Consolidate and expand the development advantages of new energy vehicles

  In the important opportunity period of electrification, intelligence and low-carbon transformation of the automotive industry, the mainland has been actively innovating new energy vehicle technology and business models, with obvious international competitive advantages and gradually deepening cross-border integration.

  This year's "Government Work Report" emphasizes the consolidation and expansion of industry leading advantages such as intelligent networked new energy vehicles. Recently, the China Electric Vehicle 100 Forum (2024) was held in Beijing, and the guests at the meeting discussed how to enhance the competitive advantage of enterprises and achieve high-quality industrial development from the aspects of policy system, competition pattern, market trends, innovation paths and leapfrog integration.

  The industry has reached a new level

  "The vigorous development of the new energy vehicle industry not only demonstrates the vitality potential of China's economic development and the significant improvement of the overall level of the manufacturing industry, but also makes China's contribution to responding to global climate change and promoting green and low-carbon development. Zheng Shajie, director of the National Development and Reform Commission, said that the mainland has cultivated a relatively complete industrial system and the world's largest new energy vehicle market.

  In 2023, the production and sales of new energy vehicles in mainland China will remain the first in the world for nine consecutive years, the export of new energy vehicles will exceed 1.2 million units, driving the number of new vehicle exports in mainland China to rank first in the world, and Chinese companies will occupy 6 of the top 10 power battery companies in the world.

  Wang Jun, President of Changan Automobile, believes that Continental has explored a successful path for the development of the global new energy vehicle industry, precipitated relatively mature technologies, and provided a relatively complete industrial chain foundation. "We have formed a large number of high-quality parts enterprises, including more than 280 electric drive enterprises, more than 1,000 battery companies and more than 350 electric control enterprises. ”

  The high-quality development of new energy vehicles is an irreversible trend. Wang Chuanfu, chairman and president of BYD Co., Ltd., said that with the continuous enhancement of new energy vehicle research and development efforts, the number of new cars launched has also increased rapidly, and the reform of new energy vehicles in mainland China continues to deepen.

  "New energy vehicles are a thorny road, and the industry has come to this day with joys and sorrows. Wang Chuanfu is happy that the new energy vehicle market space is still very large, with the acceleration of new energy vehicle exports, will form a large increase; Throughout the road to global automobile power, the increase of industrial concentration is an inevitable stage, and enterprises should form scale effects and brand advantages as soon as possible.

  While affirming the achievements of new energy vehicles, we should also be soberly aware that the future development is still facing difficulties and challenges. Shan Zhongde, Vice Minister of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, said that from a domestic point of view, automotive chips and basic software should be strengthened, and the low-temperature adaptability, safety, and charging convenience of new energy vehicles need to be continuously improved. From an international perspective, it is also necessary to jointly build a smooth and stable global industrial and supply chain, and further safeguard fair and transparent economic and trade rules.

  "The development of China's new energy vehicle industry has a long way to go, but the prospects are bright and the space is broad. Zheng Shajie hopes that the majority of industry enterprises will uphold the innovative consciousness and perseverance of the first, vigorously promote quality improvement, cost reduction, and expansion, strengthen technological innovation, continue to deepen international cooperation, effectively respond to and resolve various explicit and potential risks and challenges, and consolidate and expand the development advantages of new energy vehicles.

  Accelerate into intelligence

  The mainland's new energy vehicle industry is making great strides, and new energy vehicles, power batteries and other industrial achievements are rapidly popularized. Wan Gang, chairman of the China Association for Science and Technology, said that in the future, it will become the key to consolidate and strengthen the innovation and leading role of the mainland's new energy vehicle technology innovation, industrial ecology and market operation.

  "The key technology of new energy vehicles is to develop an efficient and safe new vehicle power battery system. Wan Gang suggested that the basic research, technological innovation and market promotion of all-solid-state power batteries and new power batteries should be strengthened, and the formation of a power battery cascade utilization and resource recycling recycling system should be accelerated.

  With the acceleration of electrification and intelligence, the automotive industry chain and supply chain are being reconstructed. "We must speed up the research and development of intelligent networked operating systems and lay a solid foundation for intelligent vehicle control systems. Wan Gang said.

