Problems for Audi – why some numbers hide difficult times
Created: 2023-01-09 06:58
By: Dominik Jahn
Dampeners for Audi - why some numbers hide the automaker's problems.
© dpa/ Hendrik Schmidt
Despite high expectations for the figures for 2022, Audi has had to accept a setback.
The results from the USA are worrying.
Experts also see tough times ahead for the auto industry.
At Audi, not all that glitters is and remains gold.
This became clear not only because the group had declared bankruptcy statements and the consequences to
echo24.de
at the end of 2022, but also because the car manufacturers have repeatedly struggled with problems in the parent company VW.
And even if some media have recently reported on the good figures to be expected in the past year, according to experts, the future looks less rosy.
Recently it was also announced that Audi would like to halve the costs in the plants by 2033.
More digitization and pure electric car production from 2026 should do the trick - the consequences for the employees are foreseeable.
Competitor Mercedes is already making it clear that further modernization will also mean job cuts.
Audi with poor sales in the US
It was only in October that Audi issued a corrected forecast for 2022 – there was a risk of a billion-dollar loss in sales.
So now the roll backwards and a top result if the reports are to be believed.
But a look at the market in the USA should quickly cloud the joy.
According to a report by the "German Press Agency" (dpa), the car manufacturers had to put up with a severe setback here.
Company: | Audi |
|---|---|
Head office: | Ingolstadt |
Founding: | July 16, 1909, Zwickau |
umbrella organization: | Volkswagen AG |
It states that Audi, the Volkswagen subsidiary, had to accept a drop in sales in the USA last year despite a strong final quarter.
The company delivered a total of 186,875 cars, five percent less than in the previous year.
And:
"Audi increased sales in the fourth quarter by 63 percent to 54,054 vehicles"
.
Automakers like Audi and Mercedes face problems in China
However, Audi is not alone with the problems in the US market.
And Audi, the parent company VW and Mercedes are also coming under more and more pressure in the very important market in China, as
echo24.de
has already reported.
In an article in the Tagesschau, car expert Ferdinand Dudenhöffer from the Center Automotive Research talks about the tough competition in these countries.
It is said that the USA promotes e-cars accordingly, and their batteries are manufactured in the United States.
"And both countries, China and the US, could produce cheaper"
.
Dudenhöffer: "Because battery production is very, very energy-intensive and we have the highest energy prices in the world in Europe, especially in Germany.
We shouldn't delude ourselves that they will be back to normal in three to four years, like in the USA or China."
The auto industry faces a difficult year in 2023
Experts like Dudenhöffer see a difficult year ahead for the auto industry.
With all the joy about full order books, Audi, Mercedes and VW have to see that this is a result of some delivery bottlenecks.
The Tagesschau report also states that “
the car manufacturers can continue to draw on the backlog of orders for a while.
In the longer term, however, industry experts expect a drop in demand because high inflation could dampen the purchasing power of consumers and the willingness of companies to buy new company cars
.
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In the case of electric cars in particular, it could be difficult not only for Audi with a corresponding turnover.
The government has significantly reduced funding.
Dudenhöffer: "We are clearly falling behind on a global scale, because the funding pots are also being significantly reduced."
Energy costs are causing problems for car manufacturers in Europe
The car specialist makes it clear to the Tagesschau that the rising energy costs will continue to cause problems for the automotive industry in 2023: “We also have to see that electric cars are becoming more expensive, including when they are used.
Because electricity prices have risen significantly and remain at a high level.”
And according to Dudenhöffer, the entire production of electric cars is becoming more and more expensive: "Batteries make up up to 40 percent of an electric car.
They are getting more expensive because the raw materials are becoming more expensive.” Added to this is the high level of inflation.
All of this should significantly dampen the desire to buy.
For Audi, Mercedes and Co., the strong sales are over
With Klaus Stricker from Bain, one of the world's leading management and business consultancies, another expert sees hard times ahead for Audi, Mercedes and Co.
In "Manager Magazin" he talks about the fact that this year will be the end of strong sales figures and that it will be a matter of survival for suppliers (article behind payment barrier).
His outlook is alarming.
