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*[[Zhongyu Automobile|Zhongyu]] (2004-present)
*[[Zhongyu Automobile|Zhongyu]] (2004-present)
*[[Zotye Auto|Zotye]] (2005-present)
*[[Zotye Auto|Zotye]] (2005-present)

==Copying claims==
Chinese cars have become notorious across the western world for their so-called copied designs.<ref name="Many">[http://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/road-rage-in-the-west-as-copycat-cars-from-china-start-to-make-their-marque-overseas-401770.html Road rage in the West as copycat cars from China start to make their marque overseas] independent.co.uk</ref>

====BYD====
Some [[BYD Auto|BYD]] cars seem to [[Chinese copy|copy]] those of many brands including [[Lexus]],<ref name="AB1">[http://www.autoblog.com/2009/03/27/rx-for-success-or-lawsuit-chinas-byd-gets-its-lexus-tribute/ RX for Success... or lawsuit? China's BYD gets its Lexus tribute on] autoblog.com, Mar 27th 2009</ref> [[Toyota]],<ref name="AB5">[http://www.autoblog.com/2009/01/13/detroit-2009-byd-f3dm-is-the-poor-mans-plug-in-toyota-corolla/3 Detroit 2009: BYD F3DM is the poor man's plug-in Toyota Corolla] autoblog.com, Jan 13th 2009 </ref><ref name="AB4">[http://www.autoblog.com/2007/10/23/chinas-f1-entry-sorta/ China's F1 entry... sorta] autoblog.com, Oct 23rd 2007</ref> [[Honda]],<ref name="AB2">[http://www.autoblog.com/2008/04/17/beijing-08-preview-byd-e6-electrifies-family-hauling/ Beijing '08 Preview: BYD e6 electrifies family hauling] autoblog.com, Apr 17th 2008</ref> [[Mercedes Benz]],<ref name="JK2">[http://jalopnik.com/5213003/byd-s8-convertible-a-chinese-chopstick-dumpling-deathtrap BYD S8 Convertible: A Chinese Chopstick Dumpling Deathtrap] jalopnik.com, Wed Apr 15 2009</ref><ref name="JK3">[http://jalopnik.com/5221646/byd-b8-convertible-impending-doom-never-looked-so-good-sl+like BYD B8 Convertible: Impending Doom Never Looked So Good, SL-like] jalopnik.com, Tue Apr 21 2009</ref><ref name="AB3">[http://www.autoblog.com/2006/11/05/chinese-byd-for-entry-into-sports-car-market/ Chinese Byd for entry into sports car market] autoblog.com, Nov 5th 2006</ref> and [[Porsche]].<ref name="JK1">[http://jalopnik.com/5239326/byd-t6-a-chinese-porsche-cayenne-knock+off BYD T6: A Chinese Porsche Cayenne Knock-Off] jalopnik.com, Mon May 4 2009</ref> For example, the [[BYD F8]] convertible bears great similarity to the [[Mercedes CLK]] from the front, and the [[Renault Megane CC]] or third generation [[Chrysler Sebring (convertible)|Chrysler Sebring convertible]] from the rear.<ref>[http://www.motorauthority.com/another-chinese-copy-the-byd-f8.html MotorAuthority: Another Chinese copy, the BYD F8]</ref>

It is also interesting to note that [[BYD Auto]]'s previous logo, shown [http://www.cartype.com/pics/3291/full/byd_logo.jpg here], bore a striking resemblance to that of [[BMW|BMW's]].

====Chery====
{{double image|right|CarCheryQQ.jpg|200|Daewoo Matiz.jpg|200|The [[Chery QQ]] (left) and [[Daewoo Matiz]] (right).}}
The [[Chery QQ|QQ]] became the center of an industrial copyright and intellectual rights controversy, as [[General Motors]] claimed the car was a copy to the [[Daewoo Matiz]] (which is marketed outside [[South Korea]] as the Chevrolet Spark). [[General Motors|GM]] executives demonstrated the extent of the design duplication, noting for example that the doors of the [[Chery QQ|QQ]] and those of the [[Daewoo Matiz|Matiz]] are interchangeable <ref name="chdaily">{{cite web|url= http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/editorials/china-to-foreign-automakers-drop-dead/|title=China to Foreign Automakers: Drop Dead|work=Frank Williams|date=[[2007-08-16]]|accessdate=2007-12-17}}</ref> without modification.

