Judging from the current situation of engine manufacturers, these supporting engine plants have grown up in a specific market environment, and the past and current conditions are also good. But from the perspective of prospects, we are not optimistic about this model. The key reason is that they are rooted in their growth. They started with the commercial vehicle market. This model is difficult to expand in the field of passenger vehicles. Well, in this article, we will analyze this aspect.
The technical advantages of export engines are not obvious
The products produced by these engine plants are technically compared with foreign companies or joint ventures and obviously fall behind, such as small-displacement gasoline engines used in domestic mini vehicles, light buses and the most common 491 series gasoline engines or 4JB1 series on low-end SUVs. Diesel engines are all foreign technologies from the 1980s. Although they are gradually being replaced by some new models, these new models are only equivalent to foreign technology from the 1990s. As mentioned earlier, Mitsubishi's domestic production of several major series of engines, its performance and technology in these export models are relatively high, like 4G15, 4G63 and 4G69 are using the current more mainstream MIVEC variable valve lift technology, but Mitsubishi has replaced the 4G6 series with the 4B1 series with better performance in foreign countries. The domestic production is still a relatively backward model.
The use of outsourced engines does not apply to passenger cars
As mentioned in the previous article, the domestic engine supporting plant is developed from the commercial vehicle field. The manufacturing mode of commercial vehicles is very different from that of passenger cars. It can accept this kind of "purchasing + assembly" mode. Most commercial vehicles use non-load-carrying bodies, and their technical versatility is much stronger than that of passenger cars. When equipped with engines, they do not need much effort to match and adjust, and the technical requirements are also low. The passenger car is not the case, it generally adopts a load-bearing body, and the power system needs to be well matched with the entire body. Even many models need to take into consideration the matching problem of their engines at the beginning of design. This model of purchasing an engine produced by an outside plant makes it difficult to achieve a perfect match with its own body.
The products of these engine accessory factories are still mainly used in the field of passenger vehicles in passenger cars that have been transformed from commercial vehicles. Their own development is very problematic. Around the year 2000, the domestic auto market started a surge of economic SUVs. At that time, there were countless similar models, but there was basically no difference in technology and performance. All these models are the chassis and modified body of Toyota Hailarx or Isuzu pickup. The engines are identical to the 4Y or 4JB1. They cannot be compared with the models developed in full compliance with the passenger vehicle model. They are economical and comfortable. Or reliability, there is not a small gap. With the development of domestic vehicle-building technology, rising domestic oil prices, and increasingly stringent environmental protection regulations, these models have experienced a brief period of rapid growth and they have shrunk sharply. Their prospects are deplorable and will directly affect the use of these engine manufacturers in passenger vehicles. The status of the car field.
Diesel engine outsourcing is only a temporary solution
There is still much room for growth in the domestic auto market. Domestic manufacturers with engine production and R&D capabilities are still few, and the market demand for engines will also increase significantly. So in the near term, there are still good markets for export engines. However, with a long-term perspective, this method of engine export will not last long. In order to truly achieve development and growth, independent brands must catch up with joint venture models in terms of performance, technology, and craftsmanship. At the same time, a model must also provide a variety of engines with different displacements to enrich the car line and provide consumers with more. multiple choice. In the face of such demand, the outsourcing engine is often difficult to meet the demand. Using such an engine is only a result of its own supporting system that is not perfect enough to solve the urgent need. When conditions are ripe, they are more willing to self-produce engines instead of outsourcing.
With the polarization of independent brands, the export engine market will shrink dramatically
With the intensified competition in the auto market, the self-owned brands are currently showing polarization.
Some powerful and large-scale independent brands have begun to develop their own engine products through various means. These products have a relatively high starting point for development. Their technologies and performance are in line with those of the mainstream engines in the world, and they naturally replace them after they are put into production. Purchased engine model. For example, Chery is currently the largest independent brand in China. Its Oriental CROSS models, Tiggo and Oriental Son CROSS models initially purchased the 4G6 series engines of Aerospace Mitsubishi, and the ACTECO series engines developed in cooperation with Chery and AVL were put into production. After that, these models basically gradually replaced the Mitsubishi models with their own engines. At present, only Oriental Son CROSS is still in use, and Chery has several engines in the R&D or testing stage, 2.3L in-line 4-cylinder and 2.4 L's V-type 6-cylinder engines will be put into operation soon, so it will not be too long for Oriental Son CROSS to use 4G64 engines.
Brilliance is also a large independent brand. Its models used Mitsubishi's domestic models in the past. After the BL18T turbocharged engine was developed in cooperation with German FEV, it also replaced 4G64. Many models of brands such as Changfeng, Zhongtai, Haima, and BYD are also using Mitsubishi engines, and they are all developing their own engines. After their own engines are put into production, Mitsubishi series engines will also be replaced.
There is a foreign example to illustrate some issues. Many domestic brands of cars have used the 1.6-liter displacement engine produced by Brazil’s TRITEC company. When it was first assembled on Chery Cowin (Gallery Forum), it was also the largest promotion gimmick by Chery. However, this engine, which was once assembled on the MINI and the PT Cruiser, did not achieve very good results on these independent brand manufacturers' products. The TRITEC engine's proprietary products are not very competitive. Although Chery, Lifan and Haima are all available in TRITEC versions, they will not be the mainstream products in this series. This also has a lot to do with this outsourcing engine not suitable for passenger cars. As BMW and Chrysler began to assemble new engines on its new products, the TRITEC plant also got into trouble and had to stop production in 2007.
Conclusion: Enterprises that simply produce engines will eventually withdraw from the passenger car market
The trick of Tritec is that it is a purely production engine company independent of BMW and Chrysler. Although both BMW and Chrysler have certain shares, after all, both companies have their own complete engine production and R&D system. When it is not competitive, it will be ruthlessly abandoned, not to mention the outsourcing engine. From the fate of TRITEC, it is not difficult to see that the prospects of companies that simply produce engines are not clear.
The automotive industry has a typical scale effect. The greater the output, the more favorable it is to share the cost. After many domestic independent brands have survived the competition between the survival of the fittest and the fittest, they will eventually be able to survive the most powerful ones. For them, there will be no problems with the engine to achieve independent support, and companies with weaker capabilities have also been Eliminate the game. Although this kind of engine company is currently taking full advantage and showing a trend of continued growth, with the elimination of auto companies, this purely engine-producing company will gradually withdraw from the passenger vehicle sector. If these supporting manufacturers can realize this and make product adjustments and transformations in a timely manner, it will be possible to eventually avoid this risk.
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