China exports commercial EVs to Japan - including 10,000 units from Dongfeng, with no competition

 Recently Nihon Keizai Shimbun Electronic Edition on-line reported the following:

中国が商用EV対日輸出　東風など1万台、競合なく

カーボンゼロ

2021年10月11日 19:30 (2021年10月11日 23:33更新) [有料会員限定]

 深尾三四郎さんの投稿

 中国の自動車メーカーが商用の電気自動車（EV）で日本に攻勢をかける。東風汽車集団系などが物流大手のSBSホールディングス（HD）に1万台の小型トラックの供給を始め、比亜迪（BYD）は大型EVバスで4割値下げを目指す。世界的な脱炭素の動きを受け、物流大手はEVシフトに動くが、日本車メーカーの取り組みが遅れており、価格の安い中国車を選んでいる。出遅れた日本車メーカーは早期に巻き返さないと国内市場を奪われかねない。

中国自動車大手、東風汽車集団のグループ会社である東風小康汽車は、SBSHDに1トン積載のEVトラックの供給を始めた。EVスタートアップのフォロフライ（京都市）が設計し、東風小康が生産。SBSHDは2030年までに別の中国メーカーに発注する1.5トン車と合わせて、計1万台のEVの供給を受ける計画だ。

1トン車の価格は補助金なしで380万円ほどで同じようなディーゼル車とほぼ同価格。22年1月から本格的に輸入する。国の補助金も見込めるため、「現行のトラックに比べてコストは安くなる」と判断した。今後5年で配送の協力会社に使用を促す分も含め国産ディーゼルトラックから順次切り替える。航続距離は300キロメートルで宅配などに使う。

東証1部上場のSBSHDは配送時の温暖化ガス排出を減らそうとEV導入を模索したが、現状では国産の1トン積載型が市場になく、日本車メーカーに生産依頼をした場合は1000万円ほどかかるとみている。

小型トラックは7月にトヨタ自動車やいすゞ自動車などが設立した商用EV企画会社にスズキやダイハツ工業なども参画すると発表したものの日本勢の出遅れが鮮明だ。20年の小型バンの国内市場は23万台。ネット通販の伸びに伴い、宅配需要が増え、中国EVが広がる可能性がある。商用車は決められたルートで事業者が使用し、乗用車に比べて、充電インフラの確保や保守メンテナンスが容易で参入しやすい面がある。

SGホールディングス（HD）傘下の佐川急便も中国・広西汽車集団からEV軽自動車、7200台の供給を受けることで今春合意。広西は22年から輸出を始める。SGHDは軽車両のすべてをEVにすることで二酸化炭素（CO2）を19年度比で1割削減できるとみている。

BYDは日本で販売する80人乗りの大型EVバス「K8」の価格を4000万円から26年をめどに4割値下げを目指す。ディーゼルバスと同程度となり、国の補助金も活用できる。日本法人、ビーワイディージャパン（横浜市）の花田晋作副社長は「同業との競争に伴う技術革新により、低コストでの投入が可能になる」と説明する。BYDは日本で小型を含むEVバスを50台以上販売済み。大型EVバスを30年までに累計約2000台販売するとしている。

習近平（シー・ジンピン）指導部は市場規模世界一の「自動車大国」から独自ブランドが世界に浸透する「自動車強国」への転換を目指している。エンジン車では性能、ブランド力ともに日米欧勢にかなわなかった。部品点数が少ないEVへの転換が始まり、中国第一汽車集団はノルウェーにEVの多目的スポーツ車（SUV）の輸出を始めている。

Translation

Chinese automakers made a commercial electric vehicles (EVs) offense in Japan. Dongfeng Motor Group and others would start supplying 10,000 light-duty trucks to SBS Holdings (HD), a major logistics company, and separately BYD Company would aim to reduce the price by 40% for large EV buses. In response to the global decarbonization movement, major Japanese logistics companies were shifting to EV, and they were choosing cheap Chinese cars as Japanese car makers’ efforts were slow. Japanese makers could be deprived of the domestic market if they did not come back soon.

Dongfeng SK, a group company of Dongfeng Motor Group which was a major Chinese automobile company, had begun supplying 1-ton EV trucks to SBSHD. It was designed by EV start-up Follow Fly (Kyoto City) and produced by Dongfeng SK. SBS HD planned to receive a total of 10,000 EVs by 2030, including 1.5-ton vehicles ordered from another Chinese manufacturer.

The price of a 1-ton vehicle was about 3.8 million yen without subsidies, which was almost the same price as a similar diesel vehicle. It would be imported in earnest from January 2022. Since the government subsidy could be expected, it was judged that "the cost will be cheaper than the current truck". Over the next five years, companies would gradually switch from domestic diesel trucks, including those delivery partner companies who might use them after encouragement. The truck had a cruising range of 300 kilometers and would be used for home delivery.

SBS HD, which was listed on the First Section of the Tokyo Stock Exchange, sought to introduce EVs to reduce greenhouse gas emissions during delivery, but at present there was no domestic 1-ton loading type on the market, and if a Japanese car manufacturer was requested to produce it, it was thought that it could cost about 10 million yen each.

For light trucks, Suzuki and Daihatsu announced that they would participate in commercial EV planning companies established by Toyota Motors and Isuzu Motors in July, but the delay of Japanese companies was clear. The domestic market for small vans in 2020 was 230,000 units. With the growth of online shopping, demand for home delivery increased, and there was a possibility that Chinese EVs could spread. Commercial vehicles were used by businesses on a fixed route, and compared to passenger cars, it was easier to secure charging infrastructure and provide maintenance, and thus it could easily enter the market.

Sagawa Express, a subsidiary of SG Holdings (HD), had also agreed to receive a supply 7,200 EV mini vehicles from Guangxi Automobile Group of China this spring. Guangxi Group could start exporting from 2022. SGHD estimated that by converting all light vehicles to EVs, carbon dioxide (CO2) could be reduced by 10% compared to FY2019

BYD aimed to reduce the price of the 80-seater large EV bus "K8" sold in Japan from 40 million yen by 40% by 2026. It would be about the same price as a diesel bus and could utilize national subsidies. Shinsaku Hanada, the vice president of BWD Japan (Yokohama City) and as a Japanese corporation explained, "Technological innovation together with competition among the same industry will enable low-cost investment." In Japan, BYD had already sold more than 50 EV buses including small ones. This company planned to sell a total of about 2,000 large EV buses by 2030.

Xi Jinping's leadership was aiming to transform China from the world's largest "automobile big country" to an "automobile powerhouse" where its own brand could permeate the world. In terms of engine cars, both performance and brand power were not comparable to those of Japan, the United States, and Europe. The conversion to EVs with a smaller number of parts had begun, and China FAW Group had begun exporting EV multipurpose sport utility vehicles (SUVs) to Norway.

              So, China's Dongfeng Motor Group and others will start supplying light-duty trucks to Japan. In Japan, in response to the global decarbonization movement, major logistics companies are shifting to EV, and they are choosing cheap Chinese cars. EV car making is a competition ground between China and major world car makers, especially the US and Japan.

Note: DFSK (東風小康) is Dongfeng Sokon Automobile and is known internationally as DFSK Motor. It is a joint venture between Dongfeng and Chongqing Sokon Industry Group Co Ltd.