Autoindustrie: Audi-Absatz bricht fast ein Fünftel ein

Audi's sales in the latest third quarter have plummeted by nearly a fifth, with the German automaker delivering 314,905 vehicles of its core brand to customers, a 19.7 percent drop compared to the same period last year. This acceleration of the downward trend comes after a second-quarter decline of around 8 percent. For the first nine months of the year, Audi has delivered 1.04 million units, an 11.4 percent decrease from the previous year.

Although Audi remains slightly ahead in Germany and Europe for the first nine months, the German car manufacturer is struggling due to fierce competition and waning demand in China. The situation is exacerbated by US tariffs, which hit Audi particularly hard as it does not have any manufacturing facilities in the United States, unlike competitors like BMW. The Chinese and US markets are the main contributors to Audi's decline, with sales falling by nearly a quarter in China and around a sixth in the US.

The downward trend is further evident when comparing Audi's figures with those from previous years. In the third quarter of 2023, the company delivered nearly 480,000 of its core models, almost half more than the current figure. The ongoing decline is also highlighted when considering older data, with Audi delivering just under 480,000 of its core models in the third quarter of 2023, which is nearly half more than the current number.