Chinanews.com, June 11 According to the "European Times" report on the 10th, in recent months, many Chinese car brands have landed in the European market.

French media pointed out that the arrival of these Chinese brands is by no means accidental. Although they are still faced with the "glass ceiling" of European stereotypes of "Made in China", they are sufficiently competitive, innovative strategies, and full of ambitions.

On June 3, a new energy vehicle placed in Huawei's authorized experience store Plus in R&F Plaza in Beijing attracted consumers to consult.

Photo by China News Agency reporter Hou Yu

Chinese car brands "flooded into Europe"

　　French "Express" reported that for European car manufacturers, it has been "misfortunes never come singly" recently.

After the roaring new crown epidemic almost overwhelmed them, they ushered in waves of opponents from Asia.

　　In the past few months, many Chinese brands have flocked to the European continent.

According to data from IHS Markit, by the end of 2021, there will be 13 Chinese car companies racing on the European circuit.

　　After experiencing the rapid development of Japanese cars in the 1980s and the proliferation of small cars in Korea in the 1990s, the article now points out that it seems that it has been the turn of manufacturers from China to shake up Renault, Strandis, and Volkswagen. The car giant is now.

　　Marc Mortureux, chairman of the French Automobile Association (PFA), pointed out that Chinese cars sold tens of thousands in Europe in 2020.

Although the sales so far in 2021 have not been made public, research predicts that 500,000 vehicles will be sold in 2025.

　　It is true that this wave is overwhelmingly far away, but it may be enough to disrupt the fragile economic balance of European manufacturers.

In particular, this seems to be just the beginning.

Jean-Pierre Corniou, deputy general manager of consulting firm Sia Partners, said: “China seems determined to launch a global champion and use the electric revolution to reverse the automotive market.”

In a Chinese car manufacturer, workers work on the assembly line.

Photo by China News Agency reporter Zhang Chang

Attracted by the European sales boom

　　According to the article, it is certain that these Chinese brands went to Europe not by accident.

In the past ten years, Chinese automakers have been deeply plowing the electric vehicle market because they know that the gap in the field of internal combustion engines is too large.

At first, some large companies focused on the huge domestic market and seemed in no rush to go abroad.

　　However, by 2020, sales of zero-emission vehicles will explode globally, changing the rules of the game.

This trend is particularly evident in Europe. If manufacturers dare to fail to comply with the new carbon dioxide emission standards, they may receive fines of up to hundreds of millions of euros.

　　In addition, various countries have introduced strong financial incentives. For example, French motorists can enjoy an ecological bonus of up to 7,000 euros, and they can also receive a "conversion bonus" of 5,000 euros when replacing a used car.

These measures make zero-emission models almost as competitive as internal combustion engine models.

　　The article said that China also hopes to benefit from these measures to fill the gap in excess capacity.

"Currently, local factories in China can produce 40 million electric vehicles each year, and in 2020 the local market will only sell 25 million vehicles." According to Pierre Gerfaux, head of Accenture's automotive department.

On April 19, the 19th Shanghai International Automobile Industry Exhibition in 2021 officially opened at the National Convention and Exhibition Center (Shanghai). This is also the world's first A-class auto show held as scheduled this year.

Photo by Zhang Hengwei

Attractive and competitive Chinese car

　　Contrary to what people think, these Chinese manufacturers are not super low-priced cars.

Gone are the days when executives of major Western brands sneered at "rough knockoffs" at the Shanghai Auto Show.

Many Chinese brands have successfully launched pure electric SUVs. These vehicles have original designs and are very attractive.

　　"Whether it is in terms of safety standards, engines or design, these Chinese products are comparable to those famous brands in history." said Aymeric Weyland, co-founder of the electric hybrid Test Days.

　　"Are you surprised?" According to analysis by Szymon Walus, an auto market expert at the Boston Consulting Group, "In order to gain a foothold in the Chinese market, large auto brands have established joint ventures with local companies. They drew the essence from these brands. It has been used in the development of electric vehicles for a few years. Moreover, the price is still very low."

Disruptive business strategy

　　Facts have proved that the strategies of these newcomers are equally innovative.

Many of them have already made the decision not to rely on any distribution network.

This obviously has financial considerations, but it is also a response to customer wishes.

　　Like streaming subscription services such as Netflix, some Chinese car companies offer memberships of 500 euros per month, including car rental, insurance and maintenance.

"This is a brand new model, because unlike long-term leasing, you can stop and resume the subscription at any time. Most importantly, you can share the subscription with several people," emphasized Alain Visser, CEO of Lynk & Co. International.

This model proved to be successful because 90% of the 15,000 European customers (including 1,500 in France) chose the subscription model instead of the traditional purchase model.

　　A Chinese brand that uses Norway as a test market has launched a battery swap network that can quickly replace batteries, thereby freeing drivers from tedious charging tasks.

　　However, in the minds of many European consumers, Made in China is still synonymous with poor quality.

Is the emergence of the "Chinese car wave" enough to break this "glass ceiling"?

　　"With the arrival of Huawei and Xiaomi mobile phones, people's psychology has changed. They have demonstrated the technology and quality of Chinese manufacturers." said Emeryk Wayland. "This (the arrival of Chinese car brands) is a real The challenge is that Europeans are very loyal to their car brands, but I think in three to five years, this will no longer be a problem.” (Autumn raccoon)