With China slowly coming out of its lockdown stemming from the coronavirus outbreak, car manufacturers and dealerships across the country are looking to do whatever they can to encourage shoppers back into showrooms, Reuters reports.
In February, sales of vehicles in China plunged by 79 per cent and dropped by 45 per cent in the first three weeks of March. As restrictions are gradually eased across the country, numerous promotions are being held.
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One such promotion has been launched by Tesla with it now offering a test-drive and delivery service that involves no staff contact. In addition, Zhejiang Geely has started to deliver disinfected cars to customers and is dropping off keys with drones to avoid person-to-person contact. What’s more, the EV unit of Guangzhou Automobile Group has started testing a system that perfumes its Aion LX SUV with the scent of traditional Chinese medicine.
Local social media celebrity ‘Lipstick King’ also recently urged millions of fans of a live-stream to sign up for a new lease deal on the Cadillac CT4. SAIC-GM-Wuling is also offering customers discounts of up to 11,000 yuan ($1,550) for anyone purchasing a vehicle from the Wuling and Baojun brands. Buyers also receive a medical mask.
In addition to these promotional campaigns, industry bodies want help from the government to get things back on track. For example, the government is being called on to supply purchase tax cuts on small vehicles while also supporting sales in rural areas and easing current emission regulations. The Chinese Automobile Dealers Association has also lobbied for loans to dealerships and temporary liquidity support, including credit lines.
