Thatcham Research's Andrew Hooker, examines the pressures on automakers in China.
Much has been reported about the exponential growth in China’s vehicle market – both
from a manufacturing and consumer perspective. While domestic automakers struggle to retain customers attracted by high-quality, overseas brands, the foreign manufacturers view China as their lifeline in the battle to keep production and sales volumes up when faced with highly competitive, shrinking Western markets.
However, under the various pressures of increasingly stringent performance and emissions regulations, finding an acceptable price point and remaining competitive, manufacturers are battling quality against quantity.
The transfer of western automotive structural technology into this rapidly growing national fleet is creating a risk that the nation's repair industry will not be able to manage, with potentially very serious consequences for the safety of Chinese consumers.
In his White Paper, Thatcham Research Future Vehicle Engineer, Andrew Hooker, examines the challenges faced by automakers and China's repair and vehicle insurance sectors - covering everything from lubricant fill and steel quality, to oil disposal and repair skills.
Download the China: an automotive accident waiting to happen? white paper