Tesla owners’ rights protection incidents at the Shanghai Auto Show continued to ferment. On the evening of April 21, the General Administration of Market Supervision issued a document stating that it had instructed the market supervision and management departments of Henan Province, Shanghai and other places to safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of consumers in accordance with the law. At the same time, it is emphasized that enterprises must earnestly fulfill their main responsibility for quality and safety, and provide consumers with high-quality and safe products and services.
The China Consumers Association issued a response stating that the primary prerequisite for business operations is to respect consumers, and enterprises should implement product quality responsibilities in accordance with the law, and take effective measures to protect consumers’ safety rights. Tesla also spoke again, urging to appoint a third-party testing and appraisal agency to conduct appraisal and restore the truth.
According to the latest news, Tesla has provided relevant data.
At the same time, the China Market Supervision News, which is in charge of the State Administration of Market Supervision and Administration, disclosed the data one minute before the vehicle accident and made a text explanation.
The full text of this text description is as follows:
When the driver stepped on the brake pedal for the last time, the data showed that the speed of the vehicle was 118.5 kilometers per hour. Within 2.7 seconds after the driver stepped on the brake pedal, the maximum brake master cylinder pressure was only 45.9 bar. After that, the driver increased the stepping on the brake pedal, and the brake master cylinder pressure reached 92.7 bar. The front collision warning and automatic emergency braking function were activated (the maximum brake master cylinder pressure reached 140.7bar) and played a role, reducing the amplitude of the collision. 1.8 seconds after the ABS was applied, the system recorded the occurrence of the collision. After the driver stepped on the brake pedal, the vehicle speed continued to decrease, and before the collision, the vehicle speed was reduced to 48.5 kilometers per hour.
Source: China Market Supervision News
In summary, the vehicle is running at a higher speed, and the driver starts to depress the brake pedal with a lighter force. After that, the automatic emergency braking function is activated and has a function, which improves the braking force and reduces the impact of the collision. The driving system is normally involved in the work and reduces the speed of the car.
In addition, with regard to the condition of the vehicle 30 minutes before the accident, Tesla stated this: In the 30 minutes before the accident, the driver drove the vehicle normally and had more than 40 records of depressing the brake pedal. At the same time, the vehicle has repeatedly stopped at more than 100 kilometers per hour and multiple times.
In fact, Tesla, which is caught in the turmoil of rights defense, is also facing pressure to acquire land and expand. Recently, an industrial land mark located in the Lingang Heavy Equipment Industrial Zone of the Shanghai Free Trade Zone, which is adjacent to the Tesla Super Factory in Shanghai, has been interpreted by the market as a new site for Tesla’s expansion.
A reporter from Securities Times·e Company recently visited Tesla’s Shanghai Super Factory. The security in the factory area has been upgraded, and trucks loaded with domestic Tesla have driven out of the factory without interruption. Construction has begun on the suspected landmark plot near the super factory.
“Recent rights protection incidents at the Tesla Auto Show objectively have an impact on the corporate investment image. Even the subsequent expansion and expansion of production, it is necessary to pay attention to the impact of public opinion.” A Shanghai auto industry person told reporters that if It is Tesla who has taken the landmark, indicating that corporate funds and strategies may be under pressure to achieve such goals, or that it has no intention of expanding in the short term. However, it is expected that there will be various land acquisition actions in the future. The rights protection turmoil has not ceased for the time being, and the prospects of the stale land are still unclear. Whether Tesla can continue to stabilize the Chinese market deserves attention.
There are multiple security personnel at the entrance of the factory
A large area of white exterior walls and red arched doors are located in front of the Tesla Super Factory in the Lingang New Area of Shanghai Free Trade Zone. Private cars and employees have entered the factory one after another. The road at the entrance of the factory is empty, and the construction scene of the previous roar of forklifts is no longer visible.
On the afternoon of April 21, a reporter from the Securities Times·e Company saw at the exit of the super factory that many transport vehicles were fully loaded with domestic Tesla and were leaving the factory without interruption. In the open space outside the factory, there are hundreds of new cars that have just left the production line. “The first and second phases of the factory are basically completed, and the production capacity is expanding rapidly. We are now in a three-shift all-weather mode, and people are required 24 hours a day, and we are still hiring people.” A Tesi who came out of the factory Pull employees told reporters. Regarding the current rights protection incident at the Tesla Motor Show, the employee said: “It will definitely affect us, but we don’t have much to say about it.”
The degree of Tesla’s attention is positively correlated with the strict degree of security at the Shanghai Gigafactory. The reporter noticed that two security posts were arranged at the entrances of the first and second phases of the factory. At least 3 staff members wearing red hats and fluorescent green vests are on duty at each entrance. On both sides of the road far away from the door, there are staff from time to time patrolling. Whenever a visitor approaches the factory door, the staff will take the initiative to ask or intercept. “Security will only be stricter during this time.” A security officer said, and told reporters that photographing is prohibited at the entrance of the factory.
