就在不久前,通用汽車可以說還是中國的一線汽車品牌。2010年,通用汽車在中國市場上的銷量甚至超過了美國。此后,中國也一直是通用最重要的單一市場。2017年,通用汽車CEO瑪麗·芭拉甚至表示,她完全支持中國發(fā)展電動汽車的目標,表示通用汽車將在五年內(nèi)在華推出20款電動汽車。
但是自從新冠疫情以來,通用汽車在中國面臨的局面卻發(fā)生了重大變化。由于中國政府鼓勵發(fā)展電動汽車,加之中國本土電動汽車廠商的強勢崛起,導(dǎo)致通用汽車的市場地位遭到了削弱。
據(jù)彭博社報道,有消息人士表示,由于市場份額不斷縮水,通用汽車公司正在裁減中國市場相關(guān)部門員工,其中也包括研發(fā)部門。另外,通用近期還將與本土合作伙伴上汽集團會面,可能會計劃對其在華業(yè)務(wù)進行大規(guī)模結(jié)構(gòu)調(diào)整。其業(yè)務(wù)重組方向可能包括發(fā)展電動汽車和推出更多高端車型。據(jù)通用汽車官網(wǎng)顯示,通用在華共有10 家合資企業(yè)、兩家外資獨資企業(yè),而且擁有超過58000名員工。
這則關(guān)于裁員和業(yè)務(wù)重組的報道也充分顯示了通用汽車現(xiàn)在的尷尬處境。在2017年的巔峰時期,通用及其合資企業(yè)一共在中國賣出了400多萬輛汽車,約占中國市場份額的14%。而當年通用在全球也只賣出了890萬輛,中國市場幾乎占據(jù)其半壁江山。
安全文件
通用汽車今年二季度向美國證監(jiān)會提交的一份安全文件也顯示,該公司正在重組在華業(yè)務(wù),并提到了中國的電動汽車發(fā)展給該公司造成的挑戰(zhàn)。
今年上半年,通用及其在華合資企業(yè)一共交付了大約80萬輛汽車。受產(chǎn)能嚴重過剩、市場競爭激烈以及競爭對手的低價優(yōu)勢等因素影響,通用的合資企業(yè)今年上半年出現(xiàn)了2億美元的證券虧損。
該文件指出,新能源汽車是對通用在華業(yè)務(wù)持續(xù)造成負面影響的一個重要因素。(這里的新能源汽車指的是純電和插電式混動汽車。)通用汽車表示,為了爭奪市場份額,中國本土廠商更重視產(chǎn)量而非利潤,另外中國廠商的造車成本也顯著低于外國品牌,包括通用汽車在中國的合資企業(yè)。
通用汽車于1997年首次進入中國乘用車市場,并逐漸成為與德國大眾一樣受歡迎的外國汽車品牌之一。正是由于在中國市場上取得了成功,通用才有底氣于2017年退出歐洲市場,專攻北美和中國市場。(不過通用汽車目前正在尋求再次進入歐洲市場。)
不過,前通用汽車高管邁克爾·鄧恩認為,就在通用汽車把寶押在中美兩大市場后不久,中國汽車市場就“突然轉(zhuǎn)向了電動汽車”。鄧恩上周在他的專欄中寫道,電動汽車占汽車總銷量的比例,將從2020年的6%躍升到今年的將近50%。鄧恩表示,外國汽車廠商一直把中國當成盈利機器,但他們卻沾沾自喜、固步自封,沒過多久,就被中國的變化速度嚇了一跳。
“今年中國最暢銷的20款電動汽車中,有18款是國產(chǎn)品牌。另外兩款是特斯拉?!彼麑懙?。
中國消費者日益高漲的民族主義情緒,可能也是讓國產(chǎn)品牌銷量持續(xù)走高的原因之一。鄧恩認為,中國品牌“突然變成了新時尚”,而與此同時,曾經(jīng)一度是“洋氣”象征的寶馬和別克等外國品牌,現(xiàn)在卻已經(jīng)成了“昨日黃花”。(財富中文網(wǎng))
譯者:樸成奎
就在不久前,通用汽車可以說還是中國的一線汽車品牌。2010年,通用汽車在中國市場上的銷量甚至超過了美國。此后,中國也一直是通用最重要的單一市場。2017年,通用汽車CEO瑪麗·芭拉甚至表示,她完全支持中國發(fā)展電動汽車的目標,表示通用汽車將在五年內(nèi)在華推出20款電動汽車。
但是自從新冠疫情以來,通用汽車在中國面臨的局面卻發(fā)生了重大變化。由于中國政府鼓勵發(fā)展電動汽車,加之中國本土電動汽車廠商的強勢崛起,導(dǎo)致通用汽車的市場地位遭到了削弱。
據(jù)彭博社報道,有消息人士表示,由于市場份額不斷縮水,通用汽車公司正在裁減中國市場相關(guān)部門員工,其中也包括研發(fā)部門。另外,通用近期還將與本土合作伙伴上汽集團會面,可能會計劃對其在華業(yè)務(wù)進行大規(guī)模結(jié)構(gòu)調(diào)整。其業(yè)務(wù)重組方向可能包括發(fā)展電動汽車和推出更多高端車型。據(jù)通用汽車官網(wǎng)顯示,通用在華共有10 家合資企業(yè)、兩家外資獨資企業(yè),而且擁有超過58000名員工。
這則關(guān)于裁員和業(yè)務(wù)重組的報道也充分顯示了通用汽車現(xiàn)在的尷尬處境。在2017年的巔峰時期,通用及其合資企業(yè)一共在中國賣出了400多萬輛汽車,約占中國市場份額的14%。而當年通用在全球也只賣出了890萬輛,中國市場幾乎占據(jù)其半壁江山。
安全文件
通用汽車今年二季度向美國證監(jiān)會提交的一份安全文件也顯示,該公司正在重組在華業(yè)務(wù),并提到了中國的電動汽車發(fā)展給該公司造成的挑戰(zhàn)。
今年上半年,通用及其在華合資企業(yè)一共交付了大約80萬輛汽車。受產(chǎn)能嚴重過剩、市場競爭激烈以及競爭對手的低價優(yōu)勢等因素影響,通用的合資企業(yè)今年上半年出現(xiàn)了2億美元的證券虧損。
該文件指出,新能源汽車是對通用在華業(yè)務(wù)持續(xù)造成負面影響的一個重要因素。(這里的新能源汽車指的是純電和插電式混動汽車。)通用汽車表示,為了爭奪市場份額,中國本土廠商更重視產(chǎn)量而非利潤,另外中國廠商的造車成本也顯著低于外國品牌,包括通用汽車在中國的合資企業(yè)。
通用汽車于1997年首次進入中國乘用車市場,并逐漸成為與德國大眾一樣受歡迎的外國汽車品牌之一。正是由于在中國市場上取得了成功,通用才有底氣于2017年退出歐洲市場,專攻北美和中國市場。(不過通用汽車目前正在尋求再次進入歐洲市場。)
不過,前通用汽車高管邁克爾·鄧恩認為,就在通用汽車把寶押在中美兩大市場后不久,中國汽車市場就“突然轉(zhuǎn)向了電動汽車”。鄧恩上周在他的專欄中寫道,電動汽車占汽車總銷量的比例,將從2020年的6%躍升到今年的將近50%。鄧恩表示,外國汽車廠商一直把中國當成盈利機器,但他們卻沾沾自喜、固步自封,沒過多久,就被中國的變化速度嚇了一跳。
“今年中國最暢銷的20款電動汽車中,有18款是國產(chǎn)品牌。另外兩款是特斯拉。”他寫道。
中國消費者日益高漲的民族主義情緒,可能也是讓國產(chǎn)品牌銷量持續(xù)走高的原因之一。鄧恩認為,中國品牌“突然變成了新時尚”,而與此同時,曾經(jīng)一度是“洋氣”象征的寶馬和別克等外國品牌,現(xiàn)在卻已經(jīng)成了“昨日黃花”。(財富中文網(wǎng))
譯者:樸成奎
Not long ago, General Motors was arguably the top automotive brand in China. In 2010, the American automaker sold more cars in China than in the United States. Since then, China has continually been a key sales market for GM and in 2017 the company’s CEO Mary Barra even said she was fully on-board with China’s EV goals and GM would launch 20 EVs over five years in the country.
