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Chinese carmakers are years ahead of German companies, says monitor
Story by DPA • Oct.29 2023
Ferdinand Dudenhoeffer, founder of the Center Automotive Research, speaks to journalists. The economist was on a trip to China for several days and saw a big Chinese lead over German carmakers. Johannes Neudecker/dpa© DPA
Chinese carmakers are years ahead of their German counterparts, according to industry expert Ferdinand Dudenhöffer.
Brands should work together to address this shortfall, he said. "I think cooperating makes a lot of sense, because if we don't, we will lose an infinite amount of time," he told dpa.
China is 10 years ahead of Germany when it comes to autonomous driving and voice control of cars, for example, he said.
The reputation of Chinese car brands in Europe is also changing, according to Dudenhöffer. "If they have innovations, have good quality, have things that others don't have, then that is what people will buy," he said.
As Chinese brands hit the European market, the European Commission launched an investigation into Chinese subsidies for e-cars earlier this month, concerned about competitive advantages for China's producers that may be distorting the market.
Dudenhöffer called the commission's probe "the worst thing you can do," saying any Chinese counter-reaction, such as new import duties, would inflict major damage on the German car industry.
Meanwhile on the question of which Chinese brands are likely to survive in the European market, Dudenhöffer predicted BYD would stay.
Smaller brands such as Xpeng, which cooperates with Volkswagen, and Leapmotor, in which Stellantis recently acquired a stake, have already entered into alliances, he noted.
Other brands like Geely and China's first private manufacturer Great Wall Motor will need economies of scale, he said.
Dudenhöffer said he thought it was unlikely that Chinese e-car brands would open production sites in Germany, saying they would probably pick other European countries instead. In Germany, energy costs are high compared to Poland, Hungary and Spain, he said.
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/money/oth...s-monitor/ar-AA1j1QlN?fullscreen=true#image=2
