Buying a new car is currently an expensive affair. Customers have to look very closely for attractive purchase incentives. One large manufacturer in particular wants to increase profits per car.
According to a study, customers can no longer expect large discounts on the German market for new cars. Following cuts in sales promotions for electric cars, the largest supplier, the Volkswagen Group, has reduced its discounts for important combustion engine models. The list prices of the bestsellers Passat and Tiguan have also been increased, according to the regular market study by the private CAR Institute.
As a result, this means increases of between 3.7 and 4.8 percent in the respective transaction price for VW. This is the amount that a buyer actually has to pay after deducting discounts on the list price.
According to CAR calculations, manufacturers are currently offering a 16.2 percent discount for freely configured new cars with combustion engines. For purely electric cars, the average discount is 12.7 percent on the list price. In contrast to its competitors, Tesla works with direct price changes and does not offer any other discounts.
Affordable electric car is coming
The price gap between electric cars and combustion engines is somewhat reduced by higher transaction prices for combustion engines, explained study director Ferdinand Dudenhöffer. Even with the slight price reductions at Tesla, this is not enough to change the trend in the market towards more electric mobility. The low-cost Leapmotor T3, which the Stellantis Group assembles in Poland with a Chinese partner, could bring about a change in direction from September.
The small car will be offered with a comparatively powerful lithium-ion battery that provides a range of around 280 kilometers. According to the manufacturer, the battery can be charged to 80 percent of its storage capacity in 36 minutes at a fast-charging station. In France, the T3 costs around 26,000 euros, according to “Auto Motor Sport”. Other European markets, including Germany, are to be supplied from September 2024.
Source: Stern