But the landscape has changed for GM since the COVID pandemic. While the pandemic affected overall automotive sales in China due to the country’s strict COVID restrictions, GM also has had to contend with the Chinese government’s shift towards encouraging EV adoption and the subsequent rise of domestic EV makers, which has eroded GM’s market position.
Now, GM’s dwindling market share is resulting in the automaker cutting staff in Chinese market-related departments—which includes research and development—according to a Bloomberg report citing people familiar with the matter. The report added GM will also be meeting with its local partner SAIC to plan a larger structural overhaul of operations in China. Part of the restructuring could involve a shift to producing EVs and a focus on more premium models. GM has 10 joint ventures, two wholly owned foreign enterprises and more than 58,000 employees in China according to its website.
The report of job cuts and a potential restructuring show how far GM has fallen from its peak in 2017. GM and its joint ventures sold 4 million vehicles in China that year, accounting for about a 14% market share in the country. The 4 million vehicles sold in China also represented almost half of GM’s 8.9 million vehicles sold globally.
Security filing
A recent security filing for GM’s second quarter results also said it was working on restructuring operations in China, and showed how China’s EV push is becoming a challenge for the Detroit-headquartered automaker.
The automaker and its China joint ventures delivered about 800,000 vehicles for the first half of this year. Its joint ventures generated an equity loss of $0.2 billion for the first six months of the year, driven by intense competition in a market with significant excess capacity and competitors offering vehicles at lower prices.
The filing listed new energy vehicles, a term use for battery electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids, as a continued negative impact to its operations in China. It said Chinese automakers are prioritizing production over profit in a bid to gain market share and added that Chinese automakers could produce vehicles at costs well below foreign automakers, including that of GM’s China joint venture.
GM first entered the Chinese passenger vehicle market in 1997 and subsequently became one of the more popular foreign brands alongside the likes of Volkswagen. Its success in the Chinese market led it to pulling out of Europe in 2017 to focus on North America and China. (GM is now looking to enter Europe again).
But that shift to focus on just two key markets came shortly before an “abrupt shift to electric vehicles” according to Michael Dunne, a former GM executive. Dunne wrote in his newsletter last week that EV share of total car sales will jump to almost 50% this year, up from just 6% in 2020. Dunne said foreign carmakers, which have seen China as a profit machine, were complacent and had been caught out by the speed of change.
“This year, eighteen of the twenty best-selling EVs are Chinese brands. The other two are Teslas,” Dunne wrote.
Rising nationalism amongst Chinese consumers could also have a part to play. Dunne argued that Chinese brands are “suddenly the new cool” and that global brands like BMW and Buick, which is owned by GM, which were once aspirational are now “so yesterday”.