BOCHUM/FRANKFURT (dpa-AFX) - The punitive tariffs being considered by the EU Commission against electric cars from China would also put buyers in Germany at a disadvantage, according to an expert. Around 14 percent of e-cars sold in Germany already come from China, reports Ferdinand Dudenhoffer, head of the private CAR Institute.

In the first four months of this year, a good 15,000 of the 111,000 e-cars registered in Germany were produced in China. In addition to Chinese brands, these include cars from European manufacturers such as the Dacia Spring, the cheapest battery car on the European market to date. Smarts and parts of Tesla production are also built in China.

Dudenhoffer expects a European market share of around 25 percent for cars assembled in China in the near future. He believes that new models from the Renault and BMW-Mini groups will also contribute to this. VW's planned small electric car also only makes sense if it is also built and sold in China. If these cars were subject to high tariffs, demand would fall and comparatively low-priced models would become more expensive.

The price advantages already reflect the economies of scale and cost advantages of Chinese production, explained Dudenhoffer. There is no evidence of unfair competitive advantages through state subsidies. In his view, punitive tariffs against environmentally friendly products would be a big mistake that would poison the climate and hinder the important industrial exchange with China./ceb/DP/he