Ex-Audi designer explains Chery’s ‘China speed’

A former Audi designer now leading styling for Chery’s luxury Exeed and Exlantix brands says Chinese manufacturers can develop new cars in a fraction of the time it takes European companies to do the same thing – partially because employees work longer hours and management makes faster decisions.

Speaking to carsales in China, chief designer Juan Manuel Diaz says Chery’s top-end brands work about 2.5 times faster than what he experienced at the Volkswagen Group.

“[At Audi], we had four years to put a car into production – here, it’s only one and a half [years],” said Diaz.

“It’s a very fast gear. When there is a target, they push a lot – and we work a lot, as well. We try to work on processes and to speed up the normal processes. I have to say, they have very good professionals here [in China], like their 3D modellers, who boost the process.”

Diaz’s comments provide tangible evidence of what ‘China speed’ really means for the practicalities of vehicle development and the productivity issues currently facing Europe.

Chery’s Diaz, whose work at Volkswagen Group included Audi’s RS e-tron Dakar racer, acknowledged that his team had pushed hard on the latest models for Exlantix.

Asked for examples of how Chery’s workflow differed from that of Volkswagen, Diaz pointed to having harder-working, talented people on the team.

“[It’s] maybe working more than a [certain] number of hours. Here, people have the culture of work. They want to work. Sometimes they don’t want [to], but they have to. The culture is like working to give the best of you, for the company,” he said.

But more people working longer hours was only one side of the story.

Diaz said design approvals came thick and fast at Chery, with top management making frequent decisions.

“Here, we see the [Chery] president every second day. We show him [design work and he advises us to] change it, polish it, or improve it,” he said.

Still, the Exlantix design chief said his team had some freedom to push back and that Chery’s management listened to their expertise.

But Diaz’s old team at Audi is getting faster.

In February this year, new Audi chief executive Gernot Dollner said the company had adopted “China speed” internally and was abolishing layers of committees while giving project leaders direct access to the board for quick decisions.

Dollner said Audi would deliver its Concept C sports car in three years from idea to production, while acknowledging the Chinese could do the same, with existing platforms, in under two years.

The French also claim that they are adapting their practices.

Renault chief executive Francois Provost has said that the brand’s China-assisted, 21-month new Twingo development involved suppliers at an earlier stage to eliminate repetitive engineering steps.

Provost said 24 months would become the realistic minimum for European vehicle development.

Legally, Chinese employees can work an additional 44 hours per month compared to their European counterparts, who are limited to 48 hours per week including overtime.

Audi’s Gernot Dollner was unequivocal in February that Europe has to look to productivity reforms in order to remain competitive.

“We definitely have to change the way we work and approach things. We have to be more courageous and take higher risks to speed up – but you can’t copy everything from China, and you don’t want to,” he said.

“We need a European initiative on competitiveness and infrastructure, and also on [the] legal frameworks we have in Europe.”

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