality Chinese

Parent company None

Coming to the UK (estimated): 2024-2026

Stellantis is currently “evaluating” sales of Leapmotor EVs in the UK, following its £1.3 billion deal to purchase a 20% stake in the company.

The multinational giant has exclusive rights to export Leapmotor cars outside of China and has said it plans to start sales in Europe via a new joint venture from as early as 2024.

The 3620mm-long Leapmotor T03 could become the cheapest electric car for sale in the UK. In France, it has been advertised for as little as €99 (£86) per month with no deposit.

The T03 is a natural rival for the Dacia Spring EV, but the Leapmotor has a 34-mile range advantage, with a claimed 174 miles.

Lucid

Nationality American

Parent company Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia

Coming to the UK (estimated) 2024-2025

Lucid is the one of the older manufacturers on this list, having started making batteries for other car makers in 2007.

In 2014, the California-based firm announced that it would start making its own cars, but it took until 2021 for a Lucid Air to roll off the production line.

This 1000bhp saloon is slated for a 2024 release in the UK with a range of 516 miles, which would make it the longest-range EV on sale in the UK.

Future models will include an SUV named the Lucid Gravity and then a couple of more affordable, mid-sized models to rival the Tesla Model 3 and Model Y.

Lynk&Co

Nationality Chinese

Parent company Geely

Coming to the UK (estimated) 2024-2025

Lynk&Co has long said that a UK launch is on the cards. Indeed, the Lynk&Co 01, a PHEV SUV based on the same architecture as the Volvo XC40, was originally planned for UK release in 2023.

The Chinese brand’s seventh model to date, the Lynk&Co 08 SUV (based on the Volvo XC60‘s architecture) will be brought to foreign markets from 2024, which could include the UK.

Lynk&Co is known in Europe for its subscription model, where customers pay an all-inclusive flat fee and can sign up for as little as a month at a time.

Mahindra

Nationality Indian

Parent company Mahindra Group

Coming to the UK (estimated) After 2025

One of India’s largest automotive companies could come to the UK by the end of the decade with the Mahindra Thar.e 4×4.

Based on the Volkswagen Group’s MEB platform, it will join two other electric SUVs in Mahindra’s portfolio.

Expect a 364-mile range and DC fast-charging, plus a pick-up truck sibling is on the cards.

Mahindra already has a UK presence in the form of its Oxfordshire advanced design centre and Formula E race team.

Company bosses recently told Autocar they were considering a UK market launch towards the end of the decade if the market conditions were right.

Nio

Nationality Chinese

Parent company None

Coming to the UK (estimated) 2025

This Chinese EV specialist with a global design centre in Munich and an advanced engineering centre in Oxford has set its sights on UK sales for 2025.

Nio Europe’s boss has confirmed that it will offer direct sales, with online purchases supported by ‘Nio Houses’ for test drives.

Battery swapping – a key differentiator – will be offered, with special roadside stations swapping flat packs for full ones in less than five minutes. 

Nio is positioning itself as an alternative to BMW and Mercedes-Benz but promises value exceeding those companies.

Omoda

Nationality Chinese

Parent company Chery

Coming to the UK (estimated) 2024

Another new brand from Chery, Omoda takes its name from a combination of the chemical symbol for oxygen and the Italian word for fashion.

Its first UK-bound model is a medium-sized SUV called the Omoda 5. It will be offered with ICE and EV powertrains from March.

The electric version is powered by a 61kWh battery that should offer a range of around 280 miles. 

A 187bhp 1.6-litre turbocharged four-cylinder unit powers the petrol model. Its official fuel economy is 31.4mpg. Yikes.

Seres

Nationality Chinese

Parent company Seres Group (formerly Sokon)

Coming to the UK (estimated) 2024

Seres was founded in 2017 by Chongqing-based industrial group Sokon but has its headquarters in California.

The 3 is set to come to the UK in May 2024, priced from £29,995, making it the cheapest electric SUV on the market.

The Nissan Qashqai-sized car has a 161bhp motor on the front axle, a 54kWh battery and an official range of 205 miles.

Skywell

Nationality Chinese

Parent company Nanjing Golden Dragon Bus, Skyworth

Coming to the UK (estimated) 2024

Skywell was founded in 2017 by bus manufacturer Nanjing Golden Dragon and industrial group Skyworth.

The company sees itself as an Audi and Mercedes-Benz rival. Its BE11 is set to arrive in the UK in July 2024. No official price yet, but we expect it to start from around £32,000.

The BE11 offers a 201bhp electric motor and a range of 304 miles. Further, unannounced Skywell products are being considered for export into the UK.

Vinfast

Nationality Vietnamese

Parent company Vingroup

Coming to the UK (estimated) 2024

Vinfast was founded by Vietnam’s first billionaire, Pham Nhat Vuong, only in 2017 yet is already preparing to sell cars in the UK.

It’s currently expanding its UK team, hinting at a serious push into our market.

It will first bring its mid-size electric SUV, the VF 8. This boasts a 293-mile range and 10-year/124,280-mile warranty. There’s no official pricing yet, but it’s expected to start around £44,000.

Vinfast also has the VF 9, an electric seven-seat SUV, which is available in Europe for around €90,590 (£78,000).

Xpeng

Nationality Chinese

Parent company None

Coming to the UK (estimated): 2024-2025

The Chinese Tesla, with offices in California and Munich, was founded in 2014 by former GAC executives and soon received backing from Alibaba and Xiamoi tech entrepreneurs.  

Since then, it has launched four EVs. The Xpeng G3 was its first effort; the Xpeng P7 and Xpeng G9 have quietly been making inroads in Denmark, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden; and the P7 – a Tesla Model 3 rival – is pencilled in for a UK release in 2025.

There are currently no plans for the company’s six-wheeled pick-up truck with a built-in baby helicopter to come to the UK, though.

Zeekr

Nationality Chinese

Parent company Geely

Coming to the UK (estimated) 2024-2025

Here’s another EV brand from Geely. Its first model set for the UK is the Zeekr 001 shooting brake, which makes up to 536bhp, thanks to a motor on each axle, meaning a 0-62mph time of sub 4.0sec. Range is officially 377 miles.

The Zeekr X, which uses Geely’s SEA EV platform (also found beneath the Smart #1 and Volvo EX30) is a more traditional SUV.

Zeekr hasn’t confirmed when either is coming to the UK, but it should be a case of when, not if.