Volatility in UK and European car markets, resulting from aggressive marketing and overseas manufacturing expansion tactics by Chinese car companies, has forced the bosses of the top car makers - Ford, Germany's Volkswagen, BMW and Mercedes, Stellantis and Swedish giant Volvo - to issue blunt warnings of impending doom.

Once, they would simply have dismissed these threats from the Far East but today, with their futures at risk, some are on the offensive and fighting back. But it's a tough gig.

The plethora of Chinese carmakers - they took 10% of the European car market last month - are making life-changing inroads into the traditional heartlands of the world's car markets. Even in the USA, where there are 100% import tariffs imposed on foreign-built cars, China's Geely Holding Group and BYD are either already making electric vehicles there or are planning to build huge factories on American soil.

The giants of world car production have now awakened to see Europe's traditional car producers under threat, with many now adopting the "if you can't beat them, join them" tactic.

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