Technology paradigm shift and New Value Chain of China Electric Vehicle Industry

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Résumé:

Today, China has the largest EV industry and market. The market share of new energy vehicles was more than 15% in 2021, a significant threshold for the future broader sales of EVs in China. However, few literature examines how Chinese companies managed to quickly produce EVs that answer the needs of the local market.

This paper adapts the theory of Value co-creation (VCC) to study the fast development of Chinese EV industry. We conduct the study from the perspective of interactional value co-creation during the process of new product development (NPD), and with a technological paradigm shift. We addressed user-driven value chain reconfiguration and platform ecosystem development practicalities. Two cases were selected, one is the traditional Chinese carmaker, a state-owned enterprise with long history of car production, the other is a newly established company with no industrial experience.

The outcome of this study suggests that value co-creation is a dynamic system that enables the quick development of NPD. The system is comprised of various processes at four stages. Actors collaborate through reciprocal collaborative dialogue, and output consequences of relationships, skills, and experiences, insightful knowledge, service offering, and resource leverage and collaboration. In the next stage, value is realized in the form of capability ecosystems, engagement platforms, experience domains, and community value. Finally, value is appraised in the form of positive word of mouth, fair evaluation, willingness to participate in the future, innovation through learning from each other, expansion of wealth-welfare-wellbeing.

The value co-creation system framework of this study which is developed through empirical material interpretation is significant because, in addition to providing implications for value co-creation theory and future research opportunities, the interactional platform enabled resources to leverage, and collaboration is recommended for value co-creation practices.

Technology paradigm shifts characterize a scientific revolution. Paradigm shifts arise when the dominant paradigm under which normal science operates is rendered incompatible with new phenomena, facilitating the adoption of a new paradigm. With the rapid development of lithium battery technology, various forms of connectivity of EVs are driven by a set of new technologies (5G, laser radar, cloud computing etc.).
Key words:
Technology paradigm shift, Value chain, Chinese EV industry