電動汽車的競技場上，中國公司挑戰(zhàn)特斯拉

BEIJING — On a windswept lot near Beijing’s main airport, Lu Qun talks up the electric sports car he hopes will transform him into China’s Elon Musk.

北京——在北京主要機場附近的一塊狂風(fēng)肆虐的地方，陸群對一款電動跑車贊不絕口，他希望自己可以憑借它成為中國的埃隆·馬斯克(Elon Musk)。

“This is a real performance car,” the entrepreneur boasted of his sleek, gray-and-black Qiantu K50. “It’s fun. You can feel the quality. You’ll love driving this car.”

“這是一款真正的性能跑車，”這位企業(yè)家這樣夸贊自己時髦的灰黑色前途K50跑車。“它很好玩。你能感受到它的品質(zhì)。你會愛上駕駛它的感覺。”

For Mr. Lu, 48, the roadster is his best chance to make it big. After a lifetime of obscurity creating vehicles for other companies, the bespectacled engineer is betting that the rise of electric cars will propel his company — and his country — into the automotive spotlight.

對48歲的陸群來說，這款跑車是他把事業(yè)做大的最佳機會。這位戴眼鏡的工程師前半輩子默默無聞地為其他公司設(shè)計汽車，現(xiàn)在他打賭，電動汽車的崛起將讓他的公司以及這個國家成為汽車行業(yè)的焦點。

“Traditional auto manufacturers are constrained by their old models,” he said. “We can see things with fresh eyes.”

“傳統(tǒng)汽車制造商受到舊模式的束縛，”他說，“而我們可以用新眼光看事物。”

Across China, government officials, corporate executives, private investors and newcomers like Mr. Lu are in a headlong rush to develop a domestic electric car industry. The country’s goal, like Mr. Lu’s, is to capitalize on the transition to electric to turbocharge the country’s lagging automobile sector to become a major competitor to the United States, Japan and Germany.

在中國各地，政府官員、公司主管、私人投資者以及陸群這樣的新來者正在蜂擁開發(fā)國內(nèi)電動汽車產(chǎn)業(yè)。該國的目標(biāo)和陸群的一樣，是想利用向電動汽車的轉(zhuǎn)型振興該國落后的汽車行業(yè)，成為美國、日本和德國的一個主要競爭對手。

That has been a goal of China’s industrial planners for decades, as the government has lavished resources on building homegrown automakers and discriminated against foreign players.

數(shù)十年來，這一直是中國工業(yè)規(guī)劃者的目標(biāo)，政府在建設(shè)國產(chǎn)汽車制造廠方面投入了大量資源，并對外國競爭者予以不平等待遇。

But so far, that effort has failed.

但到目前為止，這項努力沒有成功。

Local manufacturers have lacked the brands, technology and managerial heft to outmaneuver their established rivals, either at home or abroad. Chinese consumers have preferred more reliable Buicks, Volkswagens and Toyotas to the often substandard offerings from domestic manufacturers, while little-known Chinese models have struggled to gain traction overseas.

國內(nèi)汽車制造商缺乏打敗成熟對手的品牌、技術(shù)和管理能力——不管是在國內(nèi)還是在國外。中國消費者青睞更為可靠的別克、大眾和豐田，而非通常表現(xiàn)不佳的國產(chǎn)汽車，與此同時，鮮為人知的中國汽車在國外也很難引起注意。

Electric vehicles could offer a second chance — one China’s policy makers do not intend to miss.

電動汽車可能提供了第二次機會——中國的政策制定者不想錯失它。

They targeted electric cars for special support in an industrial policy called “Made in China 2025,” which aims to foster upgraded, technologically advanced manufacturing. By 2020, Beijing expects its automakers to be able to churn out two million electric and hybrid vehicles annually — six times the number produced in 2015.

在一項名為《中國制造2025》的產(chǎn)業(yè)政策中，電動汽車獲得了特別支持，目標(biāo)在于構(gòu)建升級的、技術(shù)領(lǐng)先的制造體系。到2020年，北京預(yù)計它的汽車制造商每年能生產(chǎn)200萬輛電動或混合動力汽車，是2015年產(chǎn)量的六倍。

This time, China’s carmakers may be better positioned. Since electric vehicles are a relatively new business for all players, Chinese manufacturers and international rivals are largely starting from the same point.

這一次，中國的汽車制造商可能處于更有利的位置。由于電動汽車對所有生產(chǎn)者來說都是相對較新的領(lǐng)域，所以中國汽車制造商和國際對手們總體來說是站在同一個起跑線上。

“There is a smaller gap between where China is today and the rest of the world” in electric cars, said Bill Russo, managing director at Gao Feng Advisory, a Shanghai consultancy, and a former Chrysler executive. “There is room for newer start-up companies to dream big in China.”

上海高風(fēng)咨詢公司董事總經(jīng)理、前克萊斯勒首席執(zhí)行官羅威(Bill Russo)表示，如今在電動汽車方面，“中國和其他國家的差距更小，較新的初創(chuàng)公司在中國擁有實現(xiàn)更大夢想的空間”。

Mr. Lu is one of those dreamers.

