Author: Darren Sinclair, iVendi chief customer officer

So far, used values and prices for these new Chinese electric vehicles (EVs) had been quite competitive, but volumes had been limited and the developing future picture was difficult to predict.

It’s going to be really interesting to see the impact of these car makers in the EV market over the next few years. MG have been successful with the MG4, which has a good headline PCP price, and many other manufacturers are following them.

There has been much talk about the quality of their product, which seems reasonably good, and the pricing, which is very competitive without being cheap, but not so much about the finance offering, which will be central to their progress.

While the Chinese EVs seen in the UK so far have been keenly priced and generally attractive, these qualities will be of limited impact without the right finance offering to support them.

Delivering competitive and easily accessible motor finance will be essential to the success of Chinese manufacturers entering the UK market and this will very much depend on finance deals that will be based on predicted RVs.

MG4

What we have seen so far from EV models such as the MG4 is a good RV performance and a professional attitude to remarketing but this is one model from one manufacturer with some longstanding brand equity.

Much less familar new market entrants will be soon targeted at different points in the market but there will be a large number of them with a large number of models and little or no track record. It’s pretty much an unprecedented situation and predicting the outcome is quite difficult.

Doing everything possible to support values – from establishing a brand reputation through to generating confidence among used car dealers and buyers – is going to be essential for these manufacturers and the motor finance companies offering their products, whether these are owned by the manufacturer or a third party.

It’s ultimately all about creating RVs that allow an attractive headline PCP rate to be delivered, one that will overcome any doubts that the customer may have about buying from an unknown brand with no UK track record. This is a much more significant factor than the list price.

  • This year's AM Live has a dedicated strategy session focussed on the impact of the new Chinese OEMs coming to the UK, with speakers including former Hyundai and Toyota boss Tony Whitehorn, as well as insights from Owen Edwards, Grant Thornton head of downstream automotive and Mike Dean, Bloomberg Intelligence’s global head of automotive research. Register for your free ticket to AM Live, which is being held on November 9 at the NEC, Birmingham.