Episode Details

Chinese electric vehicle manufacturers are finding a foothold in the United States' autonomous-driving market as suppliers of purpose-built vehicle platforms, even as steep tariffs and security restrictions keep Chinese-branded EVs out of US showrooms.

尽管高额关税和安全限制使中国品牌电动汽车无法进入美国展厅，但中国电动汽车制造商正以专用车辆平台供应商的身份，在美国自动驾驶市场找到了立足点。

Since 2024, Chinese new energy vehicle manufacturer Zeekr has shipped more than 3,200 minivan-like CM1e vehicle platforms — including over 2,600 this year — to the US, where Waymo is its only known partner, business magazine Forbes reported, citing data compiled by US research firm ImportGenius. New York-based investment research firm Moffett-Nathanson estimates that Waymo is receiving around 300 units per month.
据商业杂志《福布斯》援引美国研究公司ImportGenius汇编的数据报道，自2024年以来，中国新能源汽车制造商极氪已向美国运送了超过3200个类似小型货车的CM1e车辆平台——其中包括今年以来的2600多个——其已知的唯一合作伙伴是Waymo。总部位于纽约的投资研究公司Moffett-Nathanson估计，Waymo每月接收约300辆。

"What Waymo needs is not an ordinary passenger car, but a purpose-built robotaxi platform with a flat floor, low step-in height, sliding doors, ample space and suitability for high-frequency operations," said Zhang Hong, a senior NEV industry expert at the China Automobile Dealers Association.
中国汽车流通协会新能源汽车行业高级专家章弘表示：“Waymo需要的不是普通乘用车，而是一款专用机器人出租车平台，要求地板平整、离地间隙低、配备滑动门、空间宽敞，并适合高频运营。”

"European and US automakers would struggle to meet such demand at short notice, while China's supply chain can quickly tailor a platform to Waymo's needs," he added.
“欧美汽车制造商很难在短时间内满足这样的需求，而中国的供应链可以快速根据Waymo的需求定制平台，”他补充道。

This advantage is reflected in the cost structure. In July, Philipp Kampshoff, McKinsey's global co-leader for automotive and assembly practice, wrote that Chinese automakers are "producing at 30 percent lower bill-of-materials cost and 30 percent lower capital expenditure".
这一优势体现在成本结构上。7月，麦肯锡全球汽车与装配业务联合负责人菲利普·坎普肖夫撰文称，中国汽车制造商“在物料清单成本和资本支出方面均低30%”。

Kampshoff added that in addition to the cost advantage, Chinese vehicles are often more technologically advanced than their Western counterparts and favored by younger consumers.
坎普肖夫还指出，除了成本优势，中国汽车通常比西方同类产品技术更先进，也更受年轻消费者青睐。

Dense industrial clusters
产业集群密集

Zhang, the NEV industry expert, attributed part of that advantage to China's dense industrial clusters, which bring together battery makers, electric-drive suppliers, automakers and engineering teams, there