The chief engine of growth for the world’s carmakers is turning into their biggest headache.
In the past 48 hours, auto giants from Volkswagen AG and Ford Motor Co to Renault SA and PSA Group have pinned flagging profits and weakening sales outlooks on a slowdown in the world’s largest auto market.
The companies spent billions of dollars over the past two decades setting up production and sales channels in China, as rapid growth saw millions buy first – and second – cars, only to see demand fizzle as the economy wavers.
The trade war with the US and a sliding stock market are damping prospects for the $12tn economy and hitting consumer demand.
Shoppers are staying away from car showrooms, with monthly sales sliding for four straight months, on track for their first annual contraction in at least two decades.
Few of the major car manufacturers that rushed into China wanting to cater to its 1.4bn people have been spared. The trend also forebodes a massive shift in consumer preferences towards ride-hailing and car-sharing services, which are undermining the need for individuals to own a car, said Bill Russo, a former Chrysler executive who now heads auto consultant Gao Feng Advisory.
“Mobility demand is increasing as China continues to urbanise,” Russo said. “However, traditional carmakers are not positioned to capture this demand growth.” Shared autos used by popular ride services such as Didi Chuxing will account for 30% of China’s passenger vehicles and majority of miles travelled by 2025, Russo predicts. They currently account for 13% of passenger vehicles.
The increased usage of such cars will reduce the unit sales of new vehicles, Russo said.
Volkswagen warned that trade tensions are dragging down the Chinese market, prompting the German manufacturer to cut its sales forecast.
The company had forecast industrywide growth of 4% this year in China, but recent data show the market to be flat or even lower for the year, the company said. China is the carmaker’s most important market, accounting for just under 40% of its vehicle sales. The trade war had already prompted luxury-car makers BMW AG and Daimler AG to warn about lower profits, while slowing China demand forced Jaguar Land Rover to shut a factory temporarily.
Mercedes-Benz maker Daimler yesterday said it still expected “good growth rates” in its most important market, chief financial officer Bodo Uebber told reporters a quarterly earnings call.
China accounted for 29% of deliveries through September, rising 13%.
As part of the economic standoff with the US, China increased the levy on vehicles imported from America to 40%.
The country almost simultaneously lowered the duty on other imported cars to 15%, leaving consumers confused about pricing and potentially lowering demand, an industry group said.
Ford continued to post losses in China in its latest quarter, saying demand was hurt by the country removing purchase incentives.
A rebate on purchase tax that was in place through last year was phased out, and other hurdles such as rising property prices are also weighing on auto demand, a Chinese industry group said this month.
“We definitely see a weaker market,” Jim Farley, Ford’s president of global markets, said on an earnings call Wednesday.
The removal of incentives led to a hangover in the first quarter, and demand hasn’t recovered to year-earlier levels since, he said.