Hyperdrive
BMW, Mercedes China Sales Slump as Slowing Market Turns to EVs
- Protracted downturn hurts spending in biggest auto market
- Automakers are reeling from China’s shift to EVs, trade spat
A BMW Vision Neue Klasse concept car exhibited at Beijing Auto Show.
Photographer: Feature China/Getty ImagesThis article is for subscribers only.
BMW AG and Mercedes-Benz Group AG’s quarterly sales plunged in China as German automakers suffer from weak consumer demand and a rapid shift to electric vehicles from local rivals.
Sales of BMWs and Mini cars — also made by the Bavarian company — recorded their steepest drop in more than four years, falling 30% in the third quarter in China. Mercedes deliveries there declined 13% amid weak demand for pricey models like the S-Class and Maybach.