Recently, many foreign automakers, from the old American automakers Ford and General Motors to Germany's Mercedes-Benz, have said that they will suspend or slow down the research and development or investment of electric vehicles in the future.
Kang Linsong, chairman of the board of directors of Mercedes-Benz in Germany, publicly stated that the goal of "50% of electric vehicle sales", which was originally scheduled to be achieved in 2025, will be postponed to 2030. Reuters reported that Mercedes-Benz postponed its target for the proportion of electrified models sold and will continue to improve its gasoline models. According to Bloomberg, Mercedes-Benz will abandon its plans to fully electrify by 2030.
Volkswagen, one of the big three German automakers, simply stopped production of the ID3 small electric car at its plant in Wolfsburg, citing the fact that the local market did not buy the model.
Ford of the United States said that it will postpone its target of producing 600,000 electric vehicles per year from the end of 2023 to the end of 2024.
General Motors, the American auto company, has lowered its production target for electric vehicles this year.
The industrial chain and infrastructure did not meet expectations, causing Europe and the United States to slow down the promotion of electric vehicles
As can be seen from the sales data of the Mercedes-Benz Group in 2023, the total sales volume exceeded 2.49 million units. But at the same time, pure electric passenger cars account for less than 11% of sales. Such results can be said to be far from Mercedes-Benz's previous electric vehicle plan.
In 2021, Mercedes-Benz ambitiously proposed a comprehensive electric strategy, claiming to invest more than 40 billion euros in nine years, and aiming to reach 50% of the sales of pure electric vehicles and plug-in hybrid models by 2025, but there is less than a year to go before 2025, and at present, 90% of Mercedes-Benz's sales sources are still fuel models.
Not only Mercedes-Benz, but also many multinational car companies are not having a good time on the road to developing electric vehicles. The reason is also very simple, on the one hand, the manufacturing cost of electric vehicles in European and American countries is too high, and the price of locally produced electric vehicles is much more expensive than the products of Chinese companies. On the other hand, charging is not as convenient as refueling.
The German Association of the Automotive Industry recommends a 10:1 ratio of electric vehicles to charging stations, i.e. on average, every 10 electric vehicles should be equipped with a charging station. However, according to the data previously released by the association, even though the number of charging piles in Germany will increase by about 40% year-on-year in 2023, the ratio of electric vehicles to charging piles has only decreased slightly from 22:1 to 21:1.
As of September 30, 2023, there are less than 620,000 public charging piles in the European Union.
In June 2022, the European Parliament announced the postponement of the ban on the sale of gasoline vehicles in two years since the European Commission's legislative proposal to ban the sale of new gasoline and diesel vehicles from 2035.
Experts told reporters that according to the current development of the new energy vehicle industry chain in the European market and the speed of infrastructure construction, it has not reached the previous expected goal. This is the fundamental reason for the slowdown of electric vehicles in Europe and the United States. In addition, the rapid development of China's new energy vehicle industry has also made European and American countries lose confidence in the idea of developing their own new energy vehicles.
Multinational automakers have increased their R&D and investment in new energy vehicles in the Chinese market
Many people believe that "these European and American car companies are collectively withdrawing from the field of electric vehicles", but there is also a view that this statement is a "misreading", and European and American car companies have not given up on the goal of green transformation. What is the truth of the incident?
Not long ago, Kang Linsong came to China to attend the 2024 annual meeting of the China Development Forum, and a reporter from the main station interviewed him at the forum.
Kang Linsong, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Mercedes-Benz Group AG, Germany: In recent years, we have been increasing the proportion of pure electric vehicles, but we are also providing options for consumers who want to have high-tech fuel vehicle products. As an automaker, we hope to be able to provide consumers with a wide range of power-driven models they need in the future.
In response to the reporter's question, the CEO of the German car company with the Chinese name said in his answer that Mercedes-Benz is actively preparing for the localization of the next generation of models in China, especially electric models.
Compared with the CEO's cautiousness, in Beijing, Mercedes-Benz is in charge of R&D and procurement in the Chinese market, Ou Lifu is more certain, he said, Mercedes-Benz will not give up the process of car electrification transformation in the future. In the Chinese market in particular, more than 15 new products will be launched this year, including pure electric and plug-in hybrid new energy models.
