At the recent 2026 China Automotive Chongqing Forum held from June 12th to 13th, Song Gang, Vice President and Chief of Staff of Xiaomi's Automotive Division, delivered a keynote address.
In his speech, Song Gang noted that within current automotive industry discussions, manufacturing and supply chain topics are often viewed as less sophisticated, with a greater focus typically placed on advanced technology and new products. However, he emphasized that the concept of manufacturing has been fundamentally redefined.
He referenced a statement by Elon Musk that "Tesla's real moat is manufacturing." Song Gang explained that while Tesla innovates, it also dedicates significant effort to ensuring its manufacturing processes can keep pace with the introduction of new materials and applications. For Xiaomi, manufacturing must serve as the "third driving force" alongside product and brand. He likened it to a powerful engine pulling a heavy carriage, where manufacturing must provide the lightweighting and forward momentum for the entire vehicle.
Song Gang pointed out that with the rapid advancement of China's manufacturing sector, capabilities and efficiency have seen substantial improvement. The current imperative is to push manufacturing considerations further upstream, particularly into the research and development phase. As products incorporate new materials and technologies, robust manufacturing solutions are essential to ensure rapid adaptation, quality assurance, and volume production, which imposes higher demands on the manufacturing process.
He stressed the critical importance of integrating manufacturing principles early in the product development cycle. During concurrent engineering, incorporating manufacturing insights and pre-emptive capabilities, such as simulation, into product blueprints can significantly reduce potential failures and changes during Design Verification/Product Verification (DV/PV) and subsequent testing phases. "The market competes on both product and speed. Manufacturing can assist R&D in numerous ways, driving overall efficiency gains," he stated.
In conclusion, Song Gang issued a call to action. Looking ahead to the next decade, he acknowledged the rapid growth of China's automotive industry but cautioned that amidst intense competition, quality and reliability will determine how far a company can go and how strong it can be on the global stage. "I urge all industry peers to focus on manufacturing and the supply chain, to concentrate on these foundational pillars of our industry. Let us work together on quality assurance to ensure the Chinese automotive sector maintains its leading position worldwide and continues to uphold an excellent reputation."
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