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Chinese AUDI electric cars have started appearing in Germany
Many of the electric cars Audi offers on Western markets are not exactly class leaders, especially compared with some of the company’s newer competitors. However, in China, the AUDI brand (in capital letters) sells two innovative electric cars that, we suspect, could sell well in other countries as well. And they have just started arriving in Germany.
The AUDI E5 Sportback and E7X, introduced in China over the past 18 months, were developed specifically for the local market in partnership with SAIC Motor. They are not officially sold anywhere else, but European importer Auto China has started selling these cars in Germany in limited batches.
Auto China, which also handles parallel imports of several models from Xiaomi, SAIC, and Li Auto, buys cars in China, ships them to Germany, and carries out homologation for the local market. This makes them significantly more expensive than in China. According to Automobilwoche, the E5 Sportback costs €59,980 ($70,130), while the larger E7X crossover starts at €72,900 ($85,200).
Still cheaper than European competitors
To better understand these figures: in China, the E5 Sportback starts at 205,990 yuan ($30,600), and the E7X at 269,800 yuan ($40,100). In other words, when imported and sold in Germany via Auto China, prices roughly double. Notably, even at €59,980 ($70,130) and €72,900 ($85,200), these cars are still significantly cheaper than some of Audi’s own models.
Perhaps the closest model to the E5 Sportback is Audi’s own S6 Sportback e-tron, which starts at €99,500 ($116,300). While the Chinese model has two electric motors and 776 hp, the S6 Sportback e-tron is limited to 543 hp. Likewise, the Audi SQ6 e-tron, which looks nowhere near as luxurious as the E7X, costs from €93,800 ($109,700), making the imported E7X a much better deal.
Risks of parallel imports
However, if you live in Germany and are interested, you should weigh the risks. Audi could take legal action to stop sales. In 2023, Volkswagen did exactly that when a German importer brought 20 Chinese ID.6s with plans to sell them, but after a lengthy court process was forced to destroy all the cars. Even if Audi does not ban the import and sale of its Chinese models, owners will most likely not receive service or repair support.
Interestingly, the Chinese AUDI brand is a separate lineup created jointly with SAIC, which uses a different platform and design than global Audi models. Although official dealers do not provide warranties for such cars, parallel imports from China could be a way to get technologically advanced electric cars that are absent from the European lineup. However, due to legal and service risks, this option is suitable only for enthusiasts who are willing to take on additional responsibility.
