Audi's electric range, developed exclusively for the Chinese market, has unexpectedly made its way to German car showrooms. Models such as the elegant AUDI E5 Sportback liftback and the AUDI E7X SUV - originally designed without any intention of official export to Europe - are now being offered to local buyers thanks to enterprising independent importers.
The scheme of this parallel import works extremely quickly. Independent dealers buy the cars directly from the dealerships in China, transport them to Germany and go through an individual homologation and certification procedure. Only after fully meeting European technical standards do the vehicles appear on the market. The official dealer network of the Ingolstadt brand remains completely isolated from this process, with cars entering the country without the official blessing of the manufacturer.
Transportation costs, customs duties and certification fees logically have a serious impact on the final price, making Chinese models almost double their price in Asia. In China, the AUDI E5 Sportback starts at around 26,000 euros, while in Germany independent dealers set a price tag of nearly 51,500 euros. For the larger AUDI E7X crossover, the starting price in China is approximately 34,400 euros, but after its arrival on German soil the figure swells to around 62,600 euros.
Despite the serious markups along the chain, electric models imported from China continue to look extremely advantageous compared to Audi's official range in Europe. For comparison, the sporty Audi S6 Sportback e-tron is sold in German showrooms at a starting price of nearly 85,400 euros, making gray imports an attractive alternative for buyers looking for a premium electric car at a significantly more affordable price.