SAIC-GM： The vigorous development is just the time to forge ahead into the future.
After nine years, SAIC-GM officially changed coaches: On May 12th, SAIC-GM officially announced that Zhuang Jingxiong took over from Wang Yongqing as the general manager of SAIC-GM. On the occasion of great changes in the automobile industry, the future development and planning of SAIC-GM has once again become the focus of the whole industry.
Nine years ago, Wang Yongqing took over as the general manager of SAIC-GM, and SAIC-GM actively adjusted its marketing strategy. In 2016, its sales increased by 13.9%, and its three major brands sold 1.88 million vehicles throughout the year. In 2017, it sold more than 2 million vehicles-just 20 years after the establishment of SAIC-GM. In 2020, the cumulative production and sales will exceed 20 million vehicles.
Today, nine years later, the automobile consumption market has undergone a butterfly change. Since 2021, the new energy vehicle market has started in sturm und drang, and the independent brands have risen high in the lane-changing overtaking competition, and various capitals have poured in. On Brand Technology Day in the same year, SAIC-GM proposed electrification, intelligence and networking as the three fulcrums of sustainable development, and announced the planning and landing of three core products equipped with Ultium global electric vehicle platform, a new generation of VIP intelligent electronic architecture and Super Cruise super assisted driving system.
At the end of last year, SAIC-GM announced that it would continue to increase its strategic investment. It is planned that by 2025, the total investment in new technologies of electrification and intelligent networking will reach 70 billion yuan. According to the latest sales data, as of April this year, the wholesale volume of SAIC-GM was 80,000 vehicles, up 235.7% year-on-year and 27.4% quarter-on-quarter.
Some commentators believe that SAIC-GM came a little late on the new energy track. But looking at the road of enterprise development, we can see that the market has never been calm, and SAIC-GM has always been one step at a time. Behind the stability of the surface, it is years of continuous braving the wind and waves. Despite the unprecedented market pressure brought by the great changes in the industry, this veteran car company is still determined to work hard, make bold progress, mobilize all resources, grasp the strategic initiative of future development and invest in all-round transformation. In terms of technology landing, it pays more attention to steady and steady progress than blindly rushing to the beach market, and does not "compromise" for traffic and gimmicks.
In April this year, Chen Jining, secretary of the Municipal Party Committee, pointed out that the automobile industry is a pillar industry in Shanghai. As a leading enterprise in the industry, the innovation and transformation of SAIC is related to the high-quality economic development and the sustainable development of the automobile industry in the city. It is necessary to thoroughly study and implement the spirit of the important speeches made by the 20th Party Congress and the General Secretary of the Supreme Leader on his visit to Shanghai, earnestly enhance the sense of responsibility and urgency, firmly develop confidence and determination, and accelerate the innovation transformation with the spirit of self-revolution. The strategy should be clearer, the focus should be more prominent, the innovation should be more focused, and the reform should be more powerful, so as to make greater contributions to promoting high-quality development and enhancing the core competitiveness of Shanghai.
Therefore, the significance of this "coaching change" is not only the change of an automobile enterprise’s future planning, but also the implementation of the development requirements of the municipal party Committee and municipal government’s innovation breakthrough, compliance with industry changes and comprehensive changes in demand, self-innovation and higher quality supply.
As a predecessor, Wang Yongqing laid a solid foundation for the sustainable and high-quality development of SAIC-GM. As a pioneer, it remains to be seen how Zhuang Jingxiong will relay the road of transformation and realize the vision of "leading smart travel and achieving a better life".
SAIC-GM Wuhan Aoteneng Super Factory
Innovate technology and improve the system
Going to the forefront of electrification transformation
Just past the Shanghai Auto Show, referring to the current price war in the auto industry, Zhuang Jingxiong said: "What I want to see more is the value war, not the price war." He pointed out that the electrified track is like a marathon, and the start is only the beginning. If you want to really win, "we must compete for the ability of the whole system and the ability of research and development, and we must also compete for insight into long-term strategy."
To realize the "value war", the core still lies in technological innovation. In the process of accelerating the landing of electric intelligent networked automobile products, SAIC-GM has initially established new competitive advantages in various fields.
In terms of new energy technology, as the cornerstone of GM’s all-round electrification transformation, Otneng electric vehicle platform integrates GM’s 26 years of electrification experience and forward-looking technical advantages, bringing safer, smarter and more performance technical support for pure electric vehicles. SAIC-GM and Pan-Asia Automotive Technology Center, together with local suppliers, have developed a special battery formula for China market, which has the advantages of high thermal stability, low attenuation and long service life.
In terms of new energy system construction, SAIC-GM and Pan-Asia Automotive Technology Center participated in the simultaneous development of the Autoenergy platform and related vehicles, and the Pan-Asia New Energy Test Building and Guangde Battery Safety Laboratory can cover the main test and verification projects of the core three electrical components of new energy vehicles; In terms of manufacturing, following the opening of Shanghai Aoteneng Super Factory, Wuhan Aoteneng Super Factory has been officially put into production, further strengthening the new energy intelligent manufacturing capability; In terms of procurement, more than 95% of the spare parts of Autoenergy platform are locally purchased by using a highly localized business chain system. This means that SAIC-GM has a complete system capability of new energy from R&D, design, engineering, manufacturing to supply chain.
At present, Cadillac LYRIQ sharp song rear drive long battery life version and four-wheel drive performance version have been officially delivered. The Electra E5, Buick’s first Ultrapower platform model, was listed in Wuhan on April 13th, and it was also praised by the outside world as the first model in the joint venture to achieve "the same price of oil and electricity". From 2022 to 2025, the three major brands will have a total of 10 pure electric products.
