The development of the automotive industry is inseparable from the cultivation of talents, especially in the era of industry changes, professionals and generalists are particularly precious. Traditionally, well-known colleges and universities such as Jida, Tsinghua, Tongji, and Beijing Polytechnic represent the elite of the automotive industry, and the mainstay of many industries comes from these institutions. However, there is also such a group of people, who come from the same well-known university, originally studied different majors, engaged in different jobs, but eventually brought together in the automotive industry, and some are even interlopers and subversives of the automotive industry. They all have the dream of starting a business, not satisfied with the immediate success, and regard their careers as poetry and distances and continue to move forward. This school is South China University of Technology, and you will be surprised to see the alumni of this school in the field of automobiles.
In the year of Huajia, we will fight new energy vehicles again - Huang Hongsheng of Skyworth Group
Not long ago, Skyworth Automobile held a press conference to announce the launch of a new generation of new energy health intelligent SUV - Skyworth Automobile EV6. At the press conference, Huang Hongsheng, founder of Skyworth Group and chairman of Kaiwo New Energy Automobile Group Co., Ltd., announced the short-term and medium-term goals, and the annual sales of Skyworth Automobile will reach 250,000 units in 2025, and the annual sales of Skyworth Automobile will reach 500,000 units in 2030.
When it comes to Kaiwo Car, there may not be too many people who know, but when it comes to Skyworth, no one knows. The founder, Huang Hongsheng, is a famous student of radio engineering at South China University of Technology in 1977. Since the establishment of Skyworth Group in 1989, it has composed a legend of a generation of color TV industry.
Huang Hongsheng, who has experienced great ups and downs in his life, has not satisfied the status quo and has laid out the automotive field for more than ten years. Over 60 years old, he resolutely and resolutely "crossed over" into the field of new energy vehicles. For a person who should have retired, a person who has successfully started a business, and can choose a direction that is not easy to succeed, such courage has to be admired. But whether Skyworth can make a breakthrough in the automotive field still needs time to prove.
As an alumnus of Huang Hongsheng, the author listened to the deeds of the "Three Musketeers of Color TV" and watched the color TV they donated to graduate. I remember when I first entered the university, the first time I held a general meeting of all freshmen, a school leader said frankly in his speech, "South China University of Technology is a place to do business, and 70% of the business leaders and engineers in the Pearl River Delta are from South China University of Technology."
Many years later, when I think back on this passage again, my heart is full of pride and pride. Indeed, South China University of Technology is a place to do business, and it is the cradle of industry to serve the country. Taking stock of the automotive industry, it can be seen that from the core components to the whole vehicle manufacturing, there are Chinese workers everywhere, and "70% of the heads and engineers of the enterprises in the Pearl River Delta are from South China University of Technology" is not a lie. GAC Group, Xiaopeng Automobile, WM Motor, Baoneng Automobile, Ningde Era, Dayang Electric... From core components to vehicle manufacturing, the heads of these well-known automobile companies are from South China Polytechnic, and they are practicing the "entrepreneurial dream" of the automotive industry.
From a repairman to a car giant with a market value of 100 billion yuan - Guangzhou Automobile Group Zeng Qinghong
Zeng Qinghong, Chairman of GAC Group, is a 2002 doctoral student majoring in management science and engineering at South China University of Technology. From the bottom of the repairman, to the boss of the car company with a market value of 100 billion, Zeng Qinghong has witnessed the development of China's automobile.
Zeng Qinghong, chairman of GAC Group
Zeng Qinghong has been engaged in the automotive industry since the early 1980s, successively in Guangzhou Bus Factory, Guangzhou Guangke Automobile Group Co., Ltd., Guangqi Honda Automobile Co., Ltd., served as the Chinese general manager of the joint venture between GAC and Honda for eight years, and became the chairman of GAC Group since September 2016.
Zeng Qinghong's 40 years of professional experience reflects the entrepreneurial history and development history of China's automobile industry. He experienced the process of Guangqi Honda from start-up to development. Guangqi Honda (formerly Guangzhou Honda) can be said to be a model for China's joint venture car companies, from Accord to Fit, the launch of each model has played a game-changing effect in this market segment.
From the success of the Internet to the success of the car - Xiaopeng Automobile He Xiaopeng
He Xiaopeng, chairman of Xiaopeng Motors, is a 1995 computer and application student of South China University of Technology. As the co-founder of UC Youshi and the former president of Alibaba's mobile business group, He Xiaopeng, who is worth tens of billions of yuan, chose to start a business again and shifted from the Internet industry to the new energy automobile industry.
He Xiaopeng, Chairman and CEO of Xiaopeng Motors
Xiaopeng Automobile was founded in 2014 and is headquartered in Guangzhou. On the evening of August 27, 2020, Xiaopeng Motors officially landed on the New York Stock Exchange; on July 7, 2021, Xiaopeng Motors was listed on the main board of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. Xiaopeng Automobile has a prominent image of science and technology, and has occupied a head position in the new forces of car manufacturing.
In July this year, Xiaopeng Automobile's total delivery volume exceeded 8,000 for the first time, reaching 8,040 units, an increase of 22% from June, which greatly refreshed the historical monthly delivery record just broken last month. In the first seven months, Xiaopeng Automobile has delivered a total of 38,778 vehicles, which is 1.4 times the delivery volume of the whole year last year. He Xiaopeng has continued to start a business, from success to success, applying Internet thinking to the automotive field and breaking new ground. As an alumnus of his peers, the author is ashamed of himself, but also more admired.
From overseas mergers and acquisitions to trading and manufacturing cars - WM Auto Shenhui
Shen Hui, founder, chairman and CEO of WM Motor
Shen Hui, the founder of WM Motors, is a 1987 engineering mechanics student at South China University of Technology. Shen Hui joined Geely and led the team to complete the largest overseas merger and acquisition in the history of China's automotive industry, "Geely Acquires Volvo", and was responsible for restructuring Volvo's global governance structure, accumulating a large number of contacts and experience in the automotive industry.
