8.16.2013

压力重重通用汽车计划转移韩国产能_财经频道_一财网

China Business News, August 16, 2013

在韩国汽车市场销售的汽车品牌主要来自于韩国国内的厂商,比如现代起亚集团。进口税以及本土化率低导致海外汽车品牌很难和现代-起亚品牌竞争。

含(化名)是一名汽车专业的大三学生,非常迷恋韩国电视剧和电影,但是她发现,出现在韩剧里面的车子不是现代汽车的就是起亚汽车的,极少看到通用汽车、大众汽车等人们耳熟能详的汽车品牌。

王含发现,与中国和美国市场的开放性相比,韩国汽车市场基本上是个封闭性的汽车市场,外来的汽车品牌很难在韩国市场生存。

“在韩国汽车市场销售的汽车品牌主要来自于韩国国内的厂商,比如现代起亚集团。进口税以及本土化率低导致海外汽车品牌很难和现代-起亚品牌竞争。”克莱斯勒东北亚前副总裁、香港协同共进有限公司总裁罗威告诉《第一财经日报》记者。

韩国国内市场的封闭性正在间接逼迫海外品牌撤出韩国市场:通用汽车不断释放退出韩国市场的信号;与之相似的是,之前的7月,日本三菱汽车对外发布消息称,由于该公司在韩国的汽车销售行情不佳,将停止在韩国的销售活动,撤离韩国市场。

多重压力

日前,海外媒体报道,考虑到劳动力成本提升以及工会强势等多方因素,通用汽车正计划退出韩国市场。其实,在多重压力之下,通用汽车从去年开始就不断传递其削减在韩国市场业务的信号。

去年,通用汽车旗下欧宝宣布,将从2014年下半年开始将韩国工厂Mokka车型的部分产能转移至西班牙。

除了Mokka外,通用汽车还宣布,有可能放弃在韩国工厂投产下一代雪佛兰爱唯欧,并将其生产业务交由中国及美国工厂。

转移新车生产基地的一方面原因来自韩国工会强势的文化带来的生产不确定性。通用汽车因为在韩国劳资纠纷等因素对当地制造的兴趣减淡,激进的工会文化和不断攀升的劳动力成本让通用汽车开始重新思考其对韩国市场的业务依赖。通用汽车在韩国市场不断遭遇罢工,去年7月至9月期间,通用韩国公司遭遇了该公司2002年成立以来规模最大的罢工,罢工导致该公司减产4.8万辆汽车。

通用汽车高层对上述媒体表示,需要确保能够将韩国市场上面临的业务风险转移,不仅仅是在未来2~3年,而是在未来很长一段时间,不要再对韩国市场的业务表现出极高的依赖。

过去10年里,韩国市场上的劳动力成本大幅攀升,从而使得韩国市场上的汽车生产成本提升,如果汽车企业再没有规模化优势,其就缺乏竞争力。OECD(经合组织)数据显示,截至2009年的10年时间内,韩国制造业的人均总劳动力薪酬跳涨了119%,高于美国40%和欧元区27%的上涨速度。

除了劳动力成本提升,在过去的一年里,韩元汇率的走强也在一定程度上降低了通用汽车从韩国市场出口的竞争优势,毕竟,通用汽车在韩国5个工厂生产的80%的车型都是出口至海外其他市场。同时,韩国本土汽车市场这两年也不景气,去年韩国国内销量为140万辆左右,下滑4.2%。

封闭市场

韩国市场不仅容量小,同时,也是一个相对封闭的市场,海外汽车品牌在韩国市场不具备竞争优势。

2002年,通用汽车收购韩国大宇汽车以进入韩国市场并获得大宇小型车技术,现在韩国市场已经成为通用汽车重要的出口基地和研发中心。罗威分析认为,大宇作为通用汽车的合作伙伴来说,帮助通用汽车提升了小型车技术,将生产的小型车出口到中国等其他市场。但是,在韩国本土市场,与现代-起亚集团相比,大宇公司并不能给合作伙伴通用汽车带来规模化上的竞争优势。

2012年,韩国5家汽车整车生产企业全球销量共计819万辆,其中出口销量为679万辆,国内销售为140万辆。在韩国国内市场上,现代-起亚市场占有率接近八成,其中现代汽车占42.89%,起亚汽车33.78%,其他份额主要来自通用大宇、双龙,雷诺三星等在韩国本土生产的汽车品牌,进口车奔驰和宝马所占的市场份额微乎其微。

