The 2024 China Auto Quality Research ceremony was hold in Beijing

The China Auto Quality Research (AQR) awarded the results on September 24th, 2024 in Beijing. The event, jointly organized by Car Quality Network and Car Research under the theme "Quality-oriented Competition for Traffic Flow," brought together representatives from mainstream companies, industry experts, and scholars to discuss improving automotive product quality, market development trends, safety measures, and lifespan management of new energy vehicles.

Tang Weiguo, the chairman and president of Car Quality Network and Car Research.

In his opening speech, Tang Weiguo, Chairman and President of Car Quality Network and Car Research, emphasized that this year's internal competition remains focused on urban NOA and traffic as the new battleground. However, he also highlighted that this internal competition represents a temporary challenge toward a prosperous market era, driving industry structure, brands, and technology evolution.

He believes that the competition in the domestic automobile industry is fierce currently, but quality remains a priority. So far, there hasn't been a situation where car quality is compromised due to price wars as feared. From January to August, Car Quality Network received 13.5% more valid complaints compared to last year; however, the proportion of quality-related complaints has decreased. Research conducted by Car Research also indicates an overall improvement in industry-wide quality performance compared to last year.

Regarding changes in consumer behavior, he mentioned that consumers are increasingly considering the brands of component suppliers and the impact of core components like batteries and motors on their purchase intentions for new energy vehicles.

Bao Jiacheng, the Deputy Director of the Automotive Market Department at the National Information Center and Industrial Development Department, discussed China's automotive market this year. He noted that while passenger car sales in China remained stable from January to August, major players in the industry are facing challenges due to weak demand and consumer confidence. However, he expressed optimism for future market performance beyond 2024 with proactive macro policies, increased sales and adoption of new energy vehicles, as well as plug-in hybrid models driving growth.

Cui Dongshu, Secretary-General of the CPCA Joint Conference, analyzed the current development and future trends of intelligent electric vehicles. He believes that China remains the driving force behind global growth in new energy vehicles. With larger models being increasingly utilized, "software-defined cars" will evolve into "data-defined cars". True artificial intelligence autonomous driving will be integrated to achieve complete end-to-end autonomy. As autonomous driving is gradually implemented, intelligent electric vehicles will also serve as units within distributed energy systems for energy storage purposes. Additionally, they can function as durable electronic consumer goods with shorter usage cycles and accelerated updates.

Associate Professor Liu Peng from the Beijing Institute of Technology and Deputy Secretary-General of the National Big Data Alliance for New Energy Vehicles suggests that host manufacturers should prioritize enhancing the quality and safety of new energy vehicles by addressing issues like controlling low-temperature energy consumption, eliminating insulation faults in charging scenarios, and managing high temperatures in drive motors. This recommendation is based on big data analysis and case studies conducted by the alliance.

This year, the organizers' special research focuses on the market quality performance of batteries, motors, and electronic controls. According to the "2024 Study on Quality Performance of China's New Energy Vehicle Three Electric Systems," overall system quality has improved by 19% compared to last year. However, consumers still face range anxiety mainly due to inaccuracies in general range estimation and sudden drops in specific situations.

The research also shows that:

1. The quality of motor, charging, and energy recovery in the three-electric system has improved across four key dimensions; however, the endurance performance is not as good as last year due to an inaccurate estimation of the remaining battery range.

2. Chinese branded vehicles outperform multinational brands in the three-electric system, particularly in charging, motor efficiency, and energy recovery. However, multinational brands excel in endurance.

3. Consumers frequently experience perception issues within the first year of buying a nearly new car, primarily due to inaccurate driving range display and continuous motor malfunction indicator illumination.

4. The overall performance of plug-in hybrid models with a three-electric system surpasses that of pure electric models, yet purchasers have not diminished their demand for pure electric range.

Car Research Senior Manager Gao Fei suggests that supply chain and automotive companies should improve the quality of the three-electric system by focusing on resolving issues with a high number of faults, not disregarding complaints related to safety performance despite their low probability, and thoroughly understanding consumer demands and perceptions regarding range capabilities.

The AQR study covers 128 models from 51 mainstream brands in the market. It predicts an overall improvement in the industry's quality and various dimensions by 2024, while smart cabins and driving systems will still face quality challenges during their popularization process.

The research shows that:

1. The overall number of bicycle issues is 3.06, showing a 46% decrease compared to last year. The complaint level stands at 7.22, indicating a 5% increase from last year, mainly concentrated in new energy products with a quality improvement rate of 43% compared to the previous year.

2. The performance of fuel vehicles is worse than that of new energy vehicles overall. The main issue lies in the intelligent cabin, which has centralized problems such as a lack of OTA updates over a long period, a malfunctioning remote-control function on the mobile app, and an inability to connect. In terms of basic functions, the air conditioning performance of new energy vehicles is far inferior to that of fuel vehicles.

3. The intelligent cockpits and three-electric systems of Chinese new energy vehicles, as well as the intelligent cockpits of overseas fuel vehicles, are crucial for success in their respective fields.

4. Consumers of different genders, ages, incomes, and education levels show distinct variations in their demands for traditional and intelligent product functions. Moreover, the brands supplying core components like motors and batteries have a growing influence on consumers' vehicle purchases.

Qiu Yan, a Senior Expert at Car Research, believes that quality issues in certain niche markets have not disappeared but rather been temporarily "hidden" due to shifting consumer focus. With the increasing pace of new car launches, OEMs need to adjust their approach to developing and validating new vehicles. This adjustment includes implementing third-party product databases, establishing a comprehensive mechanism for querying vehicle data and issuing early warnings, while expanding the scope of quality monitoring. These measures will simultaneously enhance efficiency and quality.

The penetration rate of new energy vehicles has consistently exceeded 50% in the past two months, with consumers increasingly focusing on the brand and performance of core components. In response, Chen Jie, Chief Quality Officer of Huawei Intelligent Electric Vehicles, emphasized the importance of customer-centricity and quality in powertrains for new energy vehicles. This can be achieved through a positional, traceable, and preventable quality management system and a safety management system based on functional safety, mechanical safety, and electrical safety. These systems ensure unified quality standards between components and complete vehicles to ultimately achieve complementary qualities.

According to the "Study on Quality Performance of Three Electric Systems for New Energy Vehicles in China in 2024," the organizers have announced the outstanding suppliers for new energy vehicle electric systems based on their performance. The battery system and powertrain suppliers that achieved top-quality performance have delivered excellent product quality, meeting users' high-quality requirements.

According to the AQR results, the award-winning Chinese car models outperformed their respective segments regarding quality issues and user complaints. These models also demonstrated superior user experience, meeting key driving needs based on actual usage experiences.

In March 2024, Car Quality Network and Car Research jointly launched an annual promotion campaign to recognize exceptional contributors to China's automotive product quality. The campaign aims to showcase innovative managerial practices that redefine and continuously enhance product quality across various dimensions.

After over 6 months of visits and research, five exceptional individuals have been honored with the 2024 China Automotive Product Quality Outstanding Contribution Award. They prioritize system innovation and value leadership, guiding their teams to expand basic high-frequency scenarios based on diverse user experience needs. With forward-thinking industry insights and adaptable quality management mechanisms, they deliver higher-quality products to users, enhance enterprise resilience, and present fresh ideas for addressing quality challenges in the industry. 

Translator：Wei Xiong