When the bombing marketing of various incoming players gradually came to an end, the potential of ETC was also marked by the market.
Editor’s note: This article is from WeChat public account “Koi Finance” ( ID: jinlifin).
Frankly speaking, in the perception of many users, ETC’s general trend is inseparable from the two-copy archives that can be seen everywhere in the circle of friends. As the outside world has seen, in the circle of friends’ circles, the major bank staff have been arguing from the princes to the case, but for several months. ETC’s high fever seems to have cooled down in recent days.
In September, Minister of Transportation Li Xiaopeng said at the press conference of the State New Office that as of September 18, the total number of ETC users nationwide reached 130.51 million, completing 68.39% of the total issuance task. Among them, 53.96 million new users were added this year. At present, the average daily circulation of ETC is about 600,000.
This number seems optimistic, but the days on the wind are always beautiful and dangerous. In the final analysis, China’s ETC system started late. In contrast, in many developed countries and regions such as the United States, Portugal, Japan, and Singapore, the ETC system has been partially connected and formed economies of scale. At the end of 2018, China’s ETC user penetration rate reached 32%, while in Japan, South Korea and other countries, ETC’s current usage rate has exceeded 50%.
Fortunately, thanks to a paper instrument, the entire industry chain is following the carnival. However, just in front of the bank and the third payment, when the bombing marketing of the various incoming players gradually succumbed, the potential of ETC was also marked by the market.
Comparison of two tracks: congestion and cold silence
Reviewing the business that is sure to win every second, the ETC-based scene consumption comes with a bonus, which becomes a new point of traffic entry. The most eye-catching scene is that the major banks compete with third-party payment platforms. flow.
This year, bankers who have always shown their values in a gentle and elegant manner have collectively staged a “workplace self-cultivation record.” It is undeniable that whether it is the “secondary copy” of “cloud sales” or the tricks of the introduction of the time, the ETC can enter the user group in a low-profile manner in a short time, extending the use of the line, and the bank staff is indispensable. .
On the other hand, third-party payment platforms are better at playing. On July 1 this year, Alipay announced that it would receive the OBU free of charge on Alipay and mail it home. WeChat said that it can directly apply for ETC on WeChat applet or city service, which takes only 35 seconds. Obviously, in the face of huge customer value, the payment side has been rushing.
However, when thinking in a reverse direction, when the major payment terminals are chasing sales performances, even if ETC tests the water market, it is more “drunkenIn other words, ETC has become a new way for banks to expand customers in the early days.
It is quite realistic that in the face of the huge market space under active policies, it is very different from the noisy distribution track. The important part of the ETC ecological chain, the product track is particularly deserted, always dare to be the first. The Internet technology giants have also focused their attention on the former.
The reason is that the situation in the two markets is very different. The payment side shouted for ETC, which can achieve customer benefits in a short period of time, but for investors, the road ahead is still unclear.
The first problem that is in front of you is that the industry landscape is hard to break. ETC has developed from the early years to the present, industry barriers have been formed for many years, and the brand effect dominates the market. Under the premise of severe market share splitting, the chances of new students surviving in the cracks of the head enterprises are slightly lower.
Due to differences in ETC usage standards in various countries, the output of ETC equipment is mainly concentrated in the country. According to relevant data, up to now, there have been 32 enterprises that have passed the inspection of domestic OBU products, and only 19 companies have passed the inspection of RSU products. According to the statistics of ETC equipment sales statistics last year, the sales volume of ETC equipment of Jinyi Technology, Ju Li Technology and Wanji Technology accounted for about 30%, 20% and 30% respectively. Obviously, only the total sales of the three companies account for about 80% of the ETC market.
On the one hand, ETC is relying on the policy to run all the way, on the other hand, it is the Matthew effect that is always difficult to get rid of in the industry. Seeing the sales channel is full of competition, unfortunately, the product market has so far lacked a new lever. Move the entire industry chain. For several months in a row, the outsiders only know that one is unknown. It is true that the balance of ETC is in a serious tilt.
The basic conditions are congenitally insufficient?
Over the years of ETC development, it has not been possible to jump out of the downturn, and even if it does not advance, it will retreat. According to public information, as early as March 2008, the Ministry of Science and Technology launched the “National Expressway Networking Non-Parking Charges and Service System” project, and launched the “Dragon Triangle and Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Regional Expressway Network Electronic Non-Parking Charges” demonstration project.
But in the long history of development, the situation after ten years is not optimistic. As of October last year, the use rate of ETC in most provinces was more than half, and some provinces were less than 30%.
