China’s Electric Cars Are the New Rivals in Europe’s Showrooms中國電動汽車躋身歐洲汽車展銷廳

杰克·尤因 魏再冉

By selling battery-powered S.U.V.s and luxury sedans in places like Germany and Norway， China is striving to become a force in the global auto industry.中國在德國、挪威等地銷售電動SUV和豪華轎車，力爭成為全球汽車行業的生力軍。

The name MG used to be synonymous with spirited but finicky sports car from Britain. Nowadays the iconic octagonal badge serves a different kind of motoring ambition： Chinas push to become a big player in the global auto market.

SAIC Motor， one of Chinas Big Four automakers， bought the MG brand in 2007 and is stamping it on a line of electric sport utility vehicles on sale in Germany and other European markets. MG is an example of how Chinese carmakers are exploiting the shift to electric cars to challenge the American， European and Japanese carmakers that have long dominated the industry.

The Chinese automakers are arriving as electric cars surge in popularity， accounting for almost ten percent of new car sales in Western Europe， and consumers are in a mood to buy， with savings built up during the pandemic. At the same time， car manufacturers are cutting back production because of shortages of micro-processors.

MG already has 350 dealers in 16 European countries and is still expanding. Two other Chinese automakers， Nio and BYD， are moving into Europe by way of Norway， the worlds most electrified large car market.

Nio， based in Shanghai， opened a dealership in Oslo at the end of September， 2021， the companys first outlet outside China. BYD， based in Shenzhen， delivered an electric S.U.V. called the Tang， to the first Norwegian customer in August the same year.

Great Wall Motor， another Chinese manufacturer， has announced plans to start selling a battery-powered compact and a hybrid S.U.V. in Europe next year.

Polestar， which is based in Sweden but belongs to Geely Holding of China， has been selling a Chinese-made battery-powered model in Europe and the United States since 2020. And many of the Teslas on European roads were imported from the companys factory in Shanghai.

Foreign automakers like Volkswagen， Mercedes-Benz or General Motors sell millions of cars in China， so they can hardly complain when Chinese auto-makers encroach on their turf. Even though China is the worlds largest car market， its brands have only a sliver of the international market.

The Chinese automakers also have the United States in their sights， although their impact so far has been minimal. Slovakia supplies more cars to the U.S. market than China.3B86AB7F-2AE9-42A2-8552-9231C4FC578D

The Chinese carmakers learned the trade from European companies they are now challenging. The Chinese government has long required foreign carmakers to operate via joint ventures with domestic companies， and to share know-how.

SAIC， MGs owner， has been Volkswagens partner in China since 1984. Now MG is moving into Volkswagens heartland. MG is advertising its ZS， a compact electric S.U.V.， at a starting price of 30，420 euros， or about $35，400. When government incentives for electric vehicles are included， the car can be had for around 24，000. That is 4，000 less than the least expensive version of Volkswagens compact electric S.U.V.， the ID.4.

“The sous chef is opening his own restaurant，” said Matthias Schmidt， an analyst in Berlin who tracks the European electric car market.

MG said in a statement that its cooperation with Volkswagen remained a “win-win strategic partnership.”

Europe is a notoriously difficult market for foreign carmakers. Just ask Ford Motor， which has only 4 percent of the European Union market， or Toyota， which has its heft in the rest of the world.

Earlier attempts by Chinese automakers to break into Europe failed. In 2013 Qoros， a start-up Chinese brand， announced plans for a network of dealerships in Europe but opened only one.

The timing may be better this time. Sales of electric cars， the technology the Chinese are emphasizing， have doubled since 2020 in Europe despite a slump in the overall market. Around 9 percent of new cars sold in Western Eur-ope through August， 2021， or 644，000 vehicles， were battery powered， Mr. Schmidt said. Including plug-in hybrids， the share of electric vehicles was 18 percent.

Demand for affordable electric vehicles has outstripped supply， said Julian Emrich， a dealer in the north of Stuttgart， Germany. “A lot of people were interested but there were no products， at least not products with a normal price，” Mr. Emrich said.

When an MG representative sent him an email asking if he wanted to become a dealer， Mr. Emrich said， “it was exactly what I was waiting for.” Unlike most traditional automakers， MG did not require him to buy the vehicles up front. MG supplies the cars and the dealers earn a commission when they sell one.

Unclear is whether fussy European buyers will buy a Chinese car. When an MG representative approached Rumpel & Stark， a Ford dealership in north Bavaria， about selling the Chinese brand， the general manager， Bastian Stark， was skeptical. He demanded that the rep hand over the keys to the MG he had arrived in.3B86AB7F-2AE9-42A2-8552-9231C4FC578D

Rumpel & Starks mechanics gave the MG a thorough going over. Their verdict： thumbs up. “They said this car is good，” Mr. Stark said， noting that the MG is equipped with parts from established supplier like Bosch， Valeo and Continental， all of which have large operations in China.

