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A big blow for German car manufacturers: the Chinese giant, which transports cars to the EU by boat, became the main sponsor of the European Football Championship in Germany
01/17/2024 | Petr Prokopec
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Photo: WELT
German automobile manufacturers are a global phenomenon, and until recently no one could have imagined that one of them would miss out on sponsoring such an important domestic mobility event. The chosen one should have been VW, but its coffers are empty, so it gave its place to the Chinese.
If you’re a football fan, you probably haven’t missed the fact that this year marks the 17th time in history that the European Championships in this sport will take place, unsurprisingly called Euro 2024. It will be the third time that Germany will host, although the first time this took place was in 1988, when the country was still divided into a western and an eastern part, while the championship unsurprisingly took place in the former part . The second time was four years ago, although only four games took place in Munich because that year was organized on a multinational basis. This year, however, it will be played for the first time in East Germany, more precisely in Leipzig.
If you drive east from this city, after about 120 kilometers you will reach Dresden, where the famous Volkswagen glass factory is located. The ID.3 model was produced there, but the car company announced last September that production of the electric hatchback model would be discontinued at this location due to cutbacks and relocated to Cvikov. This city is also 120 km from Leipzig, just in an easterly direction. Saxony, where all of the locations mentioned are located, can be considered a key country for VW’s activities, as it is a very important company from a German perspective.
But now the car company has licked an even bigger box. Last year, in addition to the aforementioned relocation of ID.3 production, it was also announced that it would no longer be the main sponsor of Euro and a partner in the field of mobility, as was generally expected. It was already unpleasant, but what’s even more unpleasant is who will replace VW. According to the organizers of the championship, the Chinese car manufacturer BYD was chosen, the company that is said to pose the biggest Chinese threat to local car companies. And it is actually a morning. Although it is actually just a major sponsorship, from a symbolic point of view it is an important thing because it best shows who is in the automotive world today.
In fact, the Germans have not only taken one slap in the face, but they are also hitting the wall with more. Interest in their electric cars is low while BYD emerged as the global king in the final quarter of last year. At the same time, the Chinese car manufacturer wants to use battery-powered cars in the championship, after all it doesn’t even offer anything other than hybrids. Electric cars are not only intended to ensure the transfer of players and other participants or guests at Euro 2024, BYD also wants to organize a series of events that will primarily take place near the ten stadiums where the games will be played. All of them will be broadcast live on the Internet, allowing many people to get acquainted with Chinese electric cars.
So while this brand sold just over four thousand cars on the German market last year, interest could be significantly higher this year despite the end of the subsidies there. Also because VW, for example, has no chance of keeping up, because electromobility starts at 40,000 euros (approx. 988,000 CZK), for which you get a 4,262 millimeter long ID.3. In contrast, the Dolphin, the cheapest BYD in Europe, is available from 30,990 euros (765,000 CZK) and measures 4,290 mm in length.
According to tradition, the Chinese really do offer more for less, which is why it is actually not surprising that they produced the half-millionth copy of the “Dolphin” last September. And they are absolutely serious about Europe, thousands of cars are now being transported to the old continent on their own giant ships. Thanks to the existing sponsorship agreement, their position can only improve, and in our opinion VW shouldn’t have missed that.
Chinese car sponsorship of this year’s European Football Championship in Germany is simply a fact. Photo: BYD
Dolphin is the brand’s cheapest electric car, it can be bought in Germany from 765,000 CZK. That’s a quarter cheaper than the competing VW ID.3. So the Chinese have many reasons to make it visible. Photo: BYD
Source: BYD
Petr Prokopec
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