British authorities may have well-founded concerns about the cyber-spying threat from vehicles made in China, but it turns out the country’s manufacturers have security worries of their own.
Insurers have told Chinese carmakers they need certain critical modifications for vehicles on British streets: namely, tougher locking devices to make them harder to steal.
With an average of 11 reported vehicle thefts an hour in the UK, and car crime comparatively rare under Beijing’s strict authoritarian regime, industry sources said it had been a “swift learning curve”.
Additions to cars exported to the UK from China have ranged from the simply mechanical, such as lockable wheel nuts and an extra layer of steel around the car door locks, to software to detect and guard against unauthorised entry.
Sales of Chinese cars have risen sharply in Britain this year, now accounting for about one in 12 of all new cars sold, including those made by MG and electric car firm BYD. New entrants such as Chery, which started to sell its own-brand petrol SUVs this month, have sold about 20,000 new cars in the UK since launching the Omoda and Jaecoo brands here earlier this year.
New models for import are assessed for risk on behalf of insurers, with tests including a two-minute “attack test”, whose results led to a range of Chinese prototypes being beefed up against car thieves.
Ben Townsend, the head of automotive at Thatcham Research, a vehicle risk intelligence company, said: “We’ve worked closely with Chinese vehicle manufacturers advising on vehicle security enhancements for the UK market.
“In China, vehicle crime is not the same challenge we experience in the UK and Europe, so certain anti-theft features – like immobilisers, door shielding to prevent access to internal locking mechanisms, and software-based intrusion detection – haven’t historically been prioritised.”
He added: “These features often don’t require major structural interventions, which means they can be applied to completed new models, and we’ve found Chinese brands to be highly responsive and agile in implementing improvements.”
Chery executives said modifications had been swiftly delivered in the Chinese production process. Factory and other staff typically work a six-day week, on lower wages that have contributed to Chinese cars underpricing western comparators.
Oli Lowe, the UK head of product for Chery UK, said the Chinese manufacturer had dedicated regional research and development centres to get its cars ready for sale here. He said: “Simple but crucial adaptations, such as the addition of locking wheel bolts, ensure that vehicles not only meet local requirements but also deliver enhanced security and customer confidence for our buyers in the UK.”
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A spokesperson for BYD, which in two years of UK sales has grown to overtake Tesla, said it had worked with Thatcham to learn about UK theft prevention and had “devoted significant efforts to enhancing vehicle anti-theft performance and insurability in the UK market”.
They added: “We have implemented a wide range of technologies and hardware tailored to local expectations, including advanced anti-theft locking systems and optimisations in vehicle component structures.”
According to figures from the Office for National Statistics, reported total vehicle theft in England and Wales rose to 102,000 in the year to the end of March 2025.
Chinese car crime data is not available, and while its official crime statistics are viewed as unreliable, anecdotally vehicle and other theft is perceived as far lower than in Britain.
A spokesperson for International Motors, a UK distributor that imports Xpeng and GWM cars from China, said Korean and Japanese manufacturers had faced similar adjustments when first exporting here years before: “The UK requirements for safety and security are extremely stringent.”
The UK’s most stolen car, however, is one that was once made in Britain: the Ford Fiesta, with more than 4,000 taken last year, according to Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency figures reported by What Car?
