By stocking up on technology, are Chinese cars going the wrong way?

At the Paris show, Chinese brands were in the spotlight. They showed off their strength. But is this technological profligacy really the key to the conquest of Europe?

On its stand at the Paris Motor Show, Aito proudly exhibited its range with the M5, M7 and M9 SUVs. A range, but also a desire to promote technology with the presentation of a complete chassis, engines or the body structure of the M9 making extensive use of the Gigacasting technique. So many demonstrations which hardly attracted attention, unlike what we see at Chinese trade fairs. The audience is clearly not the same.

In the same spirit, the demonstration of the capacity of the M9 headlights was done via the projection of videos on a wall. Wow effect guaranteed, but after a few seconds, you wonder “what is it for”… Too bad, since these headlights equipped with millions of pixels have many other more useful functions: driving aids, navigation…

The Chinese automobile world is caught in a technological spiral, between automobile companies that want to become tech companies (Nio, Xpeng, BYD, etc.) and tech companies that want to sell cars (Huawei, Xiaomi, Baidu, Alibaba …)., On their market, manufacturers therefore compete in ingenuity to constantly offer new functions on their latest models: semi-amphibious vehicle, car that jumps on the spot, that turns on itself, that moves in a perpendicular for better parking, which displays messages to other road users, etc.

However, we must separate the wheat from the chaff. Manufacturers are also working on really useful technologies. For example, advanced autonomous driving systems at level L2+, or even level 4 in parking, are part of this. Just like the latest ultra-fast charging batteries which now achieve a charge coefficient of 5C or 6C. And soon more.

For what identity?

For now, this strategy seems to be working. In the Chinese market. In October, Chinese brands represented more than 60% of registrations, whereas they accounted for less than 40% before 2020. On the electric market, their share has now even reached 90%. . Which could in passing confirm the futility of all efforts by foreign manufacturers to maintain their presence in China.

But it is different in Europe. Here, the customer is not quite the same and he does not have the same relationship with technology. No, despite all its technological content, an Aito M9 will not be able to sell for the same price as a Bentley Bentayga… The latter may display much less equipment on its brochure, but it has at least one thing that it does not have. its competitor from Huawei. A winged B. The European customer remains attached to the intangible elements that the models must express: history, brand image, tradition, know-how.

And it's not necessarily a question of age. Jaguar is almost 90 years old, but the brand has lost its way and its models have lost the link with its very strong identity. Conversely, Genesis has understood the need to build its image brick by brick, even before praising the on-board technology.

An identity that the various Chinese brands clearly lack. You only need to place around ten Chinese sedans or SUVs side by side to see this. Ditto inside with dashboards that are almost interchangeable from one brand to another. So many cars which are attractive, individually, but which ultimately blend into an anonymous mass.

It is therefore probably not for nothing that the Chinese brand which works best in Europe is… MG. Morris Garages, a brand which is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year by launching a roadster which rebuilds the link with its tormented history.

This is undoubtedly one of the most important projects for Chinese manufacturers if they really want to establish themselves in Europe: understanding the European customer and talking to them. Message that is already making its way through the staffs…