How does a brand new electric Volkswagen ID.3 sound to you for money that wouldn’t even be enough for a Dacia Spring? It’s too good to be true, but that’s the reality of prices in China. However, if you decide to import an electric car from China into Europe, it is quite possible that the manufacturer will face you with all its legal and financial power. It really is too good to be true.
German car dealer Gregory Brudny, who is fighting a legal battle with Volkswagen over the import of 22 ID.6 electric SUVs from China with the intention of selling them in Europe, is currently learning first-hand.
Europe’s top carmaker is losing out in China’s EV race
Still lagging behind Tesla
A tale of two markets
While in Europe and the US electric cars are still emerging from the “expensive toy” category and their prices are significantly higher than those of gasoline, gas and diesel models, in China the situation is very different. There, production costs are very low, there is serious government support and fierce competition between local and foreign players.
As noted by Car Scoops, the Chinese price of the VW ID.3 is the equivalent of 16,000 euros (to return to the comparison from the first sentence, the Dacia Spring costs at least 20,000 euros in the EU, and in our country it starts at 43,100 leva). In Germany it is 40,000 euros.
Volkswagen’s problems with electric cars are getting worse
Electric car orders fell to 150,000 in Europe. That’s down 50% from last year’s 300,000.
The ID.6 model is currently exclusively available only in China, and it is an extended 7-seater version of the ID.4 crossover. Its price in China starts at 33,700 euros, while in Germany the smaller ID.4 costs at least 40,335 euros.
In short, importing is a tempting opportunity for traders.
How Made in China became a court case
Brudny bought 22 ID.6s, imported them, his company made some modifications to the vehicles and updated their software, and received official permission from the German authorities to put the vehicles on the road.
However, when the dealer tried to advertise the EVs for sale, VW intervened. The car giant has also obtained a court order to seize the vehicles, insisting they be scrapped. A Volkswagen spokesman told Automobilwoche that the Chinese-made models are not the same as those sold in Europe and do not meet certain legal requirements such as automatic emergency dialing in the event of an accident.
Volkswagen is halting model production at Europe’s largest electric car plant
It also halted production of electric cars at its Dresden plant last month
Either way, the dealer is contesting the court order and is ready to sue on the grounds that the SUVs are officially roadworthy. Brudni currently pays €8,000 a month to store them and risks another €15,000 to destroy them if he fails in court.
Hyundai won a similar case from 2021 involving cars imported from outside the EU. However, the Korean manufacturer then used the legislation to protect its trademark.
2024-02-08 06:30:40
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