Success of electric cars: China is catching up on car exports

According to official figures, China was only just behind Germany in terms of the number of passenger cars exported last year. Chinese e-cars are playing an increasing role on the world market.

According to the Chinese automobile association CAAM, a total of 2.53 million cars were sold abroad last year. That is almost 57 percent more than in the previous year. China is catching up and closing the gap to Germany, the second largest car exporter in the world behind Japan.

Increase of 120 percent – figures not directly comparable

The German Association of the Automotive Industry (VDA) reported 2.61 million passenger cars exported from Germany last year. That is ten percent more than in the previous year. The lobby association notes that in China, special vehicles are still included in the exported cars that are not shown in Germany. The numbers are not directly comparable.

According to the state automobile association, the growth in Chinese exports is particularly clear in the case of electric vehicles: there was an increase of 120 percent to 679,000 cars. Electric vehicles have become a significant factor in China, the world’s largest auto market. Foreign car brands are facing increasing competition there from domestic brands such as BYD, Xpeng and Nio.

German manufacturers are having a hard time in China

German car manufacturers are also finding it increasingly difficult in China, an important sales market for them. According to their own statements, they sold fewer cars in China last year than in 2021. Volkswagen’s market share in China, for example, shrank from 17.5 to 14.1 percent, BMW went down from 4.6 to 3.5 percent and at Mercedes from 4.1 to 3.4 percent.

The US electric car manufacturer Tesla also recently reported problems with sales in China and lowered prices again. For the Model 3 and the Model Y, the Americans are asking more than ten percent less than last time, the company announced in early January. In December, sales of Chinese-made Teslas fell 44 percent, the lowest in five months.