During the era of fuel-powered vehicles, Mercedes-Benz, BMW, and Audi have long dominated the luxury car market with their strong brand influence and technical prowess. However, with the rise of new energy vehicles, their performance in the pure electric sector has been surprisingly disappointing. Taking Mercedes-Benz as an example, as its first pure electric model, the sales have been dismal, with the price dropping from a high of millions to millions, a decrease of up to millions. Similarly, the new energy models of BMW and Audi have also failed to meet expectations. What reasons lie behind this?

According to market data, in [year], Mercedes-Benz sold [number] million vehicles globally, a [percentage]% year-on-year decrease. The progress of electrification has been slow, with sales of pure electric models reaching only [number] million units, down [percentage]% year-on-year. BMW sold [number] million vehicles worldwide in [year], a [percentage]% decline compared to the previous year. However, sales of pure electric models increased by [percentage]%, reaching [number] million units, accounting for [percentage]% of total sales—temporarily leading among the three major brands. Audi's global sales in [year] were [number] million vehicles, a decrease of [percentage]% year-on-year. Among these, pure electric vehicle sales totaled [number] million units, down [percentage]% from the previous year.

The technological accumulation during the era of fuel-powered vehicles has become a burden in the wave of electrification and intelligence. Despite leading in traditional internal combustion engine technology, there is a noticeable lag behind new energy vehicle companies like Tesla and BYD, as well as new car-making forces such as NIO, XPeng, and Li Auto, in core areas such as battery technology, autonomous driving, and intelligent cockpits. Some consumers have reported that after test-driving a Mercedes-Benz electric vehicle, they found its autonomous driving assistance functions to be somewhat awkward. For instance, Tesla has already achieved relatively mature assisted driving functions and continues to upgrade its technology, whereas Mercedes-Benz's autonomous driving assistance system shows certain gaps in functionality and stability.

During the transition to electrification, some models have adopted the "oil-to-electric" approach, which involves modifying existing internal combustion engine platforms for electric power. This method has obvious drawbacks. "Oil-to-electric" models often result in increased vehicle weight, reduced range, and compromised spatial layout, significantly diminishing the user experience. Taking BMW as an example, this car underwent electrification based on the BMW platform. While it retains BMW's handling performance, it falls short in terms of range and space utilization compared to pure electric platform models in the same price range. A BMW owner commented, "I bought it mainly for the BMW brand, but in actual use, I found the interior space more cramped than expected, and the range is also somewhat insufficient."

BBA在燃油车市场长期采取高溢价策略，但在新能源市场，消费者对性价比的关注度更高。即使BBA给出10万元甚至20万元的优惠，其销量依然不见起色，这充分表明消费者对其性价比并不认可。在同级别车型中，BBA纯电车型的价格往往高出20%_{30%，但配置和性能却并不占优势。有消费者直言：“花同样的钱，我能买到配置更高、性能更好的国产车，为啥还要选BBA的纯电车型呢？”比如，购买一辆50万}60万元的电动SUV，消费者发现蔚来ES8在动力、续航、车机系统、自动驾驶等方面都比奔驰EQC更具优势，且价格更便宜。

In the new energy sector, their market positioning is also quite ambiguous. They neither possess the technological appeal of Tesla, nor do they have the local market advantages of brands like NIO and Li Auto, and they lack the price competitiveness of BYD, thus finding themselves in an awkward "middle layer." In today's market where consumers increasingly value technological experience and personalized services, they have failed to accurately grasp consumer needs and pain points. Consumers spend a significant amount of money on luxury cars but do not receive a corresponding level of intelligent experience, which undoubtedly diminishes their favorability towards pure electric products.

Industry insiders believe that to stand out in the new energy market, it is necessary to increase investment in research and development in core areas such as battery technology and intelligence, reposition the brand, abandon traditional brand premium thinking, and formulate pricing strategies that better meet market demands. At the same time, for key markets like China, implementing a localization strategy and launching products that better fit the needs of local consumers are essential.

The challenges faced in the pure electric vehicle sector serve as a wake-up call for the entire automotive industry. In this era of rapid transformation, no company can rest on its laurels indefinitely. Only through continuous innovation can a company remain invincible in the fierce market competition. For them, the pressing issue at hand is how to overcome these difficulties and regain the trust and favor of consumers.