Recently, FAW, a domestic automotive manufacturer, and Freescale, an automotive electronics manufacturer, formed a partnership to establish a joint automotive electronics laboratory. The laboratory is established in the FAW Technology Center, focusing on new technology research and development, involving various fields of automotive electronics, focusing on powertrain control, chassis control, active safety, and new energy electronic control.
Provide customized services based on the needs of vehicle manufacturers
Customization allows vehicle manufacturers to match different software and hardware.
Previously, another domestic automotive brand manufacturer, Foton, also established a partnership with Freescale to establish an automotive electronics laboratory. It is understood that this laboratory is the first automotive electronics project to officially cooperate with Foton Motors. The establishment of the laboratory aims to jointly develop semiconductor chips, software, and system solutions for the next generation of Foton vehicles.
In the automotive industry, there used to be a problem where automotive manufacturers typically contacted primary and secondary suppliers, who provided an“ Black Box”, The underlying software, protocols, hardware processors, and other information inside cannot be known by automobile manufacturers, and automobile manufacturers cannot choose and assemble them. “The entire vehicle manufacturer can only use what is contained in the box,” Zhang Xiaoxian, Deputy Secretary General of the Alliance for Independent Research and Development and Industrialization of China Automotive Electronics Basic Software, told China Electronics News.
This situation has led to the inability of automobile manufacturers to choose based on their own design needs, and has also resulted in higher costs. At the same time, when a car fails, it is impossible to accurately determine which link is causing the problem. These are not conducive to the accumulation of core technologies and the improvement of market competitiveness of automobile manufacturers.
“Currently, in the cooperation mode of automobile manufacturers, Freescale can provide customized services based on the design requirements of automobile manufacturers. Now, vehicle manufacturers hope to master all components and core technologies on the vehicle, so as to make special configurations for their own models. In the current cooperation mode, different software and hardware combinations can be made according to the requirements of vehicle manufacturers.” Zhang Huanlin, General Manager of High Field Marketing and Business Development of Freescale Semiconductor in Asia Pacific, told reporters.
In addition, in-depth cooperation between complete vehicle manufacturers such as Foton and FAW and upstream automotive electronics manufacturers can shorten the development cycle and accelerate the launch of new generation vehicles.
In response, CCID consultant Yuan Yuan told China Electronic News: “This kind of cooperation is a measure to enhance the competitiveness of independent automobile brands. From the perspective of the performance of the automobile market, joint venture brands and imported brands have better sales, while the market performance of independent automobile brands is slightly inferior. Looking for a more mature automotive electronics manufacturer to cooperate with, and can obtain customized services, which helps improve the core technology and autonomy of independent automobile brand enterprises.”
There are three popular applications for automotive electronics
Currently, popular applications mainly include new energy vehicles, vehicle safety, and communication and entertainment systems.
The degree of automotive electronics is constantly deepening, shifting from “peripheral functions” to “basic functions.”. In the 1980s, automotive electronics implemented functions such as car audio, air conditioning, and windshield wipers; By 2010, there will be electric power steering, vehicle navigation, engine control, airbag, and other functions; It is expected that by 2015, the functions implemented by automotive electronics will also include automatic driving, pre collision warning, and monitoring. In addition, emerging markets such as the Internet of Vehicles and new energy vehicles will boost the development of the automotive market.
“Currently, there are three main popular applications of automotive electronics, namely, in new energy vehicles, automotive safety, and communication and entertainment systems,” Freescale Zhang Huanlin told China Electronics News. “Freescale will use its advantages in IC integration, manufacturing, and quality to promote the development of the Chinese automotive electronics market. Through cooperation, it will shorten the development cycle of new technologies, assist in achieving core technological innovation in the field of automotive electronics, and continuously introduce safer, environmentally friendly vehicles with a rich driving experience.”.
In 2011, China’s domestic demand for automobiles was 17.569 million, and its export volume is expected to reach 1 million in 2012. “China’s automobile market has a large space, which can be based on domestic demand and expand exports.” Yuan Yuan believes, “The market space is mainly manifested in domestic demand and import and export. There are three main aspects of domestic demand, mainly domestic automobile consumption demand, used car replacement, and potential automobile demand, such as the potential automobile demand in the central and western regions and second and third tier cities. In terms of import and export, there are still many opportunities.”
