Chinese car brands' UK market share nearly triples to 15.8%, AA data shows
AA research finds Chinese brands took 15.8% of UK new vehicle sales in August 2026, up from 5.5% a year earlier, even as its survey of AA members shows many drivers remain wary of buying Chinese-made cars.
Chinese vehicle brands captured 15.8% of UK new vehicle sales in August 2026, almost three times their 5.5% share in August 2025, according to the AA's Q3 2026 EV Readiness Index. The finding was also reported by Transport+Energy. The AA's release uses "new car market" in its summary and "new vehicle sales" in its text, and does not name the data source, so it is unclear whether vans are included.
The rise in sales sits alongside caution among drivers about Chinese-made cars. AA research based on 10,594 responses from AA members, polled online by Yonder between 18 and 24 June 2026, found more than a quarter of drivers would consider buying a Chinese-made car, while 42% would not, including 16% who say they would never buy one. Attitudes vary sharply by age: 40% of 18 to 24-year-olds would consider buying a Chinese car, compared with 22% of 65 to 74-year-olds, the AA found.
The same poll suggests many drivers have no firm view. A quarter believe established brands offer better quality, while 66% are unsure, and 77% have no view on whether Chinese cars are safer. Only 3% believe a Chinese manufacturer would handle data captured by a vehicle better and more safely than an established brand. Some 47% believe competition between Chinese and established manufacturers will benefit drivers. The sample is AA members rather than fleet buyers.
What the wider Index shows
The Index, which the AA says tracks eight factors affecting drivers' ability and willingness to switch to an EV, reached 60 out of 100 in Q3 2026, up from 58.8 in Q2 and its fourth consecutive rise. AA president Edmund King said "a score of 60 also tells us that we aren't there yet".
Petrol prices rose to 161.5p per litre in the quarter, up from 159.6p at the end of May and 132.5p in February, the AA said. With petrol at that level, the AA said home charging remained 66% cheaper per mile than petrol, while ultra-rapid public charging stayed around 15% more expensive per mile than petrol. Our fleet charging costs page covers the rates fleets pay.
The AA counted 123,677 public chargers, about 41% of the Government's 300,000 target for 2030 (123,677 divided by 300,000).
On purchase prices, the AA said new EVs were on average 25% more expensive than comparable petrol cars, improving slightly from a 26% gap in Q2. In the used market, the gap had almost disappeared, with used EVs averaging just 1% more than petrol equivalents, down from 3%.
The AA also reported that 88.1% of EV breakdown callouts were fixed at the roadside by its patrols, compared with 83.5% for petrol vehicles. Running out of charge accounted for 1.3% of EV callouts, compared with 8.3% in 2015.
What this means for fleet buyers
Fleet is the largest buying channel. SMMT's August figures show 53,934 fleet registrations out of 94,236 new cars, a 57.2% share, against 59.1% a year earlier. August is a low-volume month ahead of the September plate change, so one month's share is a narrow base. SMMT recorded 28,063 battery electric registrations, or 29.8%, below the 33% ZEV mandate headline target for 2026.
Neither the AA nor SMMT's August release says how many Chinese-brand registrations were fleet sales, or how the 15.8% divides by brand or fuel type. Residual values and service network coverage for these brands are not covered by the AA's figures either.
Since this story was first published, SMMT's September figures, dated 5 October 2026, put the battery electric share at 28.3% for the month and 26.2% for the year to date. The Government's ZEV mandate review consultation closed on 23 October 2026, with the outcome yet to be published.
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