Ralf Brandstätter, CEO of Volkswagen in China: "Bringing Chinese-made cars to Europe isn't easy; vehicles don't move between markets; they're developed for them."

While Chinese car brands are forcing their European (and global) presence , more traditional European brands are resisting the Chinese push and counterattacking by introducing models and strategies in the Asian country . This is the case with Mercedes and the Volkswagen Group , which have been developing cars exclusively for that market for several years. And the question immediately arises: why not bring cars developed in China to Europe? That's the same answer from the CEO of the Volkswagen Group in China, Ralf Brandstätter.

In a post on his LinkedIn profile , Brandstätter defends exclusivity for the Asian country and vice versa: “Cars not only move between markets, but are also developed for them. It seems like a simple commercial maneuver, but it's something more complex,” he explains. The first point to address is, logically, the regulatory framework: “ What's ready to operate in one country is often not in another . Europe and China have different regulations. It requires a lot of effort and engineering, often completely rebuilding the car, to make it comply with regional standards,” the German executive assures. It's curious that it's cheaper to create a car from scratch than to adapt existing models.

"In China, for China" is the VW Group's motto for selling its cars in the Asian country. A gigantic market that, until recently, hadn't received much attention. But now it's trading at a very high rate, which explains the interest of major European manufacturers in establishing themselves there: " China is leading the global transformation of electric mobility , especially in battery chemistry , ADAS system integration, and urban infrastructure for electric vehicles. The unified technological ecosystem of the Chinese market is unique," argues Ralf Brandstätter.

But what works there doesn't necessarily have to work here: "On German motorways, driver assistance systems must also work at maximum speeds . This is one of the reasons why many Chinese manufacturers don't offer some of their technologies in Europe," he reveals.

Brandstätter also highlights in his publication that European and Chinese customers are very different , from the average age (35 in China and 56 in Europe) to the type of car they expect: “European buyers tend to prioritize touch controls, long-term durability, and driving dynamics.” Not to mention that regionalization is becoming more pronounced: “Not only in terms of innovations and customer needs, but also in terms of regulations and market access . Added to this are the risks that certain key technologies will not be able to cross national borders in the future,” notes the CEO of Volkswagen AG in China.

But, despite all these explanations, we'll still be drooling over the new electric cars being developed in China. From the much-desired Xiaomi SU7 to the latest BYD , including Audi , Mercedes , and Volkswagen itself. And one last question: is a Volkswagen really a Volkswagen 'made in China'? "I'm often asked if it's still a 'real Volkswagen.' My answer is: of course, 100%. The DNA of our brands is the essence of everything we do. We make no compromises," concludes the German executive.