[[GM China Group]] indicated the two vehicles "shared remarkably identical body structure, exterior design, interior design and key components."<ref name="chdaily"/> MotorAuthority.com<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.motorauthority.com/news/industry/chinese-chery-qq-a-carbon-copy-of-the-daewoo-matiz/|title=China Chinese Chery QQ - a carbon copy of the Daewoo Matiz
|publisher=MotorAuthority.com 6 July 2006}}</ref> and ''[[Car and Driver]]'' called the [[Daewoo Matiz]] a "[[carbon copy]]", while the ''[[International Herald Tribune]]'', in a 2005 article, referred to it as a [[Molecular cloning|clone]]. <ref name="iht">{{cite web
|url= http://www.iht.com/articles/2005/01/06/business/cars.php
|title=China's quest to sell cars in the U.S.
|publisher=International Herald Tribune, Chris Buckley, Jan 7, 2005}}</ref>

As well as this, the [[Chery Tiggo]] is critisized for resembeling a 2nd generation [[Toyota RAV4]].

====Great Wall Motors====
{{double image|right|Great Wall Peri.jpg|200|Fiat Panda 2005 vl blue.jpg|200|The [[Great Wall Peri]] (left) and [[Fiat Panda]] (right).}}
In December 2006 [[Fiat Group|Fiat]] claimed that [[Great Wall Motors]]'s new A-segment Peri (called ''Jing Ling'' in China) is a copy of Fiat's popular second-generation [[Fiat Panda|Panda]].<ref>[http://www.italiaspeed.com/2006/cars/financial/12/great_wall/1312.html FIAT IS CONSIDERING TAKING LEGAL ACTION TO STOP GREAT WALL'S PANDA CLONE BEING SOLD IN EUROPE - Italiaspeed.com]</ref>

On July 16, 2008, a [[Turin]] court upheld Fiat's claim and banned Great Wall from importing the Peri into [[Europe]], stating that the Peri ''“doesn’t look like a different car but is a (Fiat) Panda with a different front end.”''<ref>[http://www.autonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080718/COPY01/829890072/-1/chicgo&template=printart Great Wall banned from importing GWPeri minicar]</ref> A copyright infringement case filed by Fiat in China has been lost by the Italian manufacturer.

As well as this, the [[Great Wall Safe]] has been criticized for looking like a 2nd generation [[Toyota 4Runner]], the [[Great Wall Florid]] for looking like 1st generation [[Toyota ist]] and the [[Great Wall Hover for looking like an [[Isuzu Axiom]].

====Shuanghuan====
{{double image|right|Red Noble S6.JPG|200|Smart ForTwo Passion.jpg|200|The [[Shuanghuan Noble]] (left) and [[Smart ForTwo]] (right).}}
The [[Shuanghuan Noble]] has caused numerous controversies, with [[Mercedes-Benz]] even filing a lawsuit against [[Shijiazhuang Shuanghuan Automobile Co|Shuanghuan]] because of the similarities with the [[Smart Fortwo]].<ref>http://www.autoblog.com/tag/shuanghuan+noble/</ref> [[Mercedes-Benz]] also persuaded the [[Italy|Italian]] court to prohibit the car from being exhibited at the [[Bologna Motor Show]]<ref>http://www.smartcarofamerica.com/green_smart_cars/shuanghuan_noble_smart_fortwo/</ref>, but this was violated and the car was put on display.<ref>http://www.autobloggreen.com/2007/12/11/good-idea-smart-clone-importers-violate-court-injunction-at-bol/</ref>

