At the second meeting of the first council of the Automotive Information Branch of the China Association of Automobile Repair and Maintenance Industry, Lin Youhua, General Manager of F6 Automotive Technology and Vice President of the Automotive Information Branch, gave a special speech entitled "Towards the Future: Development Trends of Digital Stores in the Automotive Aftermarket" based on the deep insight of the Big Data Research Institute into the massive store data across the country.
Lin Youhua said that the rapid development of new energy vehicles and the intelligent application of massive data assets are reshaping the industry pattern, and the digital transformation of stores has changed from an option to a necessity for survival.
Industry changes: The reshaping of market fundamentals after the wave of new energy
General Manager Lin Youhua first revealed the structural changes in the industry's fundamentals. According to the F6 Big Data Research Institute, it is expected that the sales of new energy vehicles in China will account for 47% of the overall car sales by 2025, and achieve a total of about 46 million vehicles by the end of the year, accounting for 13%.
This means that the "battlefield" of independent after-sales has undergone a fundamental shift. Data shows that the proportion of new energy vehicles entering the factory continues to grow rapidly, reaching 8.9% for the whole year of 2025 and breaking through the 10% mark in the third quarter. It is expected to exceed 13% next year.
Lin Youhua revealed the urgency with a set of contrasting data: by 2025, the number of traditional fuel vehicles entering the factory will decline by 6% year-on-year, while new energy vehicles will grow by 24% against the trend. The transformation of automobile aftermarket has evolved from a 'strategic choice question' to a 'survival must answer question'.
Value Mining: Opportunities and Challenges for New Energy Maintenance
What kind of business value landscape does the store face in the face of the surging wave of new energy? Lin Youhua provided the answer through in-depth data analysis. Although the average age of new energy vehicles is only 1.8 years, their annual maintenance value per vehicle is rapidly catching up, approaching the 2000 yuan mark, and the value gap with traditional fuel vehicles is significantly narrowing year by year.
However, challenges and opportunities coexist. Lin Youhua said that the main reason for the current difference in maintenance value lies in the differentiation of business structure. In the new energy vehicle business, maintenance and sheet metal spraying are the core contributors to output value, while traditional vehicles rely more on maintenance and repair.
More importantly, even within the same price range (such as 200000 to 300000 yuan), there are significant differences in the maintenance value of bicycles from different new energy brands. For example, the value of high-end brand bicycles is significantly higher than the average level, while some mainstream brands are concentrated in the 1500 yuan range.
This differentiation is strongly related to brand positioning, technological roadmap, and after-sales strategy, which means that stores need to have more refined brand operation and project management capabilities
Transformation Path: From Single Point Tools to Full Link Digitization
Based on field research of nearly 100000 stores nationwide, General Manager Lin Youhua revealed the common challenges of digitalization in current automotive service stores: low overall penetration rate and uneven usage levels. A large number of stores are still in the basic stage of inventory management, and the value of data is far from being released.
How will future stores evolve in the face of new energy transformation and digital challenges? Lin Youhua proposed three major development trends:
Firstly, AI will be deeply integrated into various business scenarios of the store, from "AI marketing" and "AI technology Q&A" to assisting business decision-making, improving the efficiency of the entire process. The F6 smart store management system has begun exploring the application of AI in precision marketing, intelligent shelf management, and technical fault diagnosis.
Secondly, the service model is shifting from "traffic is king" to "retention is king". Stores must leverage digital tools to create an excellent customer-centric experience, enhancing customer stickiness through online booking, transparent pricing, AR/VR experience, etc., and achieving a business transformation from sales to long-term relationships.
The ultimate form is to achieve a leap from single point digitization to full chain digitization. Lin Youhua used the "S2B Brand Chain System" built by F6 as an example to demonstrate how to connect the complete data flow from accessory brands, dealers to repair stores and car owners, and achieve intelligent replenishment, supply chain collaboration, and data-driven precision services.
Key to breaking through: standardization, chain building, and ecological co construction
Lin Youhua said that the future breaking point of the industry lies in standardization, linkage and ecological co construction. Whether it is the expansion of traditional brand owners (such as lubricant manufacturers) or the entry of new forces such as "cat, tiger, dog" (Tmall Auto, Tiggo Auto, JD Auto), they are accelerating the standardization and branding process of the industry.
Standard construction is the most important foundation to support the digital transformation of the industry, "Lin Youhua emphasized. He introduced that F6 has built a full chain digital intelligence platform covering over 100000 repair stores and 3 million technicians through ten years of accumulation. Its core is based on deep data and standardization of vehicle models, accessories, and maintenance processes.
Finally, Lin Youhua calls for open collaboration among all parties in the industry. True digital stores are not isolated technological upgrades, but integrated into an interconnected and data sharing industrial ecosystem. Only through co building standards, sharing data, and collaborative innovation can the entire automotive aftermarket ride the wave of digitization and head towards a future of high-quality development.
