Two China-Only Audis in Germany, and a Lawsuit
A parallel importer brought two China-only Audi EVs into Germany. Audi responded with a lawsuit.
An AUDI E5 Sportback sells for €59,980 in Germany through the parallel channel; the same configuration costs RMB 319,900 in China.
The importer, Auto China, completed individual-vehicle homologation and registered the cars in Germany. Everything was legal for road use. What wasn’t covered: after-sales.
Audi’s stated position, as reported by the German trade press, is that AUDI-brand models are not supplied outside China through the manufacturer’s approved channels — and that Audi AG and its franchised dealers outside China cannot perform maintenance because these vehicles do not belong to the manufacturer’s European service network.
A car can be legally registered, road-legal, and still have no service channel. That’s the real issue.
For a battery-electric vehicle with advanced driver-assistance systems, this isn’t a minor inconvenience. EV service depends on software updates, diagnostic access, calibration data, and parts availability through the OEM’s systems. A parallel-imported AUDI EV in Germany has none of those.
The importer says it can manage homologation, registration, warranty, and service. But a parallel-imported vehicle does not join the manufacturer’s European dealer network, which creates practical gaps around software, diagnostics, replacement parts, and repairs — especially for cars loaded with sensors, cameras, and driver-assistance systems.
The question for European parts distributors and workshop networks:
If this becomes a pattern — China-only models entering Europe through parallel channels with no OEM service backing — what happens when one of them needs a replacement part?
From where I sit, the branding dispute is a headline. The parts and service gap underneath it is the structural problem.
Related: China-made parts index
Sources: Automobilwoche, August 2026 · Carscoops, August 2026 · CnEVPost, 17 September 2025 · CLS/Cailianshe, 21 September 2026.
