If Tesla intends to build itself into the "Ford" of the electrification era by continuously expanding its scale and reducing costs, then whether it is BMW iX or BMW i4, it tells people with distinct product characteristics and brand marks that BMW in the era of electrification is still BMW.
Two data worth paying attention to -
First, the latest statistics of the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers show that from January to November, the cumulative output of new energy vehicles in China exceeded 3 million, and the sales volume was close to 3 million, and the sales penetration rate increased to 12.7% from January to November. Economic laws show that once the penetration rate of a market reaches 15%, it enters a period of rapid development.
Second, the BMW Group recently announced that it has completed the delivery of the world's 1 millionth new energy vehicle. At the same time, BMW announced the sales target of new energy vehicles: in 2022, the sales of pure electric vehicles will double compared with this year. By 2025, BMW will deliver about 2 million pure electric vehicles. It is expected that by 2030, one in every two cars sold by the BMW Group will be a pure electric vehicle.
These two data point to the same fact, that is, the transformation of new energy vehicles from policy-driven to market-driven.
This year, it can be said to be a historic inflection point. In addition to the new car manufacturers represented by Tesla and Wei Xiaoli, including traditional "big factories" such as BBA, Volkswagen and Toyota, they have also clearly put forward the goals and directions of transformation.
However, the goals and directions of each family are not the same. For example, Toyota proposes to "electrify all aspects", that is, not to give up any possibility of hybrid, plug-in, pure electricity and hydrogen fuel; Volkswagen is very determined to be in pure electric; and BMW adheres to the path of sustainable development. Among them, electric mobility is of course the most important part of sustainable development, in addition, it also includes the recycling of resources, the whole value chain and the "carbon reduction" of the whole life cycle.
To be honest, being in the automotive industry, seeing the different choices of different companies, it is actually quite emotional. At present, the market is changing and quickly reshuffling, most companies will focus all their energy on the products that are easiest for users to perceive, and some companies will take a longer-term view and focus on the construction of supporting facilities such as charging.
But like BMW, taking products, raw materials and the whole industrial chain from production, use to recycling as a whole to consider, can not be said to be completely absent, but very little.
"Only by shouldering responsibility can we be luxuriously positioned." These are the words of Mr. Chiptzer, chairman of the BMW Group.
I think that only by understanding these backgrounds can we better understand the BMW iX product.
BMW iX is a landmark product of BMW entering the second stage of electrification transformation, and it is also a representative work of BMW's comprehensive promotion of electrification strategy. At this year's Guangzhou Auto Show, it has been officially listed, priced at 846,900 yuan.
The price is controversial. Some people believe that bmw iX is the best product in BMW history, whether in terms of size, configuration, performance or luxury, it is far beyond BMW X5, and even more than BMW X7, so this pricing has been very sincere; but some people think that compared with the same level of electric vehicles, the price of BMW iX is twice as expensive and uncompetitive.
This actually involves a very widely discussed topic, that is, in the era of electrification, does the brand premium of luxury cars still exist?
One view is that in the era of electrification, cars will gradually become consumer goods like electronic products, and brand premiums will no longer exist. But this is obviously a paradox, otherwise it is impossible to explain why Apple electronics are also configured to be much more expensive than other brands. This difference is not only for the Apple brand, but also because Apple has a higher sense of quality, reliability and salvage rate in the product itself.
The same goes for the BMW iX.
In the visible place -
New exterior design, full of futuristic sense;
The length, width and height are 4953/1967/1695mm, the wheelbase is 3000mm, and the size exceeds the BMW X5;
22-inch aerodynamic wheels;
The interior of the car adopts a minimalist design style, and most of the functions in the car are integrated in the integrated suspension screen composed of a 12.3-inch instrument panel and a 14.9-inch central control screen;
Geometric polygon steering wheel, design inspired by the steering wheel of racing cars, in addition to increasing the desire to drive, the unique shape also further enhances the visual effect of the curved large screen, which is convenient for drivers to obtain information;
The iDrive control knob and the seat adjustment buttons on the doors are decorated with glittering glass and a rugged and natural log interior, like a work of art, with a sense of luxury and recognition;
Panoramic dimmable canopy, Borgward Vegen 4D diamond surround sound system, door handle with button type, beautiful and full of texture;
……
These visible places not only highlight the advantages of BMW iX in terms of texture, luxury, material and original design, but also an intuitive embodiment of product value.
Of course, compared with the visible place, the effort of bmw iX in the invisible place is the more essence of this product, and it is also the key to BMW's ability to become BMW and lead the future of electric luxury.
Out of sight —
Seat leather is treated with olive leaf extract instead of traditional tanning preparations, which is more environmentally friendly and healthier;
The interior is made of 50% recycled polyester fiber, and the carpet floor mat is made of 100% recycled nylon;
The lithium used in the high-voltage battery pack comes from hard rock mines in Australia and is mined according to the company's environmental and sustainability standards; rare earth materials are no longer used to protect the earth's resources; and the proportion of recycled aluminium used is increased to facilitate sustainable development;
Carbon fiber reinforced composite materials are also used in the inner frame of the door, tailgate frame and other places, compared with traditional steel, carbon fiber is lighter and stronger, achieving lightweight and improving the rigidity and stability of the body;
Equipped with 8 million pixel front camera and monitoring range of up to 300 meters front radar system, the vehicle is equipped with 5 cameras, 5 radar sensors and 12 ultrasonic sensors to ensure that the functions are accurate and reliable;
Using the fifth generation of BMW eDrive electric drive technology, taking into account the efficiency of power and endurance, zero hundred acceleration is the fastest 4.6 seconds, and the cruising range under CLTC standards is up to 665 kilometers...
The above are well-documented objective facts. But we all know that as a car, subjective driving experience is sometimes much more important than data. As one of the first media in China to have the opportunity to test drive BMW iX, I just want to say that the driving experience of BMW iX can be described in three words, that is, "very BMW", the chassis is thick, the power is abundant, personality, sports and energy saving Three driving modes allow you to adjust according to different scenes, turn light and precise, still full of driving pleasure.
People can't help but sigh, "Your uncle is still your uncle."
This is also a common problem for all luxury brands and joint venture brands at present. Although localization is accelerating, there is still a big gap compared to Chinese companies. This gap has allowed some users to abandon joint venture brands and buy Chinese brand products instead, boosting the continuous improvement of The market share of Chinese brands.
The second slot point, as a car with a length of nearly 5 meters and a wheelbase of 3 meters, the BMW iX still needs to be improved in the excavation of internal space.
Finally, I would like to say that the attempts and explorations carried out by BMW iX in visible and invisible places not only provide some new ideas for the electrification of the automotive industry, but also make new annotations to the sense of quality and luxury in the era of electrification.
It can be judged that as electrification enters the popularization period from the early adopter period, the traditional "big factory" represented by BMW will have a more amazing performance.