2021 Fiscal Year Research-status Report
The sociopolitical construction of the market of new environmental vehicles in East Asian automotive industries
| Project/Area Number |
19K13879
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| Research Institution | Kyoto University |
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Principal Investigator |
HEIM Stephane 京都大学, 文学研究科, 准教授 (30767900)
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| Project Period (FY) |
2019-04-01 – 2023-03-31
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| Keywords | Chinese battery makers / Vertical integration / Market architecture |
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| Outline of Annual Research Achievements |
Due to the corona pandemics, the research focused on the statistical analysis of the Chinese battery industry, its current structure and evolutions, using several databases such as MarkLines. One main conclusion lies in the specific specialized vertical integration followed by Chinese private battery makers and mining firms. In turn, carmakers (Chinese and foreigners) do not shape the governance structure, rules of exchange and conceptions of control of the electric vehicle industry. The results were presented in several colloquiums.
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| Current Status of Research Progress |
Current Status of Research Progress
3: Progress in research has been slightly delayed.
Reason
Compared to the initial research agenda, it was difficult to investigate several Chinese, Korean and Japanese battery makers that we targeted due to the corona pandemics. The last fieldwork dates back to August 2019 in the Guangdong province, China. Since then, the sales of electric vehicles jumped in 2021 to more than 3.5 million cars, 15.7% of new car sales in China, indicating that the infant industry evolved to a new stage. The battery makers diversified their products, purchased mines in Australia, Congo, Chile, and some car makers also integrated the production of batteries. Those changes and their impacts on the automotive industry could only be analyzed from specific firm case studies. This is the main reason why the results are slightly delayed.
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| Strategy for Future Research Activity |
During the final year of this research, the main objective is to lead systemic international comparisons with South Korean and Japanese battery industries. In that perspective, a similar empirical research on these two countries will be held. In the end, in a quickly changing industry, we aim at understanding the specific trajectories of these three East Asian countries, and to grasp the roots of their international competitiveness. Besides, the research also turns to how the emergence of this battery industry impacts the global automotive industry, covering consumer attitudes, productive organizations, labor relations, and industrial policies.
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| Causes of Carryover |
I plan to have fieldwork trips in Japan and abroad.
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