Rumpel & Stark agreed to add MGs to its showroom and sold three hybrids before even putting up a sign. Buyers were attracted by the price and the relatively short delivery times. “I have not done any marketing at all，” Mr. Stark said.

The European market is starved for vehicles because of the global semiconductor shortage. The wait time for an MG hybrid is only four weeks， and three months for an all-electric model， “which is pretty much OK compared to other brands right now，” Mr. Stark said.

Waits for many European brands can be much longer， especially for lower-priced models. Carmakers like Renault are allocating scarce chips to higher-end vehicles， which generate more profit.

While the market may be ripe for Chinese electric cars， the political timing may not be so ideal. Many European leaders share their American counterparts concern about Chinese trade practices， accusing Beijing of subsidizing companies to give them an unfair advantage in international competition.

The Chinese government has invested heavily in electric vehicle technology， helping to establish a vast network of suppliers to feed the manufacturers.

After national elections in September， 2021， German political leaders are negotiating to form a government that is likely to include the Green Party， which favors a harder line against China than Angela Merkel， the departing chancellor. MG may be particularly vulnerable to concerns about the mingling of government and corporate interests because its parent company， SAIC， is majority owned by the state.

European carmakers are watching the Chinese rivals warily. “We take every new player extremely seriously，” Martin Daum， a member of the management board of the auto and truck maker Daimler， said in an interview. “On the other side we are never afraid of competition.”

The German Association of the Automotive Industry replied to question about the Chinese carmakers with a statement saying countries should observe World Trade Organization rules， which forbid government subsidies designed to give companies a competitive edge.

“It is important to maintain open markets and a level playing field，” the association said.3B86AB7F-2AE9-42A2-8552-9231C4FC578D

MG said it “follows market-oriented mechanisms and abides by relevant laws and regulations.”

The Chinese automakers style themselves as international brands and downplay their origins. MG retains some of its Britishness by designing cars in London. Nios global design center is in Munich， while Polestar is based in Goteborg， Sweden， near Volvo Cars， which Geely also owns.

Thomas Ingenlath， a German who is Polestars chief executive， said that all car companies tried to sell their products abroad， and that there was nothing unusual about what Chinese companies were doing.

“Its an absolutely normal thing，” Mr. Ingenlath said at the international car show in Munich in September， 2021. “Car brands， wherever they are located， have export business.”

名爵品牌曾是活力四射但過分考究的英國跑車的代名詞。如今這個標志性八角徽章形車標承載著另一種車業雄心：中國正在努力成為全球汽車市場的大玩家。

中國四大汽車制造商之一的上汽集團于2007年收購了名爵品牌，并將其運用到在德國等歐洲市場銷售的一系列電動SUV上。中國汽車制造商正在利用向電動汽車轉變的時機，挑戰長期主導汽車行業的美國、歐洲和日本汽車制造商，名爵就是其中一個例子。

中國汽車制造商邁入歐洲市場時，正值電動汽車人氣飆升，電動汽車占據西歐新車銷量的近10%，消費者在疫情期間儲蓄增加，有了購車意愿。與此同時，由于微處理器短缺，汽車制造商正在削減產量。

名爵已經在16個歐洲國家擁有350家經銷商，而且規模仍在擴大。另外兩家中國汽車制造商蔚來汽車和比亞迪正通過挪威進軍歐洲。挪威是全球電氣化程度最高的大型汽車市場。

總部位于上海的蔚來汽車2021年9月底在奧斯陸開設了一家經銷店，這是該公司在中國以外的首家經銷店。總部位于深圳的比亞迪同年8月向第一位挪威客戶交付了一款名為“唐”的電動SUV。

另一家中國汽車制造商長城汽車宣布，計劃明年開始在歐洲銷售一款電池驅動的緊湊型汽車和一款油電混合動力SUV。

極星汽車總部位于瑞典，但隸屬于中國的吉利控股集團。自2020年以來，該公司一直在歐洲和美國銷售中國制造的電池驅動車型。行駛在歐洲公路上的許多特斯拉都是從該公司在上海的工廠進口的。

大眾汽車、梅賽德斯-奔馳和通用汽車等外國汽車制造商在中國銷售了成百上千萬輛汽車，所以中國汽車制造商踏足他們的地盤時，他們也無從抱怨。盡管中國是世界上最大的汽車市場，但中國品牌汽車在國際市場只占很小份額。

中國汽車制造商還把目光投向了美國，盡管到目前為止他們的影響微乎其微。斯洛伐克向美國市場供應的汽車數量超過中國。

中國汽車制造商從歐洲公司學到造車技術，現在正與這些公司進行競爭。長期以來，中國政府一直要求外國汽車制造商與國內公司合資經營并分享技術。

名爵的所有者上汽集團自1984年以來一直是大眾汽車在中國的合作伙伴。現在，名爵正進軍大眾汽車的核心市場。名爵正在為其ZS車型做廣告，這是一款緊湊型電動SUV，起價30420歐元，約合35400美元。若把政府對電動汽車的獎勵補貼包括在內，購買這款車只需約24000歐元，比大眾最便宜的緊湊型電動SUV，即ID.4，便宜4000歐元。

