The charge of Chinese electric car brands into the UK market is sparking privacy concerns among older consumers, a new survey suggests.

Some 41% of people aged 55 and above have fears over data security and privacy risks when buying Chinese products, the poll commissioned by online vehicle marketplace Auto Trader indicated.

Meanwhile, 43% of respondents in the same age group said they mistrust the quality of the goods.

The greatest support comes from those aged 17-34, with 57% of this group attracted by factors such as innovative technology and affordability.

Chinese brands including BYD, GWM and Omoda are gaining ground in the UK automotive market.

An Auto Trader report forecast that Chinese companies could hold a share of up to 25% of the UK’s new electric vehicle market by 2030, which is when the Government has pledged to ban the sale of new petrol and diesel cars.

Ian Plummer, commercial director at Auto Trader, said: “Chinese brands are increasingly pivotal players in the UK’s electric transition.

“Their ability to offer affordable, high-quality electric vehicles is winning over the younger drivers who will play a vital role in driving the widespread adoption of electric vehicles.

“But the rise of Chinese brands comes with challenges.

“Consumers’ trust in the quality and safety of these new entrants remains mixed, particularly among older buyers.

“To succeed, Chinese brands will need to focus on reassuring consumers – through strong safety ratings, data security, expert reviews and customer service – that they are as good as the more trusted traditional manufacturers.”

Dr Andy Palmer, former chief executive of Aston Martin and operating chief of Nissan, who founded Palmer Energy which supplies home, commercial and grid scale batteries, said: “Smart electronics and AI software are a phenomena of our time, and proliferate into almost everything we own.

“For some, this has raised concern about the growth in Chinese EVs and the risk of spying.

“We should be cognisant of the risk but not attribute this only to China and only to EVs. The same functions can exist on internal combustion cars, and the risk from phones is probably greater.”

– The nationally representative survey of 3,985 UK consumers was conducted by research company QuMind in November 2024.

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