China’s Electric Cars Are the New Rivals in Europe’s Showrooms中国电动汽车跻身欧洲汽车展销厅

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.中國在德国、挪威等地销售电动SUV和豪华轿车，力争成为全球汽车行业的生力军。

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过分考究的英国跑车的代名词。如今这个标志性八角徽章形车标承载着另一种车业雄心：中国正在努力成为全球汽车市场的大玩家。

中国四大汽车制造商之一的上汽集团于2007年收购了名爵品牌，并将其运用到在德国等欧洲市场销售的一系列电动SUV上。中国汽车制造商正在利用向电动汽车转变的时机，挑战长期主导汽车行业的美国、欧洲和日本汽车制造商，名爵就是其中一个例子。

中国汽车制造商迈入欧洲市场时，正值电动汽车人气飙升，电动汽车占据西欧新车销量的近10%，消费者在疫情期间储蓄增加，有了购车意愿。与此同时，由于微处理器短缺，汽车制造商正在削减产量。

名爵已经在16个欧洲国家拥有350家经销商，而且规模仍在扩大。另外两家中国汽车制造商蔚来汽车和比亚迪正通过挪威进军欧洲。挪威是全球电气化程度最高的大型汽车市场。

总部位于上海的蔚来汽车2021年9月底在奥斯陆开设了一家经销店，这是该公司在中国以外的首家经销店。总部位于深圳的比亚迪同年8月向第一位挪威客户交付了一款名为“唐”的电动SUV。

另一家中国汽车制造商长城汽车宣布，计划明年开始在欧洲销售一款电池驱动的紧凑型汽车和一款油电混合动力SUV。

极星汽车总部位于瑞典，但隶属于中国的吉利控股集团。自2020年以来，该公司一直在欧洲和美国销售中国制造的电池驱动车型。行驶在欧洲公路上的许多特斯拉都是从该公司在上海的工厂进口的。

大众汽车、梅赛德斯-奔驰和通用汽车等外国汽车制造商在中国销售了成百上千万辆汽车，所以中国汽车制造商踏足他们的地盘时，他们也无从抱怨。尽管中国是世界上最大的汽车市场，但中国品牌汽车在国际市场只占很小份额。

中国汽车制造商还把目光投向了美国，尽管到目前为止他们的影响微乎其微。斯洛伐克向美国市场供应的汽车数量超过中国。

中国汽车制造商从欧洲公司学到造车技术，现在正与这些公司进行竞争。长期以来，中国政府一直要求外国汽车制造商与国内公司合资经营并分享技术。

名爵的所有者上汽集团自1984年以来一直是大众汽车在中国的合作伙伴。现在，名爵正进军大众汽车的核心市场。名爵正在为其ZS车型做广告，这是一款紧凑型电动SUV，起价30420欧元，约合35400美元。若把政府对电动汽车的奖励补贴包括在内，购买这款车只需约24000欧元，比大众最便宜的紧凑型电动SUV，即ID.4，便宜4000欧元。

“副主厨要开自己的餐厅啦。”柏林跟踪欧洲电动汽车市场的分析师马蒂亚斯·施密特说。

在一份声明中，名爵表示与大众的合作仍然保持着“双赢的战略伙伴关系”。

对于外国汽车制造商来说，欧洲市场很难打入，这一点众所周知。福特汽车仅占欧盟市场的4%，丰田的主体业务在世界其他地区。

中国汽车制造商早前数次尝试打入欧洲市场，但均以失败告终。2013年，中国初创品牌观致宣布了在欧洲建立经销商网络的计划，但只开设了一家。

这次的时机可能更好。自2020年以来，尽管整体市场低迷，但电动汽车（中国现在非常重视相关技术）在欧洲的销量已经翻了一番。施密特表示，截至2021年8月，西欧售出的新车中约有9%（64.4万辆）是电池驱动的。包括插电式混合动力汽车在内，电动汽车的份额达到18%。

