GERMAN auto giant carmaker volkswagen sold 10,000 fewer electric vehicles than expected in China last year, reports London's Financial Times.
But Caixin reported China's electric vehicle sales rose by 160 per cent to a record high of 2.9 million units in 2021, underpinning the first increase in overall car sales in the country in the past four years.
VW sold 70,000 of its five flagship ID models, most of which were launched during the past year, having targeted sales of between 80,000 to 100,000 cars for 2021.
As a whole the VW group, which includes Audi and Porsche, delivered 3.3 million cars in China last year, 14 per cent fewer than in 2020.
'2021 has been one of the most challenging years in our history in China,' said VW country manager Stephan Wollenstein.
'While our order books are well filled, we were unable to match production to demand over a lack of semiconductors, with the situation further intensified by factory shutdowns both on our side and the supplier side due to Covid-19.'
But China saw auto sales rise last year for the first time since 2017, reports Reuters. Total sales in the world's largest car market grew 3.8 per cent year on year, after monthly sales of 2.79 million units in December brought total sales for 2021 to 26.28 million, according to the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers.
Caixin reported sales of plug-in hybrids more than doubled to 600,000 units. Strength in such 'new-energy' vehicles more than offset a five per cent slump in other automobiles, including conventional gasoline-fueled models.
The surge reflects Beijing's push to pivot to electrics as it works to make China a power in the auto industry. Manufacturers are required to have new-energy vehicles make up a certain share of production and sales, and the government extended for two years subsidies that had been set to expire at the end of 2020.
SeaNews Turkey
But Caixin reported China's electric vehicle sales rose by 160 per cent to a record high of 2.9 million units in 2021, underpinning the first increase in overall car sales in the country in the past four years.
VW sold 70,000 of its five flagship ID models, most of which were launched during the past year, having targeted sales of between 80,000 to 100,000 cars for 2021.
As a whole the VW group, which includes Audi and Porsche, delivered 3.3 million cars in China last year, 14 per cent fewer than in 2020.
'2021 has been one of the most challenging years in our history in China,' said VW country manager Stephan Wollenstein.
'While our order books are well filled, we were unable to match production to demand over a lack of semiconductors, with the situation further intensified by factory shutdowns both on our side and the supplier side due to Covid-19.'
But China saw auto sales rise last year for the first time since 2017, reports Reuters. Total sales in the world's largest car market grew 3.8 per cent year on year, after monthly sales of 2.79 million units in December brought total sales for 2021 to 26.28 million, according to the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers.
Caixin reported sales of plug-in hybrids more than doubled to 600,000 units. Strength in such 'new-energy' vehicles more than offset a five per cent slump in other automobiles, including conventional gasoline-fueled models.
The surge reflects Beijing's push to pivot to electrics as it works to make China a power in the auto industry. Manufacturers are required to have new-energy vehicles make up a certain share of production and sales, and the government extended for two years subsidies that had been set to expire at the end of 2020.
SeaNews Turkey
