Starting at 450,000? Huawei is eyeing the fat of BBA

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2024-06-03 16:31Posted on the official account of Beijing Daily People Club

With the amazing performance of AITO in the SUV market with its range extension technology, Huawei Hongmeng Zhixing has made it famous in the car circle. But Huawei clearly wants more. Not long ago, the "Zhijie" cooperated with Chery, the first car S7 is positioned as a pure electric sedan, and at the new press conference of the new M7, Yu Chengdong pre-sold the first model of "Xiangjie" in cooperation with BAIC Blue Valley S9. The car is also positioned as a pure electric sedan, but the price is more expensive. Will the market buy it this time? Can Huawei reshape the new pattern of high-end sedans?

Text | Huang Shuo

Edit | Tian Yanlin

Operations | potato

"Big mouth" becomes "small mouth"

"The new M5 is set to exceed 20,000 units in one month after it was launched; The M7 has been on the market for 8 months, and it is set to exceed 180,000 units; Zhijie S7 ranked third in the delivery volume of 300,000+ pure electric cars in April; The M9 has been on the market for 5 months and has exceeded 90,000 units, surpassing BBA (Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Audi) to become the first place in the domestic luxury SUV market of more than 500,000 units! ”

Although Yu Chengdong, executive director of Huawei, chairman of the terminal BG, and chairman of the intelligent vehicle solution BU, has rarely said "far ahead" in public recently, at the new M7 renewal conference held on the evening of May 31, a series of sales and order data have become Yu Chengdong's perfect "mouth replacement".

The protagonist of this press conference is the new M7 Ultra.

▲ The new M7 Ultra. Photo / Huawei's official Weibo

When introducing the design of the front face of the new car, Yu Chengdong also played a self-deprecating stalk. "From the front face, the new M7 has changed from a 'big mouth' to a 'small mouth'." In the middle, he added his own drama-like pauses and laughter, which immediately enlivened the atmosphere of the scene.

When explaining the rearward active safety function, the "Internet celebrity accident" of the female owner of the M5 who reversed the car and used the accelerator as a brake was also used as a joke by Lao Yu.

The former "Yu Dazui" may have disappeared, but the frequent golden sentences can still make everyone recognize "that familiar man", and even ridiculed by netizens for "too many golden sentences tonight".

▲ The new M7 Ultra. Photo / Visual China

For example, he said, "Before we entered the automotive industry, we thought that the manufacturing quality of car companies was very high, but it turned out that it was not", "not only to control the supplier, but also to control the supplier's supplier, and the supplier's supplier's supplier", "the child peeing in the car and burning the motor out, this kind of thing will not happen to us", "the sunroof is not as good as physical sunshade with many layers of silver plating".

In response to the previous questioning of the safety of the M7 accident, Yu Chengdong also deliberately demonstrated through video how the electric hidden door handle can open the door through mechanical operation when the electric hidden door handle is not automatically popped up in an extreme accident, and said that "the original M7 also has this function, but many people don't know." ”

However, some netizens said that they did not buy it, "When a design still needs to be taught, it is not a good design." ”

In the follow-up introduction of AEB (automatic emergency braking function), Yu Chengdong unexpectedly "publicly executed" the two major suppliers, emphasizing that the M7 Plus version of the world uses the scheme of Bosch and Feedtech, and the forward AEB capability will not work after the speed exceeds 85km/h. The M7 Ultra version, which uses Huawei's ADS high-end intelligent driving system, has a maximum AEB effective range of 4km/h-150km/h. "You can't buy a version that isn't Huawei's smart driving, no matter what the scene is, and then hack us."

Compared with the previous unabashed, Yu Chengdong's attitude and remarks on vehicle safety are indeed much restrained and restrained this time. "There is no such thing as absolute security, only relentless efforts. If you drive fast, no matter how powerful the AEB is, the gods will not stop, and there are still basic laws of physics. ”

Subsequently, Yu Chengdong pulled on the ideal L7 Ultra, Mercedes-Benz EOE SUV 350 luxury version and the new M7 Ultra for comparison. However, before using the video to show the intelligent driving ability of the three cars, he particularly emphasized that "there is no meaning to belittle, not to criticize peers, and to hope for mutual progress and mutual improvement."

It is reported that the price range of the new M7 Ultra version is 289,800 ~ 329,800 yuan, and the big change at the product level is the addition of CDC continuous variable damping shock absorbers, as well as the upgrade of 192-line lidar to further enhance intelligent driving capabilities. Officially, this is the industry's highest number of lines of automotive-grade mass production lidar, with a maximum detection distance of 250 meters. He Liyang, president of Celis Automobile, also said that the car will be delivered as soon as it is launched, and the goal is to deliver 20,000 units in June.

Can the enjoyment world become the "No. 2" question world?

