Chinese carmakers gain ground in Austria’s auto market

Chinese brands accounted for 7.94 percent of new passenger-car registrations in Austria through September, according to figures cited by ORF. The competition is also growing in Salzburg, where car dealers are adding Chinese brands to their offerings.

Austria’s registration statistics list 17 Chinese manufacturers, and that number could rise to 30, Daniel Jäger of BYD Austria told ORF. BYD, which entered the Austrian market in 2022, has established itself with 12 models and aims to become one of the country’s three leading carmakers. The company has four dealers in Salzburg, including Denzel in the Maxglan district. Jäger said BYD had reached one of the top three positions in some months.

Of 241,108 new passenger cars registered by the end of September, 19,158 were from Chinese brands. BYD led those brands with 8,851 registrations. The Volkswagen Group recorded 93,917.

Porsche Austria, which distributes Volkswagen Group brands in the country, said it took the competition seriously. Managing director Wolfgang Wurm said the group planned to compete through technological advances, including battery-cell production in Europe and bidirectional charging, which allows a car to store energy.

Josef Nußbaumer, a spokesman for Salzburg’s vehicle trade, said more dealers were adding Chinese brands as they pushed further into Europe, often in lower price segments. His own portfolio includes Polestar, a brand with Chinese owners. He said European manufacturers were also adapting to the competition.