Imported heavy truck brands like Mercedes-Benz, Volvo, and Scania once enjoyed almost god-like status in the hearts of the Chinese people.
Some even said, "There are two types of truck drivers in the world, one drives a Scania, and the other dreams of driving a Scania."
This isn't hard to understand because imported heavy trucks excel over Chinese domestic heavy trucks in terms of quality, fuel consumption, safety, and user-friendliness.
However, imported heavy trucks have always held a very small share of the domestic market.
Some believe this is because of their high prices, but is that the only reason? Obviously not.
In fact, what imported heavy trucks truly fear is not the lower prices of domestic vehicles but the rapid pace at which domestic brands are manufacturing new trucks, including new energy trucks.
Typically, when an imported heavy truck launches a new model, it takes at least 3 years, sometimes even 5 years or more, with most of that time spent on testing.
In other words, imported heavy trucks always prioritize rigor, and immature models never make it to the market.
Japan is the same, with Hino trucks being renowned for their craftsmanship.
However, once Hino entered a joint venture with GAC, they missed out on many opportunities due to the slow pace of new vehicle launches.
Yet, this is the insistence of imported heavy truck brands. Even when faced with opportunities such as high horsepower, natural gas, or National VI emissions standards, they stick to their own processes for releasing new products.
Chinese domestic heavy trucks, on the other hand, are different. Once natural gas heavy trucks become popular, new products from most truck manufacturers will hit the market within two to three months.
As for testing, they prioritize getting to market first, as many domestic companies often just go through the motions with testing for emissions, safety, and reliability.
This has led to a reality where Chinese truck manufacturers blindly pursue sales, sacrificing quality to some extent with rapid product upgrades.
With the emergence of new energy trucks, the global trend is towards electrification, but Chinese brands are leading the charge.
Currently, whether it's traditional manufacturers converting from diesel to electric or new players conducting forward-thinking research and development, Chinese-made new energy heavy trucks surpass imported truck brands.
Opportunities for imported brands in the Chinese truck market are dwindling, not because their products are inferior, but because Chinese brands have beaten them to market due to differences in product philosophy, with some imported models not even completing their development before Chinese trucks hit the roads!
The environment of the Chinese truck market provides excellent conditions for domestic brands to thrive, with high acceptance of low prices among consumers and a significant demand for overloaded trucks, among other factors.
This is why brands like FAW and Sany can survive.
Most truck users don't need a high-end experience or prioritize efficient transportation. They just need a truck that can haul goods, is a bit cheaper, and even if it has some minor issues, as long as it can be repaired promptly, it's fine.
After all, in terms of monthly installments, buying a domestically-made truck for two to three hundred thousand yuan is much less pressure than affording an imported truck for one to two million yuan, not to mention recouping the costs within three to five years.
Chinese manufacturers are just too fast! This is what imported truck brands fear the most.
After losing ground for a while in the era of traditional fuel vehicles, can imported trucks catch up in the emerging era of new energy trucks?
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