Overview
- Fresh Carwow research found about half of insurance quote attempts for Chinese-made cars were declined.
- Carwow tested four models — Skywell BE11, BYD Seal U, Jaecoo 7 hybrid and XPeng G6 — using a 27-year-old driver in Hampshire.
- Insurer responses diverged widely, with Aviva covering all four, Hastings covering only the BYD, Axa refusing all, Direct Line declining two and Admiral declining one.
- Carwow reported higher premiums than for similar petrol cars, including £1,103 for the Jaecoo 7 versus £577 for a Skoda Karoq and £936 for the XPeng G6 versus £639 for a Hyundai Kona.
- Experts said thin claims histories for new brands, limited parts supply and higher EV repair bills are driving caution, as SMMT noted two million UK EV registrations but warned demand still trails government sales targets.