Toyoda Zhang appeared in Changshu: New energy, etc. came to the new oligarch?

Toyota, which has been recognized by the industry as the most advanced technology for new energy vehicles, finally has to go to China for a feast of new energy.

On October 22, Toyota invested approximately US$689 million in a wholly-owned research and development center established in Changshu. Compared with Toyota’s R&D center in a Chinese joint venture, Toyota’s Changshu’s wholly-owned R&D center focuses on new energy sources, as well as engines, chassis, and other cores. Technological research and development, and Changshu as the "middle ground" of FAW Toyota and Guangzhou Toyota, is Toyota's third chess piece in China.

"Toyota will develop vehicles equipped with domestic hybrid powertrains during the Twelfth Five-Year Plan, and will strive to achieve production and sales of FAW Toyota and GAC Toyota around 2015." On the same day, Toyota President Toyoda used The Chinese "China market is the most important" ended.

Changshu was considered by the outside world as the only opportunity for Toyota to pursue the public in China in the future. In terms of traditional power, the absolute superiority of Volkswagen cannot be surpassed. However, the high cost of solving the problems of hybrid vehicles through the core parts and components will probably allow Toyota to find a balance in China.

The Prius II China faced the downturn of the Prius in China, and Toyota's "prescription" was made in the powertrain system.

As of August this year, Toyota's global hybrid vehicle sales exceeded 3.3 million, while Japan's well-deserved best-selling vehicle, the domestic Prius in 2005, has very little sales in China and is currently discontinued.

According to the plan, Toyota will introduce a third-generation Prius next year. "At the same time as the introduction of plug-in hybrids and pure electric vehicles in 2013, we will also accelerate the introduction of hybrid vehicles." Revealed the Minister of Toyota's Technical Management Department, Ji Guikuan, said.

Facing the downturn of the Prius in China, Toyota's "prescription" is a powertrain system made in China. Regardless of policy reasons, powertrains have not achieved domestic, low localization rates and high tariffs. This is an important reason for the current high cost of the Prius in China.

According to Toyota’s vice president of technology, Uchiyamada, the cost of the domestic hybrid powertrain will be reduced by half. “After 2020, 95% of cars will still be gasoline and hybrid vehicles. The batteries of electric vehicles will still be a problem. In the short term, the prospects for plug-in hybrid (PHEV) with energy-saving and easy-to-use features will be even better."

In the absence of favorable policies, Toyota's hybrid models must reduce their costs and must make efforts in localization. Chuan Jun, general manager of Toyota Motor R&D Center China Ltd., told reporters that the price of the Prius hybrid vehicle at 200,000 is a possible goal.

Some insiders believe that the main purpose of the Toyota Changshu R&D center is the localization of new energy components. The price of new energy vehicles cannot be reduced because the components are too expensive and the hybrid components are made domestically. Toyota is catching up with the public in China. Only chance.

Over the past ten years, Toyota has used the North American energy crisis in addition to investing in Europe and the United States and rapidly popularizing diesel engines, gasoline direct injection, turbocharged, dual clutch transmissions, high range automatic transmission technologies, and engine start/stop technologies. With the widespread use of hybrid power, there has been little real progress in these emerging power technologies.

In terms of traditional power, even if Toyota introduces turbocharging technology, localization also needs a certain period, and it is difficult for Toyota to surpass the public in the energy-saving emission reduction technology of traditional power. "In terms of traditional energy-saving and emission-reduction technologies, Toyota has not surpassed any other manufacturer or manufacturer, and Toyota has no worries in terms of technology. We believe that what kind of technology is suitable for each type of vehicle and how each vehicle is deployed. Will think twice and do not say that there is this technology, each car will be used." Takeuchi said.

Toyota may think that its products are more reliable, but the Chinese market has never liked to be conservative. In the list of energy-saving subsidies released by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology on October 19, Toyota did not even have one of the 49 models listed on the first list. The public rely on 1.4T technology, even accounting for more than 1/4 of the share.

There are also people in the industry who believe that even if the cost of the powertrain is reduced by half, the price of hybrid power is still higher than that of traditional cars, and Toyota can hardly surpass the public. In addition, the closure of the supply chain system is still Toyota's "hard injury", especially compared with the public's open modular strategy.

The plug-in plug-in hybrid is in accordance with Toyota's always prudent attitude. Hybrid power is Toyota's basic technology for new energy research and development, as an extension of the "adaptive" improvement.

At the technical briefing held before the foundation of the R&D center on the 21st, Ji Guikuan made clear his position: “In 2013, plug-in hybrid (PHEV) and pure electric vehicles (EV) were introduced to China.” This is China's encouragement of new energy vehicles. The policy was proposed more than a year ago, Toyota's first publicly made it clear.

"The backwardness of FAW Toyota and GAC Toyota at the pace of new energy is closely related to Toyota's conservation. In 2009, the state required key enterprises to have new energy vehicles that have passed national certification. Contrary to most key enterprises, Yifeng and Guangfeng There are no similar models."

