Rebirth 99 to become a car giant

Nanshan Transmission is the largest transmission company in China.

Even if it is placed in the world, it is still ranked among the top.

But so far, Nanshan Transmission's products are only supplied to passenger cars, and it has not supplied any products to heavy trucks.

Even until now, Nanshan Transmission has not started to develop transmissions for heavy trucks.

Now that Nanshan Group and Yangcheng Motor have jointly established Yangcheng Nanshan Commercial Vehicle Co., Ltd., it is natural to start thinking about the gearbox.

"Mr. Cao, AMT is the absolute mainstream for automatic transmissions on trucks. Volvo's I-Shift, Mercedes-Benz's PowerShift, and ZF's new generation automatic transmissions are all AMTs."

"Although they are both automatic transmissions, we are used to distinguishing AMT from ordinary automatic transmissions."

"From a mechanical structure point of view, AMT is the same as a manual transmission, except that it uses an electronic control system to replace manual shifting."

"Large trucks have high horsepower, large engine torque, and large shifting shocks, so they have many gears, usually a dozen or more."

"If a CVT gearbox is used, the CVT gearbox is completely unable to withstand such a large torque."

"But it's not realistic to switch to an AT gearbox. After all, with more than ten or twenty gears, not only is gear shifting troublesome, but the design is also a big problem."

"As for the manual transmission, operating so many gears is too cumbersome and unrealistic."

"So most trucks currently use AMT transmissions."

After Ji Hua came to Cao Yang's office, he briefly understood Cao Yang's purpose and began to introduce him to the truck gearbox.

Obviously, the transmission in this field is completely different from that in passenger cars.

There are more than a dozen gears. Even the most advanced 10AT of Nanshan Engine only has 10 gears, and it is still under development.

No domestic manufacturer in China can produce AT gearboxes with more than a dozen gears, and there is no need for them.

"Isn't there any car company that uses AT transmission?"

Cao Yang couldn't help but ask a question that seemed a bit amateurish.

"It's not completely absent, but very few."

"Only some imported fire trucks and mining machinery are used in China, and some are used on buses. It is difficult to maintain them."

"AT and AMT have completely different structural principles and each has its own advantages. AT is more suitable for heavy-load and complex working conditions that require frequent gear changes, while AMT is more suitable for long-distance standard load conditions that do not require frequent gear changes."

"In addition, AMT has an advantage that cannot be ignored: it has a simple and reliable structure, simple maintenance and high efficiency."

"For the domestic situation, it is obvious that AMT, which has a simple structure and lower maintenance threshold, is more suitable. The automatic transmission models of major car companies are basically AMT transmissions."

Although Nanshan Transmission does not have AMT products, as a transmission research expert, Ji Hua obviously has a good understanding of the AMT situation.

Even among his former colleagues at Teito University of Technology, there was someone who was specifically responsible for the research of AMT gearboxes.

"Which companies are mainly producing the gearboxes of various domestic truck companies?"

"The situation of truck gearboxes is much better than that of passenger car gearboxes, and most of them have been domestically produced. Such as Fast gearbox, SINOTRUK gearbox, Hualing gearbox, Qijiang gearbox, etc. "

"They are already supplying various domestic manufacturers. Among them, Fast is the best in this regard and can basically meet most of the needs."

Ji Hua's answer made Cao Yang feel a little surprised.

Is the localization rate of domestic commercial vehicle gearboxes so high?

He thought that except for a few models, most of them were purchased from foreign transmission giants.

Now it seems that the situation is a bit worse.

"Based on this situation, is it necessary for us to study AMT ourselves?"

Do as the Romans do. Since the domestic truck market mainly uses AMT gearboxes, there is no need for Nanshan Group to be special.

Otherwise, it will be a thankless task, with few people using it, the cost will be very high, and the development costs may not even be recovered.

That would be a bit embarrassing.

"Mr. Cao, actually the research threshold for AMT is not particularly high."

"Essentially, they are a manual transmission. We can develop an AMT that meets the requirements in a relatively short period of time."

"The most critical gears and bearings, as well as transmission control systems, are all areas in which our group is good at."

"If the gearboxes used in Yangcheng Nanshan commercial vehicles are purchased from Fast or other companies in the future, it will be an invisible harm to our Nanshan gearbox."

"There may be many uncontrollable impacts by then."

"So I think we still need to develop AMT by ourselves, even if we don't make any money, we still have to do it."