陸群就是其中一個追夢者。

Fascinated by cars since he was a boy, he studied automotive engineering at Beijing’s prestigious Tsinghua University. Upon graduating in 1990, he joined the research and development team at the China-based joint venture of Jeep, then a division of Chrysler.

他從小就癡迷汽車，曾在北京著名的清華大學(xué)學(xué)習(xí)汽車工程學(xué)。1990年，他畢業(yè)后加入了當(dāng)時克萊斯勒旗下的Jeep合資企業(yè)，在其研發(fā)部任職。

During his time there, which included two years in Detroit, Mr. Lu came to feel such overseas operations had limited prospects in China — the ventures’ partners would try to balance their interests, and so were slow to develop strategies and make decisions.

在那里工作期間，包括在底特律的兩年，陸群感到國外的運作方式在中國的前景有限——合資公司的合伙人會努力平衡利益，所以在開發(fā)策略和做決策時，行動緩慢。

So in 2003, he and nine colleagues started CH-Auto Technology Corporation as a specialty research and design shop for the local car industry. Since then, the firm has designed vehicles for some of China’s biggest automakers.

2003年，他和九名同事創(chuàng)立了長城華冠科技公司，它是一個為當(dāng)?shù)仄囆袠I(yè)服務(wù)的專業(yè)研究設(shè)計小組。從那以后，該公司為中國最大的一些汽車制造商設(shè)計了多款汽車。

Mr. Lu decided to start manufacturing his own vehicles because of the shift to electric. Since producing electric cars requires new parts and technologies, he believed a small entrant could better compete with these new vehicles than traditional automakers.

鑒于向電動汽車的轉(zhuǎn)型，陸群決定開始生產(chǎn)自己的汽車。他認(rèn)為，由于生產(chǎn)電動汽車需要新零件和新技術(shù)，所以在這方面，一個小型新公司可能比傳統(tǒng)汽車制造商更具競爭力。

“Electric vehicles won’t just replace cars with conventional engines, but they will bring a huge change to the entire car industry,” Mr. Lu said. “We wanted to be part of this revolution.”

“電動汽車不只是會取代使用傳統(tǒng)發(fā)動機的汽車，而且將給整個汽車行業(yè)帶來巨大變化，”陸群說。“我們想成為這次變革的一部分。”

The result is the K50. Designed at his research center, the two-seater has a light, carbon fiber exterior and a console stuffed with touch screens. Rows of batteries propel the roadster to a top speed of about 120 miles per hour and carry it as far as 200 miles on a single charge.

他們的成果是K50。這款雙座汽車是在他的研發(fā)中心設(shè)計的，外部框架采用超輕碳纖維，駕駛室里滿是觸摸屏。在多排電池的驅(qū)動下，這款跑車的最高時速可達120英里左右(約合200公里)，單次充電續(xù)航里程可達200英里(約合320公里)。

No longer content to watch others produce his designs, Mr. Lu is currently constructing a $300 million factory in Suzhou, a city near Shanghai, to manufacture 50,000 cars a year. In all, he expects to invest as much as $1.4 billion into his venture over five years.

陸群不再滿足于看著他人生產(chǎn)自己設(shè)計的汽車，他正在上海附近的蘇州市投資3億美元建廠，預(yù)計每年生產(chǎn)5萬輛汽車。他期望在未來五年里為自己的企業(yè)總計注資14億美元。

He did not specify what the car would sell for, but Mr. Lu intends to price the K50 at the top of the market when it goes on sale this year.

陸群沒有給出K50未來的具體定價，但是這款車今年上市時，他打算按照市場高端價位定價。

That sets CH-Auto on a collision course with the industry’s flagship: Tesla.

這樣，長城華冠就將與該行業(yè)的佼佼者特斯拉(Tesla)展開競爭。

Elon Musk’s company already has an edge. While Mr. Lu is building his business from scratch, Tesla has been established in China since 2013. CH-Auto will have to persuade wealthy customers to plunk down a large sum on an unfamiliar brand — Qiantu — over Mr. Musk’s recognizable models.

埃隆·馬斯克的公司已經(jīng)具有一定的優(yōu)勢。陸群正在從零開始創(chuàng)立自己的企業(yè)，而特斯拉2013年就登陸中國了。長城華冠將必須說服富有的顧客花費巨資購買一個不熟悉的品牌——前途——而非馬斯克已經(jīng)獲得認(rèn)可的車型。

Mr. Lu nevertheless remains confident. He argues the sporty K50 will appeal to a more leisure-oriented driver than Tesla’s cars. As a logo, the company has chosen the dragonfly, because its managers believe the speedy, nimble insect has similar attributes to his electric car. To market it, Mr. Lu is considering opening showrooms in major Chinese cities, backed by a platform to sell online.

