VW lags in its most important market as Tesla, EV makers become go-to for new tech
Europe’s largest automaker, Volkswagen, may be on the edge of another crisis. VW is losing market share in its most important market, China, as Tesla and other EV makers in the region widen their lead. Those same Chinese automakers are now turning their sights on Europe, VW’s home market.
Earlier this year, Thomas Shafer, CEO of Volkswagen Passenger Cars, was quoted by German publication Manager Magazin, saying, “The roof structure is on fire. This is the final wake-up call.”
The comments, made at a management meeting, were largely due to the automaker losing market share in China.
China is an important (if not the most important) market for VW. The German automaker dominated the market for decades, generating almost half its earnings.
However, times are changing, and Volkswagen is lagging. The transition to EVs in China caught VW flat-footed. During the pandemic, EV makers in the region, such as BYD, NIO, XPeng, and others, doubled the number of electrified options. Many of which are offered cheaper than VW models.
According to Automotive News, after a top executive was sent to China to assess the competition, the message relayed back to CEO Oliver Blume was bleak.
Volkswagen struggles as China’s EV makers expand
The executive told his new boss that Volkswagen was losing the EV race in one of its key markets, and the hopes of catching up didn’t look promising.
Rather than Audi’s having the “Vorsprung durch Technik” or advantage through technology, now Tesla and EV makers from China have become the go-to for new features and tech.
And now VW may have a bigger problem on their hands. These EV pioneers in China are headed for Europe.
The transition was evident at this year’s IAA Mobility in Munich, with China’s EV presence doubling compared to 2021. China’s EV leaders like BYD and SAIC’s MG showed off impressive models aimed at the EU market, like the BYD SEAL electric sedan with up to 570 km (354 mi) range starting at 45,000 euros (about $48,000).
NIO also launched the ET5 Touring, its first electric station wagon this summer, aimed at European automakers like Porsche and BMW.
VW is trying to right the ship, which involves overhauling its software unit and collaborating with outside partners. In July, the company invested $700 million into Chinese EV maker XPeng for a nearly 5% stake to develop new models and reverse its fallout in the region.
The move came after VW’s luxury brand Audi and Chinese state-owned SAIC Motor established a long-term partnership to develop new EV models in the region.
Outside of China, Volkswagen placed a large-scale order for battery systems assemblies with Hyundai’s supplier, Hyundai Mobis.
Rival luxury automakers BMW and Mercedes-Benz also revealed their visions for the future with BMW’s Neue Klasse and Mercedes’ first entry-level EV concept. The new models aim to counter lower-priced and often better-equipped EVs from Tesla and Chinese automakers moving onto its home turf.
Electrek’s Take
Despite the share of EVs shipped to Germany from China more than tripling in the first three months of 2023, Blume believes VW still has the advantage in Europe.
In Blume’s own words, they will “not be able to offer the level of costs they offer in China in Europe.” He explained that because of the high costs associated with adapting vehicles to European requirements and establishing a sales network, prices are doubling overseas.
Volkswagen has already slashed prices on its ID.3 and ID.4 electric models in China to keep up with the competition. Is the same destined to happen in its home market? Automakers like BYD, NIO, and others continue expanding their presence. If VW doesn’t turn it around quickly, they will likely have a bigger problem.
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BMW Motorrad’s futuristic electric scooter just got its first real refresh since beginning production in 2021. The BMW CE 04, already one of the most capable and stylish electric maxi-scooters on the market, now gets a set of upgraded trim options, new aesthetic touches, and a more robust list of features that aim to make this urban commuter even more appealing to riders looking for serious electric performance on two wheels.
The BMW CE 04 has always stood out for its sci-fi styling and high-performance drivetrain. It’s built on a mid-mounted liquid-cooled motor that puts out 31 kW (42 hp) and 62 Nm of torque. That’s enough to rocket the scooter from 0 to 50 km/h (31 mph) in just 2.6 seconds – quite fast for anything with a step-through frame.
The top speed is electronically limited to 120 km/h (75 mph), making it perfectly capable for city riding and fast enough to hold its own on highway stretches. Range is rated at 130 km (81 miles) on the WMTC cycle, thanks to the 8.9 kWh battery pack tucked low in the frame.
But while the core performance hasn’t changed, BMW’s 2025 update focuses on refining the package and giving riders more options to tailor the scooter to their taste. The new CE 04 is available in three trims: Basic, Avantgarde, and Exclusive.
The Basic trim keeps things clean and classic with a Lightwhite paint scheme and a clear windshield. It’s subtle, sleek, and very much in line with the CE 04’s clean-lined aesthetic. The Avantgarde model adds a splash of color with a Gravity Blue main body and bright São Paulo Yellow accents, along with a dark windshield and a laser-engraved rim. The top-shelf Exclusive trim is where things get fancy, with a premium Spacesilver metallic paint job, upgraded wind protection, heated grips, a luxury embroidered seat, and its own unique engraved rim treatment.
There are also a few new tech upgrades baked into the options list. Riders can now spec a 6.9 kW quick charger that reduces the 0–80% charge time to just 45 minutes (down from nearly 4 hours with the standard 2.3 kW onboard charger). Tire pressure monitoring, a center stand, and BMW’s “Headlight Pro” adaptive lighting system are also available as add-ons, along with an emergency eCall system and Dynamic Traction Control.
