Tianjin Port, the country's largest parallel import automobile trade distribution center, is a place that can be called "electric vehicle desert" for the time being.
At the beginning of the New Year, the sky in the Tianjin Port Free Trade Zone Pilot Free Trade Zone is not clear, and the biting sea breeze in winter is still wandering. Walking hundreds of meters, a steel statue of "Optimus Prime" stands in front, and the mechanical and explosive posture seems to not welcome the arrival of the electric era, but guards the last "pure land" of the oil truck.
"There were a batch of Tesla Model X models here earlier," Li Ming (pseudonym), a parallel import car salesman, told the car market Monogatari. This batch of cars sold at a maximum price of more than 1.3 million, but after the introduction, it basically could not be sold, coupled with the lack of value preservation, and finally this imported electric vehicle was "extinct".
Parallel imported cars for sale in Tianjin Port | Car Market Story Photo
This is the first time that electric vehicles have "tested the waters" in the parallel import car market. Obviously, electric cars are not very welcome here. Rows of Land Cruiser (National V), GLS, Cayenne, Range Rover Genesis and other models are neatly arranged, declaring their "sovereignty" with huge bodies.
But the wave of electrification is already unstoppable. With the upgrading of emissions and the implementation of carbon peaking, carbon neutrality and related measures, the parallel import car market has been impacted, what kind of waves will be set off in such a pure corner? ("Electric vehicle" in the text refers to pure electric vehicles)
#01
The "big test" of The Sixth Nation can not be forgotten
At present, what makes parallel importers most "anxious" is not the pressure brought about by the electrification trend, but the upgrade of China VI emissions in the context of "double carbon".
This is a "big test" that cannot be avoided. On July 1, 2020, due to the full implementation of the National VI emission policy, the number of stranded vehicles in all ports across the country reached 18,000 in that year, of which about 12,000 were in Tianjin Port.
This pressure continued until the middle of last year when it began to ease.
In April 2021, pilot enterprises of parallel imported automobiles have successively opened environmental protection information disclosure accounts, dozens of pilot enterprises across the country have completed the filing of appendices to vehicle environmental protection information and the submission of test plans, and test vehicles have successively carried out National VI environmental protection tests in major testing institutions.
China VI model Mercedes-Benz GLS450 customs clearance
Image source: Tianjin Parallel Import Automobile Circulation Association
It was not until May that the First Batch of National VI Environmental Protection Information Disclosure Models in China, the Mercedes-Benz GLS 450, successfully cleared customs in Tianjin Port and officially put into market sales. In this process, in addition to the environmental information disclosure process, the vehicle to carry out mandatory product certification, test vehicle temporary exit process, vehicle inspection and customs clearance have also been correspondingly adjusted.
In this case, the distribution pattern of imported models has also undergone a significant reversal.
The once glorious Japanese car scenery is gone. Before China VI, 80% of the market was basically Toyota. Now, only SIENNA, Alpha, and 4Runner (Speedmaster) can meet the national six. Like the once best-selling Middle Eastern version of the model, it is basically in a "extinct" state.
The much-anticipated Prado, Land cruiser LC300, etc. are still doing environmental protection tests.
"This is completely controlled by the national environmental protection policy, environmental protection will default to some of the reference values of the central regulations, for some models that do not have the standard data as a reference, the test will be slower." Like the current best-selling Mercedes-Benz GLS, there is a standard version for reference, so it is faster. Wang Shuo (pseudonym), the owner of a parallel import car wholesaler, explained.
The 2022 Land Cruiser LC300 | Image source: Network
For models that do not have the standard data for reference, only tests are carried out one by one according to the test standards.
For example, the Land cruiser LC300 does not have a medium-sized car to refer to at the moment, and all the time is spent in the test process. According to Li Ming, "LC300 has now arrived in Hong Kong to declare customs, but if you want to pick up the car, you will have to wait until July and August this year at the earliest." ”
In comparison, the impact of the "small test" of the double point policy is not so great. According to the requirements of the Measures for the Administration of Double Integration, parallel import passenger car supply enterprises are managed according to small-scale enterprises, and since 2019, they have implemented the credit accounting of parallel fuel consumption of enterprises. If the annual import of less than 2,000 vehicles is calculated, the points accounting will not be implemented for the time being.
From the perspective of market conditions, the import volume of a single parallel importer is generally less than 2,000 vehicles, so there is basically no big impact. However, with the growth of the parallel import car market, large parallel importers will inevitably appear, and the double score of the assessment cannot be avoided. More than 2,000 units need to purchase new energy credits.
It is worth noting that not all parallel importers are qualified to "buy points", only pilot enterprises can. At present, there are more than 1,000 related enterprises specializing in the wholesale and sale of parallel imported cars at The Tianjin port, while only 44 car dealers have this qualification.
