Li Kaiguo: There are no powerful parts and components to talk about automobile power

“Without a strong auto parts, it is difficult to become a powerful automobile country.” Li Kaiguo, chairman of China Automotive Engineering Research Institute Co., Ltd., expressed his sentiments at the high-level forum on “Car Power and Low Carbon Development” on October 25. He pointed out that the reason why Germany, Japan, and the United States have become strong automobile companies is not only relying on vehicle companies, but also on a strong component system.

If you want to have a strong car,

Li Kaiguo stressed that the United States, Germany, and Japan have established independent and controllable supporting systems in key components and parts. “Although each country’s system is not the same, the key parts and components system has always been at the core of the automobile industry system.”

In addition, Li Kaiguo also pointed out that automobile power countries generally have international leading suppliers, through modular supply, to provide systematic solutions to help the development of vehicle companies platform, promote the low-cost development of vehicle companies, improve the development speed, Both have played an important role. “Now the giant parts companies have a very large global footprint. Bosch has 440 production sites worldwide, not only to meet the needs of the domestic automotive industry, but also to serve the global automotive industry.” said Li Kaiguo.

China has become the world's largest automaker in terms of sales of new cars. However, the development of spare parts is not optimistic. Therefore, Li Kaiguo concluded: "A strong automobile country must have the support of a powerful component company."

Technology Hollowing is a Holistic Problem

Li Kaiguo pointed out that in 2016 China’s auto parts and components’ total revenue reached 3.7 trillion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 14%, and the profits were also substantial, but most of the key parts and components were highly dependent on foreign suppliers. In addition, the integrity of the entire automotive industry chain is not enough, and the degree of technological dispersion is high. “China currently has more than 100,000 parts and components companies, but only about 10,000 of them have a scale of more than 20 million.” In other words, China has not yet emerged a strong component enterprise group.

Li Kaiguo also emphasized that the auto parts innovation level and innovation ability are still weak. Because the scale is not enough, the added value of the products is not high, "as in the electronic spray system, including the supercharger and the electronic control system, basically as long as some products involved in electricity are dependent on foreign suppliers." In addition, the auto parts module The supply capacity is still very weak, and the profits of the industry are relatively thin. The profits of more than 10,000 parts and components companies in China are only over 200 billion yuan.

“One of the foundations for the strengthening of electric vehicles is to strengthen parts and components. The historic opportunity for electric vehicles is the historic opportunity for parts and components. The development of electric vehicles must not take the road of hollowing out technology.” Chen Qingtai, Chairman of the China Electric Vehicles Centenary Association In this forum, the issue of "hollowing out technology" was mentioned. According to Li Kaiguo, the hollowing out of technology in China's auto industry is not only a problem in a single industry but also involves multiple industries. The reasons come from many aspects.

First, China has not experienced the development process of mechatronics, jumping from the 2.0 era to the 3.0 era, and then going straight to the 4.0 era. China's industrialization process differs from that of the developed countries.

Secondly, the state has always supported and invested more in vehicle companies than parts and components companies.

Third, due to the weak brand of the vehicle company, it is not yet able to support the development of its own brand components.

Fourth, the national fuel regulations and emission regulations are updated too quickly, and parts and components companies do not have enough cycles to develop products.

Li Kaiguo stressed that the simple attribution of technology hollowing to parts and components companies is not entirely desirable. "The hollowing out of technology is a process that all industries in China need to go through. It is also a process in which China's economic and social development must be painfully stepping forward."

Seize the Opportunity and Strengthen the Supporting System of Independent Components

The "Mid-term and Long-term Development Plan for the Automotive Industry" puts forward that "completing the component supporting system" and "key component breakthrough project" indicate that the entire industry chain must support auto parts, and thus create several 100 billion yuan The company will also have new opportunities in the future of auto parts industry.

Li Kaiguo pointed out that vehicle sales continued to grow, and the market share of self-owned brand cars continued to increase, providing momentum and upside for the development of the parts and components industry. "In the past few years, the increase rate of parts and components companies is higher than the increase rate of vehicle companies. It is also a sign that parts and components companies are slowly moving toward a good environment and ecology."

In addition, new energy vehicles are the key development direction of the country. China has made great breakthroughs in batteries, motors, and electrical controls, and its core technology is more important than fuel vehicles. The local attributes and domestic attributes of the intelligent network-linked automobile are the unique advantages of the component supply system. "Future information maps, software, and rules, along with the solidification of government regulations and China's transportation ecology, will have a positive impact on the development of the entire autonomous system and gradually form our mature parts and components system," said Li Kaiguo.

The future is good. How can we seize the good opportunities? Li Kaiguo believes that vehicle companies and parts and components companies must establish a zero-thick relationship between water and water. Only by achieving zero-crossing and coordinated development can the size of independent components be further expanded. Li Kaiguo pointed out that by 2020, the supporting rate of key auto parts and components will reach 50%, and that of overseas counterparts will account for 10%; in 2025, the supporting rate of key auto parts and components will reach 60%, and overseas supporting equipment will account for 15%; in 2030, key autonomous zero The supporting rate of components reached 70%, and overseas supporting ratio accounted for 25%. Of course, what is more important is that we must seize the opportunity for the transformation of new energy vehicles and smart car development technologies and build a new type of auto parts system.