BMW has kept the core riding components in place: a steel-tube chassis, 15-inch wheels, Bosch ABS (with optional ABS Pro), and the impressive 10.25” TFT display with integrated navigation and smartphone connectivity. The under-seat storage still swallows a full-face helmet, and the long, low frame design means the scooter looks like something out of Blade Runner but rides like a luxury commuter.
With these updates, BMW seems to be further cementing the CE 04’s role at the high end of the electric scooter market. It’s not cheap, starting around €12,000 in Europe and around US $12,500 in the US, with prices going up from there depending on configuration. However, the maxi-scooter delivers real motorcycle-grade performance in a package that’s easier to live with for daily riders.
Electrek’s Take
I believe that the CE 04’s biggest strength has always been that it’s not trying to be a toy or a gimmick. It’s a real vehicle. Sure, it’s futuristic and funky looking, but it delivers on its promises. And in a market that’s still surprisingly sparse when it comes to premium electric scooters, BMW has had the lane mostly to itself. That may not last forever, though. LiveWire, Harley-Davidson’s electric spin-off brand, has teased plans for a maxi-scooter-style urban electric vehicle in the coming years, but as of now, it remains something of an undefined future plan.
Meanwhile, BMW is delivering not just a concept bike but a mature, well-equipped, and ready-to-ride electric scooter that keeps improving. For riders who want something faster and more capable than a Class 3 e-bike but aren’t ready to jump to a full-size electric motorcycle, the CE 04 hits a sweet spot. It delivers the performance and capability of a commuter e-motorcycle, yet with the approachability of a scooter. And with these new trims and upgrades, it’s doing it with even more style.
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If you’ve ever wondered what happens when you combine a fruit cart, a cargo bike, and a Piaggio Ape all in one vehicle, now you’ve got your answer. I submit, for your approval, this week’s feature for the Awesomely Weird Alibaba Electric Vehicle of the Week column – and it’s a beautiful doozie.
Feast your eyes on this salad slinging, coleslaw cruising, tuber taxiing produce chariot!
I think this electric vegetable trike might finally scratch the itch long felt by many of my readers. It seems every time I cover an electric trike, even the really cool ones, I always get commenters poo-poo-ing it for having two wheels in the rear instead of two wheels in the front. Well, here you go, folks!
Designed with two front wheels for maximum stability, this trike keeps your cucumbers in check through every corner. Because trust me, you don’t want to hit a pothole and suddenly be juggling peaches like you’re in Cirque du Soleil: Farmers Market Edition.
To avoid the extra cost of designing a linked steering system for a pair of front wheels, the engineers who brought this salad shuttle to life simply side-stepped that complexity altogether by steering the entire fixed front end. I’ve got articulating electric tractors that steer like this, and so if it works for a several-ton work machine, it should work for a couple hundred pounds of cargo bike.
Featuring a giant cargo bed up front with four cascading fruit baskets set up for roadside sales, this cargo bike is something of a blank slate. Sure, you could monetize grandma’s vegetable garden, or you could fill it with your own ideas and concoctions. Our exceedingly talented graphics wizard sees it as the perfect coffee and pastry e-bike for my new startup, The Handlebarista, and I’m not one to argue. Basically, the sky is the limit with a blank slate bike like this!
Sure, the quality doesn’t quite match something like a fancy Tern cargo bike. The rim brakes aren’t exactly confidence-inspiring, but at least there are three of them. And if they should all give out, or just not quite slow you down enough to avoid that quickly approaching brick wall, then at least you’ve got a couple hundred pounds of tomatoes as a tasty crumple zone.
The electrical system does seem a bit underpowered. With a 36V battery and a 250W motor, I don’t know if one-third of a horsepower is enough to haul a full load to the local farmer’s market. But I guess if the weight is a bit much for the little motor, you could always do some snacking along the way. On the other hand, all the pictures seem to show a non-electric version. So if this cart is presumably mobile on pedal power alone, then that extra motor assist, however small, is going to feel like a very welcome guest.
The $950 price is presumably for the electric version, since that’s what’s in the title of the listing, though I wouldn’t get too excited just yet. I’ve bought a LOT of stuff on Alibaba, including many electric vehicles, and the too-good-to-be-true price is always exactly that. In my experience, you can multiply the Alibaba price by 3-4x to get the actual landed price for things like these. Even so, $3,000-$4,000 wouldn’t be a terrible price, considering a lot of electric trikes stateside already cost that much and don’t even come with a quad-set of vegetable baskets on board!
I should also put my normal caveat in here about not actually buying one of these. Please, please don’t try to buy one of these awesome cargo e-trikes. This is a silly, tongue-in-cheek weekend column where I scour the ever-entertaining underbelly of China’s massive e-commerce site Alibaba in search of fun, quirky, and just plain awesomely weird electric vehicles. While I’ve successfully bought several fun things on the platform, I’ve also gotten scammed more than once, so this is not for the timid or the tight-budgeted among us.
That isn’t to say that some of my more stubborn readers haven’t followed in my footsteps before, ignoring my advice and setting out on their own wild journey. But please don’t be the one who risks it all and gets nothing in return. Don’t say I didn’t warn you; this is the warning.
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