Customer acceptance of Chinese EVs in Europe

Close-up of an electric vehicle charging, highlighting the growing adoption of EVs in Europe. This image relates to Lomi Agency's study on European consumer perceptions of Chinese versus German electric vehicle brands.
German car brand

2022
Germany, UK, Spain, France, Italy and Norway

A comprehensive quantitative study on customer acceptance of a German electric vehicle brand compared to its Chinese competitors.The study covered Europe's five largest automobile markets and Norway, the number one market for New Energy Vehicles (NEV) per capita and the first European entry point for many Chinese EV brands.

The study focused on user perceptions, preferences, and cultural influences, revealing specific areas for improvement. The actionable insights provided the German brand with opportunities to strengthen its market position.

A Quantitative Study Comparing a German Car Brand and Chinese Competitors.
Challenge

The electric vehicle landscape is highly competitive, especially with the rise of emerging Chinese players. In this context, a German car brand, while holding a strong reputation, sought the help of Lomi Agency to uncover areas of strength, weakness, and overall user satisfaction across multiple markets. The challenge laid not only in identifying discrepancies but also in understanding cultural nuances and user expectations in each region.

Process

The process is built around gaining insights that support strategic decision making. Defining what type of insights this requires formed the input for the study. For data collection, Lomi Agency collaborated with a research partner in Germany. With the vast amount of data collected from the EU5 and Norway, advanced data analytics tools enabled Lomi Agency to uncover insights that are visualised and elaborated on in a comprehensive report.


1
Defining research areas for strategic decision making
  • Defining strategically relevant topics were defined together with the German car brand
  • Structuring the method for gathering statistically significant data
2
Data collection
  • Creation of the structured questionnaire
  • The large-scale survey was disseminated across the EU5 and Norway
3
Data processing
  • Interpretation of the data using advanced data analytics tools
  • Mapping the interpreted data to distil strengths, weaknesses and other insights
4
Communication
  • Visualisation of the insights
  • Creating a comprehensive report for executive management
Infographic listing various electric vehicle (EV) brands and their European market presence. Includes companies like Hongqi, NIO, Polestar, XPeng, BYD, MG, Zeekr, Ora, and Lynk & Co, highlighting their market entry, key models, and expansion plans.
Outcome

The result of the quantitive study are condensed into a comprehensive report with analyses, insights and recommendations for executive management of the German car brand. This includes analyses of segmentation, trends and cross-market comparisons and insights into customer acceptance, key influencing factors for user satisfaction and cultural insights.

Armed with these insights, the German car brand is now positioned to refine its offerings, enhance user experience, and address market-specific nuances. This enables the company to reinforced market position and create stronger competitive edge, preparing for the entry of many new Chinese EV brands into the European market.