- Audi developed two new EVs specifically for China.
- The flagship E5 Sportback and E7X SUV were never meant to be sold in Europe.
- Now, though, a company is importing and selling them in Audi’s backyard.
Pretty much everyone knows by now that China’s car market is different from the one in America and Europe. Chinese car buyers want a tech-heavy car that’s also affordable and luxurious, which has forced Western automakers to ditch their traditional offerings and go for a local approach.
It’s why Audi, like others, has set up a separate brand in China and is relying on two EVs built from the ground up for the Chinese market. The company’s all-caps AUDI marque tapped SAIC, its Chinese partner, to make the E5 Sportback and E7X EVs, and they’re quite impressive, sitting on 800- and 900-volt platforms and featuring interiors that look like movie theaters and not ordinary cars.
Audi never intended to sell these EVs in Europe, but an independent company is doing it anyway. Auto China, which has been known to import, homologate, and register Chinese-only cars like the Xiaomi SU7 Ultra and Zeekr 9X, is now doing the same with Audi’s offerings.
Despite the added costs for shipping and homologation, the top-spec Audi E5 and E7X are actually cheaper than their European-made counterparts. For instance, the E5 has a dual-motor, 776-horsepower powertrain and a 100-kilowatt-hour battery, but it’s a whopping €28,000 ($32,500) more affordable than the S6 Sportback e-tron. The sporty European EV is also powered by a 100 kWh battery, but power is down to 543 hp.
The same goes for the two electric SUVs. China’s E7X starts from roughly €86,800 ($100,700) shipped and registered in Europe, including VAT. Meanwhile, the smaller, less powerful, and Lidar-less Audi SQ6 e-tron starts from €93,800 ($108,800) in Germany.
The importer includes a charging adapter with each purchase of a Chinese-market EV, and a two-year warranty is also being offered through an independent repair network.
It’s looking like it’s too good to be true, but the first Chinese Audi EVs are already roaming the streets in Germany, according to Automobilwoche. However, buying a Chinese-spec car for European roads might prove a little problematic for owners. First, there’s little know-how regarding the repair processes, and spare parts availability is a huge question mark.
What’s more, the advanced driver assistance systems that use sophisticated sensors were calibrated for China’s roads and might not work as expected in other parts of the world.
„The models of the sister brand AUDI are based on their own platform (Advanced Digitized Platform) developed together with our partner SAIC and are deeply integrated into China's digital ecosystem“, an Audi spokesperson told Automobilwoche.
Then, there’s the issue of longevity. The first cars have already been imported, but if Audi decides to put an end to the whole operation, owners might find themselves struggling to keep their EVs on the road. A few years ago, another dealer imported roughly 20 Chinese-market Volkswagen ID.6 EVs and tried to sell them. Volkswagen sued in 2023 and forced the dealer to freeze sales and ultimately destroy the cars that had already been imported.
„As a dealer, I would not bring vehicles from China,” said Ansgar Klein, president of the Federal Association of Free Motor Vehicle Dealers (BVfK). “Even if the lawyers give the green light, there remains a de facto residual risk.“
