fullscreen

eFinder

eFinder

Home › Chinese Automotive Market Entry › Article

UK drivers struggle to get insurance for Chinese EVs such as Jaecoo

The Guardian · 🇬🇧 public United Kingdom · · 913 words · By Shane Hickey; Jasper Jolly
Chinese Automotive Market Entry EV vs Petrol Cost Comparison Insurance Accessibility
headphones Listen to the eFinder podcast briefing
Generate a natural audio summary of this story
Daily briefing

What to know about Chinese Automotive Market Entry

UK insurers are more hesitant to cover some hybrid and electric vehicles (EVs) from China than cars from other countries, research suggests.

Claims checked 12
Techniques found 1
Topics 3

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage
Left20%
Center60%
Right20%

5 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

UK insurers are more hesitant to cover some hybrid and electric vehicles (EVs) from China than cars from other countries, research suggests.

Why it matters

While some drivers can save money by buying cars made in China, they may have more limited options to get insurance than those buying electric, hybrid and petrol cars from Europe, the US and South Korea.

Common ground

And when policies are available, they can sometimes cost almost twice as much as those for similar petrol vehicles from outside China.

Perspective signals

The tension in the story is sharpened by Loaded Language: language that can make the dispute feel more urgent, personal, or adversarial than the underlying facts alone.

open_in_new Read the original article: https://www.theguardian.com/money/2026/may/16/uk-insurance-cover-chinese-evs-jae…

psychologyPropaganda Techniques Detected

eFinder identified 1 propaganda technique in this article. These signals explain how wording, emphasis, or missing context can shape a reader's interpretation.

warning
Loaded Language 70% confidence
Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.
Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.
Why it matters: Recognizing loaded language helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 12 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

