Audi has launched legal action against German parallel importer Auto China, which was selling AUDI E5 Sportback and E7X electric cars in Germany that were developed specifically for the Chinese market. The company wants to ban their import.
This was reported by Auto Bild.
Auto China buys cars in China, ships them to Germany and homologates them for the German market. The company also imports Xiaomi and Huawei vehicles.
Audi said that AUDI-brand models do not have European type approval. In addition, there could be problems with servicing and spare parts.
“Audi AG and authorized Audi dealers outside China cannot carry out maintenance work, as AUDI models are considered third-party vehicles in countries outside China,” she said.
Following Audi’s legal action, the AUDI E5 Sportback and E7X disappeared from Auto China’s website. At the same time, the first cars had already been imported and spotted in major German cities.
Audi created the separate AUDI brand in 2025 together with China’s SAIC. It is focused on premium electric vehicles for the Chinese market and uses a logo without the traditional four rings.
In Germany, the E5 Sportback was sold for 59,980 euros, while the E7X started at 72,900 euros. In China, these models are significantly cheaper: the E5 starts at about 26,269 euros, while the E7X starts at 34,407 euros.
Despite becoming more expensive due to import costs, the Chinese models remained cheaper than similar Audi electric vehicles. For comparison, the Audi S6 e-tron Sportback starts at 99,500 euros in Germany, while the SQ6 e-tron starts at 93,800 euros.
