Swedish premium carmaker Volvo is to share a factory in China with parent Geely, the first time that Chinese and foreign marques will be made on the same mainland production line.
瑞士豪車制造商沃爾沃(Volvo)將與其母公司吉利(Geely)共同使用位于中國的一家制造廠,這將是中外品牌的汽車首次在中國內(nèi)地的同一條生產(chǎn)線上生產(chǎn)。
Volvo’s smaller 40-series model and cars under Geely’s recently launched mid-range Lynk & Co brand will be produced in a new facility being built in Luqiao, 350km south of Shanghai, using jointly developed compact modular architecture.
沃爾沃較小的40系列車型和吉利最近發(fā)布的中檔Lynk & Co品牌車型,將在上海以南350公里的路橋新建的一家工廠里生產(chǎn),使用雙方共同開發(fā)的緊湊模塊化架構(gòu)。
The move to bring manufacturing under the same roof is the latest step in efforts to tighten ties between Volvo and Geely by transferring European know-how to Geely while maintaining the Swedish automaker’s business and reputation.
通過一面維持沃爾沃這家瑞典汽車制造商的業(yè)務(wù)和聲譽(yù),一面將歐洲的技術(shù)專長轉(zhuǎn)給吉利,沃爾沃和吉利努力加強(qiáng)著雙方之間的關(guān)系。將雙方的制造挪到同一屋檐下,就是這些努力當(dāng)中的最新舉措。
The Luqiao facility was announced on Wednesday at the revealing of Volvo’s new China manufacturing strategy, under which the company also outlined plans to move production of the new S90 luxury sedan from Sweden to China.
有關(guān)路橋工廠的消息,是沃爾沃周三披露其新的中國制造戰(zhàn)略時(shí)宣布的。該公司還簡要介紹了依據(jù)這項(xiàng)戰(zhàn)略將新款S90豪華轎車的制造從瑞典遷往中國的計(jì)劃。
“With three plants — and the designation of one car line for each plant — Volvo creates an efficient production structure ensuring future capacity for growth,” said Håkan Samuelsson, president and chief executive.
沃爾沃總裁兼首席執(zhí)行官霍坎•薩穆埃爾松(Håkan Samuelsson)表示:“依靠三家工廠、以及為每家工廠指定一條汽車產(chǎn)品線,沃爾沃建立了高效的生產(chǎn)架構(gòu),確保了未來的增長能力。”
Li Shufu, Geely chairman, has given Volvo long rein and substantial financial support to grow the brand, while nurturing a long-term plan to upgrade Geely’s technical prowess through a research and design centre in Sweden, where engineers from both companies work side by side. 吉利董事長李書福為沃爾沃提供了很大自由度和大量的財(cái)務(wù)支持、以壯大該品牌,與此同時(shí)還在扶持一項(xiàng)長期計(jì)劃,通過一家位于瑞典的研發(fā)設(shè)計(jì)中心來提升吉利的技術(shù)實(shí)力。在這家研發(fā)設(shè)計(jì)中心,吉利和沃爾沃的工程師并肩工作。
Mr Li described his approach as a slicker alternative to the outdated mode of cooperation where international automakers build and sell their marques in China, while a domestic partner provides market access and a production facility in a 50-50 joint venture.
李書福稱,與國際汽車制造商在中國制造和銷售其品牌車型的過時(shí)合作模式相比,他的模式更為有效。在傳統(tǒng)模式下,中國國內(nèi)的合資方會(huì)提供市場準(zhǔn)入和一家雙方各擁有一半股份的制造廠。
“We have made China our second home market,” said Lars Danielson, senior vice president for Volvo Asia Pacific. “We will leverage our advantage of being one company rather than a joint venture.”
沃爾沃負(fù)責(zé)亞太區(qū)的高級副總裁拉爾斯•鄧(Lars Danielson)表示:“我們已把中國當(dāng)成了我們的第二個(gè)本土市場。我們將利用我們是一家公司而不是一家合資公司的優(yōu)勢。”
Mr Li is also among a growing contingent of Chinese executives and policy makers who say the 50 per cent shareholder limit is preventing the Chinese auto industry from moving up the value chain and launching globally competitive marques.
越來越多的中國高管和政策制定者表示,50%的持股比例限制正妨礙中國汽車業(yè)向價(jià)值鏈高端攀升和推出有全球競爭力的品牌。李書福也持這樣的觀點(diǎn)。
Critics argue that instead of allowing a gradual transfer of expertise, as originally planned, the regulations have made China’s largest automakers over-reliant on the sale of profitable JV-branded cars and deters them from taking risks to launch and develop their own brands.
批評者聲稱,這種監(jiān)管規(guī)定不但未像最初計(jì)劃的那樣催生技術(shù)的逐步轉(zhuǎn)讓,反而令中國大型汽車制造商過度依賴于銷售利潤頗豐的合資品牌車型,阻礙它們冒險(xiǎn)去推出和開發(fā)自有品牌。
The launch of Geely’s international mid-range brand Lynk & Co in Berlin in mid-October was a leap for a company that started out as an ultra low-cost carmaker, with Mr Li once claiming Geely would sell the cheapest cars ever made.
對于吉利這樣靠生產(chǎn)極為廉價(jià)的汽車起家的公司而言,10月中旬在柏林推出Lynk & Co這一國際化中檔品牌是一次飛躍。李書福曾聲稱吉利要造中國最便宜的轎車。
But the latest phase of Volvo’s integration with Geely may also mean the Swedish brand finds itself competing for sales with cars produced under its own roof.
不過,沃爾沃與吉利最新階段的整合也許還意味著,這家瑞典品牌會(huì)發(fā)現(xiàn),它要與自己工廠生產(chǎn)出來的汽車爭市場。
China sales have been a major force in Volvo’s recovery from years of poor performance under Ford. Sales have tripled over the past three years, making China Volvo’s largest single-country market.
在福特(Ford)旗下時(shí),沃爾沃的業(yè)績多年不佳。中國市場的銷售已成為沃爾沃復(fù)蘇的主要推動(dòng)力之一。過去三年,沃爾沃在華銷量增長了兩倍,在各國當(dāng)中,中國已成為該公司最大的市場。
Volvo sold more than 63,000 cars in China in the first nine months of 2016, up from 57,000 in the same period last year.
2016年頭九個(gè)月,沃爾沃在華售出逾6.3萬輛汽車,去年同期為5.7萬輛。