So are Chinese EVs actually any good? In most cases, yes. Software, driver assistance, insurance, depreciation and long-term reliability are the areas worth checking before you buy. The answers vary by brand and model.
Summary:
- Crash protection has been strong on the models tested. The MG4, BYD Seal, Dolphin, Atto 3 and Sealion 7 all hold five-star Euro NCAP ratings.
- Owner satisfaction is mixed but isn't a reliability survey. In Driver Power 2026 BYD ranked 16th of 30 brands and MG 29th, with MG's complaints centred on infotainment software.
- Driver assistance has been a weak spot. Euro NCAP rated the 2022 BYD Atto 3's adaptive cruise control "Not Recommended". A software update and newer cars have since improved it.
- Depreciation has generally been steeper for several Chinese brands. Estimates vary widely by source, brand and model.
- Many Chinese brands offer warranties of around seven years. Cover varies by manufacturer and model. Leapmotor's vehicle warranty is shorter at three to four years.
- Insurance and ethics deserve checking. A Carwow investigation found half of the insurers it approached declined to quote the Jaecoo 7. Amnesty ranked BYD lowest of 13 EV makers for human-rights transparency.
At a Glance: Five Popular Models
| Model | Key strength | Main concern | Used-buyer check |
|---|---|---|---|
| MG4 | Value and a five-star Euro NCAP rating | MG's iSMART infotainment complaints | Seven-year, 80,000-mile warranty: confirm transfer and battery size |
| BYD Seal | Up to 354 miles of range | Some insurers refused cover in 2024 | Get an insurance quote and check warranty transfer |
| BYD Atto 3 | Equipment and family practicality | Early driver-assistance system on the 2022 model | Check the software update or model year |
| Jaecoo 7 | Equipment and a seven-year warranty | Insurance availability and cost | Get insurance quotes first, since most examples are nearly new |
| XPeng G6 | Fast charging: a claimed 10-80% in about 12 minutes | Soft suspension on bumpy roads and a short UK track record | Used stock is very limited: check dealer support |
What Chinese EVs Do Well
Value: Auto Express says Chinese cars are known for great value for money. Carwow rates the MG4 8 out of 10. Equipment levels are generous and prices undercut many European rivals.
Auto Express says low prices don't necessarily mean poor quality. Lower labour costs and a largely domestic supply chain help. The role of state subsidies is controversial.
Range and charging: The BYD Seal quotes up to 354 miles on the WLTP test cycle. Carwow reports a claimed 10-80% charge in about 12 minutes for the XPeng G6 on a sufficiently powerful charger.
Crash protection: The MG4 earned five stars from Euro NCAP in December 2022. The BYD Sealion 7 scored five stars in 2025 with 87% for adult protection, 93% for child protection, 76% for pedestrian protection and 79% for safety assist.
Where They Fall Short
Software and infotainment: MG's weak owner-satisfaction score is largely a software story. Love Electric reports the complaints centred on MG's iSMART infotainment system rather than mechanical faults.
Cabin quality and driving feel: Auto Express's senior test editor said in 2025 that value remains the chief selling point. The editor's view was that user-friendliness and material quality still trailed most European and Far Eastern rivals. The editor added that most Chinese EVs get you from A to B without much excitement.
Driver assistance: In October 2024 Euro NCAP gave the 2022 BYD Atto 3's adaptive cruise control a "Not Recommended" rating, the lowest grade it offers. The system responded poorly to stationary vehicles and did too little when a driver became unresponsive.
The Atto 3's five-star crash rating was unaffected, because Euro NCAP's star rating doesn't include its assisted-driving tests. BYD responded with a software update that lifts older cars to "Moderate" and a new system on 2025 model-year cars that Euro NCAP rates "Good". On a used Atto 3, check which version it has.
Build quality: In Euro NCAP's 2025 tests of the Jaecoo 7 PHEV, a side curtain airbag became trapped behind trim and didn't deploy properly. Jaecoo's investigation found a clip hadn't been fitted correctly in production.
The car still earned five stars. Euro NCAP applied a penalty in both side-impact tests though. The rating therefore doesn't mean every test went perfectly. The full Euro NCAP assessment is public.
Jaecoo says production-line quality has since improved. The Car Expert knew of no DVSA safety recalls affecting the Jaecoo 7 as of July 2026.
Thin reliability history: Carwow warns that buyers may use a Chinese brand's warranty more than they would with a familiar one. Some brands are also too new in the UK for long-term reliability to be clear.
Depreciation: Estimates of how much value Chinese EVs lose vary widely by source, brand and model. Most suggest the loss has been steeper than for established brands, partly because the used market is still learning how to value them. The first owner takes that risk while a used buyer benefits.
Dealer networks and brand exits: Electrifying reports MG has 155 UK dealers. Love Electric puts Leapmotor at about 79 retailers through Stellantis by mid-2026, heading towards 100 by year end. Brands can also withdraw. Auto Express reports GWM's Ora Funky Cat has been discontinued.
GWM told Auto Express its warranties would be honoured by its aftersales department if it ever ceased trading in the UK. Auto Express advises more caution with smaller start-ups not yet established here and cites the failed US brand Fisker as a cautionary example.
Insurance and Parts
Insurance was a real problem for some early owners. In 2024 some insurers refused to cover the BYD Seal and GWM's Ora Funky Cat, Auto Express reported. Thatcham Research said nothing was wrong with the cars themselves. The manufacturers weren't giving insurers enough access to parts and repair information. Minor accidents therefore ended in write-offs.
Makers have responded. Jaecoo told Auto Express in 2025 that almost all Jaecoo 7 parts are available within 24 hours (48 in some cases). BYD said 90% of its parts are available within 48 hours.
