[opinion] - hmmm…VW/Audi/Porsche _IS_ in trouble…

[69Mach390]

Well, on the one hand I would agree that not every owner will want to launch the Xiaomi SU7 Ultra 4 or 5 times on the 1/4 mile but it stands to reason that if Xiaomi is offering a vehicle with a 1,500+ HP vehicle as a headline performance figure and with a record Nuerburgring lap time on top of that, you may just wish to perform such a test more than just once if you plump for the top of the range model rather than the 'cooking' SU7 Max. Has the preconditioning of the battery that was needed with the tested vehicles also been solved with the "thermal issues observed with the old battery chemistry and old motors"? Neither of these are seen on the Taycan but you could argue that you'll pay a 'huge' premium for this, if you were to select the Taycan in terms of repeatable launch performance.

Reading some of the comments on the videos tell more of a story about the “quality” of that brand. Did you see where the car completely lost power at speed during the Nurburgring lap?!

It is to be expected though, it wouldn’t be the first time a Chinese product appears to be a huge value on paper and then the product itself is nowhere near the “original” it ripped off the ideas from. They have an entire economy built off of that type of business.

Their products have come a long way. But you don’t get 100% quality at 50% prices.

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[D00notD00d]

Interesting photo (but note BYD make both PHEVs and full electrics).

And was Musk played by both Trump and China?

 

[69Mach390]

Interesting photo (but note BYD make both PHEVs and full electrics).

And was Musk played by both Trump and China?

Is it possible that the US is “obsessed with oil” because we have it and China is “obsessed with lithium” because they have it?

Breaking News: Idaho is obsessed with potatoes!

 

[D00notD00d]

I think the obsession is $ rather than oil based.

 

[chun]

No risk of fire, just battery degradation, less range less power output.

All batteries to be replaced fully.

Meanwhile in the “premium” porsche land, we install monitoring software to pass the risk to the costumer, hopefully post warranty, when all manufacturing defects suddenly become “aging defects” not covered by porsche approved.

We live in an intresting world, where premium German brands act more scummy than budget “made in china” brands

I’m sure porsche will earn many repeated customers of their EVs with this sort of scummy behavior /s

 

[Tooney]

Ford’s Farley flags Chinese export surge as “wildcard” threat
Ford Chief Executive Jim Farley has warned that China’s combination of heavily subsidised low-cost production and weak domestic demand poses a “wild card” threatening established automakers worldwide. Speaking during the company’s fourth-quarter 2025 earnings call, Farley said that Chinese OEMs’ overcapacity and pricing power could trigger a surge in their already-growing global exports, forcing Western incumbents to fundamentally restructure their cost bases to remain competitive.

Farley highlighted China’s domestic market falling 25% year-over-year in January 2026 as a bellwether indicator that export pressure will intensify as the country’s automakers seek outlets for their excess production. “I think the real question that I ask myself is how would the Chinese change the game with all of these in terms of pricing power?” Farley remarked. “Given the overly competitive subsidised reality […] we will have to future-proof our cost around that pricing reality.”
. . .
“I was very impressed with Xiaomi. It’s no wonder they’re so successful—they’re the Apple of China,” Farley told Argentina’s La Nación in December 2025. He said the vehicle’s digital experience, facial recognition and AI assistant made it feel “like a Porsche Taycan”. Unlike the Taycan, which starts at around US$99,500 in the US, however, the SU7’s entry price comes in around US$30,400.

Farley has also previously emphasised to the Financial Times the importance of regulatory support and subsidisation in Chinese players gaining the advantage they currently have. Should Western automakers seek to compete on a remotely level playing field, he does not believe that protectionism or bailouts are necessary; a “realistic and reliable ten-year planning horizon” on the other hand, might be.

Ford recently denied reports from FT in early February claiming that preliminary partnership talks with Xiaomi about producing electric vehicles in the US were underway, with both players emphatically stating there were no plans to sell the latter’s vehicles in the US. A week later, separate Reuters reporting suggested more advanced discussions with Geely about using Ford’s underutilised Valencia, Spain plant to build Chinese vehicles for Europe. Geely declined to comment while Ford told the outlet that it holds “discussions with lots of companies all the time” without confirming specifics.
. . .
Farley has repeatedly acknowledged Chinese automakers hold a substantial technological lead, revealing that former Tesla and Apple executive Doug Field told him Ford was “25 years behind” competitors in IT architecture, electrification and design tools when he joined as chief electric vehicle officer. “Ford missed Japan, Ford missed South Korea, so we can’t miss China,” Farley emphasised to La Nación, adding that if the company’s Chief Executive respects Chinese competition “everyone in the company should too”.