Shen Hui was not satisfied with the success of the field of part-time work, joined PATEO, and opened the earliest practice of "Internet car building". In 2015, he founded WM Motor Group as chairman and CEO, leading the team to realize the creation process of WM Motor from scratch, leading the expansion of corporate strategy, financing and strategic partners. It is no coincidence that the founders of Xiaopeng and Weima are from the same school.
Yao Zhenhua, the "barbarian" who entered the automobile industry, Baoneng Group
Yao Zhenhua, chairman of Baoneng Group
Yao Zhenhua, who founded Baoneng Group, is a 1988 undergraduate student majoring in industrial management engineering at South China University of Technology. Born in Shenzhen in 1992, After 29 years, Baoneng has grown into a large-scale modern group covering four core sectors of high-end manufacturing, international logistics, comprehensive development and people's livelihood services, with more than 180,000 employees and business in more than 300 cities across the country.
In August 2015, Baoneng Group continued to increase its holdings in Vanke through capital market operations, reaching 24.26% at one point, becoming the largest shareholder. Yao Zhenhua, who started in the vegetable business, won the equity top card of Giant Vanke with the ultimate method, and became a "barbarian who forcibly entered the house" in Wang Shi's mouth. With the image of a "barbarian", in 2017, Yao Zhenhua established Baoneng Automobile Group. At present, Baoneng Automobile implements the technical route of both oil and electricity, takes into account the power of hydrogen fuel vehicles, and has developed a variety of products on three major vehicle platforms, dozens of products are under research, and comprehensively covers cars, SUVs, MPVs and other models.
From real estate to car building, Baoneng's development route has caused some controversy and has recently encountered difficulties. However, in the more diversified automotive industry, Baoneng's development sample also has a very unique demonstration role.
From mobile phone batteries to power batteries, the world's first brother - Zeng Yuqun in the Ningde era
Zeng Yuqun, chairman of CATL
Zeng Yuqun, chairman of CATL, is a 1998 student majoring in electronic and information engineering in the Department of Applied Physics of South China University of Technology. In 1999, Zeng Yuqun founded New Energy Technology Co., Ltd. (ATL) in Dongguan, which specializes in consumer batteries. In a few years, the company has successively won orders from many well-known manufacturers, including Apple. With the outbreak of the domestic mobile phone industry, ATL has opened up the mobile phone market in one fell swoop with high cost performance.
In 2008, Zeng Yuqun discovered a new development direction - power batteries, and then founded CATL Times New Energy Technology Co., Ltd. (CATL). CATL focuses on the research and development and production of electric vehicles and energy storage lithium-ion battery systems. As the "heart" of new energy electric vehicles, power batteries account for about 40% of the total vehicle cost, and it can be said that batteries directly affect the endurance and safety of electric vehicles. With the continuous development and growth of the new energy automobile industry, the market share of the Ningde era is also increasing, leaving the battery giants of Japan and South Korea behind. On June 28, the stock price of CATL reached a new high, and the market value stood at the threshold of 1 trillion yuan.
In the latest Forbes rich list, Zeng Yuqun has become the second richest person in the country, pressing Ma Yun and Ma Huateng, ranking behind Zhong Shui, chairman of Nongfu Shanquan. In fact, the ranking of the rich list is not important, the key is that by relying on the breakthrough of core technology, the Ningde era can already affect the pattern of the world's electric vehicle field, and truly achieve overtaking in curves.
China's largest electric drive system motor provider for automobiles - Dayang Electric Lu Chuping
Lu Chuping, chairman of Dayang Electric
Founded in 1994 and listed in 2008, Chairman Lu Chuping is a 1984 industrial electrical automation student at South China University of Technology. Dayang Electric is mainly engaged in new energy vehicle powertrain system, vehicle rotating appliances, hydrogen fuel cell system and hydrogen energy engine system, etc., is the world's largest independent air conditioning motor supplier and China's largest independent new energy vehicle electric drive system motor and controller provider, currently has an annual output of more than 6 million sets of vehicle rotating appliances, 500,000 sets of new energy vehicle powertrain system and 3,000 sets of hydrogen fuel cell system production capacity, in the new energy vehicle industry chain has a pivotal position.
In addition, Liu Yunbo, chairman of Fusheng Automobile, Liu Jincheng, chairman of Yiwei Lithium Energy, Tan Weiying, founder of Huafeng Co., Ltd., Liang Feng, chairman of Putailai, Chen Lina, chairman of Tongda Electric, and Chen Fangming, chairman of Boleyton Technology, have all studied at South China University of Technology. Although they studied different majors in different eras, they all worked in the automotive-related industries and became leaders in them.
It can be seen from the article that most of these well-known figures in the automotive industry today are not real automotive graduates, but they are calling the wind and rain in the automotive industry. Perhaps by chance, it is more reflected that they have gained some commonalities in their educational background.
At present, automobile manufacturing is accelerating the integration of new energy, automatic driving, intelligent networking, new materials and other technological changes, to electrification, intelligence, networking, sharing transformation and upgrading, the need for a large number of enterprise leaders and scientific and technological talents. Alumni of South China University of Technology inherit and carry forward the spirit of the school motto of "erudition, prudent thinking, discernment and determination" in the automotive industry, and contribute their own strength to the development of the automotive industry with hard work and innovation.
Some of the information in the article refers to the public number of the South China University of Technology Alumni Association, and thank you at the same time! If you are also an alumnus of South China University of Technology, you can leave a message to share the stories of Chinese workers you know and tell us about your experiences in the automotive industry.