Cars from China have so far found it difficult to gain a foothold on the German market. And there is one important reason for the lack of customer approval.
VW ID.7 GTX
Volkswagen AG
According to a study, electric cars from German manufacturers enjoy a higher reputation among consumers than Chinese models. In a newly presented attractiveness index for electric cars, the VW, Audi and Mercedes-Benz brands take the top three places. The Chinese import brands MG, BYD and GWM, on the other hand, perform the weakest despite lower average prices. For the survey, the consulting firm Bearing Point and the Handelsblatt Research Institute interviewed more than 2,000 people in Germany.
At 62 %, they named price as the most important criterion, but potential customers were almost equally keen to pay attention to range, electricity costs and brand quality. In the eyes of consumers, VW offers the best overall package in terms of all relevant criteria, even though the Wolfsburg-based company is only ahead in a few individual categories.
Customers Criticize the Quality of Tesla
Mercedes-Benz and BMW are seen as particularly innovative, with the Munich-based company coming in 7th place in the overall table behind Tesla, Porsche and Hyundai. Opel and Renault follow with comparatively low average prices, ahead of suppliers from China. These achieve low approval ratings, particularly when it comes to trust in quality. Electric pioneer Tesla is also weakening here.
The US company is no longer the measure of all things in electromobility, explains analyst Sven Jung from the Handelsblatt Research Institute. German manufacturers are now in a better position, particularly in terms of technical parameters. They also benefit from their strong brands and dense service network. However, this is not set in stone, warns Bearing Point car expert Manuel Schuler.
This is a partly automated translation of this German article by dpa.
