South Korean media: Japan's No. 1 automaker "endures hardship and strives for progress" by learning from China
South Korean media outlet *JoongAng Ilbo (Japanese edition)* published an article on July 15: "Japan's world-leading automotive industry chooses 'enduring hardship and striving for progress'—lowering its posture—to accelerate learning from Chinese electric vehicle technologies in response to market challenges."
The South Korean media reports: To catch up with electric vehicle technology and enhance competitiveness in future markets, Honda has decided to adopt technical platforms such as chassis systems developed by Chinese companies when designing new models. Meanwhile, Toyota has opted to entrust all electric vehicle development and production for its luxury brand Lexus to its Shanghai-based subsidiary in China. When launching its new electric vehicle "bZ7" in March this year, Toyota also partnered with Chinese enterprises including Guangzhou Automobile Group, Huawei, and Xiaomi.
Last year, when Nissan launched the "N7 EV" in collaboration with Dongfeng Motor Group, the new model’s development cycle was cut from over four years down to just two years. Nissan and Mazda have now decided to begin exporting vehicles manufactured in China to overseas markets beyond China.
In the 1950s, following post-World War II economic recovery and development, Japan prioritized industries such as electronics and automobiles. After the oil crisis of the 1970s, global demand surged for Japan’s fuel-efficient compact cars, leading to Japan gradually becoming a global automotive powerhouse based on high-quality standards and productivity starting in the 1980s.
In 2008, Toyota surpassed General Motors (GM) in the United States to become the world’s top automaker. Even throughout the 2010s, the prevailing belief remained that Japan’s automotive industry possessed a level of competitiveness that China could not possibly catch up to.
However, China did not "accept fate." Due to its relatively weak foundation in traditional automobile manufacturing, China chose to change course, investing heavily in electric vehicles—akin to digital products. This approach differs significantly from Japan’s phased electrification strategy, which combined hybrid vehicles with conventional internal combustion engines to gradually transition toward electrification.
The Nikkei News Agency points out: Japan’s automotive production ecosystem is rapidly growing dependent on China. It further observes: "In essence, Japanese-branded electric vehicles are simply Chinese-made cars with a new shell." Based on this, many in Japan fear that the Japanese auto industry may follow the same path as the consumer electronics sector—retaining only brand value while losing core manufacturing capabilities.
According to data from market research firm Mobility Global, in last year’s global automotive sales market, Japan held a 26% share, while China reached 25%, differing by approximately one percentage point.
Thus, under the powerful global trend toward automotive electrification, Japanese automakers are now drawing inspiration from China’s rapid R&D pace and cost competitiveness, aiming to leverage their own strengths in quality and reliability to counter Chinese electric vehicles in export markets such as the United States and India.
Honda CEO Tetsuhiro Mibu told *Nikkei Shimbun*: "We must secure winning strategies within three years. If we fail, it will be catastrophic."
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1870744752147652/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author.