多年来,韩国本土汽车厂商始终保持了以上的竞争格局,其他汽车制造商并未在韩国取得突破性优势,现代-起亚品牌在更早的时期在国内市场占有率曾超过90%。由于不具备规模化优势,海外汽车品牌就很难与现代-起亚竞争。

造成韩国汽车品牌为主导的汽车市场存在多方面原因,其中一个重要的原因是韩国政府对本土品牌的支持,韩国政府通过高关税将外国制造商拒之门外。

韩国政府在1962年制定的《汽车工业保护法》大幅度提高了进口汽车关税,直到1985年韩国汽车工业基本成熟后,才在其他国家的压力下开始逐步降低。1987年进口关税降低到50%,1989年降到25%,到1995年降到8%左右就基本保持稳定,不过即使关税一再降低,进口车仍然在韩国难以有大幅度增长。韩国方面还对汽车进口商推出非关税壁垒措施,比如限制建立进口汽车销售网络;禁止在电视和报刊上做广告;对购买外国高级汽车的顾客进行特别税务检查;政府推行反奢侈和“买韩国货”运动等。

“拥有民族品牌的汽车”是韩国汽车工业规划的重要目标、汽车工业发展的重要标志。他们在较短的期限内有一个非常明确的目标:KD组装—引进技术,提高国产化—国内自主生产,自主开发车型—促进大企业成为骨干企业集团,参与海外竞争—拓展海外市场。

“韩系汽车制造商包括现代及起亚占据充分的本土优势,在上世纪90年代异军突起,在主要竞争领域比如价格、车型、性能、油耗等方面都提供了丰富的、足可以媲美全球竞争对手的产品。当然在韩国汽车起步时期,韩国政府对于本土汽车厂商的倾斜政策也确保了韩系制造商成为市场上的强者。” 普华永道大中华地区汽车行业主管合伙人廖仲敏告诉记者。


(编辑:付筱婧)


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8.15.2013

Bill Russo to Discuss Outlook for Chinese Auto Market and Luxury Brands at Investor Conference Call


Investor Conference Call, August 21, 2013

Expert:  
William Russo
Founder and President, Synergistics Ltd.
Wed, 8/21 at 10 a.m. EDT 
REGISTER 
Replay available upon request.

EXPERT INSIGHTS ON:
  • Five year growth outlook for China’s premium car segment
  • Big three German OEMs vs. smaller players
  • Demand drivers and adoption rates for SUVs and sports sedans
  • Premium car buyer spending patterns, customer loyalty and opportunities for new brands
  • Market segmentation from eastern to western provinces and from large to small tier cities
  • Companies: Ford (F), General Motors (GM), Volkswagen (VOW), Toyota (TM),Honda (HMC), Chrysler, Nissan (NSANY), Hyundai (HYMTF), Daimler AG(DDAIF), BMW AG (BMW)

The Chinese auto market has passed a key inflection point, downshifting to a more sustainable growth pattern in-line with GDP. Competition is intense among the foreign and domestic vehicle OEMs as they adjust to the slower environment and attempt to stay profitable. While structural challenges will likely result in negative pricing and margin pressures, certain segments will continue to drive profitability, including luxury cars and SUVsIt remains to be seen if automakers and their partners can understand and anticipate these developments and implement strategies to diversify revenue streams.

ABOUT OUR EXPERT:
Bill Russo is President of Synergistics, Ltd, a consulting firm to the auto market and he has more than 25 years of experience in the industry. Prior to Synergistics he was VP of Chrysler Northeast Asia, where he successfully negotiated and secured government approval for six vehicle programs with three different Asian partners. In this time period, he launched a regional holding company as well as two distribution companies and oversaw the industrialization of the first Chrysler and Dodge-branded vehicles in Asia. He holds a U.S. patent for his innovative efforts towards reducing automotive new product development cycle time and is a published author and opinion leader whose viewpoints have appeared throughout several media outlets.

OUR ANALYST:  
Michael Cohen         Director, Consumer Research 

8.12.2013

Bill Russo to Deliver Keynote Speech at 2013 SAE New Energy Vehicle Forum

Shanghai, China, November 12, 2013

Click here to view the preliminary agenda 


SAE International's New Energy Vehicle Forum in Shanghai Explains China Opportunities for EV/PHEV/HEV and Alternative Powertrain Suppliers

This article was originally distributed via PRWeb. PRWeb, WorldNow and this Site make no warranties or representations in connection therewith.

