EVs made in China - Formally landing in Japan as Sagawa Express buys 7200 cars

Recently Nihon Keizai Shimbun Electronic Edition reported the following:

中国製EV、日本に本格上陸　佐川急便が7200台採用

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2021年4月13日 18:00 [有料会員限定]

中国の自動車・部品メーカー、広西汽車集団が小型商用の電気自動車（EV）を日本企業に供給する。SGホールディングス傘下の佐川急便が国内での配送用トラックとして7200台採用することを決めた。EVの普及で先行する中国製のEVが日本に本格上陸する事例となる。

広西は中国南部の広西チワン族自治区柳州市に本拠を構える。供給するEVは軽自動車サイズの商用バンで航続距離は200キロメートル以上。配送拠点から配達先までの短距離を走り、配送拠点で夜間などに充電する。8月に仕様を固めて、広西が9月にも量産を始める。実際の納入は2022年9月になる見通し。

生産を担当する広西のグループ企業は日本経済新聞の取材に対し「量産に向けた準備を進めている」とコメントした。

日本の自動車メーカーが手薄な小型商用分野を市場開拓の足がかりにする。当初は並行輸入車などとして日本に供給する。並行して国内で継続的にナンバーをとるのに必要となる国土交通省の型式認証手続きを進める。

車両の企画開発や製品保証は日本のEV関連スタートアップのASF（東京・港）が担当する。広西はASFからOEM（相手先ブランドによる生産）を受託する形となる。佐川は今回採用するEVのコストを明らかにしていないが、現状のガソリン車の軽ミニバンの130万～150万円を下回る水準とみられる。

小型EV商用車は、採算性や安全性の確保、ブランド維持の観点から日本メーカーがあまり手を付けていない領域だ。三菱自動車が世界初の軽商用EV「ミニキャブ・ミーブ」を11年に発売したが、累計で9100台の販売にとどまる。

中国製EVは商用車ではそろりと浸透し始めた。中国大手の比亜迪（BYD）が日本での納入例を増やしており、上野動物園（東京・台東）やハウステンボス（長崎県佐世保市）などが園内バスとして採用しており、のべ53台を納入済みだ。BYDは22年6月までに100台まで増やすことをめざしている。

Translation

Guangxi Automobile Group(広西汽車集団), a Chinese automobile and parts manufacturer, would supply small commercial electric vehicles (EVs) to a Japanese company. Sagawa Express, a subsidiary of SG Holdings, had decided to use 7,200 trucks for domestic delivery. This was an example of a full-scale landing in Japan of an EV made in China, which was leading in making popular the EVs.

Guangxi group had its headquarters in Liuzhou city (柳州市) of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region at southern China. The EV supplied was a light vehicle-sized commercial van with a cruising range of over 200 kilometers. It ran a short distance from the delivery base to the delivery destination and re-charged at the delivery base at night. The specifications would be finalized in August, and Guangxi might start mass production in September. The actual delivery was expected to be in September 2022.

The Guangxi group company in charge of production commented to the Nihon Keizai Shimbun that they were "preparing for mass production."

The Guangxi group was making use of Japanese automakers’ under supply in the field of small commercial as a foothold for market development. Initially, the EV could be supplied to Japan as a parallel imported car. At the same time, the model certification procedure with the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, which was necessary in order to continuously obtain number plates in Japan, would be proceeded.

ASF (Tokyo, Minato), a Japanese EV-related Startup, was in charge of vehicle’s planning and development on top of product warranty. Guangxi would be entrusted with OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) from ASF. Sagawa had not disclosed the cost of the EV to be bought this time, but it was expected to be below the current level of 1.3 million to 1.5 million yen for a gasoline-powered light minivan.

Small EV commercial vehicles were an area that Japanese manufacturers had not made much effort in terms of ensuring profitability, safety, and brand maintenance. Mitsubishi Motors released the world's first light commercial EV "Minicab MiEV" in 2011, but the cumulative sales were limited to 9,100 units.

EVs made in China had begun slowly to penetrate into commercial vehicles. BYD, a major Chinese company, was increasing the number of deliveries in Japan, and Ueno Zoo (Taito, Tokyo) and Huis Ten Bosch (Sasebo City, Nagasaki Prefecture) had adopted it as an in-park bus, with a total of 53 buses delivered. BYD aimed to increase the number to 100 by June 2022.

              So, Chinese EVs have succeeded in making use Japanese automakers’ under supply of small commercial vans to develop an overseas market. It is interesting to know that these EVs could be sold at a low price range of below 1.3 million to 1.5 million yen.