Customers in Germany agree to buy Chinese cars instead of German, poll suggests

German owners of premium vehicles don’t mind buying electric cars made in China, Berylls Strategy Advisors and Civey Institute report citing a poll of what they call ‘the most loyal owners’ of Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz cars.

The respondents were offers electric cars from such brands as Aiways, BYD, Nio and Polestar and asked whether they would be willing to buy one. Many Chinese brands have yet to begin full-scale operation in Europe, therefore, the brand recognition stays low among the potential customers. Polestar (see video) is a major exception, having been present in Germany for four years now.

Overall, the people polled proved receptive to the idea of buying a Chinese electric car. Those who already owned one were particularly willing to buy more in the future. Among the virtues of the Chinese car market mentioned in the survey were wide assortment, exterior design and affordability.

The latter might become an issue, though. Whenever a car from China is priced on par with a German counterpart, most buyers would prefer the latter. Most buyers choose their next ride by targeting a certain price-to-performance ratio and are not particularly interested in the modern tech and features Chinese cars usually come loaded with.

Another interesting finding was that Germans did not like how stylistically similar the Chinese cars were. Many said they were willing to pay a premium in order to stand out.