纽约时报中文网 - 中英对照版-中英中国电动汽车出海如何重塑一个国家的汽车产业

Ma Haiyang and eight of his colleagues arrived in Thailand a year ago to establish the first overseas operation for GAC Aion, an electric vehicle maker from China. They had no office, no factory, no local employees and, basically, no clue.

一年前，马海洋和八名同事来到泰国，为中国电动汽车制造商广汽埃安建立首个海外业务。他们没有办公室，没有工厂，没有当地员工，而且基本上毫无头绪。

The Aion team set up shop in a Bangkok hotel, commandeering conference rooms and holding meetings in the lobby. They had a long list of things to do: Find office space, recruit dealers and devise a business strategy. The team worked around the clock and, 74 days after arriving in Thailand, sold its first electric vehicle.

这个埃安团队在曼谷的一家酒店里安营扎寨，他们征用酒店的会议室，在酒店大堂里开会。他们待办事项的清单很长：寻找办公空间、招募经销商，以及制定商业战略。他们日以继夜地工作，在来到泰国74天后卖出了第一辆电动车。

“The window of opportunity for Chinese new energy vehicles going overseas will be relatively short,” said Mr. Ma, general manager at Aion for Southeast Asia, using China’s preferred phrase for fully electric and gas-electric hybrid vehicles. “This is why we wanted to hurry up,” he added.

“中国新能源汽车进军海外的机会窗口将相对较短，”广汽埃安东南亚总经理马海洋说道，新能源汽车是中国人对全电动和油电混合动力汽车的习惯叫法。“这是我们急着做的原因，”他接着说。

Chinese electric vehicle manufacturers like Aion are stampeding into overseas markets. Thailand is one of the first countries to experience the sudden influx of China’s automobile brands, and is confronting how their ambition and competitiveness are reshaping its car industry.

广汽埃安等中国的电动车企正在大举进军海外市场。泰国是感受到中国汽车品牌突然涌入的首批国家之一，而且正面临着这些品牌的野心和竞争如何重塑本国汽车产业的问题。

The arrival of China E.V. Inc. is evident everywhere in Thailand. Billboards are blanketed with advertisements for Chinese cars. Land prices are soaring because so many Chinese firms are building car factories.

泰国随处可见中国电动汽车大举到来的迹象。有很多中国汽车的大广告牌。随着大量中国车企在当地建厂，土地价格飞涨。

The fast changes in the Thai auto market also show how Chinese companies are leaping ahead of their global rivals in Japan, which has shunned E.V.s, and the United States, where Tesla dominates the sector.

透过泰国汽车市场的快速变化还可以看到中国企业是如何正在超越来自日本和美国的全球竞争对手的。日本一直不热衷于电动汽车，美国市场则由特斯拉主导。

Last year, sales of popular Japanese brands such as Nissan, Mazda and Mitsubishi plummeted as consumers bought new electric cars from Chinese manufacturers instead. Dealers that had worked with Japanese and American automakers for decades were now turning over showrooms to make way for Chinese vehicles. Amid an increasingly crowded field, Chinese brands are slashing prices on electric vehicles.

去年，随着消费者购买中国制造商的新电动汽车，日产、马自达和三菱等受欢迎的日本汽车品牌销量暴跌。几十年来一直与日本和美国车企合作的经销商现在正在为中国汽车的到来腾出展厅空间。在这个越来越拥挤的市场里，中国品牌正在大幅削减电动车价格。

The overseas push is the next phase in Beijing’s long-term strategy to focus on new energy vehicles and upend the balance of power in the automobile industry.

中国政府的长远战略是把重点转向新能源汽车，并在这个过程中颠覆全球汽车行业力量平衡，进军海外是这个战略的下一阶段。

After years of government support for the sector, Chinese manufacturers are adept at mass-producing electric vehicles. They have established dependable supply chains, while working out the kinks to reduce prices.

