China's BYD on fast track in UK auto sales

Chinese automaker BYD is celebrating surging sales in the United Kingdom, thanks in part to London's decision not to hit it with the same hefty tariffs that the United States and European Union have.

After the Shenzhen-based electric vehicle giant saw its UK sales surge by a staggering 880 percent during September in comparison to the same month a year earlier, the company said the British market has grown to become its largest outside China.

Bono Ge, country manager for BYD UK, said the breakthrough success was down to the company's UK team and its retailer partners.

"This is 100 percent their result and is testament to their continued hard work and determination in driving BYD forwards and spreading the word about our brand up and down the country," he said.

"We're thrilled to see our sales reaching a new milestone!"

Ge said the company is planning to launch new plug-in hybrid and electric cars in the coming months, and has just marked the opening of its 100th UK retailer, so "the future for us in this country looks hugely exciting".

BYD's Seal U DM-i plug-in hybrid SUV has been its main seller in the UK and has now entered the country's top 10 new car best-sellers listing for the first time, taking sixth place ahead of the Hyundai Tucson, MG HS, Volkswagen Golf, and Volvo XC40. The three most popular cars on the UK's top 10 list during September were the Kia Sportage, Ford Puma, and Nissan Qashqai.

BYD's total car sales in the UK hit 11,271 last month, which represented an increase in the company's market share of 3.6 percent, illustrating the increasing popularity of electric vehicles in the country in general, which the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders said hit new heights last month, with sales of pure battery electric vehicles overall rising by 29.1 percent, to a record high of almost 73,000.

BYD's sales globally have also continued to be strong, eclipsing US rival Tesla. And the company has also done well against European rivals, outselling brands including Jaguar and BMW, in spite of being subjected to tariffs in some markets.

The company, which started out as a mobile phone manufacturer, is favored by many buyers because of its competitive prices. The BYD Dolphin sells in the UK for around 26,000 pounds ($35,000), which is significantly cheaper than its main rival, the Tesla Model 3, which sells for about 40,000 pounds.

While the EU's 45 percent tariffs on BYD's vehicles will surely have hit its bottom line in Europe, the company has still done very well there, seeing its total sales rise by more than 200 percent year-on-year as of August.