China's automakers' exports grew 103% amid chip shortages, and will achieve independent automotive chip production in the future

Under the influence of the epidemic, global semiconductor production capacity has dropped significantly, which has directly led to a decline in global automobile production. According to statistics, automobile production in 2020 fell by 15.8% year-on-year. A US consulting firm predicts that due to chip shortages, global automobile production will decrease by 3.9 million this year.

However, under such circumstances, Chinese auto companies have achieved growth against the trend.

According to the South China Morning Post, in the first five months of this year, Chinese automakers exported 760,000 vehicles, a year-on-year increase of 103%. Cui Dongshu, secretary-general of the China Passenger Car Market Information Joint Committee, said that this was mainly due to the rapid control of the epidemic and resumption of work and production in China. Industry insiders also revealed that Chinese automakers began ordering chips when they resumed production in early 2020, so the chip supply situation is better than that of their foreign counterparts.

Since products such as automobiles, display driver ICs, IoT link ICs, and WiFi 6 network chips all require chips with 28nm process, wafer foundries such as TSMC, UMC, and SMIC have begun to expand the production capacity of 28nm chips.

TSMC has announced plans to build a wafer fab in Nanjing. Union Intel also announced an investment of RMB 23.227 billion to expand 28nm production capacity.

In addition, according to media reports, SMIC's project to expand its 12-inch round wafer production capacity in Shenzhen has started, and will be equipped with 28nm and more advanced process technology. The Shenzhen Municipal Government will also inject capital into the project through the Shenzhen Reinvestment Group, and will gradually achieve independence in automotive chips in the future.

As a winner of Toutiao's Qingyun Plan and Baijiahao's Bai+ Plan, the 2019 Baidu Digital Author of the Year, the Baijiahao's Most Popular Author in the Technology Field, the 2019 Sogou Technology and Culture Author, and the 2021 Baijiahao Quarterly Influential Creator, he has won many awards, including the 2013 Sohu Best Industry Media Person, the 2015 China New Media Entrepreneurship Competition Beijing Third Place, the 2015 Guangmang Experience Award, the 2015 China New Media Entrepreneurship Competition Finals Third Place, and the 2018 Baidu Dynamic Annual Powerful Celebrity.