China Car Dealers Struggle Amid Price War, Emissions Standards

  • Just 20% of dealers were profitable last year and 2,000 closed
  • Dealers group calls for governments to coordinate incentives
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Chinese car dealers are struggling to stay afloat after efforts to clear gasoline-fueled cars before tougher emissions standards taking effect later this year are upended by a bruising price war.

Auto sales — especially of internal combustion engine cars — haven’t bounced back from pandemic restrictions even with hefty discounts doled out by major carmakers including BYD Co., Toyota Motor Corp. and Ford Motor Co. New-car sales fell 20% in the first two months of the year, with deliveries of gasoline-fueled cars dropping 30%.