Gasgoo Munich- On July 22, at the 2026 China Auto Forum, Wang Qian, deputy general manager of Dongfeng Nissan Passenger Vehicle Company, took the stage at a session titled "Brand Breakthrough in the New Joint Venture Era." He didn't mince words: the challenge for joint venture brands is no longer just shrinking market share, but a total reconstruction of competitive logic. The underlying formula of the "old JV" model, he argued, has been completely upended by China's new-energy vehicle market.
Image source: 2026 China Auto Forum
Wang Qian drove the point home with hard data: according to the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers (CAAM), the combined market share of joint venture and foreign brands slumped to 24.5% in June 2026. "A 25% market share—something no one would have believed three years ago—is now a reality staring us in the face." He contends that the old formula—foreign partners providing technology, Chinese partners supplying channels, and cost advantages trading for scale—has utterly failed. Technology cycles have compressed from five years to two, while consumer demands have shifted from "good enough" to "wanting it all."
To navigate this deadlock, Dongfeng Nissan is betting on speed. Wang Qian outlined a break from the traditional JV logic of slow decision-making and delayed technology imports. Instead, the company has forged a "GLOCAL" model—deeply integrating "global standards with local dominance." The Chinese team now calls the shots on decisions, leads independent R&D on core technologies, and aligns product cycles with the rapid iteration speed of the Chinese market.
The results are already showing. Cumulative sales of the N-series new-energy vehicle line have surpassed 100,000 units. It took just 14 months from the launch of the first model to hit that 100,000-unit mark in production and sales—setting a new speed record for joint ventures backed by state-owned enterprises. The NEV share has surged from 6.6% at the start of the year to 30%, with N-series sales jumping 192% year-on-year. Additionally, cumulative deliveries of the NX8 have topped 10,000 units. The company's Net Promoter Score (NPS) has climbed into the industry's top ten, signaling rising user recognition.
Wang Qian also urged the industry to stop viewing joint venture brands as zero-sum rivals. "A single brand's voice cannot make waves; it takes a collective effort in the same direction to truly break down cognitive barriers," he said. He emphasized that "a joint venture is just a capital structure, never a boundary on capability." The window of opportunity hasn't closed—it has simply shifted from "global introduction" to "local creation."
"You have to be on the field to play, and you have to speak out to be heard," Wang Qian concluded. "There are no shortcuts for joint ventures to break through—only the path forward. Together, we are the future of Chinese joint-venture new energy vehicles!"
