European AUDI dealers could be facing a lawsuit from … Audi

This is car news, not a home energy story, but here's what happened: Audi has built an electric sub-brand in China called AUDI (all capital letters, no rings logo) through a joint venture with Chinese automaker SAIC. These cars, including a 670-horsepower electric SUV called the E7X, were meant to stay in the Chinese market. Instead, a German importer called Auto China has been bringing them into the European Union for buyers there. Audi is not happy about this and is now suing that importer to stop any further imports, according to a report from the German trade publication Automobilwoche.

The dispute is over unauthorized "parallel importing" of a car Audi never intended to sell in Europe. The AUDI E7X reportedly comes with a choice of two battery sizes, offers up to about 465 miles of range in its longest-range version, and is also available in a faster all-wheel-drive "Quattro" configuration. None of this is officially sold outside China, and Audi's legal action aims to keep it that way.

This story has no direct bearing on home energy upgrades, rebates, or anything homeowners might plan for their own house. It is simply a look at a corporate dispute over EV imports and branding in Europe.