SOURCE: 
Major focuses of the SAE 2013 New Energy Vehicle Forum, Nov. 12-13, in Shanghai, China, are the partnership/collaborative and financial opportunities available in China for companies with near-commercialization technologies, components and systems for electrified vehicles.

Warrendale, PA (PRWEB) August 23, 2013

Major focuses of the SAE 2013 New Energy Vehicle Forum, Nov. 12-13, in Shanghai, China, are the partnership/collaborative and financial opportunities available in China for companies with near-commercialization technologies, components and systems for electrified vehicles.

North American and European vehicle sales are projected to remain relatively stagnant - constraining commercialization opportunities for many new and potential entrants into the EV/PHEV/HEV supply chain. Chinas market, however, continues as the worlds automotive growth market. And Chinas commitment to new energy vehicles, CleanTech and CO2 reduction, along with its need to develop indigenous engineering and technology capabilities, has resulted in a new round of strengthened government incentives to support and encourage opportunities for advanced/alternative powertrain suppliers through cross-border partnerships and collaboration.

The Forum is designed in part for new entrants into the electrified vehicle supplier base as well as companies interested in finding low cost alternatives for commercializing innovative EV technologies in China. The Forums plenary session, Strategic Approaches to NEV (New Energy Vehicle) and Advanced/Alternative Powertrain Development features an in-depth discussion of Chinas Energy Saving and New Energy Vehicle Automotive Industry Plan 2012 2020 which outlines the governments incentives; the current status and needs of Chinas domestic electrified vehicle technology suppliers; and a contrasting examination of technology development and deployment in the U.S. and other regions.

A featured speaker in the plenary is Bill Russo, President and CEO, Synergistics and Senior Advisor, Booz & Company who will present The Circuitous Path to Electrification of Chinas Automotive Industry.

Following the plenary are two independent presentation tracks. The technology track, Overcoming Technical Barriers to EV Adoption addresses topics in EV/NEV Charging and Infrastructure; energy management approaches to powertrain integration; and optimal EV/NEV battery operation, control and testing. The business development track, Developing Chinas NEV Supplier Base: Cross-Border Partnership and Collaborative Opportunities addresses successful partnership and collaborative approaches for building Chinas NEV supplier base; finance/equity and investment sources and mechanisms; and services to facilitate cross-border partnerships.

In the business development track, key legal and regulatory advice will be provided by China-based law firms involved in guiding numerous public and private equity, cross-border, arrangements in China. Omario S. Kanji, Partner, Price Cao PRC Lawyers will present Risks and Rewards: Balancing Technology Transfer and Market Access and Edward Lehman of Lehman, Lee & Xu, China Lawyers will present Successful Approaches to Negotiation and Proper Handling of IP, Patents and Trade Secrets. In addition, case studies of successful public/private equity joint ventures and technical cooperation agreements will be examined. 

For additional information regarding registration for the Forum, please visit: http://www.sae.org/events/nev/.


SAE International is a global association committed to being the ultimate knowledge source for the engineering profession. By uniting over 138,000 engineers and technical experts, we drive knowledge and expertise across a broad spectrum of industries. We act on two priorities: encouraging a lifetime of learning for mobility engineering professionals and setting the standards for industry engineering. We strive for a better world through the work of our philanthropic SAE Foundation, including programs like A World in Motion® and the Collegiate Design Series. 
For the original version on PRWeb visit: http://www.prweb.com/releases/2013/8/prweb11054211.htm

8.11.2013

China's Luxury Car Market Decelerating, Not Braking

Ward's Auto World,  July 11, 2013

Although growth rates may be cooling down, the country still is the most important global market for most luxury auto makers and will remain so for the foreseeable future.