In May 2009 a [[Greece|Greek]] judge ruled against [[Daimler Benz|Daimler]] and cleared the car allowing sales to begin in [[Greece]]. The judge answering to [[Daimler Benz|Daimler's]] demand to ban the [[China|Chinese]] vehicle from entering the [[Greece|Greek]] market said that “The impression the Noble makes on a third and informed party by its visual appearance is different to the one that is made to the same person by the [[Smart GmbH|Smart]] . . . It is commonly accepted that the decision over buying a new car cannot be based only on the exterior characteristics but many other technical specifications such as the power of the engine, fuel consumption, trim specification, retail price and dealers’ network.”<ref>http://autonews.gasgoo.com/auto-news/1010649/Greek-court-rules-against-Daimler-on-China-SUV.html</ref>

The ruling states that the latter party’s doings “cannot possibly misguide the public” as the [[Germany|German]] company claimed in its legal request. The judge noted the salient fact that “the plaintiff is no longer selling the specific generation of the [[Smart GmbH|Smart]] which claims to have been copied, but a different vehicle, with much different characteristics.”

The judge also accepted in whole the defendant’s argument that cars of the same segment cannot avoid a certain level of resemblance due to technical restrictions, similar purposes and goals, especially when it comes to such small cars that present a challenge to design.

The ruling concludes that “there is no competition between the two companies.”

Also, in [[Germany]] legal action was taken by [[BMW]] which resulted in a ban on sales of the [[Shuanghuan SCEO]] due to it's strong resemblance to the [[BMW X5]].<ref>[http://www.themotorreport.com.au/1504/china-imitation-is-the-sincerest-form-of-flattery/ "China - Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery".]</ref><ref>[http://www.autoblog.com/2007/08/27/bmw-joins-smart-in-threatening-copy-cat-chinese/2 "BMW joins smart in threatening copy-cat Chinese".]</ref>


==Joint-venture manufacturers==
==Joint-venture manufacturers==
Line 413: Line 455:


==References==
==References==
{{reflist}}
{{reflist|3}}
*[http://www.hg.org/articles/article_457.html China: New Car Industry Policy] - Deacons - Published October 1, 2004 - Hong Kong
*[http://www.hg.org/articles/article_457.html China: New Car Industry Policy] - Deacons - Published October 1, 2004 - Hong Kong
*[http://www.chinacarforums.com/ China Car Forums] - information on Chinese auto manufacturers
*[http://www.chinacarforums.com/ China Car Forums] - information on Chinese auto manufacturers

Revision as of 06:27, 7 September 2009

China's automobile industry is in rapid development since the year 2000. In 2008, 9.345 million motor vehicles were manufactured in China, surpassing United States as the second largest automobile maker, after Japan. China is the largest car market in the world.[1][2][3][4]

The consultancy McKinsey & Company estimates that China's car market will grow tenfold between 2005 and 2030.[5]

The main national industry group is the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers (中国汽车工业协会).

Overview

Automotive

Three years ago(2006), China zoomed past Japan to become the world's No. 2 vehicle market.

Now it looks poised to pass up the United States to be the biggest and this growth is spurring demand for automotive parts, services, and after-care products. China is presently capable of manufacturing a complete line of automobile products and large automotive enterprises. Major domestic firms include the China First Automobile Group Corp. (FAW), Dongfeng Motor Corp. (DMC) and Shanghai Automotive Industry (Group) Corp. (SAIC).

China had a total of 6322 automotive enterprises by the end of November 2006. The total output value of the automotive sector for the first three quarters of 2006 was US$143 billion. Since 2002, 50% of all motor vehicles (cars and trucks) in China had been purchased by individuals. As incomes increase the high annual growth rate of private ownership is expected to accelerate.

Alternate propulsion

Alternate fuel vehicles

China encourages the development of clean and fuel efficient vehicles in an effort to sustain continued growth of the country’s automobile industry (see Fuel economy in automobiles). By the end of 2007, China plans to reduce the average fuel consumption per 100 km for all types of vehicles by 10%. The proportion of vehicles burning alternate fuel will be increased to help optimize the country's energy consumption. Priority will be given to facilitating the research and development of electric and hybrid vehicles as well as alternate fuel vehicles, especially CNG/LNG. Major cities like Beijing and Shanghai already require Euro III emission standards.In 2009,Beijing will be the first city to require GUO IV emission standards(Euro IV emission standards).

