German media: The claim that Chinese car brands are threatening the survival of German automakers is greatly exaggerated
The newspaper *Frankfurter Rundschau* published a commentary stating that reports about the impending demise of Germany's automotive industry are increasingly common: China's automotive industry is rapidly rising and has already established itself in the German domestic market. However, upon closer examination, the facts appear to be quite different:
"In reality, only two Chinese car brands have achieved noteworthy levels of new vehicle registrations in the German market. In the first two months of 2026, BYD registered 5,682 new vehicles, capturing a market share of 1.4%. However, it remains unclear how many of these were sold to private consumers. MG, which has been present in Europe for a longer time, holds a market share of 0.9%. The combined market share of the other nine Chinese automakers amounts to just 0.7%. In short, there is no need for alarm. After all, Hyundai and Kia together already account for 5.3% of the market."
To create a sense of drama, some include Volvo, Smart, Polestar, and Lotus as Chinese cars. Yet although these brands collectively hold a 2.4% market share and do have Chinese ownership, they have long existed in the European market—labeling them simply as 'newcomers' is rather misleading.
In contrast, a report by EY is more worthy of attention: Germany’s trade surplus in auto exports to China shrank by one-third in 2025. One contributing factor is that due to a lack of domestic production capacity, Germany must purchase expensive electric vehicle batteries from China. Meanwhile, sales of German brands in China—the world’s largest market—have also declined."
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1860584660445195/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author.