Ji Hua's words are refreshing, but the logic is completely valid.

After thinking about it for a while, Cao Yang felt that it made sense, so naturally he would not object.

"In the field of AMT, many domestic manufacturers are already producing low-end products, and they are doing quite well."

"If we want to compete, it may not mean much, and we may not be able to achieve lower costs."

"But in terms of high-end products, there are still some gaps between domestic companies and ZF and other manufacturers."

"I think when the time comes, can we just select a high-end AMT as the target for breakthrough?"

Cheng Tao also expressed his opinions on the side.

"Our 15L diesel engine has a power of 680 horsepower and a torque of 3200Nm. This requires high-torque gearbox products that can effectively match high-horsepower engines."

"So far, even the best-made Fast in China does not have an AMT that can meet this kind of torque demand."

"I'm considering asking Nanshan Transmission to research a 16-speed high-torque AMT to match our 15L engine."

"In this way, this AMT can not only fill the gap in domestic high-torque gearboxes, but also completely build our reputation."

"The effect will be even better if the downgrade is used on engines of other displacements."

"At that time, as long as we occupy the field of high-end heavy trucks, it will be enough for us to gain a foothold."

"Especially overseas, the market share of heavy trucks is not low. The AMT provided by ZF is very expensive. We can definitely compete with ZF for the market."

Ji Hua quickly put forward his own new insights based on what he said just now and Cheng Tao's suggestions.

In response, Cao Yang did not reply immediately. Instead, he found a 16-speed AMT from later ZF in his mind and quickly learned about it.

Ji Hua and Cheng Tao next to him thought Cao Yang was thinking about this matter, so they didn't urge him.

After a while, Cao Yang said: "No problem, just follow the direction you said, but there are a few things to pay attention to. Everyone should plan in advance."

"Domestic AMTs are probably not as good as ZF and other manufacturers in terms of integration."

"Our new products need to work harder in this aspect."

"Mechanical hardware and electronic control hardware are integrated as much as possible and placed inside the transmission. This way, there are no air pipes or line connections outside the integrated AMT, which can improve systematization and reliability."

"At that time, we will discuss it together and see if we can make AMT a classic product."

"The products produced by Nanshan must be high-quality."

"Our reputation cannot be ruined by an AMT."

What Cao Yang said with a smile put a lot of pressure on Ji Hua.

Nanshan gearbox products now have one model after another, and they are all relatively classic.

But AMT is a brand new field, and he is still a little worried about whether it can surpass its domestic counterparts.

However, you must not show weakness at this time.

After all, Nanshan Group has such a strong technological accumulation, there is no reason why the AMT produced cannot be as good as its domestic counterparts.

However, Yangcheng Motor is somewhat worried about Nanshan Transmission's need to develop its own AMT.

"Mr. Zeng, according to the current plan, the construction of the Yangcheng Nanshan commercial vehicle factory will be completed by the end of next year, and truck production will officially begin in the first half of the next year."

"But we don't have anything ready right now except the engine."

"Now that Nanshan Group has stated that it will develop its own gearbox, wouldn't it mean that the two core components of the engine and gearbox will be in their hands?"

Zhang Jiaqi said a little worried.

"As the largest gearbox company in China, Nanshan Transmission now proposes to do it themselves, so we can't object."

"At worst, when we can't figure it out, we'll contact Fast again."

Zeng Guangda obviously felt that now was not the time to dwell on this matter.

How to set up the framework of the joint venture and determine the products to be used for reference.

This is the most important.

Otherwise, I don’t know when the product will be released.

"That's all it can do."

Zhang Jiaqi knew that what Zeng Guangda said was also an objective fact.

I had to hold my nose and admit it.

"In terms of vehicle design, Nanshan Group has mobilized a team of 100 people to prepare to form a joint venture's R\u0026D team."

"I will also transfer a hundred people from the institute to set up the structure first."

"The design of heavy trucks is different from that of passenger cars. As long as the engine and gearbox are completed, other design tasks are not that difficult."

"I think basically it shouldn't delay the production schedule."

The domestic heavy-duty truck industry is developing relatively quickly. Whether it is recruiting people or finding suppliers to cooperate with the design, there are more options to choose from.

As long as wages rise, a large number of heavy truck R\u0026D personnel are willing to join Yangcheng Nanshan Commercial Vehicle.