  An Conghui, President of Geely Holding Group and CEO of Zeekr Intelligent Technology, believes that intelligent networked new energy vehicles represent more advanced new quality productivity. "There are infinite and diverse demand scenarios for electric vehicles waiting to be discovered. An Conghui said.

  This change in demand has changed the development model of car companies. In the era of new energy vehicles, the competitiveness of car companies is reflected in the vertical integration ability of the entire industrial chain. Wang Chuanfu said that the first half of electrification has entered the fast lane, and the second half of intelligence is changing gears and speeding up, and the integration of intelligent electricity is the direction of development in the future.

  According to Yu Chengdong, Executive Director of the Board of Directors of Huawei and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Intelligent Vehicle Solution BU, the underlying logic of automobiles moving towards electrification and intelligence is the upgrading of technology, consumption, and manufacturing. With more than 30 years of experience in the field of information and communication technology, Huawei can help the automotive industry build independent and controllable core technologies, including intelligent driving ADS, HarmonyOS cockpit, intelligent electric vehicles, and intelligent vehicle control.

  Ouyang Minggao, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and a professor at Tsinghua University, said that it is necessary to seize the opportunity of artificial intelligence and make every effort to overcome fully autonomous driving technology. Accelerate the large-scale application of artificial intelligence in the whole life cycle of new energy vehicle design, manufacturing, management, and recycling, and achieve industry-wide quality improvement, cost reduction, and efficiency increase.

  Collaborative innovation needs to be deepened

  The business model of new energy vehicles has the characteristics of full link, full scenario, and full life cycle, and only by continuously strengthening horizontal collaboration can we provide users with a better experience.

  "I hope that multiple industries will work together, innovate across borders, build good cars and houses together, and continue to meet the needs of a better life. Qin Haixiang, Vice Minister of the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, said that in terms of garage coordination, efforts should be made to solve the problem of parking and charging. This year, another 50,000 old residential areas will be renovated, and relevant departments will increase parking spaces and install charging piles. In terms of vehicle-road coordination, we will vigorously and orderly promote the construction of new urban infrastructure, support smarter vehicles with smarter roads, and jointly create new investment and consumption with more new application scenarios.

  The sustainable development of new energy vehicles is inseparable from the collaborative support of "vehicles, energy, roads and clouds". Zhang Yongwei, vice chairman and secretary general of the China Electric Vehicle 100 Association, said that the mainland has the advantage of intelligent networking, with network infrastructure, Beidou communication and roadside infrastructure. How to effectively integrate these core supports of intelligent networking requires system design and promotion to achieve multi-element collaboration. This is the key to whether the mainland can win the second half of intelligence after electrification.

  "To achieve multi-element collaboration, it is necessary to establish an interconnected standard system, to have a market-oriented main body support, and to build a comprehensive intelligent network platform with both supervision and service. Zhang Yongwei said.

  Shan Zhongde said that the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology will increase promotion efforts and continue to deepen cross-domain integration and innovation. We will further improve product quality and safety standards, actively expand the consumption of intelligent networked new energy vehicles, carry out pilot projects for the integration of intelligent networked vehicles and vehicle-road-cloud, accelerate the construction of roadside sensing and networked cloud control infrastructure, and carry out city-level demonstration applications of high-level autonomous vehicles.

  The development of new energy vehicles is the only way for the mainland to move from a big automobile country to an automobile power. At present, the new energy vehicle market is still facing many problems. "From the perspective of the domestic market, the effective demand is insufficient, and there are shortcomings in the purchase and use environment. From the perspective of the external environment, the geopolitical impact is becoming increasingly complex, and more efforts are needed to continue to expand overseas markets. Sheng Qiuping, vice minister of commerce, said.

  "It is necessary to focus on the whole industry chain and the whole process to expand the new energy vehicle market. Sheng Qiuping said that the car will be carried out in depth to trade in the old for the new, more benefit consumers, the whole chain to promote the circulation and trading of new energy vehicles, the establishment of the whole life cycle of the information platform, cultivate and release the potential of the intelligent networked vehicle market, promote the pilot reform of automobile circulation and consumption, promote the healthy development of foreign trade and investment cooperation of new energy vehicles, and provide more high-quality products and services for global consumers.

Source: Economic Daily