info Single Source 7
help Insufficient Evidence 2
schedule Pending 2
check_circle Corroborated 1
info
Claim 1: “Aviva was the only company to offer cover for the Skywell (£685) in the study, but that was more than the premium for a petrol Ford Kuga at £638.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The specific insurance costs for the Skywell (£685) and Ford Kuga (£638) are reported in the Guardian article citing Carwow. No other independent sources corroborate these figures.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Aviva was the only company to offer cover for the Skywell (£685) in the study, but that was more than the premium for a petrol Ford Kuga at £638.
https://www.theguardian.com/money/2026/may/16/uk-insurance-c…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Skywell BE11 2024 Review | First Impressions. by the interface Cars.Alex takes an in-depth look at the infotainment system in the 2024 Skywell BE11.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3GV3zZocJ_g
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Skywell BE11. Exclusive space Great pattern.All-round health and pleasure cockpit. Novel hugging seat AEB active braking, safety protection. Learn More. Comfort version with 620km. Skywell BE11. The f…
https://en.skywellev.com/
help
Claim 2: “Chinese cars come in at an average of £901 a year to insure – about £255 more than equivalent petrol models at £646.”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence was found after searching for this claim.
info
Claim 3: “The average cost of covering the Jaecoo 7 was £1,103 a year – almost twice what it would cost to cover a Skoda Karoq (£577)”
SINGLE SOURCE
The specific insurance figures for the Jaecoo 7 (£1,103) and Skoda Karoq (£577) are reported in the Guardian article citing Carwow. No other independent sources confirm these specific numbers.
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — The International Motor Show Germany or International Mobility Show Germany, in German known as the Internationale Automobil-Ausstellung (IAA – International Automobile Exhibition), is one of the worl…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Motor_Show_Germa…
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — Jetta is a car brand created by the Volkswagen Group with its joint venture partner FAW Group in 2019. The Volkswagen Jetta is a popular car in China, and the model forms the basis of the new company,…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jetta_(car_brand)
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — SAIC Volkswagen Automotive Co., Ltd., formerly known as Shanghai Volkswagen Automotive Co., Ltd. is an automobile manufacturing company headquartered in Anting, Shanghai, China and a joint venture bet…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SAIC_Volkswagen
+ 3 more evidence sources
info
Claim 4: “Insurance for the BYD vehicle cost an average of £876 compared with £730 for a petrol Kia Sportage.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The provided evidence for this claim consists only of general definitions of 'average'. No specific insurance data for the BYD Seal U or Kia Sportage was provided in the evidence block for this claim.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — In mathematics, it most commonly refers to the arithmetic mean, but may also refer to other measures such as other types of mean, the median, or the mode. Representation of the arithmetic mean, median…
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Average
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Free calculator to determine the average, or the arithmetic mean, of a given data set. It also returns the calculation steps, sum, count, and more.
https://www.calculator.net/average-calculator.html
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — 4 days ago · The meaning of AVERAGE is a single value (such as a mean, mode, or median) that summarizes or represents the general significance of a set of unequal values. How to use average in a sente…
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/average
info
Claim 5: “Direct Line declined two vehicles and Admiral one, while only Aviva offered cover for all, according to Carwow.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The specific details regarding Direct Line, Admiral, and Aviva's responses are reported in the Guardian article citing Carwow. No other independent sources corroborate these specific figures.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Direct Line declined two vehicles and Admiral one, while only Aviva offered cover for all, according to Carwow.
https://www.theguardian.com/money/2026/may/16/uk-insurance-c…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — And for everything else - from comprehensive reviews, real car prices or advice you can trust - head over to Carwow. This IS how car-changing should feel.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUhFaUpnq31m6TNX2VKVSVA
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Redirecting you to our UK site carwow.
https://www.carwow.com/
schedule
Claim 6: “Aviva, which acquired Direct Line last year”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
info
Claim 7: “Only Admiral and Aviva would cover the XPeng, at an average cost of £936 a year – well above the figure for the petrol equivalent Hyundai Kona (£639).”
SINGLE SOURCE
The provided evidence for this claim consists only of general definitions of 'average' from Wikipedia and dictionaries. No evidence regarding the XPeng G6 or Hyundai Kona insurance costs was provided.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — In mathematics, it most commonly refers to the arithmetic mean, but may also refer to other measures such as other types of mean, the median, or the mode. Representation of the arithmetic mean, median…
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Average
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Free calculator to determine the average, or the arithmetic mean, of a given data set. It also returns the calculation steps, sum, count, and more.
https://www.calculator.net/average-calculator.html
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — 4 days ago · The meaning of AVERAGE is a single value (such as a mean, mode, or median) that summarizes or represents the general significance of a set of unequal values. How to use average in a sente…
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/average
schedule
Claim 8: “There were large rises in the number of registrations of Chinese brands such as BYD and Jaecoo, according to data from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
info
Claim 9: “In its survey, half of the requests for quotes were declined.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The claim is explicitly stated in a Guardian article referencing a Carwow survey. No other independent sources corroborating this specific percentage were found in the provided evidence.
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — The fourth generation of the Ford Mondeo, (Mk 5 in the UK, codenamed MD in Australia) is a range of mid-size cars produced by Ford from 2013 to 2022. Developed under the model code CD391, it is a reba…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_Mondeo_(fourth_generation…
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — Jaecoo () is a brand of Chinese vehicle manufacturer Chery Automobile that was established in 2023. A sub-division of Chery International, Jaecoo was created to market SUVs in export markets. Along wi…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jaecoo
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Yangwang U9 (Chinese: 仰望U9) is a battery electric super-coupe manufactured by BYD Auto under its luxury car brand Yangwang. The U9 is the second vehicle from the Yangwang brand after the U8 off-ro…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yangwang_U9
+ 3 more evidence sources
check_circle
Claim 10: “In March this year, the Jaecoo 7 was the UK’s bestselling new car.”
CORROBORATED
Multiple web search results confirm that the Jaecoo 7 was the UK's bestselling new car in March. Note: Some sources mention 'March 2026', which appears to be a typo in the source text for 2024, but the fact of it being the bestseller in March is consistently reported across different search results.
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — Jaecoo () is a brand of Chinese vehicle manufacturer Chery Automobile that was established in 2023. A sub-division of Chery International, Jaecoo was created to market SUVs in export markets. Along wi…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jaecoo
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Jaecoo J5 (also known as Jaecoo 5) is a subcompact crossover SUV (B-segment) produced by Chery under the Jaecoo brand since 2025. It is available with petrol, petrol hybrid (SHS-H), and battery el…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jaecoo_J5
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Jaecoo J7 (also known as Jaecoo 7) is a compact crossover SUV (C-segment) produced by Chery since 2023. Outside China, the vehicle is marketed under the Jaecoo brand as its first product. It is av…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jaecoo_J7
+ 3 more evidence sources
help
Claim 11: “Car sales rose in April, with nearly a quarter more sold compared with a year ago.”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence was found after searching for this claim.
info
Claim 12: “Axa declined to give quotes on any of the vehicles, while Hastings Direct only offered coverage on the BYD.”
SINGLE SOURCE
This specific breakdown of insurer responses (Axa declining all, Hastings Direct only covering BYD) is reported in the Guardian article citing Carwow. No other independent sources confirm these specific insurer behaviors.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Axa declined to give quotes on any of the vehicles, while Hastings Direct only offered coverage on the BYD. Direct Line declined two vehicles and Admiral one, while only Aviva offered cover for all, a…
https://www.theguardian.com/money/2026/may/16/uk-insurance-c…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — BYD Seal U (China). Skywell BE11 (China).For the Jaecoo 7, meanwhile, half the insurers we contacted declined the quote. For the other five who would cover the car, we found that the average annual pr…
https://www.carwow.co.uk/news/10326/high-insurance-rates-hit…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — > BYD Seal review.In the case of the Skywell BE11, only one of the 10 insurance companies could provide a quote despite the car having been on sale in the UK for just short of two years.
https://www.evo.co.uk/news/208530/they-might-be-cheap-but-ch…
info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.