In addition, the reporter noticed that there are still cranes under construction near the second phase of the Tesla Gigafactory, and the steel structure on the roof of the plant has been basically completed. “This may be the third phase, or the 2.5 phase, and some workshops will be built to meet production needs.” A worker told reporters.
According to Tesla’s previous EIA information report, the company currently has 4 projects in Shanghai, namely the Tesla Gigafactory Plant Project, the Gigafactory (Phase 1) Phase 1 Project, and the Phase 1-Parts Production Process Improvement Project. , The new model launches the project in advance. Among them, the first phase of the Super Factory (Phase I) project is constructed in phases, divided into two phases, A and B. At present, Phase A has been built and Phase B is under construction.
As the production capacity of Tesla’s Shanghai Gigafactory continues to increase, the delivery of Tesla’s electric vehicles has also increased. According to Tesla’s 2020 financial report, a total of 499,500 vehicles were delivered throughout the year, which is only one step away from the 500,000 vehicles goal set by Tesla CEO Elon Musk. In the financial report, Tesla revealed that the annual production capacity of the Shanghai Super Factory Model 3 is capable of maintaining more than 250,000 vehicles. Model Y production has started at the end of 2020. It is currently in full production and is expected to have an annual production capacity of 200,000 vehicles.
Road construction has begun on suspected land
When the Shanghai Super Factory was operating at full capacity, Tesla reported the news of expanding the factory. In early March of this year, the official website of Shanghai Land Market issued an announcement on the transfer of state-owned construction land use rights, stating that it would sell a piece of industrial land in Lingang Heavy Equipment Industrial Zone with a total area of about 461,000 square meters. The permitted industry type of the plot is the manufacture of new energy vehicles, and it is adjacent to the second phase of Tesla’s Shanghai Gigafactory. It is speculated that it is a new site for Tesla’s expansion.
However, the reporter found that the current transaction status of the plot is “flow mark”. On March 30, the official website of the Shanghai Land Market showed that the industrial land located in the Lingang Heavy Equipment Industrial Zone was not won by the sole bidder. The official website of the Shanghai Land Market did not disclose which car company the bidding applicant was. A reporter from the Securities Times·e Company asked the relevant person in charge of Tesla for verification on this matter, and no response was received as of the time of publication.
On the afternoon of April 21, the reporter went to this industrial land in Nicheng Town, Pudong New District. According to the data, the industrial land extends to the N01-04 plot in the east, Canghai Road in the south, N01-03B plot in the west, and Wanshui Road in the north. The land that is not visible at a glance is still in a barren state, and several bulldozers, road rollers and cranes are working in turn, and the dust is flying. “Here is to build a road. We are already piling here.” A construction worker told reporters. “We had a meeting with people from Tesla, saying that the road was first repaired, and we don’t know what the other land is going to do.” A staff member who came to inspect the construction site told reporters .
“Industrial land itself is not expensive, and the premium rate for general transactions is within 5%, so there are relatively few cases of lost bids or lost auctions.” Yan Yuejin, research director of the Think Tank Center of E-House Research Institute, said in an interview with a reporter from the Securities Times·e Company If there is a failure to bid, it may indicate that the low price is too high, or the company initially intends to acquire land, but because of the low expectations of subsequent input and output, it chooses to give up. “Follow-up may have to make adjustments in land prices and other aspects, especially the need to actively inquire about the willingness of relevant companies to acquire land.” Yan Yuejin said.
Why did the land with a starting price of over 500 million yuan fail the bid?
The reporter consulted the transfer information of the plot, and the seller was the Management Committee of the Lingang New Area of China (Shanghai) Pilot Free Trade Zone. The total area of the plot is 461142.4 square meters and the period is 50 years. The starting price is 518.79 million yuan, and the price is increased. The margin is 5 million yuan.
“Similar plots are close to Tesla’s existing plant. Logically speaking, Tesla will usually get the land. If other new energy vehicles get land in the surrounding area, it doesn’t seem to make sense.” A person in the auto industry told reporters. It can be understood that Tesla has re-adjusted the mode of strategic expansion in the current special period, in other words, eased the acquisition of land.
From the perspective of industrial land, Yan Yuejin believes that the land needs to meet the requirements of local governments for investment promotion and industrial planning. If similar requirements are not met, land transactions may also face pressure.