Before this press conference, Hongmeng Zhixing also officially announced the relevant news that will reveal the secret of the world S9. But the thunder and rain are small, and in the end just a photo of the rear seats was released, mentioning that the car will be the first to use Huawei's ADS 3.0 high-end intelligent driving system, and the pre-sale price of Xiangjie S9 is 450,000 yuan ~ 550,000 yuan, and the official press conference is expected to be held in early August.

Although too much product information has not been announced, judging from the current reaction of the entire auto market, consumers' acceptance of pure electric flagship sedans is not high, and it is even far smaller than that of high-end pure electric SUV models.

Large SUVs like the M9 have snatched food from luxury brands through a full range of "cost-effective" routes, and even grabbed some of the market share of luxury cars, but whether these situations can be reproduced on the Xiangjie S9, the outside world is still cautiously optimistic.

After all, the M9 is a range-extender car, which can be fueled and electric. In the current auto market, even the million-level flagship sedans of first-tier luxury brands have completely different attitudes towards fuel, range extension and pure electric.

▲ Xiangjie S9 interior map. Photo / Xiangjie Auto's official Weibo

According to the data of the Yiche App, the annual sales of Mercedes-Benz S-Class (fuel) in 2023 will be 22,637 units, while the Mercedes-Benz EQS (pure electric) will only be 1,983 units, with a ratio of about 11:1. The annual sales volume of the BMW 7 Series (gasoline) was 12,626 units, while the BMW i7 (pure electric) was only 1,288 units, with a ratio of about 9:1.

According to the data of the China Passenger Car Association, from January to April 2024, the sales of pure electric sedans of luxury brands (Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Audi, Cadillac, Jaguar, Land Rover, Volvo, Infiniti, Acura, Tesla) fell sharply by 20.2% year-on-year, and it was the only segment to show negative growth.

Compared with the 6.1% year-on-year growth rate of the pure electric SUV market sales of luxury brands, "pure electric luxury cars cannot be sold" is a very clear market situation at present.

Although the Xiangjie S9 is benchmarked against Mercedes-Benz S-Class, BMW 7 Series and Audi A8L, it is more intuitive to see that the model closest to the positioning, price and target group of Xiangjie S9 is NIO ET7 (manufacturer's guide price of 428,000~516,000 yuan). These two are unique in terms of rear VIP experience, driving comfort, luxury specifications, intelligence, etc., and have opened a big gap with other independent brand pure electric cars.

However, after reaching a peak of 4,349 units in monthly sales in June 2022, NIO ET7 has not been able to sell more than 1,000 units in a single month from January 2023. According to statistics from the BitAuto App and Autohome, from January to April 2024, NIO ET7 sold 210 units, 135 units, 713 units, and 93 units in a single month, respectively.

With the blessing of Huawei's halo, can Xiangjie S9 "break the circle"? Launching an extended-range version might be a good idea. In addition, compared with the achievements of the new brand, Huawei is estimated to be more concerned about whether its proud "sales pillar" Wenjie M7 can break out of the encirclement and stabilize the reputation of "AITO Wenjie".

As a phenomenal product of the brand, the M7 not only "directly crippled the ideal ONE" after its first launch in July 2022, but also became a dark horse in the new energy vehicle market after the release of the new model in September 2023 and the official significantly reduced the guide price.

According to third-party statistics, in October 2023, the monthly sales of the new M7 exceeded 10,000 units for the first time, and in January 2024, the sales volume reached an astonishing 29,997 units, ranking fifth among all models.

▲ Yu Chengdong introduced the new model at the press conference. Photo / Screenshot of the live broadcast of the press conference

But in February 2024, 21,083 units of the new M7 were sold; In March, it fell to 18,512 vehicles; In April, it dropped to 9,266 units. In the eyes of industry insiders, in addition to the aging of product power over time, there are also factors of intensified market competition.

For example, Li Auto, an old rival in the world, took out a new model L6 (249,800 ~ 279,800 yuan) on April 18, and it was launched for half a month, with a total of more than 41,000 orders. In February this year, after the launch of the new Ideal L7, sales in March and April also exceeded 10,000.

For another example, Xingtu Star Era ET, Deep Blue 318, Dongfeng Yipai 008, AVATR 07 and other new opponents that are about to be listed, each of which should not be underestimated. It is reported that the current orders of Star Era ET have exceeded 26,000, and the number of orders for Yipai 008 has also exceeded 10,000.

Therefore, the "refresh" action of the new M7 is imminent, and Huawei and Cialis have chosen the strategy of joint sales of new and old models. At present, the entire Wenjie M7 series has up to 11 models with different configurations for sale, with prices ranging from 249,800 yuan ~ 329,800 yuan, forming a trend of attacking from low to high in the Plus version, Max version and Ultra version, which is quite similar to the strategy of Li Auto to lay out L6, L7 and L8.

