The Big Question: Как Volvo конкурировать с китайскими электромобилями?
«На самом деле никакие тарифы не защитят нас. Единственная защита для нашей отрасли – это стать сильнее. Нам нужно быть более конкурентоспособными», – заявил генеральный директор Volvo в интервью Euronews.
ЧИТАТЬ ДАЛЕЕ : http://ru.euronews.com/2025/07/07/the-big-question-kak-volvo-konkurirovat-s-kitajskimi-elektromobilyami
Подписывайтесь: Euronews можно смотреть на Dailymotion на 12 языках
00:06Если мы сможем сохранить жизнь и сделать машинами безопаснее, мы очень открыто к вам.
00:16Великолепно к «The Big Question»,
00:19где мы садимся с большим именем в бизнесе.
00:24Я Елена Батлер, и сегодня я с вами был Хоккан Саммолсен.
00:30CEO of Volvo Cars.
00:32So let's start off with a broad look at the auto sector here in Europe.
00:36What are the key trends, but also the major challenges?
00:40I think three new things, three challenges.
00:44One is the position we have on the Chinese market.
00:47It's getting much tougher.
00:49New Chinese competitors, especially the new electric cars coming in on the market.
00:54That's something new for the European brands in China.
00:59They are losing market share to the Chinese, especially in the electric ones.
01:05And the other is, of course, all of the talks now about tariffs that change how we can export cars to the U.S.
01:12We have been big exporters of cars from Europe to both China and to the U.S.
01:17That has changed, and we need to adapt to a new situation.
01:22On top of that, the third one is, of course, electrification.
01:25We need to electrify because of the climate challenge.
01:31But I think also electric cars are a better solution for customers.
01:42Back in 2021, Volvo announced that it would be all electric by the end of the decade.
01:48Now you've scaled that down, aiming for a 90% electric and plug-in hybrid mix by 2030.
01:55Can you tell me about that decision?
01:58Our future as a company, I think, still is as an all-electric company.
02:04And what we see now, maybe we're a bit over-optimistic that this could be restored already 2030.
02:12I mean, in some regions, the charging infrastructure is not yet there.
02:18So I think we need to rely on the possibilities to drive on a combustion engine when you lack charging possibilities.
02:27So I think to have a credible end date for combustion cars needs to be combined with a very credible date also for investments and expansion of the charging networks.
02:41Otherwise, of course, it will not be possible to be all-electric 2035.
02:48And another of Volvo's major aims is safety.
02:52So actually, I believe that it was one of your engineers who invented the three-point seatbelts back in the 1950s.
02:58Can you tell us how you're prioritizing safety at the moment?
03:02Safety is always a part of our brand.
03:06We do much more than the standards require.
03:09And of course, we use modern technology, AI, to be even better.
03:14Best example is, of course, if we're going to have self-driven car or cars with advanced autopilots, that's really where you need AI to really recognize everything on the road and have very natural control of the car.
03:30But also in the safety areas, I'm very proud of our new seatbelts, which adapt now to the body size of the passengers.
03:38That's something that, of course, makes the seatbelts even better.
03:43And will you be sharing this technology with other firms or would you keep it to yourself to support Volvo's competitiveness?
03:51No, I think we have an opinion of sharing that.
03:56I mean, if we can save life and make cars safer, we are very open to share that with anybody who wants to use it.
04:03Now, let's talk about tariffs.
04:06U.S. President Donald Trump has put a 25 percent duty on imported cars and car parts.
04:14How is that affecting Volvo?
04:15It's very difficult and, of course, to export cars out of Europe, at least with the profitability, because cost increase, of course, when you bring them in.
04:28So, we need to always react.
04:31One is to hope that the European Union could strike a deal with the U.S. about a reasonable tariff system for the car sector.
04:40I don't think it's overoptimistic either to believe that there is a possibility for such a deal.
04:46But, independently of that, I believe also we need to produce more locally.
04:53So, we are strengthening our Americas region, not just to sell imported cars, but also to build more cars in the U.S.
05:02And we are very happy to have a factory in Charleston, South Carolina, and we are now looking into utilizing that more, adding a car line to our lineup there.
05:13So, we need now to find a bit sort of bread and butter model that can sell in high volumes, which we can deliver faster to our customers and, of course, reduce stock and transportation costs.
05:26So, local production is not only a cost increase, it has advantages also.
05:31So, even if the tariffs would come down to a more reasonable level, we still need to use our factory more than we do today.
05:40And Chinese EV firms are competing for customers in Europe.
05:45But, are you worried that a glut of Chinese cars could potentially make their way to Europe if they are diverted away from the U.S. because of tariffs?
05:55We will have very tough competition from new Chinese EV players.
06:00And then, the sooner we get used to that, and the sooner we start developing our cars, the better.
06:08There is really no protection in form from tariffs or other ways.
06:12The only protection for our industry is that we shape up, and we need to be more competitive.
06:19And in China, you're facing fierce competition from firms like BYD that offer low-cost models.
06:26Can you effectively challenge these firms for market share in China?
06:32Yeah, for sure, we will try to do that.
06:35And so, we need to be better there.
06:37And I think to be better, we need also to make the business in China a bit more regional.
06:44We need to listen more to the local people in the region and adapt a bit to local habits and local taste.
06:53And also, have some cars that are special, maybe, for the Chinese market.
07:00And looking ahead, how do you see the future of personal transport?
07:04Electric cars with advanced autopilots is both from convenience and environment a good solution for long-range travel.
07:15A very personal way of traveling.
07:17But, of course, it does not solve the problem with congestions on the roads.
07:23So, I think we also, of course, need other concepts.
07:26I think high-speed trains, for example, is a very convenient way of traveling long distances in Europe that has to be developed and expanded, I think.
07:40But looking into ours, electric cars with autopilot, we are well prepared for future convenient transports.
07:48Thank you so much for sharing your insights for the big question.
