Chinese Cars Star at Munich Auto Show, Underscoring German Economic Woes
The New York Times China, an electric-vehicle juggernaut, will have at least seven brands on display, while Germanys automakers are now a drag on their home economy.
For decades, the phrase Made in Germany signaled cutting-edge automotive technology and design. But now German automakers are falling behind in the global race to produce more electric vehicles, and some executives are using a new catchphrase to describe how quickly they need to catch up: China speed.
The term reflects the rapid transformation of the Chinese car industry into a battery-powered juggernaut. And that speed was on display Monday at I.A.A. Mobility, a massive auto show in Munich, with newcomers from China stealing the show.
BYD, an all-electric Chinese carmaker that overtook Volkswagen as Chinas best-selling brand this year, unveiled a sleek, new sedan and a sport utility vehicle to applause from a packed crowd.
I think the Europeans are just pretty much petrified of how the Chinese will perform in Europe, said Matthias Schmidt, an independent analyst of the electric-car market based in Berlin.
