Copies are yesterday – China’s automakers are targeting Europe

Sometimes size does matter. While many European carmakers either did not come to Munich at all and others have significantly reduced their presence, the Great Wall Motors sub-brand Wey is demonstrating strength with a carefully created exhibition stand. Why? Weyl we can! Seems to be what the Chinese said. The appearance at the IAA Mobility had little to do with the previously ostentatiously displayed automotive potential of other brands from the Middle Kingdom, which promises a lot, but does not always deliver as much.

The reason is simple: it is no longer necessary. The products speak for themselves. Copies of western vehicles with a hard plastic cave as a cockpit are also a thing of the past in China. Vehicles like the Wey Coffee 01 show interesting approaches: while the European manufacturers of plug-in hybrids do not consider a purely electric range of more than 120 kilometers to be economical. Keyword: battery costs and weight, the Chinese are just buckling a battery with a capacity of 41.8 kilowatt hours under the 4.87 meter long SUV and want to create an electric range of 150 kilometers. Even if this result does not knock anyone’s stool with such a battery capacity in a 2.2-ton four-wheel drive crossover, it still shows where the journey is headed.

Cheap was yesterday

Because the caffeinated vehicle is supposed to be a premium alternative with prices starting at 50,000 euros. Cheap was yesterday. It should be classy and with large margins in the future. And that doesn’t just mean the materials, the music of the automotive future is digital. The Coffee 01 is equipped with the fast Qualcomm Snapdragon 8155 chip. With its particularly fast computing power, it processes technologies such as 5G, WiFi, face recognition and personalization. Inside there are comfortable front and rear seats, animated instruments, a 14-inch infotainment display and wireless updates. The Ora Cat, a small car with googly eyes that will primarily appeal to female drivers, shows that Great Wall Motors intends to play the entire range of automotive desires. The 4.24 meter long Stromer is expected to cost around 30,000 euros and offers 126 kW / 171 PS and a range of around 400 kilometers, thanks to the 63 kWh battery.

Meanwhile, the tech group Huawei wants to outsmart Apple and has an automobile platform in its luggage at the IAA that demonstrates autonomous driving. The vehicle for this has been around for a long time with the electric SUV Seres Huawei Smart Selection SF5. Now the Chinese want to be at the forefront of technology when it comes to robo-cars.

Xpeng plans flying car

Xpeng, a car manufacturer that not everyone in this country knows, is pursuing a similar goal. The company, headquartered in Guangzhou, rented a virtual booth at the IAA Mobility and presented its product range to trade fair visitors. While the cargo bike seems to be becoming an important means of transport in Germany, Asians rely on a flying car. Thanks to its carbon / lightweight construction, the Xpeng X2 weighs 560 kilograms, is 4.97 meters long and can fly for around 35 minutes at a speed of 130 kilometers at a maximum altitude of 1,000 kilometers. In addition to these high-flying projects, the Chinese are also offering cars such as the Xpeng 7 sedan, which is expected to travel up to 530 kilometers with one charge of the 80 kWh battery. But also the crossover Xpeng G3i, which is intended to inspire young buyers as a Smart City SUV, and the larger BEV Stromer sedan Xpeng P5 are also available. With these cars, too, the Chinese want to score with infotainment and assistants that offer autonomous driving functions.

From catching up to overtaking

Of course, not all that glitters is gold just because it comes from the world’s largest car market. Paper is patient and the cars from the Middle Kingdom first have to show that they can keep up with technology. But the speed with which the Asians are catching up in this area shows that Germany cannot rest on its laurels. Chinese brands come and go. That’s how it was before. But it shouldn’t stay that way, at least if the Chinese government has its way. The principle “by China for the world” is still valid. That means nothing else than that the Middle Kingdom no longer resigns itself to the role of the world workbench, but wants to take on a geopolitical and geo-economic role. But the plan can only succeed if the manufacturers and their products are competitive. That is why the Middle Kingdom is consistently sorted out. From the mass of start-ups and automobile manufacturers, only the strong should dare to make the leap to Europe and the USA and then of course make it. Great Wall Motor with its offshoots Ora and Wey already seem to implement this maxim perfectly. And thats just the beginning. The transport artery to Europe is about to be completed and is called the “Silk Road”.