China’s BYD Taps Germany’s Football Fever to Get Edge on VW

  • VW cost cuts left the door open for rival’s big marketing push
  • BYD seeks to woo customers with shuttle cars, foosball tables
BYD branding during the Euro 2024 Spain-Albania match in Dusseldorf, Germany on June 24.Source: Getty Images Europe
Lock
This article is for subscribers only.

Even as Germany’s national football team scrapped its way to victory in Dortmund on Saturday, a game of geoeconomic chess was taking place on the sidelines, with stakes that go beyond the European Championship.

While fans across the country cheered the 2-0 win over Denmark for a spot in the quarterfinals, China’s BYD Co. was looking to land a marketing blow on Volkswagen AG on its home turf — and deepen Germany’s exposure to China in the process.