Yahoo Autos 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 4x4, 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
