Mr. Yang Ming, President and CEO of Beijing Mercedes-Benz Sales Service Co., Ltd
In July 2021, Mercedes-Benz proposed a product strategy of "full electrification", when the only reliance in the electric product lineup was the EQC model. At the subsequent Guangzhou Auto Show, EQA and EQB, two electric models that are more in line with the positioning of young people, were listed, which complemented Mercedes-Benz's "ABC".
But what is even more surprising is the launch of the EQS and the release of the EQXX concept car a few years later, which represents Mercedes-Benz's deep understanding of electric smart luxury models and insights into consumers' psychological needs for luxury since Mercedes-Benz was founded 136 years ago.
Mercedes-Benz Vision EQXX concept car
It is said that "elephant turning" is not easy, but in an interview with Mr. Yang Ming, president and CEO of Beijing Mercedes-Benz Sales Service Co., Ltd., it can be felt that the strategy of "full electrification" is already accelerating, and the "elephant" at that time is becoming the "lion teenager" of the attack.
Sales are not the number one strategic priority
In the past 2021, although plagued by the shortage of chip supply, Mercedes-Benz still handed over a good report card. Passenger cars and light commercial vehicles delivered more than 2.4 million new vehicles worldwide, while China, a major global market for Mercedes-Benz, delivered 758,863 new vehicles.
"In 2021, our position in the premium segment was strengthened: Mercedes-Maybach, Mercedes-AMG and G-Segment all achieved double-digit growth. In the case of chip shortage, we have made strategic adjustments to the layout of the model, which is also our strategic goal of strengthening the positioning of luxury brands for a longer-term future. Yang Ming said to the Titanium Media App.
In Yang Ming's view, In 2022, Mercedes-Benz will focus on two things: First, continue to strengthen Mercedes-Benz's leadership position in the luxury market segment, which is the gene that Has existed since the birth of Mercedes-Benz 136 years ago. Second, accelerate the transformation speed of electrification. In 2022, Mercedes-Benz will launch 21 new cars to the market, of which 8 are new energy models, including new EQE, new EQS SUVs and so on. At that time, Mercedes-Benz will have the most extensive lineup of new energy models in the luxury segment.
Compared with many traditional car companies and new car-making forces that publish sales rankings every month and pay close attention to sales data, Yang Ming has his own different views.
"Sales still have an important position, but it is not our first strategic priority," Yang Ming told Titanium Media App, "In 2013, Mercedes-Benz proposed to achieve the goal of achieving the first sales volume in the luxury segment in 2020, and we achieved this goal a few years ahead of schedule, and continued this performance in the following years." ”
Yang Ming believes that in the process of market development, the strategy will be adjusted accordingly, and business development is very comprehensive. In its new strategy proposed in October 2020, Mercedes-Benz not only mentioned improving profitability, but also emphasized the positioning of luxury brands.
In the view of titanium media App, sales are important, for new car-making enterprises, breaking through the 100,000 sales mark is the next step of the entrance ticket to the promotion competition, but for Mercedes-Benz, it is obvious that the problem of thinking is how to continuously improve the level of profitability, while emphasizing its own differentiation and unique advantages, and the demand for luxury brands is the psychological demand that young consumers will face after they grow up.
In other words, continuing to grasp the changing trend of consumer demand for luxury is the subject of Mercedes-Benz's research, and sales are the report card of this topic, and the cause and effect should not be reversed.
Yang Ming said that when the electric age came, everyone had a lot of subjective judgments about luxury, and electric luxury had three important footholds for Mercedes-Benz:
First, technical strength. In the field of electric power, cruising range and power output are the foundation of the establishment; intelligent interconnection and intelligent driver assistance systems are the driving force of science and technology. These technical strengths have been accumulated, and they still need to be deeply cultivated.
Second, aesthetics. Aesthetics are not only the design of the exterior and interior, but also the materials, craftsmanship, noise reduction, etc. Mercedes-Benz doesn't just provide a means of transportation, but users create a luxury product choice.
Third, sustainable development. We hope that users can feel respected when enjoying the driving experience brought by a luxury car. For Mercedes-Benz, it is necessary to create responsible and sustainable electric luxury for users.
It can be seen that how to extend the leading nature of Mercedes-Benz in the luxury concept of the fuel vehicle era to the electric era, this cross-technical change is a big challenge for Mercedes-Benz, but in the 136-year-long history of Mercedes-Benz development, this may be another time in the transformation and change that has experienced many times.
Adhere to the "luxury" with temperature
"The luxury that Mercedes-Benz expects must have a generous temperament and a moving temperature, rather than refusing to be thousands of miles away, and strive to let customers have more sense of belonging when driving." Yang Ming said so.
In the view of titanium media App, in the electric era, the relationship between technology and luxury has become more complementary and subtle. Technology is a torch at the time of industrial change, it can quickly allow an innovative company to get high attention and the attention of potential users, but whether high-tech, equal to luxury, here is debatable.
For example, Tesla is a recognized high-tech enterprise in the car company, but Musk has also said that Tesla is doing "Volkswagen", Tesla's electric vehicle is high-tech, but not luxurious. Technology is a base stone, on which each family can interpret its own understanding of luxury. And Mercedes-Benz obviously wants to do more "temperature" luxury.
Yang Ming believes that Mercedes-Benz actually interprets the unique warm luxury from the two aspects of "new luxury" at the technical level and "heart luxury" of emotional connection.
Mercedes-Benz EQS
At the technical level, the importance of technological innovation in the era of electrification has become more and more prominent, which is a topic that no car company can escape. Continuous breakthroughs in basic technology are a very important development direction for Mercedes-Benz. Taking the new EQS as an example, it is the first model in the pure electric luxury car segment to exceed the 800 km cruising range, using the "zero level" operation of the super-joint screen, equipped with a rear wheel steering system, and bringing flagship technology to Mercedes-Benz users.
The Vision EQXX Concept is the most energy-efficient model in Mercedes-Benz's history, with a drag coefficient of only 0.17 and a range of more than 1,000 kilometers, it comprehensively breaks through technical barriers and applies many sustainable materials, whether it is user interaction, driving performance, or energy efficiency, it has achieved a leapfrog breakthrough.
In terms of intelligent driving assistance systems, Mercedes-Benz has obtained the world's first international certification for L3 automatic driving systems, which also reflects Mercedes-Benz's high sense of responsibility for the safety of users.
At the level of emotional connection, Yang Ming also said that Mercedes-Benz will bring users the unique luxury perception of Mercedes-Benz in the two dimensions of interactive experience and emotional dissemination. For example, in the "Mercedes-EQ Night" before the 2021 Shanghai Auto Show, the city tour and product test drive for the new EQS, etc.; the "number one territory" created for the new generation of users, combined with the popular League of Legends IP.
Yang Ming believes that the so-called luxury is very important for the sense of exclusivity, uniqueness and experience, and Mercedes-Benz will continue to create a unique way for customers in different market segments to resonate with their emotions.
At the end of this article, it is most appropriate to end with a sentence described by Yang Ming in an interview to express Mercedes-Benz's understanding of luxury under the full electrification strategy at the beginning of 2022:
The "New Luxury" product lineup will be the rational factor for customers to choose Mercedes-Benz, while the "Heart Luxury" service experience will be the emotional factor for customers to choose us. More importantly, we will create sustainable, responsible luxury across the value chain.
(This article was first published on Titanium Media App, author/Xiang Ou, editor/Zhong Yi)