Electric vehicles

The Chinese Autmotive Industry Plan, announced on the main Web site of China's central government, said China aims to create capacity to produce 500,000 "new energy" vehicles, such as battery electric cars and plug-in hybrid vehicles. The plan aims to increase sales of such new-energy cars to account for about 5% of China's passenger vehicle sales. [6]

Auto parts

Currently auto parts and accessories enjoy lower levels of tariffs than cars (the average tariff is 10-13% for parts/accessories and 25% for cars). China has agreed to lower tariffs on imported auto parts and accessories to 10%. Although this difference in duty rate was initially responsible for an increase in car kit imports, the loophole has been tightened. Now, only replacement parts and accessories enter China under the lower duty level.

Used motor vehicles and used/refurbished auto parts

Although there are case-by-case exceptions for antiques and diplomats, it is currently illegal to import used motor vehicles into China. Refurbished heavy construction equipment can be imported with a special permit. Used and refurbished auto parts are not allowed to be imported into China.

Automotive after-sales products and services

Although improvements have been made in this field in the past decade, China's after-sales products and services still lag far behind those of developed countries. However, WTO commitments have brought about significant changes in the after-sale market. China’s aftercare market now faces the following challenges:

  • Establishing an information feedback system with end-users in order to improve service;
  • Modernizing outdated sales systems;
  • Increasing the competitiveness of domestic auto parts and accessories;
  • Clamping down on counterfeit products.

Car dealerships

In China, an authorized car dealership is called 4S car shops. The 4S represents Sale, Sparepart, Service and Survey. 整车销售(Sale)、零配件(Sparepart)、售后服务(Service)、信息反馈(Survey).

In most cases, brand-name new cars can be purchased only from 4S shops. For new cars in high demand, a high premium is added for instant delivery or just placing an order.

The profit of car dealers in China is quite high comparing to the rest of the world, in most cases 10%. This is due to the non-transparent invoice price as announced by manufactures and to the premiums they charge for quick delivery. Due to the lack of knowledge for most customers, dealers can sell add-ons at much higher prices than the aftermarket.

There is no regulation by either the government or associations.

History

1928-1949

1949-1980

1980s

Three big joint-ventures and three small joint-ventures:

See also: Volkswagen Group China

After 1990

Several enterprises entered the automobile industry since 1994. Some of them are originated from defense industry, such as Chang'an Motors, Changhe, and Hafei Motor; some were developed from old state-owned companies, such as Brilliance China Auto, BYD Auto, Chery Automobile, and Changfeng Automobile. Others are private-owned companies, such as Geely Automobile, Great Wall Motors.

Historic Data

Automobile production by year
Year Production (in million units)
1992 1.0
1999 1.2
2000 2.07
2001 2.33
2002 3.25
2003 4.44
2004 5.07
2005 5.71
2006 7.28
2007 8.88
2008 9.35

Domestic manufacturers

And is the majority shareholder in

Copying claims

Chinese cars have become notorious across the western world for their so-called copied designs.[7]

BYD

Some BYD cars seem to copy those of many brands including Lexus,[8] Toyota,[9][10] Honda,[11] Mercedes Benz,[12][13][14] and Porsche.[15] For example, the BYD F8 convertible bears great similarity to the Mercedes CLK from the front, and the Renault Megane CC or third generation Chrysler Sebring convertible from the rear.[16]

It is also interesting to note that BYD Auto's previous logo, shown here, bore a striking resemblance to that of BMW's.

Chery

The QQ became the center of an industrial copyright and intellectual rights controversy, as General Motors claimed the car was a copy to the Daewoo Matiz (which is marketed outside South Korea as the Chevrolet Spark). GM executives demonstrated the extent of the design duplication, noting for example that the doors of the QQ and those of the Matiz are interchangeable [17] without modification.

GM China Group indicated the two vehicles "shared remarkably identical body structure, exterior design, interior design and key components."[17] MotorAuthority.com[18] and Car and Driver called the Daewoo Matiz a "carbon copy", while the International Herald Tribune, in a 2005 article, referred to it as a clone. [19]

As well as this, the Chery Tiggo is critisized for resembeling a 2nd generation Toyota RAV4.

