SAIC partners with Alibaba and sets up venture capital in Silicon Valley
The theme of this year’s forum was “Global Innovation Network: Toward a Convergence of Interests”, which coincides to some degree with SAIC visions of forging a world-famous innovative auto company that leads future motor life. SAIC will continue to cooperate with the forum and help build Shanghai into a global technological innovation center.
Against the backdrop of an economic new normal of slower growth, the Chinese auto market is also experiencing a slowdown. SAIC will meet future challenges by increasing investment in R&D, taking advantage of new technologies such as the mobile Internet and new business models and striving to overtake international giants on the overseas market. SAIC will strive to become a world-famous innovative auto company that leads future motor life.
On the traditional auto market, SAIC will focus on segments which enjoy the fastest growth and the largest capacity, understand customer needs and improve products and services. On the other hand, it will forge a differentiated competitive edge through the combination of “new energy + Internet + X”. The “X” refers to technologies that set sights on the future.
In the new energy field, the first generation of new energy vehicles, such as Roewe 550 plug-in hybrid has won favor from customers and its supply is falling short of demand. SAIC is developing a new generation of pure electric and plug-in hybrid technologies to upgrade products like Roewe 950 plug-in hybrid. It will introduce innovative technologies including the new generation electric driving unit (EDU) as well as more advanced battery management systems to maintain and expand its advantages on the domestic market.
Besides, SAIC has partnered up with Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba Group to jointly build “cars on the Internet”.
SAIC has set up a venture capital firm in Silicon Valley to track and research the world auto industry as well as up-to-date cross-industry technologies and developments, which concentrate on intelligent driving, Internet cars, new materials, lightweight and new energy technologies. At the China International Industry Fair in November, SAIC will display its latest progress in the IGS intelligent-driving car and Roewe 950 fuel cell sedan. SAIC will display its latest progress in the IGS and Roewe 950 projects at the China International Industry Fair slated for November.
Also, SAIC stressed innovation in business models. For instance, the company is trying to integrate online and offline trade business and offer users full-life-cycle services. The online platform, Chexiang.com, was put into operation in March 2014 and now offers services in car sales, member services, car care and second-hand car trades, attracting nearly 3,500 dealerships from 304 cities. The offline one-stop service chain, Chexiang Home, which was just launched on September 20, already has 50 outlets in 12 cities, and aims to increase that number to 10,000 in future.
Additionally, SAIC has set up a finance division with the goal of offering all-round financial services to the auto industry.
