China’s economy is currently slowing down. Despite supply for electric vehicles (EVs) outpacing demand, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has continued to incentivize increased scale of EV production. Some sources have reported China’s economy is currently producing cars at a rate of 40 million units per year, but its domestic consumption is only 22 million units annually, leading to fierce competition among car makers. According to Stephen Dyer of Alix Partners, there were 123 automotive brands that sold at least one electric vehicle in China in 2023. The oversupply of EVs in China has led to accusations that Chinese manufacturers are dumping EVs overseas.
Over the past few decades, foreign automotive manufacturers have enjoyed rapid growth and high profits in the Chinese market. However, they now face serious challenges due to severe competition fueled by the CCP’s subsidies to domestic Chinese auto brands.
Volkswagen had been the top-selling car brand in China since 2000; it lost its top position to Chinese brand BYD last year. Recently, the Volkswagen Group announced that it may have to close its factory in Germany. This would be the first time that the VW group closes a factory in its home country in the brand’s 87-year history. Volkswagen’s car sales in Europe have decreased by 500,000 units annually, equivalent to the output of two car factories. Volkswagen’s sales in China during the first half of 2024 dropped to 1.34 million units, a year-over-year decrease of 7 percent and a drop of more than a quarter compared to three years ago. VW’s joint ventures in mainland China have reported a quarterly loss for the first time in 15 years. China is Volkswagen’s largest market.
As of Q2 2024, Toyota, the world’s largest automaker, saw its revenue from joint ventures in China decrease by 73 percent year-over-year.
The sales of General Motors’ joint ventures in China (which include 10 partnerships) dropped from a peak of 4 million units in 2017 to 2.1 million units last year.
In October 2023, Japan’s Mitsubishi Motors announced it would end production in mainland China due to years of declining sales. Honda (HMC), Hyundai, and Ford have also implemented various cost-cutting measures, including layoffs and factory closures.
In July, the market share of foreign car manufacturers in the Chinese automotive market fell from 53 percent two years ago to 33 percent.
General Motors CEO Mary Barra said of the price competition in China that “frankly, it’s unsustainable, because the amount of companies losing money there cannot continue indefinitely. And really, when you get into the type of pricing war that’s going on now, it’s really a race to the bottom and [it destroys] residuals.”
Source: Epoch Times, September 7, 2024
https://www.epochtimes.com/gb/24/9/7/n14326042.htm