中国政府为行业提供了多年支持后，国内的制造商已变得擅长大规模生产电动汽车。它们建立起可靠的供应链，同时正在解决一些小问题，以降低价格。

That international push has been met with tariffs in two major auto markets to prevent a glut of Chinese vehicles from crushing homegrown competitors. Last month, the European Union said it would impose tariffs of up to 38 percent on electric vehicles imported from China into the bloc. A month earlier, the United States quadrupled tariffs on E.V.s built in China.

中国汽车走向国际的努力已在两个主要汽车市场面临关税壁垒，关税主要是为防止中国汽车大量涌入、压垮当地的竞争对手。上个月，欧盟表示将对从中国进口到欧盟的电动汽车征收最高38% 的关税。一个月前，美国把对中国制造的电动汽车征收的关税提高了三倍。

Thailand is small by comparison, but it is the biggest market in Southeast Asia. Known as the “Detroit of Asia,” it serves as a regional manufacturing hub. Its proximity and strong trade ties to China also allow Chinese cars to be imported quickly and inexpensively.

泰国的汽车市场比欧美的小得多，但它是东南亚的最大市场。泰国是东南亚的制造业中心，有“亚洲底特律”之称。泰国与中国的距离和紧密贸易关系也使中国汽车能快速、廉价地进口到泰国。

“It’s a beachhead market,” said Tu Le, a managing director of the consultancy Sino Auto Insights. “It suits a lot of Chinese brands because of the lower price point.”

“泰国市场是进军世界的桥头堡，”咨询公司Sino Auto Insights的董事总经理涂乐说。“泰国市场适合很多中国品牌，因为中国汽车的价格较低。”

In a market once considered a Japanese stronghold, a changing of the guard is already happening. Japanese automobile brands accounted for 86 percent of new car sales in 2022. That figure dropped to 75 percent last year, with China’s BYD, Great Wall Motor and SAIC Motor grabbing significant market share.

泰国市场曾被视为日本车的地盘，但情况已开始改变。泰国2022年的新车销售中，日本汽车品牌占86%。去年，这个数字下降到了75%，因为中国的比亚迪、长城汽车和上汽集团正在扩大它们在泰国的市场份额。

In 2021, Thailand said it wanted electric vehicles to account for 30 percent of its automobile production by the end of the decade, an ambitious goal that seems unattainable without Chinese companies. Its government also put in place subsidies and tax breaks to spur demand.

泰国曾在2021年表示，希望到这个十年结束时，电动汽车占国内汽车产量的30%。没有中国企业的参与，这个雄心勃勃的目标似乎难以实现。泰国政府还为刺激需求出台了补贴和税收减免政策。

A weak Thai economy has contributed to a significant decline in overall car sales this year. Electric vehicle sales have slowed a lot but are still up 50 percent over last year. Chinese automakers have responded by cutting prices, leaving some competitors worried about a race to the bottom.

泰国经济疲软已导致了今年的整体汽车销量大幅下滑。虽然电动汽车销售已大幅放缓，但仍比去年增长了50%。中国汽车制造商用降价来应对销售放缓，这让一些竞争对手担心出现价格战。

Chong Baoyu, general manager of Great Wall Motor in the Thailand unit, said an all-out price war would “kill the industry” because customers would hold off on buying a vehicle, expecting prices to fall further.

长城汽车泰国销售公司总经理崇保玉说，一场全面的价格战将“扼杀这个行业”，因为客户会推迟购买汽车，期待价格会进一步下跌。

“The price cut is a short-term solution but not long-term,” he said.

“降价能解决短期的问题，但不是长久之计，”他说。

Four years ago, Great Wall Motor acquired General Motors’ factories as part of a retreat by the American carmaker.

四年前，作为通用汽车退出泰国的一部分，长城汽车收购了这家美国汽车制造商在泰国的工厂。

In May, with the European Union tariffs on China looming, Great Wall Motor announced that it would close its regional headquarters in Munich, citing an “increasingly challenging European electric vehicle market.”

