According to car expert Dudenhöffer, manufacturers should focus more on selling cars with combustion engines given the weak economy. Discounts are sometimes very high. One car company in particular stands out.
Sales of electric cars in Germany have fallen since the end of government purchase subsidies and are likely to remain at low levels in the medium term. In other countries too, e-car sales haven't really hit the ground running. In a recent study, car expert Ferdinand Duttenhofer opined that given the weak economy, manufacturers are focusing primarily on selling cars with combustion engines.
Poor new car sales “have led car manufacturers to focus on volume segments, and those are combustion engines,” he explained on Sunday. The expert explained that the new car market is currently in a difficult situation. The high order backlog that existed during the material shortage has largely been “processed” and incoming orders, particularly from private customers, are “significantly backlogged”. “In such difficult circumstances, car manufacturers resort to discounts and special offers to boost business.”
At the same time, electric cars accounted for only 13 percent of new car sales in the first two months of this year. So Dudenhöffer thinks that car companies will try to increase sales with discounts and special offers, especially for combustion engines.
This can already be seen: “Discounts for combustion engines in our reference group range from an average of 0.5 percent to an average of 16.8 percent,” explained Dudenhöffer. This is particularly noticeable in vehicles from the Stellandis Group, which includes the Fiat, Peugeot and Opel brands.
The VW Group continues to offer significantly higher discounts on electric cars. “However, discounts for combustion engines caught on here in March,” explained the expert. (APA/AFP)
