They aim to compete with gasoline-powered models on performance, cost and looks. By the end of next year, "it will be very difficult for a customer to decide against an electric car," said the CEO of Volkswagen AG, Herbert Diess. "The cars will offer roominess, space, fast charging," Diess said during a January visit to Beijing. "They will look exciting." Automakers are looking to China, their biggest global market, to drive revenue growth at a time when U.S. and European demand is flat or declining.