Recently, the newly revised Regulations on the Application and Use of Motor Vehicle Driving Licenses (Decree No. 162 of the Ministry of Public Security) was officially implemented. It has been noted that a new quasi-driving model of light tractor trailers has been added. Obviously, this is a positive signal to meet the needs of people to travel in RVs. Last year, as the first year of the 14th Five-Year Plan, under the influence of relevant policies such as further promoting bulk consumption and key consumption, coupled with the continuous impact of the new crown epidemic on the tourism service industry, domestic self-driving tours and caravan (caravan) tours characterized by "low-density tourism" have shown a good momentum of development. With the entry of some independent car companies, RVs are paying more and more attention in China. However, in the view of some people in the industry, there are still many restrictive factors for RVs in China, and it will take a long time to cultivate them to form a caravan trend like abroad.
Favorable Policies Demand has expanded unprecedentedly
On December 22, 2021, the State Council issued the "Notice on the Development Plan of the 14th Five-Year Plan for the Tourism Industry", which focuses on promoting night tourism equipment, caravans and camps, and movable travel equipment, etc., proposing to promote self-driving caravan tourism, implement the self-driving tour promotion plan, form a networked camp service system and a relatively complete self-driving caravan tourism industry chain, launch a number of self-driving caravan camps and tourist stations, and reasonably determine the responsibility for epidemic prevention and control in camps and stations.
The favorable policies have provided a boost to the rapid development of the caravan market. (Enterprise official picture)
In addition, due to the new regulations of the Ministry of Public Security's "Regulations on the Application and Use of Motor Vehicle Driving Licenses" to add C6 driver's licenses, the policies related to highway trailers have been more clearly and regularized. Since this month, with the official implementation of the newly revised Regulations on the Application and Use of Motor Vehicle Driving Licenses (Decree No. 162 of the Ministry of Public Security), a new light traction trailer quasi-driving type (C6) has been added to better meet the needs of people driving RVs. According to the new regulations, those who apply for a C6 quasi-driving driver's license have been relaxed in terms of application methods, age, and driving test content. The head of a caravan head enterprise pointed out that there was a certain controversy in the light tractor trailer before, which led to the discouragement of interested consumer groups. Today's more perfect laws and regulations will give car players the opportunity to reasonably and legally carry out caravan travel.
The relevant person in charge of the China Automobile Circulation Association said that although in the short term, due to the restrictions of national conditions, roads, traffic and other factors, the ordinary self-driving crowd cannot become the mainstream of the domestic caravan market, but in the long run, the trailer caravan has the advantages of affordable price, spacious space and strong practicality. In the future, with the introduction of county policies, it will also promote the further development of domestic trailer caravans.
Independent car companies have successively entered the game
According to the statistics released by the China Automobile Dealers Association, in 2021, the annual sales of domestic self-propelled caravans reached 12,582 units, an increase of 43.2% year-on-year, with an average monthly sales of more than 1,000 units; 3,543 trailer caravans were traded; and 1,975 second-hand caravans were traded. Among them, the sales of mainland self-propelled caravans in 2021 and each month of the historical year showed a month-on-month growth, and the sales volume of each month except May hit a record high.
Last year, domestic self-propelled caravan sales increased amazingly. (The above figure is provided by China Automobile Dealers Association)
From the model point of view, the annual sales of C-type head shop caravans were 8991 units, and the sales of B-type light passengers were 3493 vehicles, which fluctuated greatly compared with the data of 2018, and the C-type caravan equipped with "forehead bed" will become the most mainstream model of highway in the next 3-5 years. In 2021, the sales volume of caravans under 6 meters in mainland China accounted for 99.2%, an increase of 43% year-on-year.
According to the data of Tianyancha, there are currently more than 7,600 caravan and caravan-related enterprises in China, and more than 1,000 related enterprises will continue to be registered every year from 2019 to 2021. Among them, 86.8% of the RV-related enterprises are limited liability companies, and 77.3% of the related enterprises are established within 5 years.