However, at present, the research and development capabilities of domestic complete vehicle enterprises are relatively weak; Domestic automotive electronics manufacturers mainly play the role of automotive components, mainly concentrated in the aftermarket, with low technological content. Moreover, due to excessive concentration, there is less profit margin due to fierce competition& rdquo; Yuan Yuan pointed out.
With the huge space in the Chinese automotive market, Chinese automotive companies need to seek breakthroughs in industrialization. Chinese automotive companies should work together with upstream links and also link multiple links such as design and testing, rather than staying at the assembly level. At the same time, we should closely follow the pace of the market and explore some core technologies for industrialization. In terms of technical aspects, it is necessary to improve and re develop on the basis of imported technology, so as to accumulate technical advantages. In addition, investment, talent, supporting facilities, and intellectual property rights should also be strengthened.
In addition, Yuan Yuan added that in the cooperation of the entire industrial chain, automotive companies have the greatest voice, but they still need government support to build a cooperation platform to boost the cooperation of the industrial chain.
The development of automobiles in the future cannot be separated from the support of automotive electronics, and there will be broad space for independent automobile brands. For example, pollution-free cars, silent cars, solar powered cars, and driverless cars may be seen in the future through the realization of interior pollution-free, weight reduction, noise reduction, solar cells, and temperature control through automotive electronics. The future automotive market is bound to play a significant driving role in the development of China’s automotive electronics industry.
Customization makes car manufacturers more proactive
When it comes to cars, people are not unfamiliar; But when it comes to automotive electronics, everyone may be a bit unfamiliar. Automotive electronics is the technical support for automobiles. For example, on-board systems, GPS navigation, and car TV in automobiles are all implemented with the support of automotive electronics technology.
The entire automotive chain mainly includes three links: automotive electronics manufacturers, automotive manufacturers, and consumers. Automotive electronics technology is an upstream link in automotive manufacturing.
People will pay more attention and praise to automobiles, but it is surprising that the former automobile manufacturers are in a relatively passive position.
The automotive electronic technology purchased by automobile manufacturers is packaged in nature, and automobile manufacturers do not know how the technology is developed, how to adjust performance, and how to control costs. They can only purchase the entire package. This leads to the fact that automotive manufacturers are often technologically constrained and unable to make targeted choices based on their own design needs, which greatly affects the autonomy of automotive brand manufacturers.
Through the cooperation between FAW, Foton, and Freescale, it can be seen that in the future, automotive brand manufacturers can receive customized technical services according to their needs. For domestic independent automobile brands, customization is a great blessing, which will help promote the healthy growth of China’s independent automobile brands. Customization will enable automobile manufacturers to shift from passive to active.
First of all, customization has enabled automotive manufacturers to have the right to speak, no longer subject to automotive electronics manufacturers. Auto manufacturers can propose their own design requirements to auto electronics manufacturers. If a certain auto electronics manufacturer still provides packaged technical products like before, the auto manufacturer can refuse and seek another auto electronics company that can provide customized services.
Secondly, customization helps automotive manufacturers achieve differentiated competition. Automobile manufacturers can combine and match hardware and software in different ways according to their design ideas and performance requirements, which is conducive to giving full play to automobile manufacturers’ diverse products and opening up a differentiated competitive path in the fierce market competition.
Thirdly, customization is conducive to the accumulation of core technologies by automobile manufacturers. On the basis of their own technical capabilities, automobile manufacturers have targeted the purchase of required technologies, and have re optimized and developed these technologies to continuously accumulate technical advantages.
With the improvement of competitiveness, discourse power, and core technology, domestic independent automotive brands will be able to launch more reliable, safer, more comfortable, and technologically advanced vehicles in the future, and may also compete with foreign automotive brands.
The development speed of China’s automobile market is higher than that of other foreign markets, and there will be broad market space for automobiles in the future, such as pollution-free cars, silent cars, solar cars, driverless cars, car offices, and so on. The Chinese automotive market will be a huge arena for competition and display. As long as domestic independent brands dare to compete and have the courage to compete, then in the future, domestic independent automotive brands will definitely be able to sing in major automotive exhibitions.
