from 0 to 3 million vehicles, from simple vehicle export to overseas production, from sales to self-operated logistics and delivery of the entire system to go overseas, the development of SAIC Group overseas market is a microcosm of the export upgrade of China's automobile industry, and has also become a sample for various car companies to learn
▲ Photo provided by the enterprise
text | Yan Jin
Recently, Shanghai Haitong Pier has welcomed 10,000 pure electric vehicles MG MULAN (named MG4 ELECTRIC in the overseas market), and they will be shipped to Europe for sale. There are too many meanings to say: this is the first "global car" of the Chinese, the largest batch of pure electric vehicles exported in China, and it also means that China's automobile industry has made a new breakthrough in the internationalization of the automobile industry...
▲ Photo provided by the company
For this moment, the Chinese automobile industry and the owner of this batch of cars, SAIC Group (600104.SH), have been waiting for too long. Twenty years ago, China exported only 20,000 vehicles, and now it has exceeded 2 million vehicles, becoming the world's third largest exporter, second only to Japan and Germany. In 2007, MG MG was included in SAIC's independent brand sector and began to go overseas. Now the global cumulative sales have reached 1 million vehicles. SAIC's other independent brand, SAIC Maxus, has sold over 170,000 vehicles in overseas markets, sold to 73 countries and regions around the world. In addition to the sales data of
, some new changes have also emerged. EY , the head partner of the advanced manufacturing and mobile travel industry in Greater China, Ye Liang, told the author that China's automobile exports now have three major changes. First, export countries are becoming more comprehensive. In the past, they are mainly friendly countries and developing markets, and now they are actively deploying mainstream markets such as Europe; second, export models are more advanced, mostly low-cost models in the past, but now many of them enter the market with high-end cars and then use mid- and low-end cars to spread the goods in volume; third, the export strategy has gone from the past passive or trial-oriented to the current active attack. In addition to building factories locally, they also build sales channels and customized development models.
, SAIC Group, which has been deeply involved in overseas markets for more than ten years, is also experiencing similar changes. The above 10,000 cars exported to Europe - MG MULAN - are SAIC's latest summary of its achievements in overseas travel.
In 2021, SAIC Group sold 697,000 vehicles in the overseas market, a year-on-year increase of 78.9%, and won the top spot in the domestic auto companies for six consecutive years. For every three Chinese cars sold overseas, one of them is manufactured by SAIC. Specifically for SAIC's independent brand MG, it has been ranked as the "China's single brand overseas sales champion" for three consecutive years. At present, SAIC Group has become the first domestic car company to have a cumulative overseas sales of over 3 million vehicles, forming six regional markets of "50,000 vehicles" in Europe, Australia and New Zealand, America, Middle East , ASEAN , and South Asia. MG also achieved a cumulative record of 1 million vehicles overseas on July 13 this year.
The first launch of Europe's MG MULAN not only embodies SAIC's hope, but also demonstrates the confidence of Chinese auto companies to overtake traditional automobile power by replacing lanes with new energy vehicles.
from 0 to 3 million vehicles, from export of complete vehicles to local production of overseas factories, from simply selling cars to self-operated maritime logistics and sales systems, etc., the layout and development of SAIC Group's overseas market is a microcosm and witness of China's automobile exports, and it is also a sample for other car companies to learn from each other.
Make a wooden barrel without shortcomings
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If SAIC Group's overseas sales are compared to the water in the barrel, then the one that determines the amount of water is often the shortest wooden board. But in SAIC's strategic layout, there is no shortcoming, only long boards and even longer boards.
systemization is the most important reason why SAIC has no shortcomings in its overseas layout. From the beginning of the layout, SAIC considered not the whole vehicle export route with one leg, but participated in every link from production and transportation to local production, after-sales service, second-hand car business and other one-stop services.
After more than ten years of development, SAIC's system of going overseas has become more mature, and has established a global market-oriented automobile industry chain integrating R&D, marketing, logistics, parts, manufacturing, finance, used cars, etc., with products and services covering more than 90 countries and regions around the world.Overseas, SAIC has three R&D and innovation centers in Silicon Valley, , London and Tel Aviv, three design centers in London, Munich and Tokyo, 24 production bases and KD factories in Thailand, Indonesia, , India, Pakistan, , more than 100 parts production and R&D bases and more than 1,800 marketing service outlets, and has opened 7 self-operated international routes including Southeast Asia, Mexico, South America and West, Europe.
systematic layout can "help life" at critical moments, such as Anji Logistics, a subsidiary of SAIC Group. "In SAIC Group's overseas system, Anji Logistics is a very important part of it." Guan Yizhong, general manager of SAIC Group's public relations department, once told the author.
▲ Photo provided by the company
Anji Logistics is a logistics company under SAIC Group. It has the largest self-operated fleet of automobile companies in China and is also the world's first automobile parts and vehicle logistics company. Its distribution network covers more than 600 cities in China and more than 100 overseas countries, with an annual shipment volume of tens of millions. Against the backdrop of the spread of the new crown pneumonia epidemic in the past two years, the century-long congestion of US ports, the surge in sea freight costs, and the growth in China's automobile export demand, the existence of Anji Logistics is particularly precious.