“副主廚要開自己的餐廳啦。”柏林跟蹤歐洲電動汽車市場的分析師馬蒂亞斯·施密特說。

在一份聲明中，名爵表示與大眾的合作仍然保持著“雙贏的戰略伙伴關系”。

對于外國汽車制造商來說，歐洲市場很難打入，這一點眾所周知。福特汽車僅占歐盟市場的4%，豐田的主體業務在世界其他地區。

中國汽車制造商早前數次嘗試打入歐洲市場，但均以失敗告終。2013年，中國初創品牌觀致宣布了在歐洲建立經銷商網絡的計劃，但只開設了一家。

這次的時機可能更好。自2020年以來，盡管整體市場低迷，但電動汽車（中國現在非常重視相關技術）在歐洲的銷量已經翻了一番。施密特表示，截至2021年8月，西歐售出的新車中約有9%（64.4萬輛）是電池驅動的。包括插電式混合動力汽車在內，電動汽車的份額達到18%。

德國斯圖加特北部的一位經銷商朱利安·埃姆里希表示，廉價電動汽車已經供不應求。“很多人都感興趣，但沒貨，至少以原價是買不到的。”埃姆里希說。

當名爵銷售代表給他發郵件問他是否想成為經銷商時，埃姆里希說：“這正是我一直在等待的。”與大多數傳統汽車制造商不同，名爵不要求他預先購買汽車。名爵提供汽車，經銷商銷售一輛汽車就獲得一份傭金。

目前尚不清楚挑剔的歐洲買家是否會購買中國汽車。當名爵銷售代表開著名爵汽車來到倫佩爾-斯塔克（福特在德國巴伐利亞州北部的一家經銷商）洽談銷售這個中國品牌時，總經理巴斯蒂安·斯塔克遲疑了。他讓這位銷售代表把開來的汽車的鑰匙給他。3B86AB7F-2AE9-42A2-8552-9231C4FC578D

倫佩爾-斯塔克的機械師徹底查看了那輛名爵汽車，結果他們豎起了大拇指。“他們說這款車很好。”斯塔克說。他指出，名爵配件來自博世、法雷奧和大陸等知名供應商，這些公司在中國都有大量業務。

倫佩爾-斯塔克同意將名爵加入展廳，廣告牌還沒擺出來就售出了三輛混動汽車。買家被優惠的價格和相對較短的交車時間所吸引。“我根本沒做任何推銷。”斯塔克說。

由于全球半導體短缺，歐洲市場對汽車的需求非常迫切。名爵混合動力車的等待時間只有四周，而全電動車型的等待時間為三個月。斯塔克說：“與目前其他品牌相比，這已經很不錯了。”

許多歐洲品牌的等待時間可能要長得多，尤其是價格較低的車型。雷諾等汽車制造商正將稀缺的芯片配置到能產生更多利潤的高端汽車上。

盡管對中國電動汽車來說市場可能已經成熟，但政治時機可能不太理想。許多歐洲領導人和他們的美國同行一樣，對中國的貿易做法感到擔憂，指責中國政府補貼企業，使它們獲得不公平的國際競爭優勢。

中國政府大舉投資電動汽車技術，幫助建立了一個龐大的供應商網絡，以滿足制造商的需求。

2021年9月全國大選結束后，德國政治領導人正在談判組建一個可能包括綠黨在內的政府。與即將離任的總理安格拉·默克爾相比，綠黨更傾向于對中國強硬。由于名爵母公司上汽集團的多數股權為國家所有，名爵也許格外容易引起有關政府利益與企業利益分不清的擔憂。

歐洲汽車制造商正警惕地關注著中國競爭對手。“我們非常認真地對待每一個新玩家，”汽車和卡車制造商戴姆勒的管理委員會成員馬丁·道姆在接受采訪時說，“另一方面，我們從不懼怕競爭。”

在回答有關中國汽車制造商的問題時，德國汽車工業協會發表聲明說，各國應遵守世界貿易組織的規則，這些規則禁止政府給企業提供旨在提高競爭力的補貼。

該協會表示：“保持市場開放和公平競爭環境非常重要。”

名爵表示，公司“遵循市場化機制，遵守相關法律法規”。

中國汽車制造商將自己包裝為國際品牌，淡化其產地。名爵通過在倫敦設計汽車保留了一些英倫色彩。蔚來汽車的全球設計中心設在慕尼黑。極星的總部則設在瑞典哥德堡，距離沃爾沃汽車所在地不遠，二者均為吉利麾下品牌。

極星首席執行官、德國人托馬斯·英根拉特表示，所有汽車公司都試圖向海外銷售產品，中國公司的做法沒有什么不同尋常之處。

“這絕對是一件正常的事情，”英根拉特在2021年9月的慕尼黑國際車展上說，“汽車品牌，無論它們位于哪里，都有出口業務。”

（譯者單位：山東華宇工學院）3B86AB7F-2AE9-42A2-8552-9231C4FC578D