Have you seen these Chinese cars on Irish roads? 

A rise in Chinese electric cars on Irish roads have been reported, with makes such as Funky Cat and brands Build Your Dreams (BYD) becoming increasingly popular.

The names of these car brands may not be traditional, but do have a certain intrigue about them - the low cost and running costs, being one.

“It is definitely the case that some of these Chinese car companies are priced in a way that European and American manufacturers are really struggling to compete with,” said RTÉ business journalist, Adam Maguire.

“The Chinese companies are saying that they own the supply chain and make the batteries, so that’s how they can sell for less than others - China itself denies subsidising car makers.”

With global sales figures at the beginning of 2024 showing that Elon Musk’s Tesla car brand has lost out as the number one maker of battery powered cars in the world to BYD, it’s no wonder there are more around.

“In the last decade or so, we have seen a real pickup in the Chinese car market, but it has really picked up in the last two or so years,” said Mr Maguire.

“We have multiple Chinese car brands on the Irish market, BYD probably the most obvious one. It [BYD] only started selling here last year and is really expanding quite rapidly, from nothing to three different cars on Irish roads in the space of a year.”

Saying that people may not even realise that they have purchased or are driving a Chinese make of car,  Mr Maguire continued by saying that the likes of the BYD brand self-declare as being the “biggest car brand you’ve never heard of”.

Other Chinese electric car brands include the ORA Funky Cat model, which is launching a second version of the vehicle this year. 

There are other links of car brands such as Volvo and MG to Chinese production markets, which Mr Maguire explains: “Well-known brands such as Volvo and MG, when you add them in along with Chinese brands such as BYD, ORA and Polestar, you see 4,700 Chinese cars sold in Ireland last year.

“That makes only 4% of the total number of cars sold last year, but it is growing and has doubled since 2022.”