43% of German Consumers Distrust Chinese Cars

In the midst of a trust crisis and with the economic plans of some European car manufacturers subjected to market slowdown and competition from Chinese electric vehicles, German consumers show signs of resisting the temptation of prices and offers from the Asian country.

According to a survey released by the DPA agency, 43% of German motorists rule out buying a Chinese brand vehicle due to distrust over data protection.

They consider this issue important in the face of a potential cyberattack. "German manufacturers have an advantage here in terms of trust," says Stefan Bratzel, an expert from the German Center of Automotive Management (CAM), who conducted the study along with provider Cisco Systems.

Regarding the trust placed in other brands concerning data protection, 39% of drivers in Germany rated it as "high" or "very high" for Mercedes, 37% for BMW, and 32% for Volkswagen. Ford and Opel occupy the fifth and sixth places, with 26% each, directly behind Toyota (29%).

In the last positions were Chinese brands MG, BYD, and Nio, in which only between 16% and 17% of respondents said they trusted.

The study indicates that the debate around Huawei's exclusion from the expansion of the 5G mobile network is affecting car manufacturers. "This could become a problem for them," says Bratzel.

For the German automotive industry, however, this opens up the opportunity for a new selling point. "This is a real competitive advantage that needs to be exploited now," assures Christian Korff, member of Cisco's Board of Directors in Germany.

"It could become our brand of the future," says the executive about the possibility that data protection may become a new export success for Germany "and succeed the combustion engine as a global brand."