Buick ELECTRA E5
On the basis of solid product development and quality, SAIC-GM continues to exert its strength in the after-sales service mode of new energy vehicles. Following the release of Cadillac LYRIQ sharp song, the brand launched Cadillac IQ pure electric space. Different from traditional 4S stores, IQ space is located in a prominent position in the business circle of mid-to-high-end large shopping centers, increasing the contact with users’ life scenes, from focusing on cars through professional stores in the past to focusing on users’ experience through life shopping scenes. At the same time, Cadillac launched Cadillac IQ App as the only channel to buy sharp songs, iterating the previous sales model of placing orders through dealers and agents.
This new customer-centered retail scene soon extended to other brands of SAIC-GM. At present, 20 Buick pure electric spaces have been opened in 13 major cities. More than 570 Buick pure electric zones have been opened, covering more than 225 cities. By the end of 2023, it is estimated that the number of Buick pure electric spaces will reach about 60, and the number of pure electric areas will exceed 600.
Aiming at the charging pain point of new energy vehicles, SAIC-GM has established a multi-level charging system: it is estimated that by the end of 2023, there will be more than 1,300 self-built charging terminals including Cadillac IQ exclusive overcharge station and Autoenergy overcharge station, and the number of third-party charging terminals cooperating with mainstream charging operators will reach 400,000, providing users with convenient one-stop charging service.
Cadillac pure electric IQ space
Intelligent networking continues to exert strength.
Promote digital transformation in all directions.
Today, a new generation of information technologies such as big data and artificial intelligence are booming, and the automobile industry has officially entered the era of "data determines experience and software defines cars". In order to realize all-round electrification transformation, comprehensively promoting digital transformation is the key to winning the future.
In November 2022, the Intelligent System and Software Engineering Center (ISSEC) of Pan-Asia Automotive Technology Center was established, focusing on five core areas: intelligent driving, intelligent cockpit, software-defined vehicle, electronic architecture and intelligent vehicle control, to ensure the landing and iterative update of GM’s latest intelligent networking technology.
At present, Pan Asia has nearly 1,300 software and digital talents, more than 10 development laboratories, nearly 1,000 test and verification platforms, 4 joint laboratories and 6 innovation studios.
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? ?Pan-Asia Automotive Technology Center Intelligent System and Software Engineering Center (ISSEC)
Behind the large-scale investment of Pan-Asia Technology Center is the practice of SAIC-GM fully investing in digital transformation and accelerating intelligent networking. Specifically, the digital transformation of SAIC-GM is mainly manifested in the landing of three major technologies.
The first is the VIP intelligent electronic architecture. It is understood that 100% of the electric vehicles on the Aoteneng platform will adopt the VIP intelligent electronic architecture to realize the parallel refresh of OTA of multiple modules of the vehicle, with richer upgrade content and faster upgrade speed. In 2023, GM will launch a brand-new "Software-Defined Vehicle" platform in North America and China. Frequent OTA remote upgrades will bring technical solutions that are more suitable for China road conditions and travel scenarios.
The second is a new generation of Super Cruise super assisted driving system. In the field of intelligent driving, a new generation of Super Cruise super assisted driving system has been installed on Cadillac Ruige and will be gradually applied to future Buick and Chevrolet models.
It is understood that the new generation of Super Cruise has made nine major adjustments and optimizations for China road scenes and consumer driving habits on the basis of North America. The automatic lane change and command lane change functions bring an assisted driving experience close to the real driving style; High-precision maps provide data updates four times a year, and the mileage covered by domestic maps has increased by 50,000 kilometers compared with last year, reaching 350,000 kilometers.
In the future, Super Cruise will regularly carry out iterative upgrades through OTA to provide customers with richer usage scenarios. In addition, the intelligent lane centering assistance function makes driving in urban working conditions easier, and the upgraded parking assistance will also realize the function of remote parking in the future.
The third is a new generation of VCS intelligent cockpit system. At present, this cockpit system jointly developed by General Motors and Pan Asia Automotive Technology Center has been installed on Cadillac LYRIQ Ruige, Buick Century and E5. The system adopts the top hardware in the industry, including Qualcomm Snapdragon 8155 chip, super-large display screen with the highest 9K ultra-high definition, customized audio cooperated with top manufacturers such as AKG and BOSE, iKey mobile phone key, 5G communication module, etc., combined with intelligent scene engine and services provided by eco-partners in the industry, bringing personalized intelligent driving experience to consumers.
Starting from 2023, the VCS intelligent cockpit system will also launch a version equipped with Snapdragon 8195 chip and AR-HUD; Starting from 2024, the VCS intelligent cockpit will also welcome hardware upgrades such as rear entertainment system, four-tone voice command and exterior audio, and continue to introduce more ecological partners to further expand the functions and experiences of the cockpit.
Cadillac LYRIQ Ruige New Generation VCS Intelligent Cockpit System
Standing at the starting point of the new journey, observing the changes of SAIC-GM this year, we can see its status and actions:
Actively take scientific and technological innovation as the starting point, take digital transformation as the support, and further strengthen the determination of electronic transformation and upgrading. Under the trend of electrification, intelligence, networking and sharing, we will persist in taking users as the center and make efforts at both ends of supply and demand, and regard green and low-carbon transformation as the key to the future. I believe that in the future, SAIC-GM will continue to take the promotion of Shanghai’s high-quality development as its important mission and make positive contributions to enhancing the city’s core competitiveness.