"Other non-pilot enterprises do not have the qualification of 'doing number' (on the card), and can only find others to buy, attach to the pilot enterprise, and then bear certain costs." Wang Shuo told Cheshi Monogatari, "I am applying for a pilot enterprise. But if you do the math, you don't need to do this thing to control less than 2,000 units a year. ”
On the way to achieve the "double carbon" goal, there are "big tests" and "small tests", which have sounded the "alarm bell" for the parallel import car market. Under the big goal of energy conservation and emission reduction, no one can stay out of the matter.
#02
When will the main theme of the parallel import market change?
Some time ago, the debate between trams and oil trucks was raging. Especially in the case of a sharp increase in the penetration rate of new energy vehicles, the confrontation between oil vehicles and trams has reached a "climax". However, in the parallel import car market, you may not see this scene. Here, large displacement, hardcore, atmosphere, luxury is still the main theme.
In the tone of Weilai Li Bin, this may be the "paradise" of those who have feelings.
The Tesla Model S, which was waiting to be sold that year, | Image source: Network
On the one hand, there is not much guarantee for parallel imports of electric vehicles at the policy level. Models introduced from the medium channel can be green card, and can enjoy all aspects of policy preferences, the cost will be relatively low, but if the parallel import of car channels to introduce, there is no relevant model optional, and subsidies, green cards can not be enjoyed, the purchase cost is very expensive.
On the other hand, China's electric vehicle market now leads the world. Whether it is the market volume, penetration, or model type, etc., it is incomparable to other markets. In this case, there is not much room for parallel imports, and there are few new energy high-end electric vehicles available in the world.
"In the era of fuel vehicles, foreign countries are ahead of domestic ones, highlighting the value of parallel imports. But at this stage, China's electric vehicles are more mature, and many in Dubai, Africa and East Asia are coming to China to purchase electric vehicles. Wang Shuo said to Cheshi Monogatari.
Obviously, electric vehicles and parallel imported cars basically have no "intersection" at present, and there is no "intersection" in the short term, and it is not an exaggeration to call it an electric vehicle "desert". Although there are some hybrid high-end models in the "desert", in essence, hybrid vehicles still cannot be separated from the ranks of oil vehicles.
SIENNA | in the Tianjin Port exhibition hall Car Market Story Photo
Taking SIENNA as an example, there are currently domestic models (called "Xena" in China) and parallel imported models. There is a certain difference in the configuration of the two, after the domestic price increase is about 400,000, the minimum allocation of parallel imported cars is 378,000. Relatively speaking, the differentiated and customized equipment of imported cars can meet the individual tastes of some users. This is also one of the values of the existence of parallel imported cars.
As Chen Haifeng, director of the Automotive Industry Development and Transportation Travel Research Office of the China Automotive Strategy and Policy Research Center, said, in the future, the parallel import car market can introduce diversified products, such as new energy vehicles, single models authorized by manufacturers and royal modified brand models, etc., consumers can buy a wealth of products from overseas.
#03
This year or will usher in a wave of import "small climax"
The implementation of China VI is only a hurdle encountered on the road of energy conservation and emission reduction for parallel imported vehicles. The lesson learned by enterprises is to do a good job in verifying the emission standards of imported vehicles, avoid the operational risks caused by the long-term detention of substandard vehicles, and at the same time make a contribution to energy conservation and emission reduction in the domestic automobile industry.
2019-2020 parallel import car sales trend
Image source: Automotive Industry Development and Transportation Research Office
2017 was the peak of parallel imports of automobiles, with a national import volume of 172,000 units and a national terminal retail of 155,000 units. From 2015 to 2019, the annual import volume exceeded 100,000 units.
"2020 is more miserable, the blow is too big. In 2021, although there are traces to follow, all imports add up to the scale of 40,000 to 50,000 vehicles. Wang Shuo, who has been in the parallel import car industry for many years, recalls the experience of the past two years and still sighs.
With the gradual normalization of the National VI model, the 2022 that has arrived still makes Wang Shuo full of expectations, "there should be a wave of small climax in the short term." Considering the base number in 2021, parallel imported cars will most likely have a relatively large growth rate in 2022.
Undoubtedly, the parallel imported cars with large displacements still have a very great role in promoting the overall development of the market. After all, average fuel consumption is an average measure of the industry, rather than requiring a "one-size-fits-all".
In the view of many industry insiders, the entire automotive industry should save energy and reduce emissions, but it is also necessary to encourage personalized consumption, and some large-displacement parallel imported cars belong to personalized consumption. At this stage, The Standard Car has no longer introduced large-displacement models. In other words, if you want to meet the market's demand for large-displacement fuel vehicles, you can only seek parallel import vehicle channels. From this perspective, it is very necessary to find ways to help the upward development of parallel imported vehicles.
On the other hand, the lack of overseas vehicle supply last year due to the epidemic and the global lack of cores also inhibited part of the increase in parallel imported cars. As the inhibition is lifted, this increment is gradually repaired.
However, it can be predicted that it is still very difficult for parallel imported cars to return to the previous highs. In the context of "double carbon", in the wave of electrification, parallel imported cars may become the last "main front" of oil trucks. "As more vehicles complete relevant emission tests, I believe the import market will continue to prosper." Li Ming said confidently.
End
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