Today, as Chinese automotive companies expand globally, Liuzhou's businesses are once again at the forefront, with Wuling Motors (0305.HK) serving as a prominent example.
On August 22, Wuling Motors announced its interim results for 2024, demonstrating strong performance across its three main business segments. The company is actively enhancing its high-quality production capabilities and exploring growth opportunities abroad, achieving impressive results in its international ventures.
In the first half of 2024, Wuling Motors made significant strides in its overseas expansion: exporting auto parts to Vietnam, golf carts to Egypt, and new energy logistics vehicles to South Korea, as well as establishing a research and development center in Hong Kong...
Wuling Motors is sending a clear message to the world: The company's future is bright, with limitless potential.
(I) Moderate Growth in Auto Parts and Other Industrial Services Revenue
According to Wuling Motors' 2024 interim report, the company achieved a revenue of CNY 3.946 billion in the first half of this year, with a gross profit of CNY 426 million. Net profit surged 72.3% to CNY 21.125 million compared to the same period last year.
Breaking down the segments, the auto parts and other industrial services business recorded a revenue of CNY 2.698 billion in the first half of the year, up 6.1% year-on-year. During this period, Wuling Motors focused on consolidating its existing market while aggressively expanding into new territories. The company aimed to break into growth markets dominated by giants like Great Wall Motors, Chery, and BYD. Sales to newly acquired customers surged to CNY 1.042 billion, accounting for 38.6% of the divisional revenue.
Wuling's Jingmen base in Hubei, dedicated to supplying Great Wall Motors, rapidly scaled up its production, generating CNY 334 million in revenue in the first half of the year. It successfully delivered frame assemblies for two Great Wall models, breaking the record for the highest first-month delivery of a new product. Additionally, Wuling's domestic ultra-high-strength steel tube hydroforming production line - a first in China - successfully commenced mass production, supplying 13 hydroformed products to premium models from brands like Great Wall and BYD.
The auto parts and other industrial services segment posted an operating profit of CNY 75.883 million in the first half of the year, up 44.3% year-on-year.
In the automotive power systems segment, Wuling Motors achieved CNY 902 million in revenue. While strengthening its traditional power technology upgrades, Wuling Motors accelerated its layout of new energy power integration development, speeding up its new energy business initiatives. In the first half of 2024, Wuling accelerated the establishment of a comprehensive product matrix for hybrid and battery electric powertrains and core components, advancing production capacity and rolling out new products and technologies. By promoting its products, Wuling Motors has focused on building lines and improving processes for motors, motor controllers, rotors, and stators, securing new energy market collaborations with JAC Motors and Changan Kaicene.
The commercial vehicle segment posted CNY 331 million in revenue in the first half of the year, primarily seeking breakthroughs in high-value-added sub-sectors.
Wuling Motors achieved a gross profit margin of 10.8% in the first half of 2024, a significant increase of 270 basis points from 8.1% in the same period in 2023. This impressive growth was largely driven by declining prices for raw materials, such as steel. Additionally, the ramp-up of higher-margin products further contributed to the substantial improvement in the company's profitability.
(II) Striking the Main Chord of Overseas Expansion
In the 1960s and 1970s, Liuzhou's tractors were exported to Vietnam and Rwanda in Africa, and in 1990, its microcars were shipped to Thailand. Liuzhou-made vehicles have consistently ventured overseas.
Today, Liuzhou's automotive industry faces another historic opportunity for overseas expansion.
As domestic market demand becomes saturated, expanding abroad has become essential for Chinese companies, and overseas markets are emerging as the new "blue ocean."
For example, Guangxi's exports were robust in the first half of the year. According to customs statistics, Guangxi's import and export trade reached CNY 345.28 billion in the first half of 2024, up 12% year-on-year. Exports alone hit CNY 191.8 billion, a record high, rising 28.5%. Exports of major categories like mechanical and electrical products and labor-intensive products were CNY 109.18 billion and CNY 37.3 billion, respectively, growing by 26.8% and 48.5% and accounting for 56.9% and 19.4% of Guangxi's total exports.
In the automotive market, "intense competition" and "overseas expansion" are the current hot topics. According to the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers (CAAM), in July 2024, China exported 469,000 vehicles, up 19.6% year-on-year. From January to July 2024, China's auto exports reached 3.262 million units, up 28.8%. Among these, exports of battery electric vehicles totaled 554,000 units, and plug-in hybrid vehicles reached 154,000 units, representing a 180% increase year-on-year.
Specifically in Liuzhou, more than 90,000 vehicles were exported through Liuzhou Customs in the first half, up 23.8% year-on-year; of these, over 10,000 were new energy vehicles (NEVs), a surge of more than 30-fold.
Wuling Motors has seized this trend, charting a course for global success.
Take the Wuling golf cart as an example. With its strong handling, lightweight design, comfortable ride, and powerful performance, the Wuling golf cart has been highly favored by overseas customers. Since its launch, it has been sold in countries across Southeast Asia, Central Asia, Europe, and America.
Earlier this year, Wuling Industrial, a subsidiary of Wuling Motors, showcased its new multi-purpose golf/community vehicles at the 71st PGA Merchandise Show in Orlando, USA, drawing significant attention. On April 15, the 135th Canton Fair kicked off in Guangzhou, where Wuling Industrial's golf carts attracted buyers from 205 countries and regions worldwide. On May 22, Wuling Industrial shipped about 200 golf carts to Egypt, expecting to complete delivery in the third quarter.
