For Valeo, the new opportunities in the Chinese automotive aftermarket may make it again the maker of this "new game."
Although the transformation from "Made in China" to "R & D with China" has already been completed, for Valeo, the new opportunities in the Chinese automotive aftermarket may make it a new game. By.
There is no foundation for a century of development and no external resources to support it, but it is undeniable that for the Chinese automobile industry that has stepped out of the predicament, it still has provocations today with its huge population base and open market environment. The power of the world automotive market. Moreover, since the production and sales of automobiles surpassed that of the United States for the first time in 2009, China has also been ranked number one in global automobile production and sales for ten consecutive years.
It is true that even in 2018, during the cold winter that swept the global auto market, the Chinese automobile market also experienced a historic inflection point, and the total sales of new cars experienced a negative growth for the first time, and such a stalled situation has directly caused participants in the industry chain The dilemma of profit decline or even loss. Fortunately, with the increase in the number of Chinese cars and the average age of used cars, in order to improve the increasingly severe living situation, many parts giants have gradually turned their attention to the automotive aftermarket and opened up their own. "The Second Battlefield."
At the same time, all kinds of data are proving to the outside world that due to the relatively late development of the Chinese automotive aftermarket, it is still in the automotive aftermarket with developed countries such as Europe and the United States in terms of channel structure, market concentration, and service quality. Therefore, in this context, many powerful component companies also have new opportunities for development.
With this purpose in mind, Valeo, a French auto parts giant from December 3rd to 6th, 2019, fully demonstrated at the 15th Shanghai Automechanika 2019 in Shanghai. Its innovative products and technologies for the automotive aftermarket.
In 1923, Valeo was founded in SAINT-OUEN, outside Paris. At that time Valeo was just a factory producing brake pads and clutch pads. It's just that for more than 90 years now, because of Valeo's dedication to future car innovation and large-scale market development, Valeo has now become the world's leading car with operations in 33 countries. Parts supplier.
In fact, Valeo Asia's business is a typical example of the global business that has contributed a lot to it. As early as 2015, half of Valeo's business came from Asia. Until now, local Chinese customers alone have contributed 32% of sales and 44% of orders to Valeo each year. Among them, it includes Great Wall, SAIC, BAIC, Chery, Geely and other Chinese front-line autonomous car companies.
What's more, in China alone, Valeo has 4 logistics warehouses, 14 R & D centers, 36 production bases, 3400 R & D engineers, 20,000 employees … It can be said that we choose to take root in China Now that Valeo has completed the transformation from "Made in China" to "R & D with China", it has already set a new example in deepening and improving its China business.
Therefore, at this exhibition, Valeo demonstrated a series of innovative technologies based on its automotive expertise, and also brought to the Chinese automotive aftermarket including Valeo AquaBlade ™ waterjet wiper technology, Valeo Matrix Beam anti-glare headlights and many other new and more adaptable products in China.
Among them, Valeo ’s new patented wiper system AquaBlade ™ water spray wiper sprays wiper fluid directly onto the windshield through wiper blades, rather than through a nozzle mounted on the engine hood like a traditional wiper blade. Regardless of vehicle speed, the windshield can be wiped quickly and evenly to maintain perfect visibility at all times.
And according to a 7,500 test study conducted by independent agency Fraunhofer IOSB in Karlsruhe, Germany, the driver of a car equipped with Valeo's water-jet wiper responded more quickly than a driver using a conventional wiper system 315 milliseconds faster. Assuming that the car is driving on urban roads at a speed of 50 kilometers per hour, the response time of 315 milliseconds is equivalent to shortening the braking distance by four meters. So considering the congested urban traffic in China, this is undoubtedly a significant advantage in reducing congestion caused by accidents.
As for Valeo's MatrixBeam anti-glare headlights, it solves the problem of blind spots caused by the high-beam light so far for the oncoming vehicles. This headlamp technology enables the driver to turn on the high beam without obstructing the driver's line of sight on the opposite vehicle, thereby maximizing the field of view in all cases. At the same time, the light beam generated by the LED can identify all obstacles, so it will not affect the field of view of the oncoming vehicle.
In addition, at this year's Frankfurt Auto Parts Fair, Valeo also introduced the most comprehensive drivetrain products ever. The new transmission product line showcases Valeo's expertise in the clutch field, while incorporating automatic gearbox active actuator technology from the industry-leading FTE Company.
In fact, as early as October 2017, Valeo acquired the German professional automotive clutch and transmission system manufacturer FTE Automotive. With the increasing demand for automatic transmissions, hybrids and electric vehicles, the acquisition of FTE Automotive will allow Valeo to further enhance its product strength in this rapidly growing strategic market.
Of course, in the field of gearboxes, Valeo also provides a full range of high-quality services for the aftermarket of China's manual gearboxes. In addition to the original dual-mass flywheel, clutch kit and hydraulic parts series, FTE Automotive has joined to further expand Valeo's product line. With the advantages of high technology, easy installation and long service life, they have become one of the first choices for such products on the market.
Valeo offers 647 components for hydraulic clutches with a very broad market coverage. The company has also developed three all-in-one kits, including a complete clutch replacement kit Valeo FullPACK DMFTM with hydraulic stops, a conversion kit Valeo KIT4PTM with hydraulic stops, and a traditional clutch replacement kit Valeo KIT3PTM.
Not only that, because all three components that make up the clutch system are included under a single product, they are easier to identify. Second, because the parts in the kit are compatible with each other, the risk of claims caused by incompatible parts is also greatly reduced.
In short, no matter who it is, the current automotive aftermarket industry in China is indeed ushering in the best development opportunities. On the one hand, the rapid growth of car ownership has brought about an explosion in market capacity. As the average vehicle age increases, the market share of 4S stores is shifting to independent third parties. In addition, the continuous development and maturity of China's regional chains are pushing the independent maintenance organization into the stage of comprehensive integration, and the digital technology of the Internet will drive the upgrading and integration of the industrial chain and the industry will enter the digital era.
Perhaps based on this premise, new business models are still being explored, but in fact, according to relevant authoritative analysis, China ’s auto market volume will grow faster than new car sales, and the compound growth rate will reach 8 by 2030. %, So when participants such as Valeo stand at the crossroads of this transformation, the future automotive aftermarket in China is full of challenges, but also more opportunities.