German car manufacturers are confronting historic lows in the world’s largest electric vehicle market just ahead of the Beijing Auto Show. According to reports citing data from the industry service Marklines, the combined market share for battery electric vehicles (BEVs) from Volkswagen, Audi, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, and Porsche stood at a mere 1.6 percent in the first quarter of 2026-a level described as unprecedented.
Across these five brands, only 19,230 electric cars were registered in China during the first three months of the year. This represents a significant decrease of 55.6 percent compared to the previous year. More broadly, total EV sales in China have fallen by nearly 20% since the beginning of the year, declining to 1.2 million vehicles following the expiration of the purchase tax rebate.
The downturn is also impacting China’s leading automaker, BYD, whose sales plummeted by nearly 40 percent in the first quarter.
Despite the poor performance, the German firms are anticipating a turnaround in China, which they hope to showcase at the upcoming Auto Show in Beijing. To boost sales, Mercedes plans to debut its new electric C-Class; BMW aims to present a China-adapted version of the i3; and Audi will introduce a new electric SUV developed in conjunction with the Chinese joint-venture partner Saic. Meanwhile, Volkswagen intends to unveil the “ID.Unyx 09” and the “ID.Aura T6” models developed with Xpeng. Furthermore, VW plans to electrify its budget Jetta brand this year, partnering with its second joint-venture partner, FAW. This affordable electric model, priced around €10,000, is set to be exclusive to China starting in the second half of the year.