Get ready for the annual insights from TechNode Content Team! The year 2023 can be considered a groundbreaking year in the field of technology. As wrapping up this year, we gathered different insights from our content team. We’ll be presenting nine Q&As, with timely updates every Wednesday and Friday in the following weeks!
Today, our Q&A comes from Jill Shem, reporter at TechNode. Jill is based in Shanghai and covers news from across China’s tech landscape while keeping a close eye on developments in the fields of electric vehicles and autonomous driving.
1. Which company has impressed you the most in 2023?
BYD retained its top position as China’s top EV maker with sales of more than 3 million units last year. The annual growth rate was also much higher than the industry average despite the competition, and it looks like the giant maker will stay on top in the foreseeable future.
2. Which company has surprised you the most in 2023?
Huawei surprised everyone with a strong bouceback in EV sales, as the technology giant delivered more than 56,000 Aito-branded EVs with manufacturing partner Seres over the last three months of 2023. The company was amazingly adaptive that it finally “revived a dead brand,” as Huawei’s consumer business boss Richard Yu has said.
3. Which industry professional/entrepreneur/startup founder has left the most profound impression on you in 2023?
Huawei’s Richard Yu, probably one of the best-known workaholics in the Chinese auto and tech industries. I watched him speak on at least five press conferences throughout the year and witnessed how he made the phrase “far ahead of rivals” a trending term on the Chinese internet.
4. What is the most memorable overseas event for you in 2023?
The ongoing anti-subsidy investigation into China-made electric vehicles by the European Commission was unexpected and could have a far-reaching impact on Chinese rising carmakers. This, along with the US Inflation Reduction Act, could herald more regulations and even sanctions against Chinese electric cars and take the tensions between China and the West to a new level.
5. If you were to recommend one significant industry trend for everyone to follow, what would it be?
It will be interesting to know what efforts will be made by global auto majors to defend their market share against Chinese competitors. Any good updates from Volkswagen regarding its partnerships with Xpeng, whether Toyota would change its mind and be more open to battery EVs, or would Tesla finally be able to roll out its full-self driving software this year? I am happy to find out.
6. What industry buzzword have you encountered the most in 2023?
Nei Juan, a buzzword meaning involution in Chinese. Usually we just call it Juan for short and that’s what everybody says and what I’ve seen from this huge but increasingly crowded EV market. Automakers launched their tech-packed, luxury-styled new models at stunningly low prices and yet some of them still can’t capture a decent volume. China is undoubtly the most violent regional market on the planet and an industry veteran told me that if you can survive here, you will make it anywhere else in the world.
7. Which phrase or sentence best summarizes your perspective on the field you’ve been following in 2023?
Upmarket. That’s probably one of the most significant developments when we take a look into what Chinese automakers have done in the past year. It would be hard to imagine 10 years ago that a Chinese-branded car sells good at more than RMB 300,000 (RMB 41,880), but this is happening right now and right here. How far will they go?
8. What product/company/technology/industry are you most looking forward to next year?
I very much expect the availability of automated driving functions that would allow cars to steer, brake, and navigate on Chinese complex city streets. I took several really smooth test rides offered by automakers and self-driving car companies in the past year and that was amazing. I look forward the technology being more reliable and affordable in 2024, bringing future into reality faster.
9. Do you believe AI has the potential to threaten humanity?
I am a bit worried about the potential for humans to lose control of AI as we’ve seen the technology advanced at unprecedented rates in the past year. I am hoping for more dialogues and collaborations among nations and businesses for AI regulation and transparency.
Jill Shen is Shanghai-based technology reporter. She covers Chinese mobility, autonomous vehicles, and electric cars. Connect with her via e-mail: [email protected] or Twitter: @jill_shen_sh
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