Rolls-Royce expands China range with Wraith coupe.

by Alysha Webb
CHONGQING, China – China’s economy is slowing and the Communist Party is urging restraint on conspicuous consumption. But predictions of a big hit on luxury-car sales don’t seem to be coming true.
“We are delighted to see a healthy, sustainable growth in China and we are confident it will continue in the future,” says Colin Yang, senior manager-Rolls-Royce China.
That confidence may be justified. Demand for luxury vehicles is expected to continue to rise along with incomes in China. Although growth rates may slow, the country still is the most important global market for most luxury auto makers, and will remain so for the foreseeable future.
“Whatever short-term adjustments the market may face, there is plenty more growth to come for luxury cars in the long term,” says Bill Russo, president of consultancy Synergistics and former vice president of Chrysler Northeast Asia.
Rolls-Royce doesn’t release detailed sales figures, saying only that it is not a volume manufacturer. But the auto maker does disclose China accounted for about 25% of the 3,575 luxury cars it delivered in 2012. The China Daily reports Rolls-Royce China sales rose 40% in 2012.
“We focus on the high-end buyer who buys for business purposes,” Yang tells last month’s China Auto Market Summit held here. “In China, those buyers have inelastic demands.”
Some ultra-luxury brands forecast lackluster growth in China this year. Lamborghini expected 2013 sales to be about the same as 2012, when it delivered 234 of its sleek high-performance cars in the country. 
Ferrari and Porsche also expected 2013 volumes to remain roughly at 2012 levels, but there are signs that indicate otherwise. Porsche sales, for example, rose 20% in the first six months of 2013 to 18,323 units.
Imported ultra-luxury models such as Rolls and Lamborghini are a tiny segment of China’s overall high-end market. Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz, all of which produce locally as well as import some of their most-expensive models, account for 75% of luxury demand.
Sales have slowed at all three, but only relatively. BMW’s China deliveries in first-half 2013 rose 15% to 182,800 units compared with 29% growth in all of 2012. Audi was up 18% through six months to 228,139 after 30% growth last year. Mercedes slipped 0.5% in the first half after inching up only 1.5% in 2012, then saw a 16% gain in June after a reorganization of its sales unit.
The segment was due for a slowdown, says Ashvin Chotai, managing director of U.K.-based Intelligence Automotive Asia. Sales of luxury vehicles in China surged from about 300,000 units in 2009 to nearly 1.2 million in 2012.
Nonetheless, Chotai says, high-end models will outperform the Chinese market overall in 2013. He forecasts luxury sales will grow 13% in 2013, compared with only 9% for the car segment as a whole.
“In a global context, growth in China's luxury-vehicle market will remain healthy in the medium and long term, but it will not be as spectacular as we saw in the period 2009-2012,” Chotai predicts.
Audi’s continued strong performance points to the limited impact of the government’s austerity policy, according to Synergistics' Russo. “Despite Audi’s image as the government’s preferred brand, sales of Audi cars have not been significantly impacted by the government austerity program since government sales are only a tiny proportion of their total,” he notes.
Any drop in government purchases could be offset by growth in other areas, such as China’s small and medium-sized cities, Chotai says, adding, “In the long run, the number of more affluent upper-middle-class and high-net-worth buyers should fuel the expansion of (the luxury segment) for many years to come.”
China’s economy is forecast to grow about 7.5% in 2013. While most countries would be happy with that number, it is a significant slowdown from recent years. But the moderation of gross domestic product growth hides rising wealth in the country and a growing appetite for luxury goods including cars.
A recent report by McKinsey & Co. says the affluent segment of Chinese households who buy premium vehicles is expected to grow at a compound annual rate of 16% between now and 2020. The consultancy predicts luxury-car sales in the country will hit 3 million units by then.
China might become the world’s largest premium-car market as early as 2016, says McKinsey. It defines premium as vehicles costing more than RMB1.25 million ($204,000 at current exchange rates).
McKinsey says 60% of those surveyed consider buying a car as important as buying an apartment and paying for their children’s education.
Auto makers are gearing to meet anticipated demand in China by expanding their product offerings.
General Motors has begun building a $1.3 billion, 160,000-unit capacity plant in Shanghai to produce Cadillacs. GM sold 30,000 units of its top-end marque in China in 2012 and aims to sell 100,000 by 2015. The strategy: Introduce one new Cadillac model a year through 2016 and expand the dealer network to 200 by the end of this year, up from 69 in 2011.
GM China expects 2013 luxury-segment expansion to be only 4%. “The luxury market is not growing at a level we expected at the start of this year, but we still feel the luxury market is going to continue to grow here in China,” says a spokeswoman for the U.S. auto maker.
Rolls-Royce introduced an extended-wheelbase version of its Phantom Series II in China last year, followed this year by the launch of its Wraith coupe.
“This year we are confident, with the Phantom Series II and the latest-model Wraith, the brand will attract (a wider range of) customers,” Yang says.