今年5月，随着欧盟即将对中国汽车加征关税，长城汽车宣布将关闭其位于慕尼黑的欧洲区总部，理由是“欧洲电动汽车市场的挑战越来越大”。

The company plans to continue operating in Europe, Mr. Chong said, but the prospect of tariffs makes Thailand an even more important market for Chinese brands.

虽然公司打算继续在欧洲运营，但崇保玉说，欧盟关税的前景已使泰国成为中国车更重要的市场。

Six Chinese electric vehicle companies are already selling cars in Thailand, and three more entrants are coming this year. BYD, Aion, Great Wall, Hozon Auto’s Neta and Chery are among those that have opened or are building factories in Thailand.

已有六家中国电动汽车公司在泰国销售汽车，今年还将有三家公司进入泰国市场。比亚迪、广汽埃安、长城汽车、合众旗下的哪吒汽车以及奇瑞等公司已在泰国设厂或正在建厂。

“When the Chinese see an opportunity, they just go,” Wirat Tatsaringkansakul, deputy secretary general of the Thailand Board of Investment, said at an automotive conference for Chinese suppliers last month.

“中国人看到机会后，他们会马上采取行动，”泰国投资促进委员会副秘书长威腊·达萨信甘沙古上个月在有中国供应商参加的泰国汽车供应链大会上说。

Japan’s dominance over Thailand’s automotive industry dates to the 1960s when Nissan Motor and its local partner, Siam Motors, opened the country’s first car factory. Japan’s support helped establish the Phornprapha family, which owns the privately held Siam Motors, as the first family of Thailand’s car industry.

日本在泰国汽车行业的主导地位可以追溯到20世纪60年代，当时日产汽车与当地合作伙伴暹罗汽车在泰国开设了第一家汽车厂。日本的支持帮助蓬巴帕家族成为泰国汽车业的第一家族，暹罗汽车由该家族私人控股。

But even within the Phornprapha family, alliances are shifting.

但即使在蓬巴帕家族内部，联盟也在发生变化。

Pratarnwong Phornprapha and Pratarnporn Phornprapha, the grandchildren of Siam Motors’ founder, control Rever Automotive, which is the exclusive distributor for BYD cars in Thailand. BYD, China’s leading E.V. company, competes directly with Siam Motors’ longtime partner, Nissan. BYD sold more cars in Thailand than Nissan did last year, even though the Chinese automaker had only three models available.

暹罗汽车创始人的孙辈巴丹翁·蓬巴帕和巴丹邦·蓬巴帕是比亚迪汽车在泰国的独家经销商Rever Automotive的控股人。中国领先的电动汽车公司比亚迪与暹罗汽车的长期合作伙伴日产有直接竞争关系。去年，比亚迪在泰国的汽车销量超过了日产，尽管这家中国汽车制造商在泰国市场上只有三款车型可供选择。

Pratarnwong Phornprapha, who is Rever’s chief executive, and Pratarnporn Phornprapha, his sister and vice chief executive, said their company was completely separate from Siam Motors, which is run by their uncle and cousin. This month, BYD said it had acquired a 20 percent stake in Rever for an undisclosed sum.

巴丹翁·蓬巴帕是比亚迪泰国经销商的首席执行官，他的妹妹巴丹邦·蓬巴帕是副首席执行官，他们说，他们的公司完全独立于暹罗汽车，后者由他们的伯父和堂兄经营。比亚迪本月表示已收购了其泰国经销商20%的股份，但未披露收购价格。

In less than two years, Rever has opened 110 showrooms across the country, with the goal of another 50 by the end of 2024.

不到两年，比亚迪泰国经销商已经在全国开设了110家展厅，并且计划到2024年底再开设50家展厅。

Pratarnwong Phornprapha, the Rever chief executive, said there had been no tension within the family, because Rever was focused on electric vehicles and Siam Motors made traditional cars.

其首席执行官巴丹翁·蓬巴帕说，家族内部没有矛盾，因为 Rever专注于电动汽车，而暹罗汽车则专注于制造传统汽车。

“For now, I don’t think there is any conflict,” he said.

