Munich: the unexpected bickering between the little leapmotor and the (less) little byd

Motor manufacturers are used to getting started, especially through their communication campaigns. Across the Rhine, we remember advertisements to striking slogans with the Rivaux Mercedes, BMW and Audi, always a good war and offering a fun spectacle to aficionados of the different brands.

The Munich show, a historic theater of this rivalry, however offered this year a much more grotesque show. While the rise of Chinese manufacturers is in full swing, Antonio Filosa, managing director of Stellantis, welcomed sales figures in Germany from the Chinese brand Leapmotor, marketed by the Italian-French-American group.

The boss of the Stellantis group thus declared that“In Germany, Leapmotor sold more than Byd”. Words he must certainly regret, since Byd hastened to deny them. The Chinese giant has thus published a press release Sailing recalling that Byd registered 8,610 cars in Germany in the first eight months of the year (including 5,852 electric cars and 2757 rechargeable hybrids), against “Clearly in front of Leapmotor, who recorded only 3536 units” (including 3088 electric cars and 448 rechargeable hybrids).

Byd refuses the war of prize, but willingly engage in an ego war

Only, byd did not just correct Antonio Filosa’s statements. The Chinese group also won by comparing its sales to those of other brands of the Stellantis group, without direct link with its activities. Byd is sold in this way to have “Overwhelmed by Alfa Romeo, who has registered only 5,226 units (including only 140 electric cars and 34 rechargeable hybrids)” in Germany, but also to have “Upgraded Jeep, both in the electric cars segment (where the American brand only recorded 350 units) and in the rechargeable hybrid segment (with only 569 units).”

Let us recall, however, that, despite sales actually higher than those of Leapmotor in Germany, byd’s performance on the European market in the face of other Chinese manufacturers are not upset. On its domestic market, Byd sells more than ten times more cars than Leapmotor, which the manufacturer must barely consider there as a competitor. In Europe, the higher prices practiced by Byd slow down its breakthrough and give more hope to other Chinese brands to grab a share of cake.