Even before the European Union targeted imports of cheap Chinese electric vehicles, their makers faced another big challenge: winning over consumers who don’t know or necessarily trust their brands.
At the heart of their strategy is the traditional dealership model that European carmakers have been exiting in favor of direct sales. BYD, Xpeng, Great Wall Motor and others hope dealerships will quickly help them mobilize robust sales and service networks as they try to establish reputations for quality and reliability.
"European consumers have no inkling of Chinese brands,” said Daniel Kirchert, the head of e-mobility consultancy Noyo and former BMW AG executive who co-founded the now defunct Chinese EV maker Byton. "It’s a huge challenge for Chinese carmakers to make clear to Europeans that their cars are on par with Tesla, at a better price.”