New energy vehicle races are a significant driving force for showcasing the technological capabilities of new energy vehicles, enhancing brand influence, and promoting industrial development. They also provide a strong impetus for the transformation and development of the automotive industry in hosting cities.

On May 24, 2014, when inspecting SAIC Motor, General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out, 'Developing new energy vehicles is the inevitable path for China to transform from a major automobile producer to a powerful one.' Looking back over the past decade, China's new energy vehicle industry has surged ahead, becoming the world's largest producer and seller of new energy vehicles for nine consecutive years. New energy vehicles have emerged as the primary engine of new productivity, the primary choice for eco-friendly travel, and a vital force driving consumption. Their rapid adoption has also fueled the prosperity of automotive cultural events.

Since the inception of the automobile, automotive races have been an integral part of its history, spanning over a century. In the era of new energy vehicles, automotive races will continue to play an indispensable role: showcasing the superior performance of new energy vehicles, enhancing corporate product image, and differentiating products. From an industry perspective, new energy vehicle races not only promote technological innovation and performance enhancement but also enrich user experiences, foster a new energy vehicle consumption atmosphere, and contribute to the prosperity of the new energy vehicle market.

From July 20 to 22, the 'Warm City Cup · 2024 (Second Edition) China New Energy Vehicle Erdos Challenge' was successfully held in Erdos Kangbashi District, organized by the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers and Erdos Municipal People's Government, and undertaken by Kangbashi District People's Government and Erdos Municipal Bureau of Industry and Information Technology. During the event, Auto Review journalists conducted in-depth interviews with event organizers, automakers, and driver representatives to explore how new energy vehicle races empower the automotive industry.

'Touchstone' for Testing Product Strength

Automotive products undergo repeated verification and testing during design, development, experimentation, and usage to enhance performance. Racing events, as extreme sports, provide valuable references for assessing vehicles' dynamics, drivetrain efficiency, safety and reliability, handling, and acceleration capabilities.

As a national-level event, the China New Energy Vehicle Endurance Race offers a crucial platform for showcasing new energy vehicles. With numerous new energy models competing side by side, consumers have ample opportunities to gain a comprehensive understanding of various models. To better simulate real-world usage scenarios, this year's competition featured endurance races, obstacle courses, smart parking challenges, elk tests, and slalom handling master challenges, challenging the limits of vehicle performance under the expert guidance of professional drivers. Furthermore, the event organizing committee invited industry experts and professional media to objectively evaluate participating vehicles, focusing on energy efficiency, range, intelligence, handling, and design – key concerns for new energy vehicle users. This provides consumers with authentic and reliable references for car purchases.

In an interview with the media, Hou Hongning, a truck driver, remarked, 'Racing unmodified mass-produced vehicles poses new challenges for professional drivers. However, the smooth power delivery, comfort, and intelligence of new energy vehicles significantly enhance drivers' comfort during races, conserve energy, and improve efficiency.' Hou noted that new energy vehicle races generally offer greater comfort than traditional fuel-powered races, expressing hope for more such events to enrich the racing scene.

Tang Longchuan, an engineer at Kaiyi Automobile Research Institute, believes that new energy vehicle races accommodate a wider range of vehicle types and align with the industry's development trend. As new energy vehicles represent the future direction of the industry, keeping pace with global automotive advancements in China and worldwide, they hold immense potential.

Ma Xin, Director of Dongfeng Nano's Northern Region, shared with the media that participating in races comprehensively showcases the product strength and technological prowess of Dongfeng Nano 01. Under extreme racing conditions, the model's performance, durability, and reliability are thoroughly tested, aiding in the timely identification and rectification of potential issues, further optimizing the driving experience.

'Catalyst' for Building Brand Image

Since its inception, motorsport has captivated countless enthusiasts. However, China's automotive industry and motorsport lag behind, lacking world-renowned automotive brands and top-tier racing events, despite being the world's largest automotive producer and seller for years.

Currently, China accounts for over 60% of global new energy vehicle production and sales, boasting leading product technology and performance, laying a solid foundation for intellectualization. In recent years, autonomous driving technology has accelerated its application in global transportation, with high-level autonomous driving achieved in commercial vehicles and specific closed environments. Passenger vehicles are gradually transitioning from autonomous driving tests and pilot demonstrations to commercial operations. The rapid development of the intelligent and connected new energy vehicle industry has also opened up new scenarios for automotive racing events.

