The popularity of novel coronavirus makes people walking in the street have to wear masks. Fortunately, during the fight against the epidemic, the performance of the car circle was quite strong. Car companies donate money first, then masks, and now they start to produce their own masks. BYD and Wuling have adjusted their production lines to produce masks to support the first line of anti-epidemic, and Guangzhou Automobile Group will also start the production of masks.

Now some car companies have to develop "anti-virus" cars by upgrading air filters and the interior environment, and also "put on masks" for cars. At present, Geely and MG have announced plans related to "antivirus" cars. Geely announced some time ago that it would invest 370 million vehicles with virus prevention function in advance, and MG recently demonstrated its N99-class in-vehicle air purification system.

It can be seen that "how to make cars into the second non-toxic space" is a subject to be studied by major car companies in the future. Independent brands have many innate advantages in developing anti-virus cars, which many foreign automobile brands do not have. So, can independent brands that take the lead in anti-virus cars usher in a turning point in the fierce competition with foreign brands?

Flexible production mode

From the performance of independent brands in the fight against the epidemic, we can see that independent brands have shown a flexible side, and their production methods can be adjusted freely. The rapid transformation of BYD, Wuling and Guangzhou Automobile Group and the transformation of automobile production line to mask production line are the best proof.

In addition, the research and development and subsequent production of "anti-virus" cars are a great test for the production line and R&D resources of enterprises, but Geely can quickly and decisively return to the "anti-virus" car strategy, which is naturally inseparable from the flexible production line of Geely Automobile.

Yang Xueliang, vice president of Geely Automobile Group, said: "Geely Automobile's current production line can fully meet the research and development needs of anti-virus vehicles. Now Geely Cargill's filter has been upgraded to meet the N95 standard, and this technology will soon be fully applied to the production models of Geely and Lectra brands. "

In addition to Geely, BYD and Wuling, many independent brands have the advantages of flexible production lines and rapid transformation. Why can independent brands do this, but other foreign automobile brands can't? Creating a high-quality and comfortable air atmosphere in the car is also the specialty of many luxury brands. What problems will they encounter when they transform and develop "antivirus" cars?

Industry analysts said: "Compared with independent brands, the product development cycle of other foreign automobile brands is relatively long. At this time, the cost of transforming and developing anti-virus vehicles is very expensive. In addition, whether it is an imported brand or a joint venture brand, the research and development plan of anti-virus vehicles will go through a very long process from declaration to approval. "

The complex system makes the transformation of foreign automobile brands unable to respond in time in the "anti-virus" car, while independent brands can take the lead in flexible product line adjustment and simple and effective declaration process. "When the epidemic occurs, we have a plan to develop anti-virus cars, which will be implemented soon after the plan is confirmed." Yang Xueliang, vice president of Geely Automobile Group, said when talking about the research and development of the "anti-virus" reporting process for auto workers.

Advantages of independent brands

Looking at the global auto market, many auto companies have the support of local governments, but in China auto market, the government is not around, whether it is a joint venture brand or an imported brand. In this way, China auto brands have home advantage, and many things can be supported by the government, such as new energy subsidies.

In this epidemic, Wuling was able to quickly turn the automobile production line into a mask production line, which was also inseparable from the strong support of the government. The staff of SAIC-GM-Wuling told Yipin Automobile: "SAIC-GM-Wuling's plan to produce masks has been strongly supported by the governments of Guangxi, Liuzhou and Laibin, which can quickly promote financial support, project approval and qualification certification."

For any car company, government support is very important for the research and development of its new projects. Yang Xueliang, vice president of Geely Automobile Group, said when talking about the research and development of anti-virus cars: "If you want to develop a car that can achieve comprehensive anti-virus inside and outside the car, you need to cooperate with professional medical teams such as medical institutions and academy of sciences."

Undoubtedly, compared with joint venture brands and imported brands, independent brands will definitely take the lead in reaching cooperation with these domestic medical teams. When the Internet of Vehicles just started, top domestic technology companies such as Baidu, Tencent and Ali also took the lead in providing in-vehicle systems to their own brands. I believe that the medical structure will also understand the truth that fat water does not flow out of outsiders.

Develop new opportunities?

For a long time, safety has always been the primary consideration for consumers when buying a car. Nowadays, with the development of car-making technology, the active and passive safety of models on the market are quite mature, and the arrival of this epidemic will make consumers re-understand the safety of cars. Safety should not only avoid collision and reduce the damage when accidents occur, but also prevent the harm of external factors such as viruses and bacteria to their health.

When talking about the impact of the epidemic on the automobile market, Shi Jianhua, deputy secretary-general of China Automobile Industry Association, said: "In addition, the emergence of the epidemic has also put forward new requirements for the automobile industry. In the design and manufacture of automobiles, more attention should be paid to protecting the health of consumers. " In the future, "anti-virus" cars will become a new trend, and the flexible production system and home advantage of local car companies will make their own brands occupy the best time and place.

However, in the long run, the impact of the epidemic will not shake the long-term development strategy of enterprises, and innovative transformations such as new energy and intelligent networking will be carried out step by step. Xue Xu, an associate professor of economics in Peking University, said: "After the outbreak, the improvement of product quality and technology and the long-term strategy of enterprise development are the keys to the development of the automobile industry, including the development strategies of domestic and international markets. And how to truly rely on its own China resource advantages to build a unique brand-new industry, pattern and market space that can support China's economic development in the next 5- 10 years. "

Therefore, in general, independent brands will take the lead in developing anti-virus cars, but it does not mean that other joint venture brands and imported brands will not come from behind. After the epidemic, it will be a hard power competition. The long car marathon, the gains and losses of one city and one pool, is still difficult to decide the outcome.

This article comes from car home, the author of the car manufacturer, and does not represent car home's position.