China's vehicle-development timelines from planning to mass production are trending shorter. BYD's Racco is said to have been commercialized in about 2 years, compared with around 5 years for Japanese cars, according to reports.
As expectations rise worldwide, Chinese automakers are working to shorten the period from planning to commercialization. BYD's Racco is said to have been almost completed in practice within 1 year of planning, with the remaining year spent on fine-tuning. By contrast, Japanese automakers are said to require around 5 years to reach mass production.
This difference in development speed is creating a sense of crisis about the future among Japanese automakers, and views are spreading that Chinese manufacturers' speed poses a threat.
Mass-production vehicle development requires basic research, research into global markets, careful review of investment, coordination with the supply chain, and collaboration between design and production engineering. Vehicles are products directly linked to human lives, so careful workmanship and ensuring safety are prioritized.
However, Japanese companies are said to be working to shorten the time to mass production through the use of DX and internal organizational reforms in response to intensifying market competition. Expectations have also been expressed that results may become visible in the latter half of the 2020s.