Japanese media: foreign companies turn to pure electric cars face "China's threshold"

The environmental regulations of countries and local governments around the world are driving the automotive industry to turn to electrification. The "Nihon Keizai Shimbun" reported on March 23 that in addition to the suppression of greenhouse gas emissions, the air pollution problem in urban areas also played a role in promoting, among which the most important issue for auto makers is that China, the world's largest market, Government regulations. In addition to strict regulations, China also reveals the advantages of favoring domestic companies, and the threshold for foreign investment is high.

“We made a mistake in the Chinese market. We underestimated the importance of new energy vehicles (NEVs).” Sergio Malchone, chief executive officer of Fiat Chrysler Motors (FCA), who is usually optimistic, is March 6. Japan rarely expressed its reflection at the Geneva International Motor Show.

Malchoney is considering the "new energy vehicle points" system that China will implement in 2019. Automobile manufacturers must manufacture and sell a certain percentage of new energy vehicles based on their production and imports in China.

Fiat Chrysler sells "Fiat" and "Jeep" brand cars through a joint venture with Guangzhou Auto. In 2017, the sales volume of the two brands reached approximately 205,000 units, an increase of 40% year-on-year. However, there is no pure electric vehicle (EV) and plug-in hybrid vehicle (PHV) in Fiat Chrysler's current product line that can be identified as a new energy vehicle. If it continues to lack new energy vehicles, the company will face an unfavorable situation in China, the world's largest market.

Technological progress does not require the introduction of fast

"Jeep Wrangler" is synonymous with SUV, this car is no exception, Fiat Chrysler plans to add a plug-in hybrid version in the Jeep Wrangler series by 2020.

Each car manufacturer is being driven by environmental regulations. In December 2017, Toyoda President Akio Toyoda announced cooperation with Panasonic in the field of vehicle-mounted batteries. Mr. Toyoda said that "the speed of battery development has not kept up with the speed of the regulations." The mismatch between technological progress and environmental protection regulations has shown a sense of crisis.

Under the background of strengthening environmental protection regulations, it is China that has a huge impact on auto makers. According to China's new energy vehicle points system, car companies need to obtain corresponding “points” according to the amount of production and imports in China, and the required standards will be increased in phases.

Taking Honda's production of 1.44 million units in China in 2017, and setting a record high for Honda, according to estimates by Mitsubishi UFJ Bank of Tokyo, even if it is offset by a pure electric vehicle that can get the most points, it will need to produce 50,000 a year by 2020. More than pure electric vehicles.

Honda will launch a pure electric vehicle with a prototype of a small SUV in 2018. However, even if it is Nissan's "LEAF (Chinese name: 聆风)", a pure electric vehicle that was introduced in 2010, the cumulative sales volume of the world is only 300,000. Investigator Hideo Kuragawa of Mitsubishi Tokyo UFJ Bank stated that “for each car company, it is not easy to overcome obstacles”. Among Japanese auto makers, Nissan will launch 6 pure electric vehicles in 2018-2019, including local brands in China. Toyota will also introduce pure electric vehicles by 2020.

Desirable "car licence"

Guan Run, the executive director of Nissan’s China operations, hopes that the company’s self-developed hybrid technology “e-Power” will be recognized as a new energy vehicle. Guan Run said that the most wanted car license. In short, we hope to be excluded from the object of restricting the issuance of license plates.

Large cities with severe traffic jams in China usually restrict the issuance of licenses for ordinary gasoline vehicles. Lottery and auctions have a success rate of less than 1%. However, if it is a new energy vehicle, as long as it waits for a period of time, it can obtain license plates without restrictions.

Nissan's e-Power uses an engine to generate electricity and a motor to drive a car, so it is currently the same as a petrol car that restricts the distribution of license plates. However, Guan Run said that because it is not driven by the engine, the structure is the same as that of a pure electric vehicle. It is hoped that it will be excluded from the subject of license restrictions and negotiations are under way. If confirmed, Nissan will be able to secure consumers who are uneasy about obtaining licenses for cars as well as the mileage of pure electric vehicles.

The game of rules has kicked off

Wang Shan, an analyst at British research firm IHS Markit, pointed out that the newly established company that only produces new energy vehicles is increasing. Prior to this, foreign-funded joint venture partners in the production and sales of automobiles in China were limited to two, but if producing new energy vehicles, they were allowed to look for the third joint venture partner. German Volkswagen and Anhui Jianghuai Automobile have established a joint venture of pure electric vehicles. JAC has become the third joint venture of Volkswagen in China. Ford Motor Co., Ltd. and Zotye Motors have also reached an agreement to establish a pure electric vehicle joint venture. The French Renault-Nissan Alliance announced that it will join hands with Dongfeng Motor to establish a pure electric vehicle special enterprise.

In addition, China's start-up companies, which are optimistic about business opportunities, are also becoming more and more active. In January, the first store of "Singularity Motors", a start-up company of pure electric vehicles, was opened in Beijing. Planned to increase to 20 during the year. In 2018, the automobile manufacturers in Jiangsu Province will be commissioned to start mass production of the SUV model “iS6”. Singularity Motors has also established an autonomous driving research and development base in the Silicon Valley of the United States. The company's CEO Shen Haijun said that it will continue to increase the capabilities of the iS6.

On the other hand, China’s sense of vigilance against foreign companies is also rising. According to reports, in the summer of 2017, Volkswagen hoped to use its SEAT brand with a new energy vehicle developed by its joint venture with Jianghuai Automobile. However, it was opposed by the Chinese government and it was concerned. The SEAT brand is owned by Volkswagen’s Spanish subsidiary. This move was interpreted as the purpose of protecting Chinese companies from restricting the use of foreign brands.

Increase in vehicle costs

For many existing car companies, the current pure electric vehicle is the cost required to maintain business in the relevant countries. The core parts and components of pure electric vehicles are expensive, and if they are to maintain the endurance and performance of current engine vehicles, the burden on them, including development fees, will be enormous.

In February, there was no sense of excitement at the financial newspaper conference in Germany's Daimler, which both had a record sales and operating profit. Daimler's sales in 2018 are expected to continue to grow, but profits cannot grow. This is because the pre-investment, such as electrification, will increase. From the aggregate of equipment investment and R&D expenses, the average amount in 2018 and 2019 is expected to increase by 5% from the actual amount in 2017 to 16.3 billion euros. Increased by 30% over the average of the past five years.

How to overcome environmental regulations to strengthen this issue? Honda will be closed before 2021. 斡裣叵 斡裣叵 绞 械 南 南 南 南 诩 诩 诩 诩 诩 诩 诩 诩 诩 诩 诩 诩 诩 诩 诩 诩 ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?氐隳チ 咝У 咝У 咝У ? ? ? ? 健 健 健 健 健 健 健 健 健 健 健 健 健 健 健 缏 缏 缏 缍 缍 缍 缍 缍 缍 缍 缍 缍 缍 谌 谌 蚍 蚍 蚍 蚍 蚍

The automobile industry is often greatly affected by environmental protection and safety regulations and trade policies. In answering the multiple equations of global environmental regulations, consumer trends, and competitive environment, it is still unclear which companies can stand out in the Red Ocean market (the highly competitive market).