On the occasion of the grand return of the Beijing International Automobile Exhibition, BAIC Group, a veteran car company that has been selected as one of the Fortune Global 500 for 11 consecutive years, has also been making continuous moves recently. Equipped with new energy core technologies such as "Magic Core" electric drive and "Jifeng" Power 4.0, the new models of the Beijing and Jihu series made a stunning appearance; they have joined forces with Xiaomi, Huawei, CATL and other enterprises to demonstrate the ability to integrate resources of the whole industry chain as the "chain length" of the whole vehicle, and the next-generation cutting-edge technologies such as the "Polaris" all-digital high-end electric platform and the AI large model embodied agent are moving to the application level...... All of them show the ambition of BAIC Group, an enterprise that has been deeply involved in the automobile industry for 66 years, under the wave of global vehicle electrification.
Along with this set of 2024 "combination punches", the recently released "2023 Sustainable Development Report" of BAIC Group reveals from multiple dimensions how BAIC, as a leading enterprise in China's automobile industry, combines its own characteristics and technological innovation, undertakes and fulfills corporate social responsibility, and practices the development concept of "promoting the harmonious development of people, vehicles and nature with scientific and technological innovation".
At the press conference of BAIC Group on the opening day of the Beijing Auto Show, Zhang Jianyong, Secretary of the Party Committee and Chairman of BAIC Group, emphasized that BAIC should "adhere to userism to polish products, adhere to innovation, break through the limit, and adhere to long-termism to temper quality". In 2023, BAIC Group will sell 1.708 million vehicles, with a cumulative market share of more than 36 million vehicles, a total R&D investment of 8.36 billion yuan, 1,651 new patent applications, 22.094 million kWh of electricity saved, and 112,499.6 tons of carbon dioxide emissions reduced in production and manufacturing...... In the sustainable development report of BAIC Group, Zhang Jianyong's declaration has become concrete through numbers and cases, and also tells the "BAIC story" of sustainable development led by scientific and technological innovation in the past year.
Technological innovation locks in sustainable economic benefits
The annual operating income is 480.3 billion yuan, the total profit is 24 billion yuan, and the sales volume of 1.708 million vehicles is among the best among global car companies with a growth rate of 17.6%...... All these achievements are inseparable from BAIC's long-term technology accumulation and breakthroughs.
In the latest technological innovation of BAIC Group, we have witnessed a series of breakthrough achievements. The ARCFOX Alpha S5 has an ultra-low drag coefficient of 0.1925, a milestone in the field of automotive engineering, and is equipped with the fourth-generation Jifeng power system, which shows amazing dynamic performance with an acceleration time of 0 to 100 kilometers per hour in 3.7 seconds. In addition, the rare 800V silicon carbide module for models within 200,000 yuan not only improves the performance of electric vehicles, but also marks BAIC's leading position in the field of electric vehicle technology. The BAIC Group's magic nuclear power drive super drive solution solves the long-term pain points for off-road vehicle users and provides a more powerful and reliable driving force.
In terms of intelligence, BAIC Group, as one of the first car companies in the industry to realize the AI large model on the car, has continuously improved its intelligent driving technology through multiple rounds of iterations, and has become one of the first car companies in China to obtain the L3 autonomous driving access license. BAIC Group's innovation in vehicle safety performance is also worth paying attention to. Adopting a collision safety standard higher than the industry, the steel-aluminum hybrid special body design improves the energy absorption efficiency in the collision, and the new BJ40 adopts the "integral cage body + embedded roll cage" technology, which brings users the ultimate safety performance and protects the bottom line of life.
The collection of these technologies not only reflects BAIC Group's profound strength in scientific and technological innovation, but also demonstrates its deep understanding of market demand and user experience, and also stems from BAIC Group's original intention of "making good cars for users and allowing users to drive good cars". In recent years, BAIC Group has been committed to introducing more products that integrate cutting-edge technology and excellent quality to the market. To achieve this goal, the Group is constantly investing in research and innovation. The R&D team of nearly 9,000 people continues to widen BAIC's technological "moat", and the R&D funding in 2024 will reach 13.21 billion yuan, and this figure is expected to exceed 100 billion yuan by 2030. The high-intensity R&D investment not only ensures the continuous optimization and upgrading of the product line to meet the increasing needs of consumers, but also injects strong impetus into the rapid development of BAIC Group, promotes the company to move forward steadily on the road of high-quality development, and locks in sustainable economic benefits in the future with scientific and technological innovation.
Industrial synergy links sustainable environmental benefits
Flipping through the sustainable development report, it can be found that supporting the concept of green development through scientific and technological innovation has become one of the cores of BAIC Group's high-quality development.
BAIC Group continues to promote the "BLUE Plan" and has achieved remarkable results in green products, green R&D, green production, green ecology and green logistics. In 2023, BAIC Group will save 22.094 million kWh of electricity, 117,451.5 tons of water, 6,699.7 tons of standard coal, 112,499.6 tons of carbon dioxide emissions, and 14.5 tons of volatile organic compounds (VOCs).
BAIC Group currently has 20 green factories and 4 green supply chain enterprises that have been certified by the national level, and the sales of new energy vehicles in its own brand passenger cars account for nearly 50%, and all new products under development are new energy models, which reflects BAIC's comprehensive expansion and deep cultivation of green innovation concepts.