Senior Executive Vice President, Mercedes-Benz (China) Investment Co., Ltd.: Our determination to promote the transition to electrification remains unchanged, and we continue to expand our local R&D footprint in China, which has become one of the innovation centers of the global automotive industry, including new energy vehicles.
Ou Lifu told reporters that in terms of R&D investment, Mercedes-Benz has not only established a number of advanced laboratories in China such as electric drive, high-voltage battery, charging, etc., but also established a joint venture with BMW in the field of charging to focus on the construction of super charging network. furthermore
The Volkswagen Group plans to accelerate the launch of all-electric products in 2024.
The BMW Group will promote the transformation of its products to intelligent electrification.
General Motors of the United States plans to introduce a number of electric models.
Honda will accelerate its electrification transition and launch a number of new electrified models in the Chinese market.
Optimistic about the Chinese market, multinational automakers are determined to transform into electrification
Due to the speed of the new energy vehicle industry chain and infrastructure construction has not met expectations, multinational car companies have encountered many obstacles in promoting new energy vehicles in the European and American markets, and have encountered a strategic "confusion period". However, China's outstanding performance in the production and consumption of electric vehicles has made these car companies very determined to take the road of deepening the transformation of electrification in China.
For multinational car companies, the Chinese market is undoubtedly a big cake that people can't give up. In 2023, China's automobile production and sales will both exceed 30 million units, and automobile exports will surpass Japan and become the world's first. Not only that, the performance of new energy vehicles is even more eye-catching, with production and sales both exceeding 9 million units, and the market penetration rate exceeding 30%. Shenzhen's BYD Company is relying on new energy vehicles to squeeze into the world's top ten car companies for the first time in history. Obviously, multinational car companies are looking at all this.
In Germany, the automotive industry is an important pillar of the economy. For many years, German brands such as Volkswagen, BMW, and Mercedes-Benz have been deeply involved in the Chinese market, and with the rapid development of electric vehicles, the sales of German electric vehicles in China have also increased considerably, increasing by nearly 50% year-on-year in 2023.
In an exclusive interview with the reporter of the main station, German automotive expert Thomas Kaifu said that China is an important producer and consumer of electric vehicles, so German car companies have always attached great importance to the Chinese market.
German automotive expert Thomas Kaifu: The primary goal of the company is definitely to make a profit, and the Chinese market contributes two-thirds of the global electric vehicle sales, so the Chinese market is indispensable for German car companies.
In addition, in Europe and the United States, there are traditional fuel vehicle production plants that these multinational car companies have painstakingly operated for hundreds of years, a complete set of fuel vehicle industry chains, a large number of skilled automotive technicians, and a huge market and consumers. And this is obviously something that multinational car companies can't give up for a while. This is why European and American companies in the European and American markets and the Chinese market are completely different.
Persist in the transformation China has broad prospects for the development of new energy vehicles
According to expert analysis, the strategic adjustment of European and American car companies may bring a certain degree of inventory pressure to Chinese car companies in the short term. However, in the long run, the prospects for the development of new energy vehicles in China are still very broad.
Fu Yuwu, Honorary Chairman of the Society of Automotive Engineers of China: We made significant and obvious progress in the internationalization of Chinese cars last year, we will be nearly 5 million, and our Chinese car companies have built factories overseas, the overseas and internationalization of Chinese cars, I think this is an inevitable trend, we must do a good job in the internationalization of our sea. Multinational car companies have made some strategies, tactics, and adjustments, but our Chinese auto industry must adhere to the transformation of electric and intelligent, do not waver, and have strategic determination.
Chen Shihua, Deputy Secretary-General of China Association of Automobile Manufacturers: The new energy vehicle industry is a future industry integrating many new technologies such as new energy technology, new materials, and advanced manufacturing, and is a representative of shaping new quality productivity. China's new energy vehicle production accounts for more than 60% of the world's total, relying on technological innovation to occupy a leading position in the global market. At present, new energy vehicles are in the growth period, and they still need new quality productivity with technological innovation as the core element to continuously promote development, which is a rare historical opportunity for the industry.
(CCTV reporter Wang Yan, Zhu Jiang, Luo Hongjin, Zhang Congjing, Ruan Jiawen)
Source: CCTV news client