 

[jk981]

facial recognition and AI assistant

I would pay extra to not have this shit in my car fyi

 

[Tooney]

The battle for Porsche begins – the CEO's plan Manager Magazin

Leiters is not exactly known for forbearance. Growing up in Essen, he studied mechanical engineering in Bochum and Aachen because he lacked the talent to be a designer; that's how he told it in his first speech to the Porsche workforce. Nevertheless, he has never been fooled by an engineer; And it will stay that way.
. . .
Leiters has taken on a hard job, he knows that. Sales figures at Porsche have collapsed, and they will continue to fall; from 320,000 in the top year 2023 to probably significantly less than 250,000 by 2027 at the latest (see chart). Profits slipped towards zero in 2025; in the USA and China, once the guarantors of profit, Porsche AG no longer earns money. On the stock market, the company is worth just over 36 billion euros – a third of the peak value of almost three years ago. And the improvements promised by Blume for the next few years? They are attached to models whose economic basis many in the company doubt.
. . .
Volkswagen CEO Oliver Blume can play to this power. He has shaped the group in recent years, as dual CEO in Wolfsburg and Stuttgart he has filled central positions with his people, and his network reaches deep into Leiters' company. And Blume, as Volkswagen boss, is himself under massive pressure. The figures are so bad that the Porsche and Piëch families fear for their billions in dividends. Insiders even report that the major owners are slowly losing their once unshakable confidence in their long-time favorite.

Blume cannot afford too much bad news from the 75 percent subsidiary Porsche. Only he will probably get it.
. . .
20 days amnesty
He made it clear to his people how he acts: Everyone gets a chance. Leiters wants to understand what the situation really is. Only then will he get started.

He has asked his top management to present him with the facts: Anyone who has problems that are not yet known should come immediately. Leiters granted 20 days of amnesty. The phase is over.

Quite a few have come forward, according to Stuttgart. Sales, for example, was less optimistic than at the end of 2025, lowering its forecast for the current year by around 10,000 to just over 250,000 cars.

 

[Mr.Smith]

Supreme Court struck down Trumps Tariffs. Hopefully this helps VAGs pricing

 

[69Mach390]

Supreme Court struck down Trumps Tariffs. Hopefully this helps VAGs pricing

Maybe?

But what did they raise prices this year? 3%? Pretty much in line with past price increases, so I don’t think the ever changing tariff environment is going to result in a price drop for consumers any time soon.

Nearly impossible to make any long term plans on pricing until this tariff stuff is all done.

 

[jk981]

The tariffs will be brought back under a different statute.

Also I wouldn’t expect companies to cut pricing much, they’ll just pocket the difference.

 

[Tooney]

Mercedes-Benz Issues Recall for EQB Electric SUV over Fire Risk The automaker will replace the EQB's high-voltage battery, which could short-circuit, posing a fire risk.

• Mercedes-Benz issued a recall for 12,236 EQB electric SUVs that could pose a fire risk.
• According to the recall documents, the high-voltage battery can short-circuit, which could cause the battery to catch fire.
• Official documents show that Mercedes will replace the impacted batteries of all 12,236 cars involved in the recall.

The NHTSA documents show that a combination of production and use-case conditions can cause an internal short circuit of a battery cell in the high-voltage battery system. That short circuit can potentially cause a fire. According to the documents, variations in the supplier process mean that some battery cells from early production models are less robust than later versions, which makes them more vulnerable to damage from outside factors—especially at a high state-of-charge.

 

[snstevens]

And yet another battery recall. This time for Volvo.

 

[Tooney]

Germany’s once-vibrant auto heartland falls on hard times - Reuters
Baden-Württemberg faces economic strain as the auto industry crisis drives up insolvencies and unemployment in the region.
. . .
Such pressures are mirrored across Baden-Wuerttemberg, which holds an election on March 8 and where the economy has become the top concern of voters.

The state is home to Mercedes and Porsche, car brands that were for decades synonymous with German manufacturing excellence. But intense competition – particularly from China – an uneven shift to EVs and rising costs have rocked the sector.
. . .
Although the rise in unemployment is so far modest, Hanno Kempermann, economist and managing director of IW Consult, said other indicators point to a weakening labour market. Job openings in Baden-Wuerttemberg have fallen by 30% compared with 2022, he said, and companies plan to cut 14,000 automotive jobs by 2030.

“The situation is very tense,” said Barbara Resch, head of the IG Metall trade union in Baden-Wuerttemberg. “Suppliers invested a lot in electromobility and now demand isn’t coming and at some point they simply run out of air financially.”

The main union at companies such as Mercedes and Volkswagen, IG Metall is working to protect jobs by securing agreements for shorter working hours.

“Right now it’s hitting everyone: apprenticeship positions are being reduced and highly qualified people are also at serious risk,” Resch said.

 

[Der-Schwabe]

Meanwhile back at the ranch, everything is peachy...

"potential framework for joint ventures between Chinese and American automakers, should the former seek entry into the US market"

Farley Spent Years Warning About China, Now He’s Talking With Trump About Letting Them In

Ford held talks with China's Xiaomi over EV partnership, FT reports

Ford CEO pitched Chinese joint ventures to Trump administration officials

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