Waiting for a new partner

Regardless of whether Xiangjie can replicate the success of Wenjie, for Huawei Hongmeng Zhixing, this cooperation with BAIC Blue Valley is a meaningful attempt.

Two months ago, at the high-level forum of the China Electric Vehicle 100 Association, Yu Chengdong said that only models with a price of more than 300,000 yuan can make the team profitable. "At present, Huawei's technical solutions are subject to sanctions due to various reasons such as the supply chain, and our costs are high. There are still challenges in the use of vehicles below 300,000. ”

At the same time, he also mentioned that the sales of models with more than 300,000 yuan not only depend on their own product strength, but also "need brand support to be successful".

From the perspective of BAIC Blue Valley, there is indeed an urgent need to deepen cooperation with Huawei to increase brand awareness and sales as soon as possible.

As early as 2017, Huawei cooperated with BAIC Blue Valley. Previously, however, the two companies have adopted the Huawei Inside (HI) model. Compared with the smart car mode such as "Hongmeng Zhixing", Huawei's participation in HI mode is lower.

In May 2022, under the HI mode, JIHU, a high-end brand of BAIC New Energy, launched the "ALPHA S HI version" model, but the sales volume did not meet expectations, which also forced BAIC Blue Valley to accelerate the change.

Previously, it was reported that a leaked exchange minutes of BAIC Blue Valley showed that the annual production capacity of its smart car project is planned to be 300,000 units, and the monthly sales of the first product of "Xiangjie" are expected to exceed 10,000 units.

▲ Enjoy the world S9. Photo / Xiangjie Auto's official Weibo

It is reported that the reason why the first model S9 in the world is a flagship sedan is also to see the gap and opportunity point of intelligence in the products of traditional luxury brands at this level.

"Huawei's full-stack technology will definitely be applied to such a highest-level car. The S9 is the cornerstone of building the Xiangjie brand, and if consumers recognize it, the derivative models of the same platform will go more smoothly in the future. Wang Yanmin said.

In addition to products, Huawei has also made frequent moves in the planning and updating of sales channels and charging networks, and has made full preparations. According to Wang Yanmin, there are currently hundreds of experience centers across the country covering major business districts. "This year, the number of stores will be expanded to more than 1,000, and the charging network will have a complete set of Huawei's liquid-cooled supercharging solutions, and it is expected to set up 100,000 supercharging piles."

Wang Yanmin also mentioned that in the construction of Xiangjie S9, the cooperation between Huawei and BAIC Blue Valley is generally smooth. "It's impossible to be completely unanimous, but both sides can be open and honest in the process and reach a consensus."

▲ Enjoy the world S9. Photo / Xiangjie Auto's official Weibo

However, not all car companies have had smooth sailing in their cooperation with Huawei.

Recently, Changan Automobile announced a progress report on the establishment of a joint venture with Huawei. The registration of the new company was completed on 16 January 2024 under the name of Shenzhen Yinwang Intelligent Technology Co., Ltd., but the overall project progress has been later than the original date set in the Investment Cooperation Memorandum.

According to the MOU, Huawei intends to integrate the core technologies and resources of the intelligent vehicle solution business into the new company, which is also considered a key step for the car BU to become independent.

The new company will open its equity to investors such as existing strategic partners, car companies, and car companies with strategic value, and become a company with diversified equity. Yu Chengdong once said that Huawei has issued invitations to partners such as Celis, Chery, JAC, and BAIC to open their shares. But no other companies have announced their participation in the joint venture.

It seems that Huawei still needs to be patient on the way to introducing new partners.

A good news is that after the successive listings of Wenjie and Xiangjie, another "Jie" brand created by Huawei and JAC Motors is reported to also be implemented within the year. Yu Chengdong previously revealed that the cooperation between Huawei and JAC will be a million-level product. There is speculation in the industry that the new brand may be named after "Aojie", and the first model or MPV.

At this press conference, Yu Chengdong also revealed that the cooperative model will be launched in the spring of 2025.

According to a number of media reports, the "super factory" of JAC's high-end new energy vehicle base in Feixi, Hefei has started recruitment. 411 positions have been prepared, mainly management and expert positions in the initial stage, covering the positions of factory directors in stamping, body, painting, assembly and other links, as well as the positions of ministers and experts in process technology, production logistics, lean production and other departments.

In the announcement of the Anhui Provincial Department of Ecology and Environment, the JAC and Huawei Smart Car Super Factory project has entered the publicity, and JAC will build two pure electric platforms of DE and X6, covering sedans, SUVs and MPV models, with an estimated annual production capacity of 200,000 vehicles.

Will Huawei's "circle of friends" continue to expand, and can "Chinese content" become a killer feature again? Everything may have to be seen later, and the market will not buy the Xiangjie S9 and the new M7 Ultra.

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