Selling to China: for Automotive Industry Professionals

GlobalAutoIndustry.com’s latest Audio Interview “Selling to China: for Automotive Industry Professionals” features Bill Russo.  Mr. Russo is the Shanghai-based Founder and CEO of Automobility Limited, a strategy and investment advisory firm helping its clients to create the future of mobility. His over 40 years of experience includes 16 years as an automotive executive, including 19 years of experience in China and Asia. He has also worked nearly 12 years in the electronics and information technology industries. He has worked as an advisor and consultant for numerous multinational and local Chinese firms in the formulation and implementation of their global market and product strategies. Bill is also currently serving as the Chair of the Automotive Committee at the American Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai.

In the 27-minute Audio Interview, Mr. Russo discusses these questions:

• Your chapter of Selling to China is titled “China’s Auto Industry: The Race to a Sustainable Future” … In it, you describe China’s 4-stage and 40 year journey from industry follower to mobility innovation leader. You’ve been in China for three of the 4 stages and have watched it grow in that time by more than five times … Can you take us through the 4 stages and what were your main takeaways?
• China is now the leading EV market and Chinese brands are outselling foreign brands in China for the first time.  Can you share with us what you are seeing in China?
• In which areas of an automobile — design, engineering, software — do you see Chinese auto companies besting their Western counterparts?
• Within China, is it too late for foreign automakers that were focused on internal combustion engines to make the leap to electric? You have said that that “foreign carmakers are living in an alternate universe where incrementalism prevails.” How beholden are American manufacturers here to Detroit?
• Have Chinese EV companies benefitted from not being encumbered by a long history of ICE or has their progress in EVs stemmed from internal vigor or innovative mindsets at the companies.
• BYD has a significant lead in the EV market and is now outselling VW in China in overall sales.  How does BYD do it?
• What parallels, if any, are there between the rise of Japanese automakers in the 1970s and the rise of Chinese EV makers?