The competition in the domestic automobile market continues to intensify, driving technological innovation and consumption upgrades while also giving rise to a series of new phenomena and controversies. The frequent launch of new models and dense (intensive) press conferences have become the norm in the industry. Although statistics on the number of new models vary depending on the source, the public does perceive an increasing frequency of iterations akin to smartphones. Consequently, there are claims that 'automobiles have become fast-moving consumer goods,' question (raising questions) about 'Chinese automakers manufacturing cars like fast-moving consumer goods,' and the emergence of new terms such as 'hastily-made vehicles.' This has sparked heated discussions on the merits of 'hastily-made vehicles' versus 'efficient vehicles.'

This may represent an inevitable 'period of oscillation (turbulence)' in the cognitive framework during the accelerated technological progress and product iteration in the automotive industry. However, interpreting 'automobiles becoming fast-moving consumer goods' as a trend is not only biased but also potentially misleading. I believe it is necessary to return to the fundamentals and clarify the concepts.

Fast-moving consumer goods are typically characterized by low unit prices, short consumption cycles, and simple purchasing decisions, with rapid production, consumption, updates, and frequent repurchases as their underlying business logic. In contrast, automobiles directly relate to the life safety of drivers, passengers, and road users, with a lifespan extending over a decade or even longer. From research and development, engineering, testing, and calibration to market launch, after-sales service, recalls, and guarantees, the entire process adheres to stringent industrial standards and regulatory constraints, fundamentally differing from the attributes of fast-moving consumer goods.

In the era of electrification and intelligence, automakers have gained the ability to respond rapidly to user needs, which was difficult during the era of fuel-powered vehicles, significantly enhancing the speed and efficiency of technological iteration. However, this has not altered the fundamental attributes of automobiles as high-safety-standard, long-lifecycle, complex, and sophisticated industrial products. Even as automobiles evolve from traditional transportation tools to intelligent mobile terminals, and even if OTA upgrades, chip computing power iterations, and intelligent driving version updates rapidly enhance user experience, and even if some automakers apply smartphone marketing models to automobiles, creating an illusion of fast-moving consumer goods, automobiles remain a pinnacle of modern industry, precisely integrated from tens of thousands of components, manufactured through the collaboration of vast supply chains, related to life safety, and requiring substantial investment and long-term validation.

Whether viewed from the perspectives of safety responsibilities, lifecycle, research and development manufacturing thresholds, or consumption attributes, automobiles do not belong to the category of fast-moving consumer goods. The notion of 'automobiles becoming fast-moving consumer goods' is a harmful cognitive misdirection that reduces a life-safety-related major industrial product to an electronic consumer good that can be casual (casually) and rapidly iterated and replaced. If this misinterpretation becomes mainstream, it will distort the underlying logic of the automotive industry and undermine the foundation of consumer trust in the sector. Automobiles are not fast-moving consumer goods—they never were, nor are they now or in the future.

Of course, at the industry level, it is essential to convey the industrial characteristics of automobiles, which require heavy investment and long development cycles, correct one-sided perceptions of 'fast-moving consumer goods-ization,' and remain vigilant against and prevent the impetuous (impetuous) tendencies and short-sighted behaviors of some automakers engaging in 'fast-moving consumer goods-style car manufacturing,' fostering a consensus on long-termism within the industry. At the corporate level, companies should uphold strict quality and safety standards, respect the objective laws of car manufacturing, conduct marketing and communication rationally, avoid exaggerating technological innovations or over-packaging products, adhere to automotive-grade research and development verification standards, and reduce cognitive misdirection from the source. Consumers, in turn, should establish a consumption mindset that recognizes automobiles as major durable industrial goods, understand the difference between 'automotive-grade' and ordinary 'consumer-grade' products, accept the industrial logic that 'stability trumps speed,' and embrace the travel upgrade experiences brought about by technological progress with a rational consumption mindset.

Regarding the debate between 'hastily-made vehicles' and 'efficient vehicles,' I believe the focus should not be on speed itself but on the underlying logic of acceleration. A car manufacturing model that cuts verification processes and sacrifices safety and quality to expedite progress deviates from industrial norms and is neither advisable nor sustainable. In contrast, period optimization achieved through organizational efficiency improvements, relying on digital tools, modular platforms, and efficient ecological collaboration, while fully adhering to vehicle standards and processes, represents commendable efficient development. The automotive industry rejects short-sighted logic. Car manufacturing can accelerate, but the bottom line (bottom line) must not be compromised. Speed is never the criterion for judgment; upholding safety and quality standards is the sole benchmark for distinguishing between 'hastily-made' and 'efficient.' The notion of 'automobiles becoming fast-moving consumer goods' is a false proposition, and pursuing 'fast-moving consumer goods-style car manufacturing' is the true risk that requires vigilance.

(This article is based on a video with the same title released on August 20th on the 《Liu Yan on Branding》 video channel. The author is the Deputy Secretary-General of the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers and the President of Auto Review Magazine.)

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