In terms of the promotion of green products, in 2023, BAIC Group's Jihu and Beijing brands will add 5 new pure electric models, while accelerating the market launch of hybrid models and promoting the application of high-efficiency engines. The commercial vehicle sector has also achieved a comprehensive transition from traditional oil-to-electric platforms to new electric platforms. BAIC's green efforts have brought significant energy conservation and emission reduction effects. According to statistics, the total mileage of BAIC's new energy vehicles will reach 59.2 billion kilometers in 2023, saving 10.082 million tons of energy, which is equivalent to the carbon sink effect of planting 36.794 million trees.
BAIC Group's green innovation is not limited to the product itself, but also covers the entire vehicle life cycle. In terms of production and supply chain management, BAIC BJEV Zhenjiang Plant adopts Magna's global advanced manufacturing system, focusing on intelligent manufacturing and green and low-carbon production, saving 3,576 tons of standard coal and reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 7,007 tons per year. In addition, BAIC has also carried out the recycling of waste materials and the remanufacturing of parts, established a carbon traceability database for supply chain enterprises, and collaborated with suppliers to manage product carbon emissions, promoting the greening of the entire supply chain system.
In 2023, BAIC Group's output value, energy consumption and carbon emissions will decrease by 4.3% and 9.5% year-on-year, respectively, and its advanced energy-saving technologies and concepts will also be promoted to the entire industrial chain, driving the green development of the entire industrial chain. BAIC Group's persistent pursuit of sustainable development is triggering a "green revolution" in the entire industry chain.
Immerse yourself in leading sustainable social impact
In today's business environment, corporate social responsibility (CSR) has become one of the important indicators to measure its success. As an important player in China's automotive industry, BAIC Group has not only made remarkable achievements in market performance, but also demonstrated its deep sense of social responsibility in terms of social benefits.
This sense of responsibility is reflected in BAIC's contribution to social development through its own sustainable development. In 2023, BAIC Group's social performance will drive the employment of 370,000 people, drive the coordinated development of more than 600 industrial chain enterprises, invest 22.79 million yuan in rural revitalization, and donate 2.277 million yuan in public welfare assistance. In fact, BAIC is continuously contributing to key areas such as rural revitalization, basic education, social security, and sports power.
In the past three years, the teachers of the Department of Automotive Engineering of Beijing Automotive Technician College, a subsidiary of BAIC Group, have invested a lot of time and energy in teaching, and have also achieved remarkable results. Mr. Qiu Zhen alone has trained more than 300 local Tibetan students, with a total teaching time of more than 1,400 class hours, and has also been awarded the title of "Outstanding Teacher for Tibet" by the Department of Human Resources and Social Security of Tibet, and the honorary title of "Beijing Model and Pioneer of Support and Cooperation" by Beijing.
The aid to Tibet is a microcosm of BAIC Group's efforts in the field of rural revitalization and education. In 2023, BAIC Group will invest 19.96 million yuan in consumption assistance, donate a total of 2.277 million yuan for public welfare assistance, and by the end of 2023, it will have absorbed a total of 1,983 agricultural people from the recipient areas for employment. At the same time, BAIC Group has carried out love and education activities for nine consecutive years, and continued to exert its own strength to improve the learning environment of students from ethnic minorities in Sichuan, Tibet, Xinjiang and other places.
In the face of natural disasters and emergencies, BAIC Group responded quickly and provided rescue support. In the face of the "23.7" heavy rain in Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei, BAIC Group actively participated in rescue and disaster relief and post-disaster reconstruction, not only donated more than 120 yuan of disaster relief materials, but also organized employees to carry out in-depth reconstruction work and clean up 200 cubic meters of silt. In major social activities, BAIC is an important guarantee of transportation capacity. Whether it is the shuttle service between NPC deputies and CPPCC members during the two sessions, or the capacity guarantee of major international events such as the BRICS summit meeting and the "Belt and Road" Forum for International Cooperation, or even the guidance and transfer of ground fleets in China's major aerospace missions, BAIC people are busy......
If Howard Bowen, the pioneer of corporate social responsibility theory, said that "enterprises are part of society and have the responsibility to contribute to the well-being of society", so that the business society began to have the need to be "respected by society", then more than half a century later, BAIC Group is using its own all-round practice to make this kind of social respect long-term and normalized.
epilogue
Don't forget the original intention, you have to always. BAIC Group's 66 years of accumulation in scientific and technological innovation have demonstrated its pioneering role in technological innovation and industrial upgrading, and combined with the driving role of economic, environmental and social benefits, BAIC has become a practitioner and leader in sustainable development.
With the transformation and upgrading of the global automotive industry, sustainable development has become a key indicator to measure the long-term competitiveness of enterprises. BAIC Group's "2023 Sustainability Report" is not only a report card, but also shows the excellence and far-reaching layout of the automobile group in the journey of the new era.
Following the "user-oriented, innovative, and long-term" emphasized by Chairman Zhang Jianyong, we have reason to expect that BAIC will uphold the concept of "making good cars for users" and continue to promote the upward breakthrough of China's automobile industry. Such expectations are not only because of BAIC's scientific and technological innovation strength, but also because this is an enterprise that "believes in the power of time".
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