Chery boss says robotaxis could reduce car ownership

Chery is studying how many people will still buy cars in 10 years’ time as robotaxi technology develops, according to one of its most senior executives.

Zhang Guibing, executive vice president of Chery Auto and president of Chery International, was asked where Chery wants to be in Australia in 10 years at a media round table in Wuhu, China, during the Chery Group User Summit.

“It’s a little difficult for me to say, because the world now changes very quickly,” Zhang said. “This year, because of the Middle East crisis, the oil price suddenly increased. Based on our forecast, Australia was moving step by step towards new energy vehicles, but this year it sped up very quickly, with big changes.”

“Many times now I ask myself how the car will change in five years or 10 years. We are even forecasting how many people will buy a car 10 years from now, because robotaxi development is very quick. Maybe at the right time, most people won’t want to buy a car or own a car, and will use robotaxis more.”

New technology to survive

Zhang said Chery’s priorities were good products and new technology.

“For Chery to get better and better, first we need to make the customer happy and develop good products that really fulfil market demand. Second is innovation, developing more and more new technology, because maybe only new technology can make us survive,” he said.

“Everyone works very hard, but this year in Australia, if a brand didn’t have a good new energy vehicle, its market share may have gone down sharply. Tomorrow some other good technology may come out, like the robotaxi I mentioned. If you’re not good at robotaxis, maybe the market will reject you too.”

A car you talk to

Zhang said he could not predict what the car of the future would look like.

“Even I can’t say what tomorrow’s car, or the day after tomorrow’s car, will be. So much new technology is being put inside, and in China you’ll find so many robots coming out now. The future car may not be like today’s car. It may be like a house, or like your office,” he said.

“In the future the car may be completely like a robot. You can talk to the car about anything, and give it all kinds of orders through dialogue.”