'Currently, most new energy vehicle races in China follow traditional passenger vehicle competition rules and standards, necessitating innovation to attract audiences,' explained Xu Haidong, Deputy Chief Engineer of the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers. 'Despite China's robust new energy vehicle development, homogenization competition remains a challenge. Racing events can showcase automakers' technological advantages, solidify unique brand characteristics in consumers' minds, and facilitate future brand building.' Xu further noted that truly international brands will leverage racing events to enhance their brand strength, driving China's new energy vehicle development and exports, ultimately contributing to China's transformation from a major automotive producer to a powerful one.'

Ma Xin of Dongfeng Nano concurred, stating, 'Motorsport is a vital platform for enhancing automotive brands and models' influence. Outstanding race results significantly boost consumer awareness and trust in brands and models, while event exposure generates additional market opportunities.' Wang Hongfei, Deputy General Manager of Jinlong Heavy Truck Sales, echoed this sentiment, emphasizing that racing events foster healthy competition and innovation, providing automakers with opportunities to showcase their capabilities and achievements, thereby supporting the upward development of new energy vehicle brands.

'Booster' for Local Automotive Industry Transformation and Upgrading

Erdos boasts unique and comprehensive automotive racing infrastructure. Building on the success of last year's inaugural 'Warm City Cup · China New Energy Vehicle Erdos Challenge,' this year's event featured even more comprehensive preparations and innovative race designs.

Wu Jianxun, Vice Mayor of Erdos, noted that as a national priority 'sand, gobi, and desert' wind and solar energy base, Erdos has approved over 70 million kilowatts of new energy installed capacity, ranking first among Chinese prefecture-level cities. Leveraging abundant green energy resources, Erdos has formulated policies to support the development of the automotive components industry, established a 2 billion RMB automotive industry eco-development fund, and prioritized the construction of an advanced new energy vehicle manufacturing cluster focused on pure electric and hydrogen-powered vehicles. The city has attracted leading enterprises like Chery, Xiamen Kinglong, and Dongfeng Liuzhou Automobile, along with over 150 supporting enterprises spanning batteries, motors, electronic controls, sales and maintenance, recycling, and the entire automotive supply chain.

Erdos also stands as a policy 'depression' for new energy vehicle promotion. Aligned with carbon neutrality goals, Erdos prioritizes green and low-carbon transportation, implementing a green transportation development plan. The city pioneered differentiated new energy vehicle tolls and full subsidies for hydrogen-powered vehicles. Erdos has constructed three smart new energy land ports, ten hydrogen refueling stations, and 2,661 charging piles. In 2023, new energy vehicle ownership surged 87% year-on-year, with 82% of city buses electrified. Recognized as a national fuel cell vehicle demonstration city within the Shanghai urban agglomeration and a national pilot city for comprehensive electrification of public transportation, Erdos injects robust green momentum into new energy vehicle industry development.

Moreover, Erdos serves as a 'highland' for new energy vehicle intelligence demonstrations. Leveraging its advantages in coal mine logistics, urban logistics, and green energy consumption, Erdos has collaborated with the Tsinghua University Suzhou Automotive Research Institute and industry leaders to establish an intelligent and connected innovation center. The city has introduced leading domestic autonomous driving companies like Kar Power, Pony.ai, and Baidu to conduct driverless heavy truck, taxi, and logistics vehicle tests, successfully becoming a national pilot city for 'vehicle-road-cloud integration' in intelligent and connected vehicles, presenting new opportunities for rapid intelligent transportation development.

Notably, Erdos hosted various activities during the new energy vehicle challenge, orchestrating a rich symphony for new energy vehicle development. It is anticipated that Erdos will emerge as a significant intelligent and connected new energy vehicle production and marketing hub in western China, steadily advancing on the green and low-carbon development track.

In conclusion, the empowering role of new energy vehicle races on the automotive industry is evident. As stated by Fu Bingfeng, Executive Vice President and Secretary-General of the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers, new energy vehicle races are crucial drivers for showcasing technological capabilities, enhancing brand influence, and promoting industrial development. They also provide robust impetus for local automotive industry transformation and upgrading. Additionally, race results offer intuitive insights into the actual performance of various new energy vehicle brands, comprehensively and professionally showcasing China's comprehensive strength in new energy vehicle industry development, ultimately facilitating the industry's high-quality growth. Note: This article was originally published in the 'Industry Reports' section of the September 2024 issue of Auto Review magazine. Stay tuned for more updates.

Image credit: Racing event

Article: Auto Review

Typesetting: Auto Review