Automotive Engineering - December 2024 - 2

EDITORIAL
EDITORIAL
Sebastian Blanco
Editor-in-Chief
sebastian.blanco@saemediagroup.com
China's warning signs
Sometimes, I cringe; sometimes, I just
listen and wonder. These past few
months have given us all a lot to think
about in the automotive space, and it's
clear now that the coming years will
keep the foot down on the accelerator
when it comes to the dramatic changes
we've experienced this past decade.
One thing that stood out to me in various
recent conversations is that there's
a widening gulf opening between
Chinese automakers and the rest of the
world. This isn't exactly news, and this
column isn't meant to monger any
fears. It's just a bit of off-the-cuff reporting
that sheds a bit of light on the
level of the challenges we face.
As you can read in Chris
Clonts' excellent report
further in this issue about
the warning that Voltaiq's
CEO gave at The Battery
Show this October, the U.S.
is in serious danger of falling
well behind Chinese
competitors in the EV battery
race (Michael
Robinette tackles similar
ground through a tariff
lens in this month's
Supplier Eye). But that
message was obvious to anyone who
meandered through the expo hall during
the show. The spacious Huntington Place
(neé Cobo Hall) was filled by more battery
suppliers and tech companies than I
could count (organizers said it was over
1,150), many with a Chinese connection.
Those of us who remember the busy
days when the Detroit Auto Show covered
a similar footprint were astonished
by the variety on display, and almost all
of it was EV-focused. The Battery Show
proved that there's good battery development
work happening in North
America and Europe, but it was hard to
ignore just how present China and
Chinese-related companies are in the
electrification mission.
Later in the month, at the
It was hard
to ignore just
how present
Chinese-related
companies
are in the
electrification
mission.
Snapdragon Summit where Qualcomm
unveiled new SoCs for automotive (full
report coming in the next issue or read
it now on sae.org), I spoke with a tech
reporter who's gotten a taste of the
Xiaomi SU7 EV. I haven't been able to
visit China recently to see for myself
what's happening there with EVs, but
I'm sure we're all reading similar reports
of the rapid electrification happening
there. After hearing my friend wax poetic
about the SU7 and its potential, it
wasn't a surprise to hear that Ford CEO
Jim Farley was also deeply in love with
it. His company brought one stateside
for some competitive testing and " I've
been driving it for six
months now, and I don't
want to give it up, " he said
on the Everything Electric
Show podcast.
I heard a similar mix of
awe and worry during a
visit to South Korea to
see what Hyundai has
been up to on EVs and
hydrogen vehicles
(October was a busy
month). Competition from
their northern almostneighbor
was unquestionably front of
mind. The good news is that friendly
- or even unfriendly - competition
can lift many boats. These are just a
few examples I've heard recently of
how the automotive industry is grappling
with what's coming next. More
dramatic changes will be coming in the
aftermath of the U.S. election (and we
can't ignore the Communist political
reality that helped China take the lead
here), but what I'm hearing is that it
might be a while until anyone catches
up with what China is doing to lead the
industry. If I'm hearing it, my guess is
that everyone's hearing it. The question
is what we're going to do about it.
Sebastian Blanco, Editor-in-Chief
Chris Clonts
Senior Editor
chris.clonts@saemediagroup.com
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2 December 2024
AUTOMOTIVE ENGINEERING
Automotive Engineering - December 2024

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