One detail that can be paid attention to is that the land project requires a total fixed asset investment of no less than 6.88 billion yuan, an investment intensity of no less than 14,925 yuan per square meter, and a full-scale sales income of no less than 5 years after the land is handed over. 75 billion yuan per year, and the total tax revenue for reaching production is no less than 2 billion yuan per year. With reference to Tesla’s revenue in China in 2020 reaching US$6.662 billion (approximately RMB 43 billion), there is still a gap between its annual sales revenue of 75 billion yuan.
In addition, when building the Shanghai Super Factory, Tesla also disclosed that the company signed a 50-year land lease agreement with the Shanghai local government. If the payment is not made on time, the land must be returned to the Shanghai government. Tesla needs to complete an investment of 14.08 billion yuan (approximately US$2 billion) in the Shanghai factory in the next five years. At the same time, starting from the end of 2023, Tesla’s Shanghai plant must pay 2.23 billion yuan (approximately US$323 million) in taxes each year.
“The flow standard can be seen from two aspects. One is whether the Shanghai government’s policy on Tesla has changed. Two years ago, the conditions given for the introduction of Tesla were very favorable. Tesla’s sales and profit margins in China They are all very good, so if the second land project is given to Tesla, the conditions may not be as favorable as before.” Zhang Xiang, an auto industry analyst, told reporters that, on the other hand, other car companies are not excluded. Want to bid. Due to Tesla’s entry into Lingang, related suppliers have also been attracted to form a new energy automobile industry chain. The industry environment is relatively mature, and other companies participate in bidding, and the price of bids has also risen.
Tesla’s “attack” under the rush of production capacity
Behind the rights protection incidents and the land flow mark, Tesla, which has been advancing all the way, seems to have gradually faded. In July 2018, the official announcement announced that the Tesla Gigafactory, which plans to produce 500,000 pure electric vehicles per year, will be located in the Lingang area of Shanghai.
In January 2019, Tesla’s first overseas factory officially started construction in Shanghai, with a planned production capacity of 250,000 vehicles in the first phase, with a total production capacity of up to 500,000 vehicles, and a total project investment of 50 billion yuan.
With the completion of the Tesla Super Factory in Shanghai, the domestically produced Model 3 and Model Y ushered in a rapid increase in production capacity, and repeated price cuts have also catalyzed the peak sales of Tesla’s domestically produced electric vehicles. In addition, this year, Tesla’s Shanghai Super Charging Pile Factory has been completed and put into production, with an initial planned annual production capacity of 10,000 V3 Super Charging Pile. Tesla’s layout in the Chinese market continues to deepen.
“We produce cars. In the long run, China will become our largest market and the place where we produce the most vehicles and have the most customers.” Musk said frankly in a recent interview with the media. In 2020, Tesla’s revenue in China was US$6.662 billion, a year-on-year increase of 123.6%, accounting for 21% of total revenue. In 2018 and 2019, Tesla’s revenue in China was US$1.757 billion and US$2.979 billion, accounting for 8.19% and 12.12%, respectively.
In terms of sales volume, Tesla delivered 185,000 vehicles worldwide in the first quarter, of which, Tesla sold 69,280 vehicles in China in the first quarter. Judging from the existing sales data, Tesla still occupies the top position of the Chinese market share. In terms of stock price, Tesla went from 80 US dollars in early 2020 to 800 US dollars in early 2021. Its share price has doubled tenfold in one year, and its market value has led global auto companies.
However, the ensuing problem is that Tesla has frequent safety accidents. The “brake failure” rights protection incident at the Shanghai Auto Show is not an isolated case. According to media statistics, since 2020, different media have exposed more than dozens of brake failures and spontaneous charging problems of related car companies’ products, which occurred in Beijing, China. Shanghai, Hangzhou, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Nanchang and many other places. In addition, similar accidents have occurred in Europe and the United States. Musk himself does not shy away from talking about Tesla’s quality problems. He once said that Tesla’s quality will be worse than the stable period during production acceleration, and it will be difficult to achieve perfection if the output is to rise linearly.
“The Tesla auto show rights protection incident reflects Tesla’s quality control problems in a larger sense. The brake failure is directly related to its autopilot system, which involves the car’s hardware and software. There is a trial for new things. The process of error, for Tesla, is that it did not try out all the errors of the autopilot system and hurried mass production and commercialization. The mistakes made in the development of a technological product may be tolerated, but the mistakes made in the development of automotive products This kind of error can lead to traffic accidents and even loss of life.” An auto industry analyst told reporters.
The domestic new energy vehicle market is expected to flourish
When Tesla is plagued by negative public opinion, it is also facing heavy grips from new car manufacturers, luxury car brands and even intelligent solution suppliers.
