Chinese, European new energy vehicle industry wants to accelerate cooperation

Chinese and European new energy vehicle businesses seek to boost cooperation despite an anti-subsidy investigation launched by the European Commission into electric vehicles made in China.

Paul Schockmel, CEO of International Electronics and Engineering S.A. (IEE), a Luxembourg-based company dedicated to automotive safety and other fields, said that cooperation is the key and there's a lot to do between China and Europe. The company has been working with a Chinese software company on software defined material sensing and data transmission.

"China has learned a lot from European industry. But now it's time we learn from China," Schockmel told the 2024 Zhongguancun Forum -- Brussels Parallel Forum held in Brussels on Friday.

Themed "China-EU Green Transition and Industrial Cooperation", Brussels Parallel Forum aims to explore and deepen the consensus and collaboration between China and Europe in the field of sustainable development.

Founded in 2007, the ZGC Forum, with its enduring focus on innovation and development, has evolved into a national-level open innovation platform and an international forum over the years.

Céline Domecq, public affairs director of Volvo Car Corp, talked about the partnership between Geely and Volvo.

"When Geely acquired us, they were smart to know that the value of Volvo was an extremely well-known European brand… Geely wants to be present in markets in Europe, so they have to adapt to the regulations. And so there's cooperation with them," she said.

"By working together, we have more leverage to get access to materials and designs."

Domecq noted that the relationship between the European Union and China maybe is not at its best, and there is fear that China will take over in the sector of Europe. But she said Geely and Volvo have shown that the two sides can cooperate and this will bring hefty competition, innovation and then better products for everyone.

David Spence, head of Brussels Office of Government Relations Europe of NIO，talked about the development of battery swap stations of NIO in Chinese and European markets.

"We have brought this technology to China and it's very popular now," Spence said, "In terms of scale, we probably have 2,400 power substations in China. In Europe, we have 42."

Han Wen, CEO of Windrose Technology, a Chinese developer of intelligent driving technology, showed a model of an EV truck.

He acknowledged that China's rapid progress in the EV industry can make Western audiences slightly uncomfortable.

"The fact that China is so much faster in EV industry can sometimes frighten people," he said."But merely having superior battery components, truck designs, and cost-effective manufacturing processes isn't enough. More importantly, Chinese brands and the European markets should build trust with each other."

Though there is still some skepticism among European consumers regarding Chinese brands, Han believes the company's expansion in Europe is necessary because European top talents in truck manufacturing and software development is indispensable for improving the global competitiveness of the company.

"Contrary to seeking lower costs, Windrose Technology's decision to invest in Europe is driven by talent concentration and customer proximity," he said.

"Talent and customer access outweigh cost considerations."

The Friday forum attracted some 150 Chinese and European government representatives, industry leaders, scholars and entrepreneurs in Brussels to discuss and exchange views on green economy, new energy automotive industry and other areas.

Zhang Xingran and Zou Jiyu in Brussels contributed to the story