MUNICH (dpa-AFX) - BYD, Nio, Xpeng, Leapmotor - Chinese car brands have so far been known in Germany mainly to insiders and car fans. But the newcomers from the People's Republic are working hard to change that. They want to significantly expand their presence in Europe with the emerging electric age. They will be presenting themselves to the public at the IAA motor show in Munich from this Tuesday.

The new Chinese self-confidence is fed, among other things, by the mistakes made by German suppliers in the People's Republic. Many traditional brands are not doing well there with their electric offerings. According to industry circles, VW's plans to use technology from the start-up Xpeng for two new mid-range electric models in China are seen by local suppliers as a signal of new beginnings.

Chinese push into Germany and Europe

Chinese electric carmaker BYD plans to sell its cars in Germany soon. This year, the company not only snatched market leadership from VW in China after decades, because the Wolfsburg company is having problems with its electric cars there. In addition, the Chinese have also left U.S. electric pioneer Tesla behind in total global sales.

In 2024, VW partner Xpeng also wants to launch in Germany. Germany manager Markus Schrick announced that he will work with established dealers, while many other newcomers rely primarily on online sales. So far, Xpeng is launching its offering in Northern European countries in particular, but France and the UK are now also on the agenda for next year.

At Nio, whose cars are already available in Germany, it could also go one step further. "We are still relatively small in Europe," said Hui Zhang, head of Europe. "But if we're at sales around 100,000 vehicles, a factory in Europe could be profitable." The Chinese carmaker is scoring points with its German buyers above all with an offer that is so far unique in this country: instead of charging their battery themselves, Nio drivers can have it automatically replaced at an exchange station within a few minutes. The Shanghai-based company plans to sell nearly 200,000 e-cars worldwide this year.

What the German carmakers have in the stove

German carmakers are bucking the trend: BMW with the concept car for its upcoming and completely redesigned "New Class" model generation. It is intended to secure the automaker's position in electric drives as well. Mercedes has called its new CLA a "one-liter car" to illustrate its frugality with less than twelve kilowatt hours of consumption per 100 kilometers.

VW Group CEO Oliver Blume does not yet see the Chinese ambitions as a threat. "We have the vehicle know-how, we have the quality level. And we have a brand heritage. The newcomers don't have that." Price-wise, he said, the difference with established suppliers will not be that great. "The Chinese will not be able to offer the cost level they offer in China in Europe," he predicted.

German manufacturers would not lose the race for the future, "the German location without massive reforms would," said Hildegard Müller, president of the German Association of the Automotive Industry (VDA).

Progress on electromobility factored in

"We will have to work hard on the cost side," Blume conceded. However, he expressed confidence in this regard. This applies above all to the battery, which is the largest cost block for e-cars.

Meanwhile, Germany's largest charging network operator EnBW is doubling its investments in its charging network. Even though the ramp-up of electromobility is currently faltering, the company expects more than ten million e-cars on German roads by 2030. "We are investing in the future and securing the best location now," EnBW said.

Experts advise looking ahead

VW wants to help its brands regain prominence with distinguishable designs. The Wolfsburg-based company presented a sportier GTI version of its ID electric series. However, experts also see a need to catch up in the design of German brands. Industry expert Ferdinand Dudenhoffer advises that German carmakers should not focus too much on their successful design roots so as not to block their view of innovations.

Philipp Kupferschmidt, an automotive expert at management consultancy Accenture, also generally recommends looking ahead. "We must not make the mistake of expecting to be successful in the future because of past successes." Time is pressing.

Problems in day-to-day business

Symptomatic of the current environment, new production problems were announced at industry heavyweight VW. Due to the devastating floods in Slovenia and therefore missing engine parts, a plant in Portugal already had to shut down assembly for two months starting Sept. 11. Individual shifts in production will also be cancelled at the main plant in Wolfsburg. Short-time work will be applied for the employees affected.

Protests and criticism

The widely feared protest actions turned out to be rather small on the day before the official opening of the fair. Activists from the organization Extinction Rebellion triggered traffic jams with a rappelling action above the Mittlerer Ring in Munich. At the trade fair itself, the nature conservation organization Greenpeace protested. Activists climbed into a lake of submerged cars in front of the main entrance and held up banners with inscriptions such as "Car industry sinks climate protection."/men/DP/ngu