Kinzmen International · kinzmen-int.com/resources/comparing-vehicle-quotations · Reviewed November 1, 2026
Guide 02 · Guide and blank comparison table
Two quotations for the same model name can describe different vehicles, delivery points and warranty positions. This guide explains what to check in each offer and provides a blank comparison table to print and fill in.
The unit price is the most visible number in a vehicle quotation and often the least comparable. Before comparing prices, make sure the offers describe the same vehicle, the same quantity, the same delivery point and the same terms. Where they do not, the difference has to be identified and valued before any price comparison means anything.
This guide works through the questions in a practical order and ends with a blank table you can print and complete for each offer.
The same model name does not prove the same vehicle. Model year, trim level, battery or engine variant, steering side and, above all, the market specification can all differ under one name. A domestic-market specification and an export specification may differ in safety equipment, lighting, charging inlet, infotainment language and connected services.
Ask every supplier to state, in writing:
The same model name does not prove the same warranty either. Coverage depends on the vehicle, the seller, the destination market, the intended use and the service network that will honour it. A manufacturer’s domestic warranty brochure is not evidence of overseas coverage or of coverage for rental or other commercial use.
For each offer, record who provides the warranty, the territory it applies in, any commercial-use conditions, how claims are made and who carries out repairs at the destination. “Standard warranty” without these details should be treated as unconfirmed.
The party quoting, the party selling and the party exporting may be three different companies. Each offer should name the seller and the exporter of record. MOFCOM Announcement No. 54 of 2025 brought battery-electric passenger vehicles under export-licence management from 1 January 2026, using the qualification and licensing procedures China already applies to automobile exports. Confirm which party holds the applicable export qualification and licence for the vehicles quoted, whatever the powertrain.
Where a coordinator is involved, its role and any compensation should be stated in the engagement documents rather than inferred. That applies to us as well.
A quotation needs an agreed delivery basis and a named place or port. Incoterms® rules clarify the tasks, costs and risks involved in delivering goods from seller to buyer (ICC); state the rule, the named place and the edition being used. Incoterms do not cover payment terms, transfer of title, specification or remedies. Those need separate contract provisions.
A price at the supplier’s premises, a price at the export port and a price at the destination port are not comparable until the missing legs are added. Do not convert a supplier’s domestic price into an export or landed price automatically, and do not read a port-delivery quotation as an all-inclusive registered-road price.
A complete comparison can involve many cost elements, and some will sit outside every quoted scope. Mark each one as included, excluded or to be estimated, never left blank.
| Cost element | What to establish |
|---|---|
| Vehicle price | Exact specification and quantity it applies to |
| Inland transport to the port | Included, and to which terminal |
| Export charges and documents | Which documents are included, and who issues them |
| Inspection | Provider, scope and who pays, including any re-inspection |
| Ocean freight | Carrier or forwarder, and any EV-specific requirements |
| Insurance | Who arranges it, cover level and where cover starts and ends |
| Destination charges | Port, handling and storage charges at arrival |
| Duties and taxes | Estimates from the importer or customs representative; in the supplier’s price only where the delivery basis says so (for example DDP) |
| Destination compliance and registration | Who is responsible, if anything is required |
| Coordination fee | Disclosed amount or basis, and who pays it |
Ask for estimated readiness, shipping and handover timing as separate milestones, together with what each depends on: vehicle availability, preparation, documents, shipping options and destination procedures. Treat any timing as an estimate unless the contract states otherwise.
Use one column per offer. Write “not stated” where an offer is silent; silence is useful information.
| Comparison field | Option A | Option B |
|---|---|---|
| Exact model / year / trim / market specification | ||
| Quantity and registration status | ||
| Supplier / seller / exporter | ||
| Unit price and currency | ||
| Delivery basis and named place | ||
| Freight, inspection and insurance scope | ||
| Destination costs included/excluded | ||
| Estimated readiness / shipping timing | ||
| Warranty and local service position | ||
| Offer validity and unresolved items |
When an offer is selected, agree what will be checked before the vehicles ship. The Before-Shipment Document and Inspection Checklist provides a scope template.
Regulatory references were checked on the review date shown for this guide. Rules change: recheck the cited source before relying on it for a transaction.
Official and primary sources cited in this guide, checked on the review date.
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When the destination, use, quantity and timing are clear, send them as a procurement enquiry. It starts a commercial assessment; it does not reserve vehicles or create a purchase order.