"Yangcheng City attaches great importance to this project, and the leader even asked us to report it in the past."

"So there can be no delays in the progress of the project. Please take care of it yourself."

Liu Tianwu specifically asked Zhang Jiaqi about the joint venture, so Zhang Jiaqi also paid great attention to it.

For Yangcheng Motor, in terms of passenger cars, independent brands have already begun to develop.

But in terms of commercial vehicles, nothing effective has been done yet.

Now everyone is placing their hope on cooperation with Nanshan Group.

However, the more their actions become bigger, the more attention their peers in the industry will receive.

Many people want to see their jokes, wondering what kind of tricks these two newcomers in the commercial vehicle field can do?

Of course, some people are wondering if this is an opportunity.

An opportunity to expand your business.

"Lux, Nanshan Group and Yangcheng Automobile Group established Yangcheng Nanshan Commercial Vehicle Co., Ltd."

"At present, their engines are still very competitive."

"Based on Nanshan Engine's past performance, it is estimated that the price-performance ratio of this 15L diesel engine will not be bad."

"Their heavy-duty trucks are likely to have good sales by then."

"However, to match a 680-horsepower high-power and high-torque engine, the requirements for the gearbox are also very high."

"According to what we know so far, there should be no manufacturer in China whose products can meet the matching requirements of this kind of engine."

"I think you should consider taking the initiative to come to see if there are any opportunities for cooperation?"

Zhou Gang is the sales director of the ZF Transmission Division, and his life has not been good these years.

After all, China has the monster Nanshan gearbox, and neither Aisin nor ZF will have a good life.

However, as long as he can make money and expand his business, he doesn't mind cooperating with Yangcheng Nanshan Commercial Vehicle.

"You have already said that China cannot find a suitable gearbox to match their engine."

"In this case, apart from us at ZF, it is basically difficult for them to find suitable transmission products."

"We can wait for them to come to us on their own initiative."

"At that time, even if a gearbox sells for 100,000 yuan, they will just hold their noses and admit it."

As the general manager of ZF China, Lukes naturally has great opinions on Nanshan Group.

Now that he finally found an opportunity to take advantage of the opponent, he definitely didn't want to miss the opportunity.

As for whether this would mess things up, he wasn't worried at all.

"Nanshan Group's gearbox business is also relatively strong and has many technical talents."

"Although the transmissions in the passenger car field are completely different from those in heavy trucks, relatively speaking, the technical difficulty of the transmissions in heavy trucks is lower."

"If they can't find a suitable channel to purchase a heavy-duty truck transmission, they will probably choose to develop it themselves."

"This is not a good thing for us, and it may not be a good thing for Nanshan Group."

"Do I think we should try to avoid a lose-lose situation?"

Zhou Gang was still thinking about trying harder to see if he could convince Lux to accept his point of view.

However, this time he was going to miscalculate.

"No, you said it wrong."

"There will be no lose-lose, the only loser will be Nanshan Group and Yangcheng Nanshan Commercial Vehicles!"

Lukes is very confident in ZF heavy truck transmission technology.

Even the world-famous Mercedes-Benz heavy trucks use their transmissions.

How can a Chinese company easily surpass this?

He simply did not believe that Nanshan Transmission could come up with products comparable to ZF in a short period of time.

In this way, ZF finally did not take the initiative to find Yangcheng Nanshan Commercial Vehicles.

This matter seemed to pass day by day.

However, just as Cao Yang was discussing the design of the AMT gearbox with Cheng Tao and Ji Hua, Chris from Ford Motor Company called him.

"Cao, you have been in contact about purchasing Land Rover cars before. I would like to confirm again. If Land Rover cars and Jaguar cars are packaged and sold together, would you be interested?"

Nanshan Group has been dealing with Ford for more than a day or two, and it has been more than a year since it proposed the purchase of Land Rover.

According to original history, Ford sold Jaguar and Land Rover at a low price of US$2.3 billion in March this year.

However, now due to the emergence of Nanshan Group, Ford Motor's situation has improved a lot.

For example, engines and gearboxes, both in terms of technology and cost, have declined, which has slowed down Ford's bleeding speed.

The emergence of Xingchen Motors and novel cooperation methods have also brought hundreds of millions of dollars in profits to Ford Motor.

As a result, Ford's urgency to sell Jaguar and Land Rover is slightly less urgent.

But it only gave Jaguar and Land Rover a few more months.

