I thought it was just another round of "restructuring operation" in which Gaohe Automobile was belittled, but who would have thought that in this chaos, there was a fuse that detonated the global automobile industry revolution?
On May 10, Human Horizons, the parent company of Hi-Hop Automobile, signed a strategic cooperation agreement with iAuto, an American automotive investment consulting platform, in Hong Kong, with the scope of cooperation spanning manufacturing, equity mergers and acquisitions, technological innovation and other fields. Isn't this as simple as restructuring? This round of operations will completely change the way human transportation and energy are used!
The existing automotive landscape has been turned upside down
According to the traditional thinking, automobile companies with the help of foreign investment, integration of production capacity, and divestment of non-core assets are just a common operation of corporate restructuring. However, the cooperation between Human Horizons, the parent company of Gaohe Auto, and iAuto has refreshed everyone's cognition.
First of all, the scope of cooperation between the two sides is not a simple capital injection. Judging from public information, the cooperation between iAuto and Human Horizons includes production collaboration, equity mergers and acquisitions, technical cooperation, brand docking, marketing channel integration, supply chain integration and other aspects, which can be described as an all-round transformation of Gaohe Automobile.
Secondly, iAuto has made a generous investment, and the investment of $1 billion is enough to change the predicament of Gaohe. At present, Gaohe is resuming work and production, and this fund is undoubtedly a timely help, which will remove a series of capital and debt troubles for Gaohe.
Thirdly, iAuto is a unique partner, it is not an ordinary automobile manufacturer or investment institution, but a comprehensive professional service platform that brings together finance, investment and consulting. This means that iAuto can not only bring capital to Gaohe, but also provide guidance and support in technology, branding, marketing and other aspects.
Most importantly, what the two sides have reached is not only an ordinary corporate cooperation, but also a revolutionary attempt in the automotive industry. The ultimate goal is to develop new modes of transportation and power generation that will revolutionize traditional mobility and energy use patterns.
Cars will become "clean energy hubs"
Every great innovation needs a goal to aspire to, and iAuto's vision of the car is undoubtedly deafening. Although it sounds a bit fanciful? But if you think about it, there is a real possibility.
Existing vehicles are highly dependent on fossil fuels, whether petrol, diesel or natural gas, and ultimately have to pay environmental and climate costs. Even electric vehicles are mostly powered by coal-fired power plants that burn coal and oil.
The distributed clean energy network proposed by iAuto is to use environmentally friendly new energy sources such as solar energy and wind energy, equip each car with a micro power generation system, and feed the excess energy back to the city power grid. This is a great idea for the benefit of all mankind!
It is conceivable that when this goal is achieved, the world will no longer need to spend huge sums of money to build coal-fired power plants and will not need to transmit electricity over long distances; Each car can not only provide users with comfortable and convenient travel, but also provide green and environmentally friendly electricity for the area where they are located. Within this network, energy and transportation will be truly circular and shared.
Of course, this vision will not be an easy task. Technological innovation in the automotive field has a long history, and hybrid and pure electric vehicles are actually only the first and second stages of the development of new energy vehicles. In this regard, iAuto has a deep accumulation of international patents in the field of clean energy powertrain and motor systems.
In terms of power batteries, in recent years, various capital and technology companies have also stepped up their layout. For example, the Canadian company Volkswagen has solid-state battery technology, and Yina Technology has the artificial intelligence computing power to help the research and development of cobalt-free batteries. In the future, if these technologies are combined with iAuto's centralized power generation and storage system, they can fully plug in the wings of the automotive distributed energy network concept.
Lighting up a new dawn for China's auto industry
With such a grand vision, why did you choose China's Gaohe Automobile as the entry point? This is not without the consideration of the Chinese market and industry.
From a market perspective, China is the world's largest consumer of automobiles, and the new energy vehicle market has maintained a rapid growth trend. In 2023 alone, the production and sales of new energy vehicles in mainland China will be 9 million units, an increase of 96.9% and 93.4% year-on-year, respectively, accounting for more than 30% of automobile production and sales. This huge market provides a solid foundation for the promotion and application of emerging technologies.
From the perspective of the industrial chain, China has a mature supply chain system, from upstream lithium batteries and motors, to vehicle manufacturing, to charging piles and related infrastructure. Tesla and many other new EV manufacturers have built factories in China, which has brought new momentum to the development of China's industrial chain.
Although China has made some progress in the field of new energy vehicles, there is still a big gap compared with international standards. This, in turn, creates ample competition in the market and breeds countless opportunities for innovation.
Relevant people said frankly that the reason why Human Horizons is willing to cooperate with iAuto is that it values the latter's technical route and complementarity with itself in the field of design and products. Once the innovation capabilities of both parties make a breakthrough, it will not only help Human Horizons fully realize its own potential, but also open up a new world for China's new energy vehicle industry.