German carmaker Volkswagen expects competition to intensify with the increasing presence of large tech companies in the Chinese car market.<\/p>\n
“That doesn’t make life any easier for us,” Volkswagen board member for China Ralf Brandst\u00e4tter said in Shanghai on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
However, VW believes that its state-of-the-art technology puts it in a good position to compete and capture its share of the market.<\/p>\n
“In my view, the playoff season is now beginning,” said Brandst\u00e4tter, referring to the knockout stages common in sport. Some market players could catch up, but not all would survive, he added.<\/p>\n
The Volkswagen Group, which also includes the Audi and Porsche brands, has announced a major product offensive for the Auto Shanghai motor show starting on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
On the eve of the exhibition, the group unveiled five new cars. VW is presenting three vehicles in Shanghai as “show cars,” that is vehicles close to series production.<\/p>\n
These include an SUV with a range extender, meaning an electric car with a combustion engine that charges the battery, thus guaranteeing a longer range.<\/p>\n
VW also presented a fully electric car and a car in the highly competitive compact class, which is also intended to compete with Chinese rivals on price.<\/p>\n
According to Brandst\u00e4tter, the vehicle would cost the equivalent of around \u20ac17,000 (about $19,600) in China.<\/p>\n
Prices in China are a problem, VW brand boss Stefan Mecha said.<\/p>\n
The competition’s vehicles have all the technology, but not at a realistic price, he said. To give a realistic picture, the cars would actually have to cost twice as much, according to Mecha.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>
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