For Toyota’s unresponsiveness, Chen Jianguo, deputy director of the Department of Industrial Coordination of the National Development and Reform Commission, attacked the scene on the same day. “Although Toyota previously lagged behind in the launch of new energy vehicles, it may be the first to put the market in the future. Plug-in hybrid car."

According to Chen Jianguo, the forthcoming "New Energy Vehicle Development Plan" will quantify the number of new energy vehicles owned by backbone enterprises and the amount of market launches.

With regard to the introduction of specific models, the plug-in Prius and the purely electric RAV4, which have long been tested in China, are the most likely options. “I think that the PHEV model initially put into the market should be based on the Prius, and we will decide on the PHEV plan to be introduced in China based on the results of empirical experiments.” Nakayama responded to reporters' questions about the introduction of models.

Starting early in the morning and catching up with the late set may be Toyota's reality in China. As early as 1998, as part of the China Ministry of Science and Technology, Toyota began experimenting with the RAV4 EV in Shantou, Guangdong. In 1999, it started the empirical experiment of the city's small mobile tool e-com and pushed its pure electric vehicle to the market. The US market, but unsuccessful personal experience, has caused Toyota to lose enthusiasm for pure electric.

Toyota's domestic production of hybrid components and the introduction of plug-in hybrids into China are driven by market competition pressures. On the one hand, it comes from the “cooling down” of pure electric vehicles in China and the plug-in hybrid vehicle market. The outlook is promising.

According to industry insiders, Chen Jianguo remarked on the future of plug-in hybrids. According to the consensus reached by Uchiyamada and Chen Jianguo, compared with pure electric vehicles, the prospects for the popularity of rechargeable hybrid power are better. On the one hand, PHEVs can achieve the minimum amount of batteries to be carried, thereby reducing the cost of vehicles, and on the other hand, Users need to worry about the cruising range after the battery is not enough.

In accordance with Toyota's prudent attitude, hybrid power is Toyota's basic technology for new energy R&D. As a result, the "adaptive" improvement that plug-in hybrid power (PHEV) can be achieved will become a race for China's future new energy vehicle market. It's just a question of "time and timing."

Competing for PHEV delivery volume first, domestic production of hybrid power core components is equally important for the development of PHEVs and EVs. Toyota's hybrid system can use the electric energy in the battery to drive the motor to achieve the pure electric mode. Because of the basis of these hybrid core components (battery, motor, etc.), hybrid technology can relatively easily achieve out-feed charging. Hybrid vehicles, electric vehicles and fuel cell vehicles.

Why Changshu?

This is an option that can geographically respond to North and South Toyotas and effectively balance the interests of North-South joint ventures.

An industry researcher who has studied industrial policy told the reporter that the automobile industry policy encourages joint ventures to establish their own brands on the basis of independent development and accelerate the promotion of product competitiveness, but does not encourage multinational companies to establish wholly-owned R&D centers in China. Because this is likely to weaken the functions of its joint venture R&D center, the joint venture R&D center can only undertake some initial research and development work and is located at the low end of the R&D chain, which does not conform to the trend of industrial policy.

Toyota has repeatedly stressed that the functions of joint venture R&D centers will not be weakened. "In contrast, support from the Japanese headquarters to the joint R&D functions of the local joint venture will be transferred from Japan to China in the future," said Uchida.

At present, FAW Toyota and Guangzhou Toyota R&D Center are mainly engaged in the research and development of the appearance and interior design of the models. In addition to research and development of new energy, the future research and development center of Changshu has research and development of core technologies such as engines and chassis.

The Toyota Changshu R&D center focuses on the development of the platform, while the joint venture focuses on R&D on the platform. The former involves huge investment, including the test track, and is unlikely to be completed in the joint venture. Toyota has two joint venture partners in China. Can't be different and can't engage in two R&D platforms. Any multinational car company is profit-oriented. The expectation that it is too high for them is only China's wishful thinking.

“We will carry out research and development of key technologies and specific systems such as energy-saving technologies and new energy technologies at the R&D center. The newly developed domestic key technologies and related systems will eventually be integrated into vehicle products by the joint venture. “Through this form, we believe that the competitiveness of joint venture R&D will also be improved. ”

According to Uchiyamada, in accordance with the design of Toyoda, Toyota's original headquarters technical support for the joint venture was strategically moved to China. "FAW Toyota and GAC Toyota will apply these research results to the development of the entire vehicle. Changshu R&D Center will form a joint research and development center with two partners to form a 'troika' developed by China."

In fact, the “hollowing out” theory of the joint venture function goes hand in hand with the continuous improvement of the functions and status of the Changshu R&D center. At the beginning of the construction, Toyota has reserved enough room for development for the Changshu base.

Changshu is a choice that can respond geographically to North and South Toyota and effectively balance the interests of North-South joint ventures. At the same time, Changshu itself has unique advantages. The Chery Quantum Production Base that will be released next month is also selected here.

Changshu, which has enough room for development, is also likely to become Toyota's next major vehicle production base. Some industry insiders believe that in the face of future Lexus domestic production, in order to balance the interests of all parties, the establishment of a joint venture between Toyota and FAW, Guangzhou Automobile Co., Ltd. in Changshu to produce Lexus is a feasible approach.