China: VW and BMW react to electric flops with drastic steps

German car manufacturers are struggling to sell their e-cars in the world's largest market.

VW and BMW are therefore forced to take drastic measures.

Wolfsburg/Munich - The meager sales figures on the booming electric car market in China pose difficulties for German car companies.

The Middle Kingdom has been one of the sales drivers for years and is therefore one of the reasons why the boardrooms can look forward to excellent balance sheets.

But the sky over China is overcast for VW, BMW and Co.: While the models with combustion engines are still popular, the electric vehicles turn out to be slow sellers.

The reason: When it comes to electric cars, there is a huge range of premium products, including from domestic manufacturers - and in most cases they are preferred by the population.

The joint ventures with Chinese companies have apparently not changed anything in this development to date.

Because now both Volkswagen and BMW have drastically reduced the prices for their electric models in China:

VW offers e-cars in China several thousand euros cheaper

reports that VW is tightening prices across the country

.

According to a message from FAW-Volkswagen published on the “WeChat” platform, the Stromer ID.4 Crozz and ID.6 Crozz are available much cheaper as part of a discount campaign: The electric cars now cost around 40,000 yuan less, what converted corresponds to a discount of almost 5500 euros.

According to VW, the offers in China are limited in time, but no expiration date has been given - experts expect that prices will not rise again in view of the highly competitive market.

New VW electric cars available for less than 30,000 euros - but only in China

To clarify the relationship: The smaller VW ID.4 Crozz is now available for the equivalent of around 23,860 euros, the VW ID.6 Crozz at prices from 29,855 euros.

At least 35,322 euros (258,900 yuan) were required for the latter before the adjustment - apparently with little success.

A suitable camping kit for several hundred euros is also available after the changeover.

Further electric cars from VW for China are being produced as part of a joint venture with SAIC.

These are the E-models ID.4 X, ID.6 X and a variant of the VW ID.3 that has been modified compared to Germany.

Prices there have reportedly fallen by up to 30,000 yuan, more than 4,000 euros per vehicle.

However, the Chinese portal

explains that due to further discounts from retailers, the price advantage for customers also amounts to around 40,000 yuan.

The ID.3 is now available in China at prices starting at 22,227 euros, and the ID.6 X crossover is available from 31,358 euros.

BMW in China: Price for electric sedan i3 is massively reduced

BMW is turning the price screw even more: The Munich-based premium manufacturer apparently feels compelled to give a discount of over 100,000 yuan in the world's most populous country.

Accordingly, the electric sedan i3 from BMW in China is now offered around 13,500 euros less than before.

Other rumors say that there are discounts on top of that if customers pay for their new car in cash.

As a result, the real price for the electric BMW drops to less than half of the originally estimated original price.

This originally amounted to 353,900 yuan, which corresponds to the equivalent of 48,288 euros.

There was previously the basic model i3 eDrive 35L, explains

portal

.

Top-class e-cars: ten luxury cars that run on electricity

Top-class e-cars: ten luxury cars that run on electricity

However, not only the German car brands in China feel the pressure to reduce prices: Tesla had started the wave of discounts, Toyota, Nissan and Ford also reduced their purchase prices.

With Xpeng, even a domestic provider has reduced the acquisition costs for electric cars, but to a lesser extent than VW or BMW, for example.

In Germany, on the other hand, the prices are developing in the opposite direction: VW is completely saying goodbye to the cheap segment.