Jaecoo UK's country director has since said its insurance group ratings fell from the low 30s to the low 20s after similar work with Thatcham, Insurance Business reports.
Cover can still be harder and dearer for some models. A Carwow investigation this year found half of the 10 major insurers it approached declined to quote the Jaecoo 7. Insurers that did quote averaged about £858, around £166 more than for a Volkswagen Tiguan.
Thatcham told Carwow that high premiums typically affect any new vehicle entering the UK market, because insurers rely on claims and repair history. Get a quote on the exact registration before you buy.
What About the Ethics?
Ethics is a fair question for any EV buyer. Amnesty International assessed 13 of the world's largest EV makers on human rights in 2024. Mercedes-Benz ranked top and BYD ranked lowest, with Amnesty citing limited or no public information on how BYD identifies and addresses human-rights risks in its supply chain.
Amnesty said that lack of transparency raises concerns about issues such as forced labour, unsafe working conditions and environmental harm. BYD declined to comment. Geely also performed poorly. Chery and GWM weren't included.
Amnesty stressed that a car's ethics depend on the specific manufacturer's practices rather than where it's based. Non-Chinese companies also have significant shortcomings.
What Owners Say
Driver Power 2026 surveyed more than 100,000 UK drivers. BYD ranked 16th of 30 brands with 84.69%, a sharp rise from last place in 2025, according to Love Electric. MG placed 29th with 81.11%.
Scores reflect owner satisfaction rather than a mechanical failure rate. A brand's ranking shows how owners feel about the whole experience. Software irritations can drag a score down even when the car itself is sound.
Warranty and Battery Cover
| Brand | Vehicle warranty | Battery cover |
|---|---|---|
| BYD | 6 to 7 years, depending on model | Up to 8 years |
| MG | 7 years, 80,000 miles | Check terms |
| Omoda | 7 years, 100,000 miles | 8 years, 100,000 miles, minimum 70% capacity |
| Jaecoo | 7 years, 100,000 miles | Check terms |
| Leapmotor | T03: 3 years, 60,000 miles. B10 and C10: 4 years, 60,000 miles | 8 years, 100,000 miles |
Terms vary by model and registration date. Confirm exactly what transfers to a second owner before you buy.
Are They Good Used Buys?
Used can be the sweet spot because the first owner has already absorbed the steepest depreciation and the car often still carries part of its warranty.
Check the software version: Ask whether updates have been applied, particularly on a 2022-2024 BYD Atto 3.
Check the warranty: Confirm how much remains and whether it transfers to you.
Check the battery: Ask for evidence of battery condition. Our used electric car guide for first-time buyers explains what to look for.
Check the nearest dealer: A long warranty means less if the nearest approved service centre is far away.
Who Should Buy One?
A good fit: Drivers who want generous equipment and a keen price and who live within reach of an approved dealer.
Think twice: Buyers who rank resale value above everything else, rely heavily on driver-assistance features, or live far from the nearest dealer.
Planning to keep it long term: Auto Express's editorial view is that buyers who expect to keep a car beyond a typical three-year finance or lease term may be safer with an established brand, given the long-term maintenance questions around newer firms.
Conclusion
Many Chinese EVs are good cars with real strengths in value, equipment and crash protection. Several offer long range. The main weak spots, which vary by brand and model, are software, early driver-assistance systems, insurance costs and depreciation. Most can be managed by checking the exact car before you buy. Ethics depends on the specific brand. Read the evidence for yourself.
For specific recommendations, see our guide Chinese car brands in the UK.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are Chinese EVs reliable?
Reliability data for Chinese EV brands is still limited because many are new to the UK market. Owner-satisfaction data gives some context but isn't a long-term mechanical reliability survey. In Driver Power 2026 BYD ranked 16th of 30 brands and MG 29th, with MG's complaints mostly about software.
Are Chinese EVs safe?
Crash protection has been strong, with five-star Euro NCAP ratings for the MG4, BYD Seal, Dolphin and Sealion 7. Driver-assistance systems have been weaker on some early models. Check the version.
Are Chinese EVs good value?
Often, yes, because many models combine generous equipment with keen prices. Depreciation has been steeper for several brands, which penalises first owners and favours used buyers.
Do Chinese EVs hold their value?
Estimates vary widely by source, brand and model. Most suggest steeper depreciation than for established brands. The newest models have the least data. Treat any single figure with caution.
Is the BYD Atto 3's driver assistance safe?
Euro NCAP rated the 2022 model's adaptive cruise control "Not Recommended" in October 2024. BYD issued an update that lifts older cars to "Moderate" and fitted a system rated "Good" to 2025 model-year cars.
Are Chinese EVs expensive to insure?
Often, yes. A Carwow investigation this year found half of the 10 major insurers it approached declined to quote the Jaecoo 7. The rest averaged around £166 more than for a Volkswagen Tiguan. Get a quote on the exact registration first.
Are Chinese EVs ethical to buy?
The answer depends on the manufacturer. Amnesty International ranked BYD lowest of 13 EV makers in 2024 for human-rights transparency. Amnesty also said non-Chinese companies have significant shortcomings.
Are all cars built in China Chinese brands?
No. Tesla builds many UK-bound cars in Shanghai, BMW builds the MINI Aceman in China and Renault Group builds the Dacia Spring there. Some European brands are Chinese-owned, including Volvo and Polestar (Geely) and MG (SAIC).
Is the MG4 a good used Chinese EV?
The MG4 has a lot going for it. Used stock is wide, Euro NCAP awarded it five stars in 2022, Carwow rates it 8 out of 10 and it carries a seven-year, 80,000-mile warranty. MG ranked 29th of 30 in Driver Power 2026, largely over infotainment software. Check the battery size and whether the warranty transfers.
