At the New Energy Vehicle Global Cooperation and Development Forum (GNEV2026), held in Shanghai from August 19 to 21 and themed "New Pathways for Global Cooperation in the Automotive Industry," Liang Rui, Co-President of Sunwoda Electronic Co., Ltd., delivered a keynote address. He argued that maintaining global competitiveness in power batteries requires establishing a robust foundation of core capabilities across five dimensions: industrial digitalization, intelligent operations, ecological sustainability, resource circularity, and business globalization.
Liang noted that, building upon this "five-pillar" capability base, battery makers must further strengthen their global operational, compliance, and collaborative capacities to effectively serve automakers worldwide. This involves delivering systematic solutions that address overseas localization needs, global regulatory requirements, and cross-market standard alignment. He highlighted three major challenges automakers face during overseas expansion: pressure for local production and rapid service response in many countries, which makes the traditional export-only model insufficient for regional industrial demands; the growing complexity of compliance, including trade policies, environmental and climate regulations, and a surge in ESG requirements that vary across markets; and the need for global standard synchronization, requiring not only adherence to local data interface, certification, and international norms but also a deep understanding of global rules from suppliers.
To tackle these obstacles, Sunwoda has devised three practical pathways: first, deep overseas localization; second, prioritizing compliance to construct a comprehensive market-access capability framework; and third, aligning with international standards to support global battery compliance through unified capabilities. Liang emphasized that over the next two years, the leap in power battery capabilities—especially systemic proficiency—will be the decisive factor determining competitive ranking in the global arena. Shifting from mere product exports to a systemic capability model demands establishing a data-driven foundation, localized operations, and standard synergy, which together form a durable moat for battery enterprises in the international marketplace.
The forum, hosted by the China EV100 International, gathered industry leaders to explore new avenues for global cooperation in the automotive sector. Liang's remarks underscored the urgent need for Chinese battery manufacturers to evolve beyond cost advantages and build integrated ecosystems that can navigate diverse regulatory landscapes while delivering value to global clients.