Changes in the pattern of the heavy-duty automotive industry, local brands are on the rise

With the start of a new round of construction cycles and the adjustment of current over-loading policies, the rapid growth of high-power, large-tonnage heavy-duty vehicles indicates that China’s real “heavy-duty-card era” has arrived, and heavy-duty vehicles will become a strong growth point for China’s auto industry. .

Ma Chunji, chairman of China National Heavy Truck Group Co., Ltd. believes that China is expected to become the world’s second largest auto market and the third largest automaker this year. The heavy-duty auto industry is undergoing qualitative changes.

In 2005, China’s heavy-duty truck market experienced its first negative growth in eight years, a year-on-year decline of over 33%. According to the statistics of China Association of Automobile Manufacturers, in the first quarter of this year, China’s heavy trucks achieved a total of 74,435 units and 65,963 units of production and sales, which were down 20.38% and 9.1% respectively year-on-year, and the market continued to slump. However, since the third quarter, the heavy truck market began to recover across the board. Starting in September of this year, heavy trucks increased by more than 30% year-on-year, becoming the largest segment of commercial vehicle growth this year. “The heavy-duty truck market in the second half of the year began to change the previous downturn with the introduction of the new economic situation and the promotion of consumption promotion.” Kazuo Nakamura, president of Dongfeng Motor Co., Ltd., told China Business News that “this increase will continue in the next year.”

Since April of this year, the sales volume of heavy trucks has jumped for the first time since the first year and a half. From May onwards, the growth rate has been maintained at more than 20%. By October, the highest increase rate has once reached 40%. The growth rate began to increase continuously. Among them, Dongfeng Commercial Vehicles changed the trend since 2005 with the launch of the Tianlong series heavy trucks. Sales volume has regained the top position since October; in addition, both FAW Group and Jinan Heavy Duty Truck have resumed growth.

The heavy truck market will resume growth and lay a foundation for the development of the heavy truck market next year. Ma Chunji predicts that the total volume of logistics transportation in China will continue to climb in 2007, and heavy vehicles will largely enter the renewal period. There are two factors that merit attention. First, after the macroeconomic regulation and control, a new round of construction cycles began. In addition, the country has begun to redouble its efforts to rectify the “overlimit load”. These factors have brought about the development of the heavy truck market. positive influence. This not only opens up broad prospects for the development of China's heavy-duty auto industry, but also will strongly promote the adjustment of the heavy-duty auto product structure toward efficiency, safety, and fuel economy.

Industry insiders predict that with the continuous improvement of production technology and the continuous maturation of market consumption, the domestic heavy truck market will become more and more competitive with large tonnage and high-grade competition. By 2010, the market will have an annual demand of 150,000 vehicles, which is the most profitable for the heavy truck market. A rich cake is bound to arouse competition among major auto companies.

In response to this new competitive situation in the heavy truck market, major domestic auto companies have all launched their own high-end products. The addition of latecomers, especially those large automobile companies such as Dongfeng, SAIC, and FAW, which have rapidly increased in cross-border cooperation, technology, and overall strength in recent years, are rushing to catch up with the pattern of the domestic heavy truck market and the market is facing new challenges. A shuffle.

At the same time, with the gradual rise of domestic heavy trucks, imported heavy trucks have been blocked by the price advantage, and the plans to import domestic joint venture production have been repeatedly blocked. The three giants of Mercedes, Renault and VOLVO heavy trucks plan to land in China before 2006. All died. Among them, the cooperation plan between Mercedes-Benz and Foton was stranded due to the problem of cooperation quotas; Renault Trucks and Dongfeng’s plan was also terminated for the same reason; and VOVLO and Jinan CNHTC's cooperation caused huge disagreement between the two parties, and the VOVLO truck ran away with anger.