2024-01-25 05:18:03
In the past 2023, competition in the global automobile market has been fierce. Chinese car companies have stood out in this competition. As the former leader, Western car companies are also paying particular attention.
This article is reprinted with the authorization of “Observer Network”; written by: Xiong Chaoran
According to reports from “Nikkei Asia” and “Wall Street Journal” on January 24, local time, Elon Musk, CEO of the US electric vehicle manufacturer Tesla, said during the company’s earnings conference call held that day On a related topic, he praised Chinese car manufacturers as the most competitive car companies in the world, and put forward the view that without erecting trade barriers, Chinese car companies will “eat” them globally (Demolish ) most other competitors.
The report pointed out that with the rapid rise of Chinese car companies such as BYD, Tesla is facing increasingly fierce competition in China and other regions. The company has cut prices many times in the past year, which has also increased pressure on its profitability. Although Musk said on the earnings call that he has not yet seen “obvious cooperation opportunities” between Tesla and Chinese car companies, he also emphasized the importance of battery manufacturers such as Chinese battery manufacturer CATL as its suppliers. Importance, but also sees rival BYD as an important battery supplier.
According to reports, during the earnings call, when asked whether he saw opportunities to cooperate with Chinese automakers, Musk first gave a very high evaluation: “Generally speaking, our observation is that Chinese automakers The company is the most competitive automotive company in the world.”
“I think they’re going to be very successful outside of China, depending on what kind of tariffs or trade barriers are put in place.” Musk then added: “Frankly, if they don’t put up trade barriers, they’re going to pretty much eat the rest of the world.” Most other car companies.”
Xiaomi founder and CEO Lei Jun attended the launch of the company’s first electric car, SU7, in Beijing on December 28, 2023, and delivered a speech. (Reuters)
The Wall Street Journal pointed out that Chinese automakers are seeking to expand their business footprint in Europe and other parts of the world. In response to this situation, the United States has largely blocked Chinese imports with prohibitive tariffs. In September 2023, the European Union insisted on launching a countervailing investigation into Chinese electric vehicles, despite the opposition of Germany and other member states. China has already We solemnly point out that the EU’s move is a naked protectionist act.
Musk praised Chinese car companies as “terrific,” but also said that Tesla currently does not see “obvious cooperation opportunities” with Chinese car companies other than sharing the supercharging network.
“We’re obviously happy to let any electric vehicle company use our supercharger network, and we’re also happy to license fully autonomous driving and maybe other technologies and anything that helps advance the sustainable energy revolution.” Musk Said so.
“Nikkei Asia” pointed out that Tesla, the American electric vehicle giant, is facing increasingly fierce competition from Chinese automakers led by BYD, whether in China or elsewhere.
Previous reports showed that Tesla delivered a record number of electric vehicles (nearly 500,000 vehicles) in the fourth quarter of 2023, exceeding market expectations and achieving its goal for the entire year. However, the status of the world’s largest electric vehicle manufacturer in this quarter belonged to the Chinese car company BYD (over 520,000 vehicles). This was also the first time that BYD’s quarterly sales exceeded Tesla.
Although some Western media such as Reuters want to deliberately emphasize that Tesla is still ahead of BYD in the field of pure electric vehicles, some of them, such as the Wall Street Journal, also frankly stated that BYD’s rising global market position as a Chinese competitor still gives Tes Tesla has brought new pressure, and China’s strength in the global electric vehicle market has begun to emerge.
The US Business Insider website even lamented: “Tesla lost to China in the battle for the electric vehicle crown.” French media believe that in the context of the Chinese government’s vigorous efforts to boost the local market, BYD should continue to maintain its position. leading position.
“Nikkei Asia” mentioned that amid intensifying competition and policy uncertainty, Tesla once again lowered the selling prices of its products in China in January after cutting prices many times in the past year. The company also significantly cut several prices. The price of this model in Europe. Reports believe that price cuts have added pressure to Tesla’s profitability. A report on January 24, local time, showed that the company’s profits have declined for the second consecutive quarter.
However, it is worth noting that despite its competition with BYD, Tesla still regards the Chinese company as an important battery supplier.
The picture shows a BYD Qin model car driving on the streets of Beijing, China on October 31, 2023. (Reuters)
“We’re very grateful to our suppliers. You know, Panasonic is obviously our longest-standing supplier there, and it’s an amazing company. We have CATL, we have LG Energy Solution.” Musk After naming a series of suppliers, he paused for a long time and then said, “And BYD.” Musk said during the earnings call that day that Tesla planned to increase orders from the above-mentioned suppliers in 2024.
On January 9, the China Passenger Car Market Information Association (CPCA) released a report stating that as BYD, Chery (Chery Automobile Co., Ltd.), Great Wall Motor and other Chinese automakers have gained overseas In a major breakthrough, China, the world’s largest automobile market, is determined to surpass Japan in 2023 and become the world’s largest automobile exporter for the first time.
According to estimates, China’s automobile export volume should be certain to reach 5.26 million under normal circumstances in 2023, which is about 1 million units (4.3 million units) more than Japan’s annual export volume. The US media “Wall Street Journal” quoted the data from this report and pointed out that this marks a major change in the global automotive industry structure.
Looking ahead to 2024, Reuters expects competition in the global automotive market to only intensify further. In the first 11 months of 2023, the sales of French car brands in China fell the most, down 41%; the sales of Japanese cars fell by 10.7%; and the sales of American car brands fell by 1.4%. In December 2023, Xiaomi, a well-known Chinese smartphone manufacturer, also released its first mass-produced electric vehicle, the Xiaomi SU7, and quickly announced its goal to become one of the world’s top five automakers.
The Wall Street Journal predicts that China’s next wave of auto exports may include more electric and hybrid vehicles. In 2023, such car manufacturers have also experienced growth in shipments to overseas markets and are now planning to significantly increase exports.
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