Chery Executive Urges Auto Industry to Elevate Competition: Shift from Spec Wars to Value Creation

At the 4th Future Mobility Pioneers Conference held at the end of May, Wang Lang, Vice President of Chery Automobile, delivered a speech highlighting that China's automotive industry is currently at a critical stage of transitioning from being big to becoming strong. He emphasized that this transformation must rely on long-termism and systemic capabilities rather than depending on single hit products, excessive specification stacking, or short-term marketing tactics. Wang noted that "involution" itself is not inherently frightening—after all, the automotive industry has always been highly competitive. What truly warrants caution, he said, is when competition remains stuck at a low level for too long. Focusing solely on price wars could squeeze budgets for quality and R&D; fixating only on specifications may overlook users' real-world experiences; and overemphasizing hype risks eroding brand trust. He stressed that the key to breaking this impasse lies in elevating the level of competition—shifting the industry from specification-based rivalry and transactional growth toward value-driven competition and brand-led growth. Future vehicles, he argued, should serve as integrated carriers of safety, intelligence, lifestyle, and brand trust. Product development must return to authentic user scenarios and prioritize lifetime value. Wang proposed that Chinese brands should build "Four Pillars of Trustworthiness": trustworthy quality, trustworthy technology, trustworthy service, and trustworthy value. Automakers must comprehensively rebuild capabilities across the entire value chain—including R&D, manufacturing, supply chain, service, and global operations—to avoid unprincipled resource depletion and safeguard the health of the industry ecosystem. Chery, he affirmed, will remain committed to technology-driven development, quality-first principles, open collaboration, and deep global engagement. Wang called on the entire industry to jointly drive three strategic shifts: from competing on price to competing on value, from competing on specs to competing on user experience, and from individual corporate efforts to collective advancement of the Chinese automotive sector as a whole. He concluded by stating that Chinese automakers must not only expand overseas in terms of scale but also achieve global impact through the export of value, trust, and responsibility.