“就目前而言，我认为不存在任何冲突，”他说。

The Phornprapha siblings said one of the biggest challenges they faced was to assuage concerns about the reliability of Chinese automobiles — especially because Japanese brands are held in high regard.

蓬巴帕兄妹表示，他们面临的最大挑战之一是缓解人们对中国汽车可靠性的担忧，尤其是因为日本车在泰国备受推崇。

“I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t a hurdle when we started,” Mr. Phornprapha said. “Chinese products, 10 years ago, aren’t what we see today.”

“如果说这不是我们刚开始时的一个障碍，那是在说谎话，”蓬巴帕先生说。“10年前的中国产品与我们现在看到的不一样。”

V Group Cars, a dealer network with 44 showrooms, said a majority of its locations sold only Chinese brands. The dealer network stopped working with Suzuki. It converted Mazda, Mitsubishi and Ford Motor showrooms into sales locations for Aion, Neta, Chery’s Omoda and Jaecoo brands, and Zeekr.

拥有44个展厅的经销商网V Group Cars表示，其大多数展厅只销售中国车。该经销商网已停止了与铃木的合作，并已将马自达、三菱和福特汽车的展厅改造成广汽埃安、哪吒、奇瑞的Omoda和Jaecoo、极氪等电动汽车品牌的经销店。

Aion, in its first year in Thailand, has opened 41 showrooms and started production at a new factory this month. It has announced plans to open a plant in Indonesia and start selling its cars in nine countries across Southeast Asia.

广汽埃安第一年就已在泰国开设了41家展厅，并从本月开始在一家新工厂生产汽车。公司已宣布打算在印度尼西亚建工厂，并将开始在东南亚的九个国家销售汽车。

Last month, Phanthakan Wongsa and his wife bought an Aion Y Plus sport utility vehicle at a showroom in Bangkok. They own a gasoline-powered Suzuki but wanted an energy-efficient car. Mr. Wongsa, a 35-year-old engineer, paid around $25,000 after a government subsidy and a 20 percent price cut.

上个月，攀他甘·翁萨和妻子在曼谷的一家展厅买了一辆广汽埃安Y Plus运动型多用途车。他们已有一辆烧汽油的铃木汽车，但想要一辆更节能的汽车。翁萨现年35岁，职业是工程师，他买新车花了约2.5万美元，这是在得到政府补贴和汽车降价20%之后。

On a recent afternoon at an Aion showroom in the eastern part of Bangkok, the company was offering a $25,000 package for the Y Plus that included an eight-year warranty, installation of a home charger and 12 months of insurance.

不久前的一个下午，广汽埃安在曼谷东部的一个公司展厅里向买家提供购买Y Plus的2.5万美元套餐价，包括八年保修、安装家用充电器和一年的车险。

V Group, the dealer network, had converted the showroom from a Mazda dealership last year. Mazda sales “plummeted in recent years,” said Pananya Jira-alongkorn, vice president of V Group. Thai consumers were more interested in electric vehicles, she said, and Mazda had “none to offer.”

经销商网络V Group去年对该展厅进行了改造，它原本是马自达的经销店。V Group副总裁班南娅·集拉阿隆功说，马自达的销量“近年来大幅下降”。她说，泰国消费者对电动汽车更感兴趣，而马自达“没有电动汽车”。

Aion adapted its Chinese cars for the local market, turning up the power of the air-conditioning and strengthening the chassis for poor road conditions.

广汽埃安针对当地市场调整了为中国市场生产的汽车，提高了空调功率，加强了底盘，以适应不佳的路况。

On his desk at Aion’s offices in a Bangkok high-rise, Mr. Ma displayed a miniature model ship that captures the spirit of Chinese automakers prospecting for customers.

在位于曼谷一栋高层建筑里的广汽埃安办公室里，马海洋的办公桌上摆放着一个模型船，它刻画了中国汽车制造商开拓市场的精神。

Written on the ship’s sails is a Chinese phrase: “Ride the wind, cleave the waves and return with a full load.”

船帆上写着：“乘风破浪，满载而归。”