The core of the challenges faced by the automotive industry chain, supply chain and internal structural restructuring of enterprises is the challenge brought about by the rise of the digital economy and digital technology.
Author 丨 Zhao Ying
Edited by 丨 Dahua
Produced 丨 Automan Media
Recently, a reporter asked: What are the development trends worth paying attention to in the automobile industry in 2022?
I answer: The restructuring of the automotive industry chain, supply chain and internal structure of enterprises has always been a trend worthy of attention.
The technological revolution in the automotive industry brought about by new energy vehicles and intelligent driving vehicles has brought profound changes to the automotive industry chain, supply chain and internal structure of enterprises, and will continue to promote the differentiation and reorganization of the automotive industry chain, supply chain and internal structure of enterprises.
In this sense, the impact of the new technological revolution on the automobile industry is unprecedented in a century.
In the development process of new energy vehicles and intelligent driving vehicles, the components of automotive products have undergone tremendous changes, and the operation and consumption of automotive products have undergone major changes: chips, software, big data, batteries and related services have become the core components of a new generation of automotive products.
To a large extent, these core elements are not within the scope of the capabilities, experience and knowledge of the traditional automobile industry and traditional car companies.
The promotion and use of new energy vehicles and intelligent driving vehicles has finally changed the industrial chain and supply chain structure of the automobile industry, which focuses on machinery manufacturing and assembly. As a result, industrial restructuring and enterprise capability reconstruction have emerged, and we cannot but face huge and new challenges.
With the deepening of the revolution of new energy vehicles and intelligent driving technology, the constituent elements of automotive products have undergone tremendous changes, and the operation and consumption mode of automotive products have also undergone tremendous changes. Industrial digitalization, product digitalization, consumption mode digitalization, followed. Within the automotive industry, the integration of secondary and tertiary industries (manufacturing and service industries) has further accelerated.
The changes in core components and core technologies have made China's auto industry, enterprises' industrial chains, and supply chain reconstructions face new choices. To succeed in the field of new energy vehicles and intelligent driving vehicles, auto companies must cooperate with giants outside the automotive industry to varying degrees. This is a huge challenge for traditional automotive companies.
Internet giants (Baidu, Tencent, Ali, etc.) and electronic communication giants (Huawei, Xiaomi, etc.) have entered the field of new energy vehicles and intelligent driving vehicles in different ways, exacerbating the strategic anxiety of traditional auto companies.
The integration of the automobile industry, within the automobile enterprises, and the secondary and tertiary industries (manufacturing and service industries) has further accelerated, which has accelerated and intensified the transformation anxiety of automobile enterprises.
The prevalence of the so-called "software-defined automobile" (although the author does not agree with this formulation) and the increase in the voice of Internet and electronic communication giants in the automotive industry are the profound embodiment of the trend of deep integration of digital industrialization and industrial digitalization, digital economy and real economy in the automotive industry.
In short, the core of the challenges facing the restructuring of the automotive industry chain, supply chain and internal structure of enterprises is the challenge brought about by the rise of the digital economy and digital technology.
First of all, the controllability of core technologies (especially software and related services) and components becomes a problem;
Second, the strategic decision-making dominance and discourse power of enterprise development may be lost (for example, the aforementioned "software-defined car" saying that the Chinese auto industry is popular);
Third, it will affect the position and profit distribution of automobile enterprises in the industrial chain (diverting profits from the secondary industry to the tertiary industry, and diverting profits from the automobile industry to other industries);
Fourth, automotive product research and development, production organization processes, supply chain will change;
Finally, the internal organizational structure of automobile enterprises and the operation should be adjusted in which direction and in what way, which must be explored.
In 2021, the strategic consideration of Chinese auto enterprises for the restructuring of the industrial chain, supply chain and internal structure of enterprises is not limited to the guarantee of the industrial chain and supply chain, but also more consideration is whether the main engine factory will directly participate in or control the three fields of chips, software and data and batteries in the future, and the internal organizational structure reorganization of the enterprise. The depth of the discussion and the breadth of the scope of the discussion are only seen since the birth of China's automobile industry.
The strategic thinking of software and data, batteries, and chips is actually a reaction to the revolution of new energy and intelligent driving technology that has caused a world-like change in the automotive industry, marking a huge impact on the huge changes.
The thinking and countermeasures caused by these shocks show that the profound changes brought about by new energy vehicles and intelligent driving vehicles are gradually being understood and accepted by China's automobile industry and automobile enterprises, and they are responding to them. China's auto industry and auto companies are full of innovative vitality in coping with challenges.
How to control and dominate chips, software and data collection operations, batteries, ensure the dominant position in the industrial chain, and ensure the stability of the supply chain, Chinese auto companies generally choose in four paths:
The first is to invest in the establishment of enterprises.
For example, on October 31, 2021, Geely Automobile announced that the SE1000 smart cockpit chip SE1000 developed by Geely Core Qing Technology Co., Ltd. and using the vehicle specification-level 7nm process will be officially mass-produced after completing the vehicle-level certification. This is the first automotive grade SOC chip developed and produced by an automotive company in China with a 7nm process. The appearance of the chip has opened the curtain on the automobile companies to enter the vehicle standard chip.
In addition, BYD produces batteries entirely by itself; SAIC-GM has invested in the establishment of the Aoteneng Gigafactory in Shanghai, which has the production and testing capabilities of power batteries to meet the needs of the Chinese market.
The second is to hold related enterprises, but not directly manage them.
For example, Volkswagen (China) increased its stake in Guoxuan Battery to 26.47%, becoming the company's largest shareholder.
The third is to invest in related enterprises and strategic cooperation.
For example, Changan, Dongfeng, SAIC and Honda have invested in CATL for strategic cooperation, and Daimler Greater China Investment Co., Ltd. has invested in Fu Neng Technology as a major investor, with about 3% of the shares.
The fourth is technical cooperation.
For example, Huawei and BAIC BJEV cooperate in various aspects of product joint research and development, joint brand marketing, etc.; FAW and Alibaba carry out strategic cooperation, the two sides are based on the Zebra Zhixing system to create a future-oriented next-generation intelligent networked vehicle; Great Wall and NINGDE Times signed a ten-year strategic cooperation framework agreement, the two sides have in-depth cooperation to create efficient and collaborative competitive strategic advantages; AutoNavi map and large automobile companies in intelligent travel cooperation, and so on.
With new energy vehicles and intelligent driving vehicles as the core, reconstructing the future automotive industry chain, supply chain and internal structure of enterprises is still being explored and formed, and there is great uncertainty.
Exactly what kind of path becomes the mainstream of the industrial chain, supply chain and internal structural restructuring of enterprises, it remains to be seen, and it may not be fixed in the future, because the form, development needs and technical characteristics of enterprises are diverse.
However, the restructuring of the automotive industry chain, supply chain and internal structure of enterprises in 2022 will stir up waves in the automotive industry and related fields, and it is certain that a considerable number of topics will be brought.
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