Wuling Motors' joint venture, Wuling New Energy, also broke new ground with its G050 left-hand drive battery electric logistics vehicle. In March 2024, the company secured its first order of 300 units with South Korea's Daechang Corp, marking a breakthrough in the Korean market.
Currently, Wuling's sightseeing vehicles, golf carts, and other products are exported to countries such as Vietnam, Singapore, Thailand, the USA, and Australia. Its new energy logistics vehicles have also penetrated traditional automotive powerhouses or regions such as the USA, Japan, and Europe, laying a solid foundation for expanding into the international market.
This achievement is due to Wuling Motors' strategic planning.
In recent years, Wuling Motors has accelerated its overseas expansion, with subsidiaries in India and Indonesia continuing to strengthen their presence. These efforts, focused on promoting the localization and launch of new models with key clients, have proven highly effective, helping Wuling penetrate new customer bases and meet international standards.
On the product side, Wuling Motors has further enriched its product lineup, with more auto parts poised to enter global markets. In a major breakthrough, Wuling's self-developed rear drive axle assembly and drive system assembly for new energy passenger vehicles successfully entered the overseas market in the first half of this year. This achievement marks a departure from the traditional three-section axle housing structure, instead adopting a hydraulic expansion integral axle housing technology, which has been well-received by customers. On the channel side, Wuling is leveraging Hong Kong as an export conduit for its new energy business, boosting overseas sales for the group and its joint ventures.
On the research and development front, Wuling Motors has established an innovation center in Hong Kong and signed memoranda of understanding (MOUs) with Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) and the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) to focus on NEV technology, jointly promoting the conversion and application of scientific research results.
(III) Driving Global Growth Through High-Quality Production
In global competition, technology reigns supreme. Wuling Motors has been a pioneer in the NEV sector, steadfastly pursuing the development of NEVs. With a goal of deriving more than 50% of its business from NEV operations, Wuling is laying a solid foundation to become a front-runner in the new energy vehicle era as it ventures into overseas markets.
In the auto parts business, Wuling Motors continues to align with the "passenger-focused" and "electrification" upgrades of its customers' products, continuously developing passenger vehicle products while actively supporting new energy vehicle models for major customers.
Currently, Wuling Motors has successfully developed and optimized a range of products, including new energy electric rear axles, motors, motor controllers, range extenders, and hybrid systems. This year, the production of core components such as electric axles and hybrid engines has seen steady growth.
After surpassing the milestone of producing one million units of micro electric axles, Wuling's coaxial electric drive axle became the first to achieve commercialization in China. It has been adopted by brands such as Changan Kaicene, Ruichi, and JAC Motors. Wuling Motors also secured orders from leading companies like Chery and Geely for electric axles used in mainstream NEV commercial vehicles. At Wuling's Jingmen base, which supplies auto parts to Great Wall Motors, business has flourished, with over 50% of its products sold in the first half of 2024 being NEV parts, generating CNY 333 million in revenue.
In automotive power systems, Wuling Motors has made remarkable progress in developing and mass-producing high-efficiency engines and new energy power systems. Their strategy seamlessly integrates traditional power technology upgrades with new energy power innovations, resulting in a robust product lineup. In the first half of 2024, Wuling Motors focused on enhancing production lines and processes for motors, motor controllers, and rotors and stators. The H-platform ultra-high-efficiency engine has been successfully commercialized, securing projects with NEV clients like JAC, Changan, and Skyworth. Additionally, Wuling's casting sales reached 515,000 units, up 26.2% compared to the same period in 2023.
In the commercial vehicle segment, Wuling focuses on specialized modification markets such as cold chain vehicles, sanitation vehicles, and medical vehicles. Their specialty products, including refrigerated trucks, sanitation trucks, and fire trucks, have been delivered to regions like Shandong, Zhejiang, Hunan, and Beijing. Leveraging its customization capabilities, Wuling has partnered with PepsiCo to develop a "mobile new retail" model, delivering over 100 Wuling vending trucks to PepsiCo and accelerating the expansion of mobile commerce.
Wuling's joint venture, Wuling New Energy, is actively upgrading its brand and market position. They launched the long-range Golden Storage Mid-size Logistics Vehicle to quickly capture market share, achieving monthly sales exceeding 1,000 units in the first three months after launch. Additionally, Wuling New Energy is aggressively expanding into international markets, increasing exports to countries such as the USA, Japan, and South Korea. In the first half of 2024, Wuling New Energy sold approximately 7,900 NEVs, a 68.1% increase compared to the same period in 2023.
It is evident that Wuling Motors' strategic direction is becoming increasingly clear.
With a comprehensive business layout and a full range of products, Wuling has created synergies across its industrial chain, positioning itself as Guangxi's most comprehensive leading automotive group in the supply chain. With unparalleled control over product quality, cost, scale, and customer relations, Wuling has built a formidable competitive advantage.
As the NEV era rapidly approaches, Wuling Motors is fortifying its dominant businesses, focusing on high-tech, competitive, and high-end flagship auto parts, expanding markets for high-value specialized modified vehicles, and advancing its NEV key parts and vehicle business.
With these foundations, Wuling is boldly venturing overseas, aiming for growth through globalization and efficiency in management, poised for even higher-quality development in the new era.
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