德国斯图加特北部的一位经销商朱利安·埃姆里希表示，廉价电动汽车已经供不应求。“很多人都感兴趣，但没货，至少以原价是买不到的。”埃姆里希说。

当名爵销售代表给他发邮件问他是否想成为经销商时，埃姆里希说：“这正是我一直在等待的。”与大多数传统汽车制造商不同，名爵不要求他预先购买汽车。名爵提供汽车，经销商销售一辆汽车就获得一份佣金。

目前尚不清楚挑剔的欧洲买家是否会购买中国汽车。当名爵销售代表开着名爵汽车来到伦佩尔-斯塔克（福特在德国巴伐利亚州北部的一家经销商）洽谈销售这个中国品牌时，总经理巴斯蒂安·斯塔克遲疑了。他让这位销售代表把开来的汽车的钥匙给他。3B86AB7F-2AE9-42A2-8552-9231C4FC578D

伦佩尔-斯塔克的机械师彻底查看了那辆名爵汽车，结果他们竖起了大拇指。“他们说这款车很好。”斯塔克说。他指出，名爵配件来自博世、法雷奥和大陆等知名供应商，这些公司在中国都有大量业务。

伦佩尔-斯塔克同意将名爵加入展厅，广告牌还没摆出来就售出了三辆混动汽车。买家被优惠的价格和相对较短的交车时间所吸引。“我根本没做任何推销。”斯塔克说。

由于全球半导体短缺，欧洲市场对汽车的需求非常迫切。名爵混合动力车的等待时间只有四周，而全电动车型的等待时间为三个月。斯塔克说：“与目前其他品牌相比，这已经很不错了。”

许多欧洲品牌的等待时间可能要长得多，尤其是价格较低的车型。雷诺等汽车制造商正将稀缺的芯片配置到能产生更多利润的高端汽车上。

尽管对中国电动汽车来说市场可能已经成熟，但政治时机可能不太理想。许多欧洲领导人和他们的美國同行一样，对中国的贸易做法感到担忧，指责中国政府补贴企业，使它们获得不公平的国际竞争优势。

中国政府大举投资电动汽车技术，帮助建立了一个庞大的供应商网络，以满足制造商的需求。

2021年9月全国大选结束后，德国政治领导人正在谈判组建一个可能包括绿党在内的政府。与即将离任的总理安格拉·默克尔相比，绿党更倾向于对中国强硬。由于名爵母公司上汽集团的多数股权为国家所有，名爵也许格外容易引起有关政府利益与企业利益分不清的担忧。

欧洲汽车制造商正警惕地关注着中国竞争对手。“我们非常认真地对待每一个新玩家，”汽车和卡车制造商戴姆勒的管理委员会成员马丁·道姆在接受采访时说，“另一方面，我们从不惧怕竞争。”

在回答有关中国汽车制造商的问题时，德国汽车工业协会发表声明说，各国应遵守世界贸易组织的规则，这些规则禁止政府给企业提供旨在提高竞争力的补贴。

该协会表示：“保持市场开放和公平竞争环境非常重要。”

名爵表示，公司“遵循市场化机制，遵守相关法律法规”。

中国汽车制造商将自己包装为国际品牌，淡化其产地。名爵通过在伦敦设计汽车保留了一些英伦色彩。蔚来汽车的全球设计中心设在慕尼黑。极星的总部则设在瑞典哥德堡，距离沃尔沃汽车所在地不远，二者均为吉利麾下品牌。

极星首席执行官、德国人托马斯·英根拉特表示，所有汽车公司都试图向海外销售产品，中国公司的做法没有什么不同寻常之处。

“这绝对是一件正常的事情，”英根拉特在2021年9月的慕尼黑国际车展上说，“汽车品牌，无论它们位于哪里，都有出口业务。”

（译者单位：山东华宇工学院）3B86AB7F-2AE9-42A2-8552-9231C4FC578D