Great Wall Motors

In December 2006 Fiat claimed that Great Wall Motors's new A-segment Peri (called Jing Ling in China) is a copy of Fiat's popular second-generation Panda.[20]

On July 16, 2008, a Turin court upheld Fiat's claim and banned Great Wall from importing the Peri into Europe, stating that the Peri “doesn’t look like a different car but is a (Fiat) Panda with a different front end.”[21] A copyright infringement case filed by Fiat in China has been lost by the Italian manufacturer.

As well as this, the Great Wall Safe has been criticized for looking like a 2nd generation Toyota 4Runner, the Great Wall Florid for looking like 1st generation Toyota ist and the [[Great Wall Hover for looking like an Isuzu Axiom.

Shuanghuan

The Shuanghuan Noble has caused numerous controversies, with Mercedes-Benz even filing a lawsuit against Shuanghuan because of the similarities with the Smart Fortwo.[22] Mercedes-Benz also persuaded the Italian court to prohibit the car from being exhibited at the Bologna Motor Show[23], but this was violated and the car was put on display.[24]

In May 2009 a Greek judge ruled against Daimler and cleared the car allowing sales to begin in Greece. The judge answering to Daimler's demand to ban the Chinese vehicle from entering the Greek market said that “The impression the Noble makes on a third and informed party by its visual appearance is different to the one that is made to the same person by the Smart . . . It is commonly accepted that the decision over buying a new car cannot be based only on the exterior characteristics but many other technical specifications such as the power of the engine, fuel consumption, trim specification, retail price and dealers’ network.”[25]

The ruling states that the latter party’s doings “cannot possibly misguide the public” as the German company claimed in its legal request. The judge noted the salient fact that “the plaintiff is no longer selling the specific generation of the Smart which claims to have been copied, but a different vehicle, with much different characteristics.”

The judge also accepted in whole the defendant’s argument that cars of the same segment cannot avoid a certain level of resemblance due to technical restrictions, similar purposes and goals, especially when it comes to such small cars that present a challenge to design.

The ruling concludes that “there is no competition between the two companies.”

Also, in Germany legal action was taken by BMW which resulted in a ban on sales of the Shuanghuan SCEO due to it's strong resemblance to the BMW X5.[26][27]

Joint-venture manufacturers

In 2005, 5,707,688 motor vehicles were manufactured in China. The following 13 foreign makers have joint venture factories, with local partners, in China.

Toyota

Currently Toyota is the only company making hybrids in China. It sold 2,000 in 2006.

Toyota (2005)
Total motor vehicles Passenger cars Light commercial vehicles Heavy trucks Buses
150 078 146 943 3 635

Nissan

Nissan (2005)
Total motor vehicles Passenger cars Light commercial vehicles Heavy trucks Buses
179 034 166 938 12 096

Honda

Honda (2005)
Total motor vehicles Passenger cars Light commercial vehicles Heavy trucks
254 820 254 820

Suzuki

Suzuki (2005)
Total motor vehicles Passenger cars Light commercial vehicles Heavy trucks
139 536 139 536

Mazda

Mazda-AutoAlliance (2005)
Total motor vehicles Passenger cars Light commercial vehicles Heavy trucks
107 929 107 929

Daihatsu

Daihatsu (2005)
Total motor vehicles Passenger cars Light commercial vehicles Heavy trucks Buses
1 290 1 290

Mitsubishi

Mitsubishi (2005)
Total motor vehicles Passenger cars Light commercial vehicles Heavy trucks
18 540 18 540

FIAT

FIAT-Iveco (2005)
Total motor vehicles Passenger cars Light commercial vehicles Heavy trucks Buses
FIAT 32 856 32 856
Iveco 18 235 5 620 12 615

Isuzu

Isuzu (2005)
Total motor vehicles Passenger cars Light commercial vehicles Heavy trucks
23 214 23 214

