At the beginning of 2022, Chinese automotive new energy brands set sail to sea, bringing together Europe to seek a broader market and meet greater challenges.
On February 17, Landu Automobile announced its official entry into the European market, making its first stop in Norway. On the same day, SAIC Motor announced that it will fully exert its efforts in the European market in 2022, with sales expected to reach 120,000 units in Europe, and the pure electric model MG EH32 will take the lead in Europe this year. On February 11, Xiaopeng Motors' first direct-operated experience store in Europe was officially opened in Stockholm, Sweden.
In addition, Weilai Automobile, Aiways Automobile, WM Automobile and other brands have landed in the European market from Norway, and in 2022, more Chinese new energy vehicle brands will enter or exert their strength in the European market, seek breakthroughs in overseas markets, and compete on the same stage with European century-old car brands. To become a global car brand, or to increase brand awareness, entering the European market is the only way.
What is puzzling is that whether it is a new car-making force or a traditional brand, they all choose Norway as a springboard for Dengou, so what is the country of Norway that makes major manufacturers fascinated? It is understood that Norway is currently the most friendly country for electric vehicles in the world, whether from the perspective of infrastructure, or national policies and ideological concepts, it is a must for new energy vehicles to go to sea.
The key point is that Norway does not have local car brands, all rely on imports, so there is no local car company protection. As a springboard to land in Europe, you can familiarize yourself with the European new energy vehicle market environment in Norway, and Europe, as a high-potential energy region of the automotive industry, is a must for major brands. In the past, Chinese car brands were relatively weak in technology, and it was not easy to open up the European market. With the new energy vehicles becoming the mainstream, domestic brands and foreign brands are already at the same starting point.
Of course, exports to Europe are meant to open up markets, not to gild and add to the aura of overseas markets. At present, Chinese car brands generally have three channels to enter the European market. The first is to cooperate with local dealers, mainly relying on the sales network of large local car dealers, and many enterprises going overseas will prefer the model of dealer cooperation. AIWAYS Auto has joined forces with a number of local retail and service provider giants to create a more flexible and convenient innovative direct sales model. BYD cooperates with RSA, a local car dealer group in Norway.
The second is the self-built sales network, last year Weilai entered Norway, announced the use of direct operation model. Landu Auto chose to build its own overseas flagship store, the first one located in the Oslo Palace business district in the center of Oslo, the capital of Norway, and opened the delivery of Lando FREE for Norwegian users in the fourth quarter of this year. The third is to cooperate with car rental companies, and Jianglingyi's export to Europe is to cooperate with leasing companies, mainly in the B-end market.
Xiaopeng Automobile is relatively shrewd, the so-called "direct operation + authorization" sales model, not simply looking for dealers to cooperate, nor is it completely directly operated. The so-called agency retail model will allow Xiaopeng to maintain pricing and quality control, while using the services and distribution networks of its partners.
Although the European market has excellent room for development, going to sea is an extremely arduous process. As a pioneer in the European market, AIWAYS Auto will export 1,676 units in 2021, Xiaopeng Motors will deliver 438 new vehicles in the Norwegian market, and SAIC's own brands MG and MAXUS will sell 73,000 units in the Uk, France, Germany, Sweden and other countries (including more than 40,000 new energy vehicles). Compared with the domestic market, China's new energy vehicles are still some way from large-scale exports.
The European market has higher requirements for automobile quality, policies and regulations are more stringent and more perfect, in order to grab food in mercedes-Benz Volkswagen BMW such a century-old car brand, there must be a pair of good teeth, their own hard to do, only the establishment of a sound research and development, marketing, logistics, parts, manufacturing, finance, second-hand cars, etc. as one of the automotive industry chain for the global market, in order to really show their fists in the European market.