Little-known car brand ‘that rivals Tesla’ with affordable EVs is ‘coming to the UK for first time’
A CHINESE car brand is set to launch to launch in the UK later this year.
Lepas is reportedly in talks with car dealerships across Britain as part of the move.
Car Dealer announced the news, revealing that sources had leaked the move despite reported non-disclosure agreements.
A spokesperson for Lepas refused to confirm a UK launch while speaking at the Shanghai Motor Show.
However, they did share the car firm has ongoing “strategic plans” in place.
While details surrounding the reported launch are being kept under wraps, some UK dealers who have been in talks with Lepas shared what they could with the publication.
According to Car Dealer, the dealerships had been told Lepas was planning to bring in B-segment cars, which are likely to be smaller SUVs based on Chery models currently badged as Tiggo.
Motor experts guessed that these are likely to be cheaper, entry level cars.
Lepas offers ICE, electric, and hybrid powertrains in other markets, such as South Africa and Australia.
It is understood a launch may allow dealers currently representing Chery brands to sell Lepas models in existing showroom space.
Car Dealer predicted that eventually Lepas showrooms will likely be independent of Omoda and Jaecoo.
One unnamed dealer who said they are currently in talks with the car firm spoke to the outlet about the launch.
“We’ve been told Lepas is likely to be a rival for Stellantis’ Leapmotor and will come in at around the same price point,” they said.
Leapmotor, which launched in the UK earlier this year, in turn is considered a main competitor of Tesla.
This means a Lepas launch could also rival the well-known manufacturer.
“We think the cars will be smaller city car models at an affordable price point,” the dealer continued.
Chery, the largest exporter of cars from China for the past 22 years, exported 1.14 million vehicles globally in 2024.
Omoda and Jaecoo models launched in the UK in September 2024 and February 2025 respectively.
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They are currently sold in 60 markets across the world.
Car Dealer also spoke to a Chery spokesperson about the reported launch.
“We are aware of the recent speculation regarding Chery and its future presence in the UK market,” they said in a statement.
“While we are not yet in a position to comment publicly on the specifics, we can confirm that strategic plans are progressing.
“We appreciate the growing interest and look forward to providing a full update in due course.
“We remain focused on continuing the momentum of the market implementation of Omoda and Jaecoo UK, which is the most successful market globally.”
Car Dealer also reported that Lepas cars will likely follow the same pricing strategy as Omoda and Jaecoo.
The firm typically prices its cars at the same cost as models so they look extremely good value.
They also come with seven-year, 100k-mile warranties and RAC cover for the lifetime of the warranty.