不過陸群依然充滿信心。他認(rèn)為頗具運動性的K50將比特斯拉更能吸引以休閑為目的的駕駛者。該公司把蜻蜓作為車標(biāo)，因為經(jīng)理們認(rèn)為，這種飛行速度快的靈巧昆蟲與他的電動汽車具有類似的屬性。為了進行推廣，陸群正在考慮在中國的主要城市開設(shè)展廳，同時在網(wǎng)上設(shè)立銷售平臺。

Elon Musk “is someone I can learn from,” he said. “Tesla has huge symbolic significance because it is the first company to make people believe a business model solely around electric vehicles is possible.”

他說，“我可以向埃隆·馬斯克學(xué)習(xí)。特斯拉具有強大的象征意義，因為它是第一個讓人們相信，完全圍繞電動汽車的商業(yè)模式是可行的公司。”

But, he added, “we are not looking to create the Chinese Tesla.”

不過他補充說，“我們不打算創(chuàng)造中國的特斯拉。”

When it comes to competing with Tesla, Mr. Lu can count on ample help from the Chinese government.

在與特斯拉競爭時，陸群可以依靠中國政府的大力支持。

To bring down costs and spur demand, the state has unleashed a torrent of cash. It has offered subsidies to manufacturers and tax breaks for buyers, and plowed investments into charging stations to make electric cars more practical.

為了降低成本，刺激需求，中國發(fā)行了大量現(xiàn)金。政府給制造商提供補貼，為購買者提供稅收減免，大力投資興建充電站，讓電動汽車更實用。

In all, UBS Securities estimates that the government spent $13 billion promoting electric vehicles in 2015 alone. So far, Mr. Lu has financed the K50 through loans and injections of fresh capital, but says he “won’t refuse” government subsidies if they become available.

總體而言，瑞銀證券(UBS Securities)估計，單在2015年，中國政府就投資130億美元推廣電動汽車。到目前為止，陸群主要通過貸款和新資本為K50融資，但他說，如果政府提供補貼，他“不會拒絕”。

Some analysts fear the state’s largess could prove as much bane as boon.

一些分析師擔(dān)心國家的慷慨資助可能被證明是福禍參半。

China may be recreating the waste and excess in electric cars that has plagued other state-targeted sectors, like steel and renewable energy, without spurring the technological innovation the economy needs to compete. And even though China’s car market is the world’s biggest, it is still unlikely to absorb all of the electric vehicle projects underway today.

就像鋼鐵和可再生能源等其他被政府瞄準(zhǔn)的行業(yè)所受的困擾一樣，中國或許正在電動汽車行業(yè)再次制造浪費和過剩，而沒有激發(fā)出其經(jīng)濟展開競爭時所需要的技術(shù)創(chuàng)新。盡管中國的汽車市場是世界上最大的，但它依然不大可能吸收目前正在進行的所有電動車項目。

“They are fueling overcapacity, with a lot of wasted money, and I’m doubtful that in the end you’ll have a successful electric car industry,” says Crystal Chang, a lecturer at the University of California, Berkeley who studies China’s auto industry policies.

“他們是在助長生產(chǎn)力過剩，浪費大量資金，我很擔(dān)心，到最后中國的電動汽車行業(yè)依然不成功，”研究中國汽車行業(yè)政策的加州大學(xué)伯克利分校(University of California, Berkeley)講師克莉斯特爾·常(Crystal Chang)說。

Significant sums have already been squandered. In September, the Finance Ministry fined five companies for defrauding the government of $150 million by fabricating sales of electric vehicles to obtain more subsidies, and several companies have failed to make an impression.

有大量資金已經(jīng)被浪費了。去年9月，財政部對詐騙政府1.5億美元的五家公司進行了處罰——它們偽造電動汽車銷售額，以獲得更多補貼——好幾家公司沒給人留下一點印象。

Mr. Lu is certain, however, that the K50 stands out in a crowded field. The car has already gotten some advance buzz; a review on one popular Chinese website praised its design as “beautiful” and “avant-garde” and its body as “very muscular.”

不過，陸群確信K50會在這個競爭激烈的領(lǐng)域脫穎而出。這款車已經(jīng)提前引發(fā)了熱烈討論;中國一家熱門網(wǎng)站上的評論稱贊它設(shè)計“漂亮”、“前衛(wèi)”，“車身線條肌肉感十足”。

“A big advantage they have is their knowledge of what it takes to build a quality vehicle,” said Jack Perkowski, managing partner of the Beijing-based consulting firm JFP Holdings and a veteran of China’s car sector. “They have a better chance than many others because of that.”

“他們的一大優(yōu)勢是，他們知道制造一輛高品質(zhì)汽車需要什么，”位于北京的咨詢公司杰克控股(JFP Holdings)的管理合伙人、中國汽車行業(yè)資深人士杰克·佩爾科夫斯基(Jack Perkowski)說。“因此，與其他很多企業(yè)相比，他們成功的機會更大。”

Mr. Lu is counting on it.

這正是陸群所期望的。

“There are a lot of electric vehicle companies and hot projects attracting a lot of money,” he said. “Not every company and not every car will be successful.”

“有很多電動汽車企業(yè)和熱門項目正在吸引大量資金，”他說。“不是每個公司、每款車都會成功。”