Is it an issue that VEXED Trump President eight years ago and has reappeared as a reason behind his threat of imposing invoices on the European Union: Why do Europeans do not buy cars from the United States?
“They make it impossible to sell cars in the European Union,” Mr Trump told reporters on Monday, rejuvenating a pet from his first term. A specific pain for the president? The Germans and their preference for cars made in Germany.
“How many chevrolets or Fords do you see in the middle of Munich?” he asked.
Not many. German cars may be a normal spectacle on the US streets, but top American brands are less common in Germany. The reasons range from customers’ preferences and German regulations to the size of the cars that Americans love to drive.
“Of course, there are some US vehicles on the street in Germany,” said Katharina Luca, a spokesman for Automobile Association, Germany. “Even in Munich you sometimes see a tibia in the city traffic.”
But driving one is not without its challenges. Most European cities have their share on broad avenues, but in their hearts it is a confused of narrow roads, where cyclists and pedestrians compete with cars for space.
In Munich, some roads are quite wide for US cars, Mrs Luca said. But, he added, “there are also smaller roads where it is naturally difficult for normal vehicles to cross each other.”
European countries also have different safety and regulatory standards, including abdominal instructions, such as the demand for amber backs flashing instead of red. Making these requirements will add extra costs and make it difficult for US companies to enter the market, said Matthias Schmidt, a car analyst in Berlin.
“Even if they did, they will soon be persuaded to leave when they read the European CO2 Fleet Printing Fleet Regulations,” he added. “US Manufacturers will have real issues that will meet these regulatory standards with their current portfolio.”
Then there is the issue of parking. A RAM 1500 truck, for example, is about three feet longer and two inches wider than the German standard parking point, which makes the placement on a tight compression. (Ram belongs to Stelantis, who also holds Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep, along with several small and medium -sized brands in Europe.)
Despite these challenges, manufacturers from us have found an audience in Germany, which has seen a growing love for larger, heavier cars such as SUVs, but the Germans are still tending to stick to smaller models produced by domestic automakers.
“American flavors are different than in Germany,” said Fabian Brandt, an associate of Oliver Wyman, who advises automakers and their suppliers. He added that smaller, more effective engines were also behind German drivers’ preferences.
In addition, Mr Brandt said Americans tend to lead to longer distances to lower speed limits than most Germans. They also prioritize interior design, “like cup holders, their size and how many of them exist,” he added.
Natural gas prices are another factor. The Germans pay an average of about $ 1.41 for a liter of gas, which translates to $ 5.50 per gallon compared to the average gas price in the United States, which was $ 3.10 a gallon Tuesday.
US automakers such as General Motors and Ford Motor have competed in Europe for decades. In 2017, GM sold its European brands, including Opel in Germany, and stopped selling almost all Chevrolet models in Europe. However, hobbyists and collectors can still buy a corvette in Germany and other European countries, and GM is trying to sell some of its electric vehicles in Europe, such as Cadillac Lyriq.
Ford invests $ 2 billion to transform its plant in Cologne, Germany into a “electric vehicle center”, although this has come with job cuts. And the car industry closes its other German factory by the end of the year.
President Trump mentioned car imports as a reason for the trade imbalance between the United States and Europe, but many of the German cars on the US roads took place in factories in Alabama, South Carolina and Tennessee.
All BMW’s X series SUVs, which are as popular in Munich as they are in Memphis, are built on Spartanburg, SC BMW is exported to about $ 10.1 billion in 2023, according to the US Department of Commerce, making it rendered One of the largest US car exporters.
And the automotive industry, which is based in Munich, cannot claim to sell the most popular electric SUV in Germany. This title goes to an American car, Tesla’s Y model, produced just outside Berlin.