Ford

Chang'an Motors (2005)
Total motor vehicles Passenger cars Light commercial vehicles Heavy trucks Bus and Coaches
145 498 59 827 85 671

General Motors

GM Shanghai & SAIC (2005)
Total motor vehicles 250365 Passenger cars 25487 Light commercial vehicles 2654 Heavy trucks 26587 Buses
346 697 308 290 38 407

PSA Peugeot-Citroën

Peugeot-Citroën (2005)
Total motor vehicles Passenger cars Light commercial vehicles Heavy trucks Buses
Citroën 101 839 101 839

VW

Main article: Volkswagen Group China
VW (2005)
Total motor vehicles Passenger cars Light commercial vehicles Heavy trucks
430 600 430 592

Auto shows

See also

References

  1. ^ 8:47 p.m. ET (2009-02-04). "China poised to be world's largest auto market - Autos- msnbc.com". MSNBC. Retrieved 2009-04-28.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  2. ^ "/ UK - US car market clings to pole position". Ft.com. 2009-02-06. Retrieved 2009-04-28.
  3. ^ 22:25. "RIA Novosti - World - China becomes world's largest car market". En.rian.ru. Retrieved 2009-04-28. {{cite web}}: |author= has numeric name (help)
  4. ^ 6:13 a.m. ET (2009-05-20). "China emerges as world's auto epicenter - Politics- msnbc.com". MSNBC. Retrieved 2009-05-25.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  5. ^ http://www.businessgreen.com/business-green/news/2239795/china-e6-electric-car-trying
  6. ^ "Obama's Briefing; Sandalow To DOE; Automaker News; Nat'l Wildlife Federation Embraces PHEVs". Calcars.org. 2009-03-27. Retrieved 2009-04-28.
  7. ^ Road rage in the West as copycat cars from China start to make their marque overseas independent.co.uk
  8. ^ RX for Success... or lawsuit? China's BYD gets its Lexus tribute on autoblog.com, Mar 27th 2009
  9. ^ Detroit 2009: BYD F3DM is the poor man's plug-in Toyota Corolla autoblog.com, Jan 13th 2009
  10. ^ China's F1 entry... sorta autoblog.com, Oct 23rd 2007
  11. ^ Beijing '08 Preview: BYD e6 electrifies family hauling autoblog.com, Apr 17th 2008
  12. ^ BYD S8 Convertible: A Chinese Chopstick Dumpling Deathtrap jalopnik.com, Wed Apr 15 2009
  13. ^ BYD B8 Convertible: Impending Doom Never Looked So Good, SL-like jalopnik.com, Tue Apr 21 2009
  14. ^ Chinese Byd for entry into sports car market autoblog.com, Nov 5th 2006
  15. ^ BYD T6: A Chinese Porsche Cayenne Knock-Off jalopnik.com, Mon May 4 2009
  16. ^ MotorAuthority: Another Chinese copy, the BYD F8
  17. ^ a b "China to Foreign Automakers: Drop Dead". Frank Williams. 2007-08-16. Retrieved 2007-12-17. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  18. ^ "China Chinese Chery QQ - a carbon copy of the Daewoo Matiz". MotorAuthority.com 6 July 2006.
  19. ^ "China's quest to sell cars in the U.S." International Herald Tribune, Chris Buckley, Jan 7, 2005.
  20. ^ FIAT IS CONSIDERING TAKING LEGAL ACTION TO STOP GREAT WALL'S PANDA CLONE BEING SOLD IN EUROPE - Italiaspeed.com
  21. ^ Great Wall banned from importing GWPeri minicar
  22. ^ http://www.autoblog.com/tag/shuanghuan+noble/
  23. ^ http://www.smartcarofamerica.com/green_smart_cars/shuanghuan_noble_smart_fortwo/
  24. ^ http://www.autobloggreen.com/2007/12/11/good-idea-smart-clone-importers-violate-court-injunction-at-bol/
  25. ^ http://autonews.gasgoo.com/auto-news/1010649/Greek-court-rules-against-Daimler-on-China-SUV.html
  26. ^ "China - Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery".
  27. ^ "BMW joins smart in threatening copy-cat Chinese".
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