Global automakers including Volkswagen and Toyota came to this year's Beijing auto show looking to catch up to surging China EV makers that are dominating the world's largest auto market.
The show that started this week showcased a marked shift in attitude among some foreign automakers, industry executives said. After being impressed by the bold leaps made by BYD and other Chinese automakers at last year's event in Shanghai, foreign automakers are now avidly searching for Chinese partners and announcing new tie-ups, the executives said.
Among the most active were European and Japanese automakers, with announcements coming from Toyota Motor that it would team up with Chinese gaming and social media giant Tencent on artificial intelligence and big data, and Volkswagen promoting its partnership with Chinese EV startup XPeng . An executive from Renault said on Friday it had "pivotal conversations" with Chinese EV maker Li Auto and Xiaomi, the smartphone maker that just introduced its first car, to explore EV and smart-vehicle technologies. Nissan, meanwhile, announced a tie-up with Chinese tech firm Baidu to carry out research on AI and "smart cars." Nissan CEO Makoto Uchida visited several booths including that of Chinese tech giant Huawei, which is becoming a major auto supplier.
European automakers sent "much more senior management" to visit the booth of LIDAR remote sensing technology supplier Hesai Technology this year versus last year, said Bob in den Bosch, senior vice president of global sales at the Shanghai-headquartered firm.
"They're looking for a partner to close the gap," he said. "They came here with a plan and a mission."
Foreign brands have dominated China's auto business since the 1990s and have brought extensive know-how to the Asian country. But last year, foreign brands' collective share of China's passenger car market fell to 48%, down sharply from 57% just two years earlier, according to data from the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers.
GOING LOCAL German automakers including Volkswagen and Mercedes, in particular, emphasized their efforts to localize production and invest more in local partnerships, with Volkswagen saying repeatedly its goal was to remain the best-selling foreign automaker in China into 2030.
Hildegard Mueller, president of Germany's powerful car lobby VDA, told Reuters that the German automakers are, in addition, exploring new marketing strategies to attract Chinese consumers. This includes partnering with the country’s army of car influencers, who promote and discuss new vehicle models and trends with their large followings on social media.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.