Chinese electric cars lag far behind in the test

“Are Chinese manufacturers eating up European competition with cheap electric cars?” asks the trade magazine “Auto Motor und Sport” in its latest issue.

To get to the bottom of the question, the car testers compared two compact electric cars from China with two electric models of a similar size from Opel (Astra Electric) and the Volkswagen Group (Cupra Born). The model variants with the more powerful engines were taken into account.

These electric cars were compared

This is what the testers say

According to “Auto Motor und Sport”, the two Chinese challengers BYD and Great Wall Motor (GWM) have such a long list of defects in their “cheap electric vehicles” that the test winner Cupra Born from the Volkswagen Group is almost 100 points ahead of the test loser BYD Dolphin lies. “These are worlds apart,” said the testers.

Technically, the Cupra Born largely corresponds to the VW ID.3 electric compact car that we know better. The electric Opel Astra also beats its Chinese rivals by a wide margin.

But what exactly do the testers have to complain about about the Chinese cars from BYD and GWM?

The criticism of the BYD Dolphin:

The criticism of the Ora 03 from Great Wall Motor:

However, the materials and design of the interior are of significantly higher quality than the cheaper BYD Dolphin. This is one of the reasons why the Ora 03 holds its own in the overall standings despite similar weaknesses, just ahead of its BYD rival.

Cupra and Opel clearly in the lead

The Cupra Born and the Opel Astra Electric impressed the testers with their tightly tuned chassis, sensitive steering, good cornering behavior and much better sound insulation. The braking distance is also shorter on the European models.

When it comes to propulsion, the powerful Cupra Born only moves over large areas. It also has the best charging performance ahead of the Astra Electric. In terms of charging speed, the Chinese are dropping again, especially the Ora 03 charges slowly.

The Opel Astra Electric was the most economical, followed by the Cupra Born. The BYD Dolphin treated itself to the most electricity. Due to their higher energy consumption, rivals from China also perform poorly in terms of operating costs and sustainability.

The conclusion: not good and not cheap

“Despite the price advantage, BYD hardly stands a chance against the quality of Cupra and Opel. This also applies to the Ora, which does not even offer an advantage in terms of price,” writes Auto Motor und Sport.

The tested version of the Ora 03 has a recommended retail price of 47,490 euros. The basic version starts at 39,000 euros. Apparently due to weak demand, Great Wall Motor recently drastically reduced the price in Germany by 12,000 euros. The Ora is available until the end of March from 27,000 euros.

BYD was the world’s largest electric car manufacturer at the end of 2023, just ahead of Telsa and well ahead of Volkswagen. In Switzerland, the Emil Frey Group wants to import BYD’s successful electric cars from the summer of 2024. But what convinces many people in China thanks to the low prices cannot be so easily repeated in Europe. A BYD dolphin costs the equivalent of about 15,000 francs in China. In Germany, BYD wanted 36,000 euros (the equivalent of 34,530 francs) for the basic model at launch in 2023, but the price has now been reduced by 3,000 euros.

For comparison, the Cupra Born is available from around 40,000 francs, the related and revised VW ID.3 Facelift from 37,400 and the Opel Astra Electric from 40,100 francs (list prices).

The big push by Chinese cars is stagnating – for now

Despite the price advantage, the expansion of Chinese car manufacturers in Europe has not yet really taken off. On the one hand, import tariffs and higher safety requirements mean that Chinese cars lose a significant part of their price advantage in the EU. On the other hand, the quality leaves a lot to be desired, summarizes “Auto Motor und Sport”.

In conclusion, the testers say: “Yes, the BYD may be cheaper, but the variety of defects in Dolphin and Ora currently make the Chinese shark attack look like a tank full of nibblers.”

Moreover, due to geopolitical tensions, quite a few European consumers are increasingly avoiding Chinese products even though there are comparable alternatives. All the more so because China is mentioned in the same breath as human rights violations and espionage.

According to recent media reports, the first Chinese car brands such as Polestar and HiPhi are already in trouble. They could be among the first to be eaten.

(oli)