Comparison of sales of the top ten domestic self-propelled caravan companies in the past three years. (The above figure is provided by China Automobile Dealers Association)
From the perspective of the sales comparison of self-propelled caravan brands, two major domestic caravan manufacturers have crossed the sales mark of 1300 vehicles; among them, SAIC Maxus ranked first in the year with cumulative sales of 1362 vehicles, and Yutong Caravan ranked second with cumulative sales of 1311 vehicles. The highest growth rate last year was Anhui Chery River Special Vehicles and Zhejiang Dadelongcui Automobile, and the sales growth of these two car companies in 2021 was 418.6% and 96.1% respectively. In recent years, as more and more large car companies have entered the caravan market, caravan models and styles have become more and more abundant, and even began to keep pace with the times, equipped with the latest intelligent configuration. For example, SAIC Maxus and other head enterprises have been applied to the latest products to a full range of intelligent interconnection systems, large screen + voice + APP trinity control "car + room", so that the seemingly clumsy "big guys" can also become intelligent mobile life cabins.
The function of the motorhome has become more and more subdivided and the degree of intelligence is getting higher and higher. (Enterprise official picture)
The head of a SAIC Maxus dealer in Guangwu Auto Trade told Nandu reporters that after entering 2022, their single store sales in the first quarter reached nearly 20 vehicles, compared with last year, there was not much change. Moreover, due to the addition of a dealer, the market in Guangzhou has also doubled. However, an insider of Chery River said that although the company had the highest sales growth rate last year, it was greatly affected by the epidemic in the first quarter of this year. In his view, the unfavorable factors come from all aspects, including the unsatisfactory economic environment as a whole, and the weakening of the mobility of personnel caused by the epidemic in various places. As the epidemic dissipates, the RV market still has a chance to usher in an outbreak. According to Xu Shaozhong, head of the Guangzhou Migratory Bird Caravan Club, during the outbreak of the caravan market last year, their main high-end products such as Chase and Yutong could sell nearly 20 vehicles a month during the peak season last year. However, in the first quarter of this year, due to the impact of the epidemic, monthly sales were only single digits. After all, the main consumer groups buying RVs in South China are from Dongguan, Shenzhen, Huizhou and Foshan. In the first three months, due to the repeated epidemics, travel in these main purchasing areas was restricted, resulting in a decrease in caravan sales. However, he feels that the epidemic has changed the way people travel, and the privacy and versatility of RVs have become the new favorites of some high-end income groups.
Domestic "caravan culture" tastes?
Behind the gratifying sales of the industry, the caravan consumer group is not so optimistic. Some people in the industry even question that there are many existing problems in the domestic caravan market that have not yet been solved, which will affect the healthy development of caravan culture.
An insider of a caravan company believes that although the policy is favorable, there are many problems that currently restrict the development of the caravan industry and culture. For example, there is a certain gap between the domestic RV after-sales problem and the trend of RV travel in the European and American markets. Although the domestic caravan development is rapid, there are problems such as low utilization rate of camps, camp use, and imperfect camp construction, resulting in many camps that cannot be used and waste resources.
In many natural scenic spots abroad, RVs can be found everywhere. Nandu Wan Finance Agency reporter Liang Luozhe photography
Some people feel that the current caravan market has the suspicion of "virtual fire", and some users who have experienced it have begun to retreat. A self-driving enthusiast revealed that many people in his circle of friends play with RVs. However, most car owners have sold their cars in the past two years. In addition to the epidemic, the various restrictions on the motorhome, coupled with the high cost of maintenance, have made them choose to give up. According to a car owner, the various restrictions in the use of the caravan are beyond the imagination before buying a car. Like parking problems. Due to the lack of sufficient dedicated campgrounds in domestic scenic spots, when they reach the scenic spots, they can only stop in a relatively remote location, which brings inconvenience to all aspects. Like some popular scenic spots in Hainan, RVs are not even allowed to enter the parking lot. Secondly, it is necessary to frequently add water and electricity on the way to the car, and the domestic hardware facilities in this regard need to be improved. Some motorhome owners also found that the actual utilization rate was not high, and some accumulated use time was less than a month per year.