Take this year’s Shanghai Auto Show as an example, players from all walks of life will firmly occupy the outlets of new energy vehicles. BYD released the new e-platform 3.0, a pure electric car codenamed EA1 and the X Dream concept car; Geely Automobile exhibited the luxury safari pure electric coupe Krypton001; SAIC Motor launched high-end intelligent pure electric vehicles Zhiji L7, LS, etc. Among the newly unveiled electric models, the battery life of more than 400km has become standard, and some high-end electric vehicles can reach a range of more than 600km, and the electric performance such as fast charging and acceleration has also continued to evolve.
New car manufacturers such as Xiaopeng and Weilai brought new models to their debut. Overseas brands also released SUV models taking into account the preference and demand of the Chinese market. In addition to the release of new vehicles by automakers, intelligent solution providers such as Huawei and Baidu have brought related software and hardware products such as autonomous driving and intelligent electric vehicles. The arena of the new energy vehicle market is more diverse.
The sales data in March this year showed that the new forces in domestic car-making have picked up. Huabao Securities analysis pointed out that Weilai Automobile delivered 7,257 new cars in March, and its sales performance was relatively stable when orders continued to be fully produced, with a month-on-month increase of 30.1%; Xiaopeng and Ideal both returned to growth in March. The month-on-month growth both exceeded 100%. Although this year’s electric layout of traditional car companies and Tesla’s price cut competition, new car manufacturers still remain sufficiently competitive. In addition, the giants of traditional car companies have also accelerated their deployment in the field of new energy. The market is expected to form a diversified development trend of new car manufacturers and traditional car companies.
“There are more and more new models built by the same industry, and Tesla may be threatened.” Zhang Xiang, an automotive analyst, told reporters for example. Many years ago, Tesla could run 400 kilometers on a single charge, while other domestic cars could only run. 100 kilometers, but now, some new car-building forces can run more than 700 kilometers on a single charge, which has exceeded Tesla’s cruising range. “When competing with peers, Tesla has shown fewer and fewer advantages. This is a challenge to Tesla.”
[Reporter’s Observation]Will Tesla’s development strategy in China change?
The haze of the rights protection storm has not dissipated, and Tesla has other problems that need to be answered. In Tesla’s in-depth deployment of the Chinese market, and when lowering prices and increasing volume, other electric vehicle brands have different development strategies, and the momentum cannot be underestimated.
The CITIC Securities Research Report pointed out that the “individualized” design and positioning trend of self-owned brand new cars is clear. It is expected that the core competitiveness of auto companies will shift from “cost control” to precise positioning and precise marketing in the future. New car-making forces are expected to seize the opportunity and gain a higher share in the wave of “intelligence” of electric vehicles, relying on faster response and more accurate market understanding. The electrification transformation of joint ventures/overseas brands will further provide new supply for the domestic new energy vehicle market and open up the industry space.
In addition, on the one hand, intelligent solution providers can help automakers optimize the driving experience of their products through technologies such as autonomous driving and smart cockpits; on the other hand, they can penetrate into electric components such as electric drives, thermal management, and BMS, and improve through digitalization. Efficiency and cost reduction will help automakers build “good cars.”
“At that time, the introduction of Tesla played an important role in driving all aspects of the domestic new energy automobile industry chain. In the long run, we support the development of advanced technologies and enterprises with demonstration effects in the country. In the short term, the enterprises have inappropriate Cui Dongshu, secretary-general of the National Travel Association, said in an interview with a reporter from Securities Times and e Company.
More than two years ago, Shanghai introduced Tesla, and the Tesla Shanghai Super Factory was built, completed and mass-produced domestic Tesla cars at an unprecedented speed. Two years later, the new energy vehicle market is already unique, but Tesla “stalls” due to multiple quality and safety accidents. Will Tesla, which is eager to occupy the Chinese market, change its development strategy in China?
“As the world’s largest automobile market and one of the countries with the fastest penetration of new energy in the world, China should be a strategic market for Tesla. Tesla needs to continue to increase its efforts in the Chinese market. Tesla’s challenge lies in China’s domestic market. The rise of new power brands and the dimensionality reduction attacks of potential competitors, such as the addition of smart players such as Apple and Xiaomi, will pose a greater threat to Tesla.” Liu Kun, China partner of Reese Strategic Positioning Consulting, told reporters that Musk’s The strategic intent is to subvert fuel vehicles, so Tesla will continue to expand the mass price market. This also brings another problem. Downward extension will dilute and obscure Tesla’s high-end perception, and Tesla may no longer represent high-end For electric vehicles, the high-end market also has a strategic opportunity to establish another purer high-end electric vehicle brand.
Time is changing, the conflict of rights protection has not ceased for the time being, and the prospect of stale land is unknown. Can Tesla continue to stabilize the Chinese market? Will Tesla’s expansion in China be delayed, and whose land will be sold to the market? Securities Times·e company reporters will continue to pay attention.
You must log in to post a comment.