A simple cycle logic is that only by ensuring transportation capacity can we export more cars; only by selling more cars can we maintain a strong logistics system.
Car selling is just the beginning of participating in international competition. How to serve is the key to widening the gap between yourself and your opponent. One of the details is reflected in the car delivery cycle.
"We deliver the goods in Europe very fast, unlike some competitors, it takes half a year or a year to buy a car." Yu De, assistant to the president of SAIC Group and general manager of the international business department, once publicly stated. Taking EZS, a new energy product sold by MG in Europe as an example, although it is not produced locally in Europe like competitors, SAIC’s Huayu Parts Company and Anji Logistics have made up for this shortcoming. After all, Huayu Parts has more than 100 bases, and Anji Logistics covers the distribution networks of more than 100 countries overseas, which can ensure that the products are shipped to Europe as soon as possible, and can realize parts allocation in the shortest time when there is a problem with product .
Let me say that systematic development is important, but technical guarantee has always been the cornerstone of the product. At this point, SAIC Group not only fails to fall, but also reflects the shadow of systemization everywhere.
A clear technical picture is presented to us: after years of development, SAIC Group has a total of "seven technical bases", including three vehicle technical bases and four key system technical bases. Specifically, the three major vehicle technical bases are the "SAIC Nebula" pure electric exclusive systemization platform, the "SAIC Everest" mechatronic architecture, and the "SAIC Galaxy" hydrogen energy exclusive architecture; the four key systems technical bases are the "blue core" powertrain system, the platform-based "Rujiu Cube" battery system, the "Green core" electric drive system, and the "Galaxy" full-stack intelligent vehicle solution.
Under the general trend of industry transformation of "data determines experience, software-defined automobiles", SAIC has also fully integrated its own resource advantages in order to further accelerate the layout and implementation of forward-looking technologies and innovative processes of new energy intelligent connected vehicles, and established SAIC Group Innovation Research and Development Institute in March this year.
systematic cultivation has gained rewards. With the support of various strengths, SAIC's overseas sales are now rising rapidly. Not only has it become a role model for domestic auto companies for six consecutive years, it has achieved the grand occasion of "every three Chinese cars sold overseas, one is manufactured by SAIC [1]", but it has also become the first domestic auto company to have a cumulative overseas sales exceeding the 3 million mark. Among them, SAIC's MG brand has been the "Overseas Sales Champion of China's Single Brand" for three consecutive years.
"95% of the problems are related to people"
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Cars go overseas rely not only on single-line thinking with excellent product technology, but also need to take into account the ideology , consumption habits, etc. of different countries and regions. It’s like a person who wants to eat apple , but you want to sell plums to him. Such supply and demand asymmetry will inevitably lead to half the result with twice the effort.
cross-cultural dilemma, problems that companies cannot avoid when going overseas, "The understanding of the culture, the understanding of standards, and the mastery of consumption habits of each country are difficulties that we must overcome." Zhao Aimin, Secretary of the Party Committee and Deputy General Manager of SAIC International, said, "We in China do not lack strong projects and powerful manufacturing, but we do not lack talents to adapt to local culture overseas." However, in more than ten years of overseas travel, SAIC has gradually summarized its own methodology.
is reflected in the product dimension, the problem between people is how to launch appropriate products based on user needs.
MG MULAN (MG4 ELECTRIC) came into being, born and sold to the world. This is SAIC accurately grasps the diverse needs of overseas consumers for safety, environmental protection, intelligence, control, etc., and fully combines its international first-class "Neiyun" pure electric exclusive systemized platform, smart cockpit, intelligent driving and other innovative technologies, integrating global advantageous resources to create the first "global car" for the Chinese.
According to the plan, MG MULAN is listed simultaneously in nearly 20 major European countries in China, including Germany, France, the United Kingdom, Italy, Spain, Norway , Sweden , Denmark , Netherlands , Belgium , Luxembourg , and other regions. It is planned to enter Australia, New Zealand, Middle East, Mexico, South America and other regions next year, covering more than 80 countries in key regional markets on six continents around the world.
's "unique skill" of localization transformation is still continuing. In Europe, the interior style of MG MULAN is simpler than that of China, and the chassis tuning is tougher. Since some European consumers have the habit of "rural racing", the chassis stability has been further improved; in the hot Middle East, rapid air conditioning refrigeration is strengthened; in mountainous areas such as Chile , the vehicle climbing capacity is increased by 20%.
SAIC Group has also set new goals for itself. In 2022, SAIC Group's overseas sales are expected to exceed 800,000 vehicles, and Europe will advance to SAIC's first overseas regional market of "100,000 vehicles". Regarding MG MULAN, SAIC Group hopes that it can become the overseas sales champion of China's new energy vehicle models in 2023 and become the first global car in China to have a cumulative sales of more than the "500,000-class" in 2025.
Looking at the overall environment, more and more Chinese companies attach importance to developing overseas markets. CITIC Securities research report believes that countries around the world are actively introducing new energy vehicle guidance policies, providing a golden window for China's new energy vehicles to "go overseas". It is expected that by 2030, China's electric vehicle overseas annual sales are expected to reach 2.5 million vehicles.
The new era of going overseas for Chinese automobile brands has arrived, and SAIC Group will also become the most eye-catching existence in the team that rides the wind and waves.
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