German carmakers performed poorly compared to their competitors when it comes to sales since the start of the year, according to an analysis by the consulting firm EY. German car manufacturers overall saw a 1.7% drop in sales and a 25% slump in profits, EY’s report showed on Wednesday. EY analysed the key financial figures of the 16 largest car manufacturers worldwide for the study. German carmakers Volkswagen, BMW and Mercedes-Benz generated a combined turnover of some €148 billion ($159 billion). This still marked the second-highest figure in a first quarter since the study began in 2011. In…