"Self-driving caravan travel, originally a quality new way of travel, but is regarded by some people as a budget travel tool, in order to save money and convenience, rub public resources, but also bring environmental pollution, and disturb others." This kind of behavior creates an obstacle to the healthy development of RVs in China. Talking about the phenomenon of "boycotting" RVs in some popular tourist attractions in China, a person in charge of a multi-brand caravan dealership in Huadu District felt helpless. He said that due to the low quality of some RV users, garbage was disposed of at will in the parking lot, resulting in RVs being included in the "blacklist" in some places. Some insiders also pointed out that caravans cannot play much positive role in driving tourism consumption in scenic spots. After experiencing the epidemic, the treatment of RVs in various scenic spots may be more embarrassing.
Second-hand circulation is not a climate Rental experience still needs to be cautious
Since the current demand is far less than other models, RVs are also unpopular in the used car market.
According to statistics released by the China Automobile Dealers Association, less than 2,000 second-hand RV cars were traded nationwide last year. Nandu reporter noted that even in the domestic large-scale second-hand car trading platform, the caravan is still in a "extinct" state. A person in charge of Guazi used cars said that the platform has no transaction data on the shelves of RVs so far. Nandu reporter learned from a number of second-hand car trading markets and dealers in Guangzhou that at present, not only most car dealers have less contact with RVs, but also have little interest in acquisition. He Qiming, chairman of the Guangdong Second-hand Car Dealers Association, believes that the depreciation rate of second-hand RVs is too high, buyers belong to a niche group, and in the case of the market is far from popular, entering the field of used cars, car dealers need to consider factors such as circulation channels and inventory cycles. As a result, the purchase price will generally be low. According to reports, because the caravan involves modification, the transaction procedures will be more complicated than ordinary models, and such products are more inclined to trade in a specific user group circle. Moreover, the demand for trading in the South is not as strong as that in the North.
Compared with buying a motorhome and not using it, it is not worth selling it. Some people think that it will be more cost-effective to rent a motorhome when there is a need to use a motorhome. It is understood that the current general RV rental price is about 1,000 yuan per day, the rental cost of low-end RV for a day is between 500-600 yuan, and the rental price of some promotional periods is as low as 400 yuan / day. In this regard, some insiders pointed out that there are some potential risks in this kind of "sharing" caravan. First of all, in terms of driving safety, unlike ordinary family models, self-propelled motorhomes need to have certain driving skills. For owners who do not have long experience in using a motorhome, they need to re-adapt to refueling, braking, steering operation skills and even passing height limits. In an emergency, a little inattention can lead to dangerous situations. Secondly, in order to save costs, some people place gas tanks in the RV for boiling water to cook rice when parking. Once there is a collision accident on the road, the consequences will be more serious. Moreover, the interior of the caravan is a sealed space, and it is unknown whether the rental company can carry out strict disinfection of the beds, utensils, etc.
In recent years, people's travel styles and concepts have changed. (Enterprise official picture)
It is undeniable that there are indeed some restrictive factors in the development of the domestic caravan industry, but the industry is still optimistic. An insider of the China Automobile Dealers Association said that with the release of the demand side experience and new consumer demand for caravan self-driving travel, the growth of the number of self-driving tourists, coupled with the increase in the number of domestic camps, the improvement of the policy environment such as the development of leasing business and the increasingly rich supply side, the domestic caravan market has ushered in more favorable development opportunities. Under the impact of the "new crown" epidemic, small-scale, short weekend excursions will also bring about a rapid growth in demand for caravans. "After entering 2022, due to the repeated epidemics in many parts of the country, cross-regional travel has increased uncertainties and changed people's travel styles and concepts." The demand for short-term tours and peripheral tours will increase, accelerating the development of the domestic caravan industry. An insider at SAIC Maxus said. He believes that the rapid development of new energy vehicles and charging pile networks has provided hardware support for the development of the RV industry. At the same time, the third consumption upgrade, the aging of the population, and the outbreak of personalized consumer demand have all brought benefits to the development of the caravan camping industry. When the epidemic is alleviated, the caravan industry will usher in a new round of development opportunities.
Nandu Wan Finance Agency reporter Liang Luozhe