STUTTGART, Germany, April 30 (Reuters) - Volkswagen

expects its operative profit, net cash flow and net

liquidity to land at the bottom end of annual forecasts, it said

on Wednesday, citing growing trade barriers, rising competition

and emissions regulations.

Battery-electric car sales, which more than doubled in

Europe in the first quarter, had also weighed on its margin, the

company said, in a sign of the difficulties faced by legacy

carmakers to yield the same profits on battery-electric vehicle

production they have long enjoyed for making combustion engine

cars.

"We need to ensure a competitive cost structure alongside

our strong offering of vehicles to stay successful in a rapidly

changing world," Chief Financial Officer Arno Antlitz said in a

statement.

(Reporting by Victoria Waldersee, editing by Thomas Seythal)