Eventually, Ford decided to sell it.

"Chris, I've always been interested in Jaguars and Land Rovers."

"How's it going? Have you finally decided to sell them?"

When Chris mentioned Land Rover just now, Cao Yang was stunned for a moment.

I was so busy that I almost forgot about this.

If Chris hadn't reminded himself, he might have been intercepted by Tianzhu's Tata Motors.

"Yes, the board of directors has officially approved the sale of Jaguar and Land Rover in the next two months."

"Because we have been in contact with each other in the early stages, the assets of Jaguar and Land Rover are relatively clear."

"So if the speed is fast enough, the relevant acquisition process can be completed within a month, directly making Nanshan Group the new owner of Jaguar and Land Rover."

Chris and Cao Yang not only have a working relationship, but also have some cooperation in other aspects.

Therefore, he would definitely be willing to help Cao Yang if he could.

In particular, he knew that Cao Yang was interested in Jaguar and Land Rover.

Anyway, the company has decided to sell these two brands.

So who is selling it to but not selling it to?

Those Tianzhu people didn't even treat themselves to a meal.

In this case, he is definitely on Cao Yang's side.

"I immediately arranged for a special acquisition team to go to Detroit to discuss the specific acquisition details with Ford Motor."

"Chris, besides our Nanshan Group, are there any other companies that are in contact with Ford?"

Although Cao Yang knew that Tianzhu's Tata Motors must be thinking about Jaguar Land Rover, after all, the world is not exactly the same anymore.

It certainly doesn't hurt to ask Chris, a Ford executive.

"There are currently several potential acquirers interested in Jaguar Land Rover. In addition to a Tianzhu company, several investment funds have also expressed interest."

"But the bids were not very high and they were not particularly suitable owners."

"Personally, I definitely hope that Nanshan Group will become the new owner of the Jaguar and Land Rover brands."

"I think in your hands, these two brands may burst into new hope."

What Chris said can be described as half-truth and half-lie.

Anyway, many words in the workplace cannot be completely believed.

"Now that the financial crisis is coming, those investment funds still have money to invest?"

Cao Yang destroyed the tense competitive atmosphere created by Chris with just one sentence.

Although the financial crisis has not yet completely formed, the news from all aspects is already very bad.

Stock markets in various places have also begun to plummet, and people with a sharp eye have begun to consider retreat.

In this case, various investment funds will definitely try their best to shrink their strategies and will not invest easily.

So when Chris said that several fund companies were interested in Jaguar and Land Rover, Cao Yang didn't quite believe it.

Even if there are these competitors, their bids must be very low.

Jaguar and Land Rover are currently losing money in the hands of Ford.

And this year's automobile consumer market is obviously very sluggish.

In this case, there will definitely be fewer investment institutions willing to buy car companies.

That is to say, the situation in Tianzhu and China is a little different, so there are real buyers.

"Cao, do you think there will be a financial crisis?"

"I think the bankers are saying this is just a little subprime crisis."

Chris immediately found his focus.

As the purchasing director of Ford Motor Company, his net worth is not low at all.

He has invested in many fields in the United States.

If a financial crisis is really coming, then he will definitely have to adjust some strategies.

Just like the stocks I hold, I thought they would rebound after a drop.

If there is a financial crisis, there will be a rebound.

Just go sell it immediately.

"Chris, if you believe me, then I suggest you sell all the excess real estate, stocks, and funds in your hands."

"Don't worry about the price, as long as it can be sold."

“At this time, cash is king!”

"Wait until a year from now and see how the situation develops before you consider your next move."

For Cao Yang, if he sells a good deal to Chris at this time, he will definitely be grateful to him at this time next year.

This is definitely beneficial to the cooperation between Nanshan Group and Ford Motor.

After all, Nanshan Group now sells many parts directly to Ford Motor Company.

"Cao, are you serious?"

Chris has known Cao Yang for many years, and he naturally has a very clear understanding of Cao Yang's abilities.

However, what Cao Yang said just now was a bit too exaggerated.

So Chris was a little unsure whether to trust Cao Yang.

"Chris, when have I ever told you a lie?"

"But I just mentioned it casually. Don't tell other people casually, otherwise someone may cause trouble for me."

When Cao Yang said this, Chris immediately chose to believe it.

Anyway, if he loses money by then, he can find an excuse to take advantage of Nanshan Group.

So Chris made a quick decision.