China becomes the 'miracle country of automobiles'

On January 6th, the website of the German newspaper "Youth World" published a report titled "China, the Land of Automotive Miracles". The article is compiled as follows:

According to rumors from various regions, almost no one in Europe is buying electric cars anymore. European media, especially German media, are disappointed with this. Sales are shrinking, and many people complain that the models provided by manufacturers are too expensive

In the "land of cars" of Germany, car giants Volkswagen, Mercedes Benz, and BMW, although affected to varying degrees, are all implementing cost saving or layoff plans. The billions of euros invested in the development and manufacturing of electric vehicles are at risk of being cancelled, and the closure of factories seems to have been postponed at best

In sharp contrast to this is China. There, the automotive industry is constantly breaking records

China seems to have achieved a breakthrough in using electric vehicles as the main driving force for passenger cars. It is estimated that the world's largest automotive market will produce over 30 million cars in 2024. This is calculated by Ferdinand Dudenhofer, who was once a professor at the University of Duisburg Essen and was dubbed by the media as the 'Car Pope'. After retirement, Dudenhofer established a research company and is still regarded as a top expert

Dudenhofer believes that China has set a historical record as a production base. As the 'world factory', China has manufacturers like BYD whose output is almost equivalent to the total output of all German car companies. In the fourth quarter of 2024, BYD surpassed Tesla to become the world's largest electric vehicle manufacturer. Dudenhofer pointed out that the growth of BYD hybrid vehicles will be even stronger in 2024

But China's automotive industry is not just surpassing other countries in terms of quantity. When looking ahead to the future of mobility, BYD, SAIC Group, and other manufacturers are turning what Western technology companies have so far only used as marketing concepts or prototypes into reality - so-called software defined cars. As early as early 2024, Dudenhofer told the media, "This is the car of the future. This means that our cars will be equipped with voice control systems and intelligent cockpits that can provide entertainment and information to people. There are really many things from China." So far, the automotive industry has been the core of German industry and exports. But in an interview recently published in The Augsburg Review, Dudenhofer said, "Germany will suffer heavy losses in the automotive industry in the coming years."

The "car pope" pointed out that "Federal Economy Minister Habeck provided a lot of funding to battery factories, but at the same time stopped supporting and funding electric vehicles."

His pessimistic prediction is that "new factories may appear in Poland, Spain, the United States, or China, but not in Germany anymore."

At the same time, China is formulating long-term plans on how to supply energy or restructure transportation modes.