China Makes All The Right Connections!
Roger Atkins
LinkedIn TOP VOICE for EV ??, Event MC, ??? The Electric & Eclectic Podcast Show Host, ?? Documentary Maker, Board Advisor, Harmonica Player, Business Consultant & Investor -Founder Electric Vehicles Outlook Ltd
A 1st time visitor to Beijing and my inaugural China Auto Show - Wow!
Epic in scale, ambition, and quality, I have been very pleasantly surprised on just how good the auto industry is here at this time - and getting ready to move into the overtaking lane as I see it...
The primary reason for my trip has been to assist CEO Alon Medina progress a few things on his exciting journey with EVCHIP.
As you are probably aware, I've made it my business to get to know the movers and shakers within the EV sector these past few years - and nobody impresses me more than the people who are literally designing our future.
I've written in the past about Mate Rimac and the extraordinary work his team progress in Croatia - as well as French entrpreneur Damien Biro with whom I was with for the Pariss Electric launch last weekend.
I titled this article in regard to the extension of the 'wiring loom' that feeds through the whole of the Chinese way of life. The mobile phone is an epic enabler in this country in both a minor and major sense.
My 'guide' was my smartphone - I navigated around an unfamiliar city with relative ease. Both UBER and WeChat made doing business fairly straightforward. I learned of a few words that weren't on my Pleco dictionary too! Mostly from my friendly Taxi driver on a long trip into the city centre...
Wherever you look there are people - rich and poor - using them. You might think that's not that unusual...but up close and personal it is an extraordinary sight. Almost everything is connected - almost!
A technology fully embraced by the masses for the masses. Inevitably kicked off by the more well healed of course!
What I think inevitably happens next will be the precursor for us all, as the triple challenges of Energy, Mobility, and Connectivity enable mass urban consumption- and are now inexorably joining forces.
The motivation for it all is necessity of course - amongst which is a twin imperative...
Efficiency & Profit.
Some see such a vision of connected-electric-autonomus-shared-mobility as pie in the sky invention by a bunch of space cadets with pallid skin that ought to get out into the daylight a bit more often. I think it is inevitable - and more likely than anywhere else to kick off in China.
I thought I'd seen heavy traffic when I've been parked up on the A40 on my way out of London anytime - or perhaps crawling along the M42 on a Monday Morning.
Nope. Beijing beats the lot...a journey from A to B might as well use every other letter in the alphabet at least a dozen times as you crawl along amidst the taxis, buses, and trucks - and a few million 2 wheelers thrown into the mix as well!
Unless the authorities discover the 5th dimension and open it up to traffic sometime soon, the mother of all tarmac turmoil will turn this mega city and thousand of others like it - into one giant choking car park. Much like now of course!
So, as both business models and rapidly developing technologies converge - ain't it just in time folks! Luckily, much of the shape of the ambition to remedy matters was on display at the Beijing show this week - with a few things still wrapped in intrigue...
However, despite all the excitement, there remains a belligerence at the core of Big Auto to truly drive the change - perhaps because too many of the architects of our tomorrow are the builders of all our yesterdays.
Not so from a few of the mobile and internet titans here in China of course!
Some people see it clearer than others.
Some probably don't see it at all.
Some have been busy for years fixing the problem. The pollution problem.
People like BYD - over in the US, the UK, across Europe...and in China of course! Maybe not the EV Poster on everyones wall - but they should be!
Incidentally, whilst I've pasted up a few pictures, you can read detailed product reviews elsewhere as they will all be far better researched and presented than I was able to muster this week. Mainly because I was busy helping Mr Medina with a few meetings here and there.
On that note, my technical 'apprenticeship' at Ricardo schooled me well in identifying what standouts and fundamentals to look for in any claimed 'breakthrough' proposition.
Mr Medina more than passes muster - so watch this space!
Lights - Camera - Action!
www.electricvehiclesoutlook.com
As The Beach Boys sang "I Get Around"...
LinkedIn TOP VOICE for EV ??, Event MC, ??? The Electric & Eclectic Podcast Show Host, ?? Documentary Maker, Board Advisor, Harmonica Player, Business Consultant & Investor -Founder Electric Vehicles Outlook Ltd
8 年If you are busy with battery tech you might want to take a peek at what my Israeli chums have been working on at www.evchip.com
Chinese Xiang Cuisine food truck
8 年Roger Atkins, thanks for the question. In China, there has been a transition / swapping of mechanical for an electric bicycle / scooter. Often the China-type electric bike has small wheels, NO pedal ASSIST, only a twist throttle, short range and low power. Often the battery is lead-acid. But, in the USA, the customer of an eBike is often one of us Baby Boomers who has not been on a bicycle for decades. (they often have several bicycles hanging in the garage, but not used). The Millennials are another customer (never had a car, no intent of ever wanting one), and commuters who like the convenience of parking with no parking fees. These are my opinions, based on what I see and read.
LinkedIn TOP VOICE for EV ??, Event MC, ??? The Electric & Eclectic Podcast Show Host, ?? Documentary Maker, Board Advisor, Harmonica Player, Business Consultant & Investor -Founder Electric Vehicles Outlook Ltd
8 年David Reeck - I appreciate your interesting additions to my thought - and I'm delighted my contention could be credible. Electric 2 wheelers have yet to stake their claim elsewhere but I'm sure that will change as their profile and proposition rises. In particular, the health benefits for an ageing population make for a strong case - a bit of exercise - a bit of rest - thats a routine that appeals to me! Is there any evidence that the overall numbers of cyclists increased - or did many of the existing ones just swap?
Chinese Xiang Cuisine food truck
8 年During my 10 years of working in China, I noticed a few things to add to your interesting article. The Chinese in general know how to get the most put of their mobile phones, and for the last 10 years. The Low Speed Electric Vehicles are a much larger sales volume than the EVs you see at the BeiJing and Shanghai Championship Auto Shows. Electric bicycles and tricycles are everywhere (about 200 million in use). Chinese have Asian taste in their style preference.