Carmakers are taking legal action against European Union special tariffs on electric cars from China.
In addition to Tesla and BMW, Mercedes-Benz is now also taking action against the tariffs before The European Court of Justice, a company spokeswoman said on Tuesday.
Asked about Tesla’s lawsuit, a spokesperson for the EU Commission said “we are prepared to defend our case in court.”
Since the end of October, a so-called countervailing duty has had to be paid for e-cars imported into the EU from China. The amount varies depending on the manufacturer.
For electric vehicles from the manufacturer Geely, 18.8% is due. For Tesla, a rate of 7.8% applies, and for BMW it is 20.7%. The tariffs are in addition to an existing tariff of ten per cent. Mercedes is working with Geely in China.
BMW views the tariffs critically because, from the company’s perspective, they would restrict the range of electric cars available to European customers and make the transition to climate-friendly transport more difficult.
Despite the lawsuit, the company hopes a political solution can be reached. “It remains essential to avoid a trade conflict that ultimately knows only losers,” said BMW.