Using Japan as a reference target, since 1995, I have conducted ETC scene experiments in the country, and have been working on technical difficulty and coordination for many years.In 2001, the national ETC network was truly implemented. According to industry scholars, China’s current state of ETC development is essentially in Japan’s 2003 era.
More importantly, as of the first half of 2019, the national car ownership was about 240 million, and the number of domestic ETC users was about 83.67 million, and the installation rate only accounted for 1/3. Among the 9464 toll stations shared by 29 provinces in the country, there are 20,809 ETC lanes, 62,875 MTC lanes (manual toll lanes), and 1979 hybrid lanes, of which ETC lanes account for less than 25% of the lanes. .
The sudden policy made ETC a blockbuster, but the actual conditions were obviously insufficiently prepared, and “a lack of preparation” was kicked off.
In addition to the underlying external environment, the most notable is the user’s perception. The lack of congenital conditions allows the user community to greatly reduce the confidence in the efficiency of ETC, which is not high in penetration rate. The first issue is the safety issue.
Recently, Mr. Lu of Xi’an reported that he had been maliciously stolen by an “ETC credit card”. The police found that a strange man was in the garage and the handheld device frequently carried the ETC device in the car. scanning. Subsequently, many neighboring communities also reported that their ETC cards were stolen.
A similar pirate incident is more like a recessive virus at some point. The chances of occurrence are few and far between. Once it is fermented by public opinion, the degree of destruction can be imagined. This has nothing to do with the ETC itself, but the factors of the Chinese people’s consumption psychology and public opinion are different in the face of the same event.
We can’t deny that the saying that ETC can be illegally stolen is endless. Even with the clarification of many experts and the introduction of preventive measures, the negative impact of “destroying the bones” is difficult to eliminate in a short time.
In fact, the standard ETC itself is less likely to be stolen. The reason why the stolen brush will occur is because the stolen ETC card is usually an ETC co-branded bank credit card with flash payment function. The criminals will use the POS machine to close the ETC device through the windshield to carry out the stolen brushing behavior.
In addition, many users are still skeptical about the value of their existence. Due to the single application scenario of ETC, many users have low frequency of use, and the taste of ETC is becoming more and more obvious. According to the survey, the main reason for most users to refuse to install ETC is fear of being stolen; secondly, there are not many times of high speed; in addition, ETC can not be dismantled and it is a key factor restricting users’ use.
In fact, the growth period is indefinitely extended. This is not a good phenomenon for any industry. For ETC, the best time has not yet arrived in the basic conditions or the user market, and this policy is big. Heat, to some extent, can be said to be a benign turning point.
Whether the narrow road meets who wins
A new thing often comes up, which in turn stirs the entire industry. The rumors of traffic charges on system upgrades have always stagnated, and ETC has been quiet for many years, giving the waiters a chance. Among them, ETCP, which was launched in 2012 and is paid by “license plate”, is a typical representative.
When the two sides confronted each other, when users faced many cumbersome details of ETC, they gradually turned their attention to emerging payment methods. There used to be a car owner who recorded the experience of modifying the ETC because of changing the car, which lasted about one month. The staff of a bank also said that the user experience of ETC really needs to be improved. Many car owners accidentally get rid of the car electronic tags when they wash the car. The information inside will be completely cancelled and must be re-applied.
“When the sales of ETC are in full swing, many car owners think it is too much trouble, and feel that it is not as mature as the license plate.” The staff of a postal bank in Jinan said. It is reported that when the parking lot is about 20 kilometers per hour, the accuracy of license plate recognition can already be more than 99%. At present, WeChat and Alipay have successively launched the “license card payment” pilot.
According to the “Intellectual Parking Industry Market Prospect and Investment Strategic Planning Analysis Report” issued by Prospective Industry Research Institute, the market size of China’s smart parking system in 2017 is about 8 billion yuan. By 2020, the market size will be close to 20 billion yuan. At present, ETCP has more than 8,100 parking lots in 240 cities across the country, covering over 3.1 million parking spaces.
Of course, the current scale of license plate payment does not cause too strong impact on ETC in “Halo”, but it is worth noting that ETC’s scene limitations are well known, from high-speed extension to various toll locations. The ice-breaking action is imperative, and the main battlefield for license plates is the next goal of ETC.
Maybe it is because of the existence of many objective reasons, not to mention that the banks that shoulder the heavy lifting of the burden are obviously unable to pay after the average of 300 yuan per ETC. ETC has gradually subsided from the cusp. After the heat, in front of the traffic payment, a new battle will be kicked off. At that time, the narrow road meets, and the fight is definitely not a simple policy dividend, but whether the efficiency can be upgraded and the users are loyal.