For netizens who are a little older, I believe they have heard of Lifan. Once upon a time, the brand was also famous. But as competition intensified, its sales plummeted and it was mired in a debt crisis.
In November last year, Geely participated in the restructuring of Lifan with the help of Chongqing Manjianghong Enterprise Management Co., Ltd., and later joined the ownership. On the 19th of this month, the joint venture company established by Geely and Lifan announced its new power replacement model - Maple Leaf 60S. It is reported that the new car will be on the market soon.
Geely and Lifan each hold 50% of the shares
Before introducing this new car, netizens must be interested in the shareholding ratio of the two sides in the joint venture. According to the announcement, Geely and Lifan each contributed RMB300 million and held 50% of the shares. From this point of view, in the company's decision-making, both sides have an equal right to speak.
There is no doubt that after the introduction of Geely, a strongly competitive partner. The sails that have plunged into a debt crisis have gradually been revived.
At the beginning of the month, Lifan Technology also released the production and sales data for 2021, and the cumulative output of new energy vehicles in the whole year was 3938 units, an increase of 271.86% year-on-year; sales volume was 3810 vehicles, an increase of 258.42% year-on-year. For a newly formed company, it is commendable.
(Maple Leaf 80S)
The Maple Leaf 60S will be a volume model
After Geely and Lifan join hands, the most important thing is the model that can bring mature technology. Of the nearly 4,000 new cars sold in 2021, two models are included, the Maple Leaf 80S and the Maple Leaf 30X. After seeing these two models, I believe that everyone will immediately think of Geely's Jiaji and vision. In terms of appearance, basically only the details have been changed.
(Maple Leaf 30X)
Although the models are mature enough, they are in a smaller segment (compact MPV and small SUV, respectively). Therefore, the future sales volume growth space is relatively limited.
On the 19th of this month, the third model, the Maple Leaf 60S, was released. Like the Maple Leaf 80S and Maple Leaf 30X, the prototype of the Maple Leaf 60S is also from Geely, which is a popular Emgrand sedan. From the perspective of product positioning, it is undoubtedly more mainstream than the first two cars. Unlike Geely Emgrand, the Maple Leaf 60S is a new energy vehicle. Therefore, a closed front grille is used.
Looking at the front of the car, the cool headlights make the new Maple Leaf 60S look very sporty. With a length of about 4.7 meters, it is a standard compact car size with a wheelbase of 2700mm, which can meet the needs of users.
The battery is "rechargeable and replaceable", but the power and endurance performance are more general
Although from the perspective of styling, the Maple Leaf 60S is less innovative. However, in terms of its power battery, it is still quite interesting. It is officially understood that the new car supports fast charging and power exchange mode, which is more convenient.
At present, some brands have accumulated a good reputation in terms of power exchange. For example, Weilai, especially in cities supported by power exchange networks, the experience is still very good.
Of course, in terms of battery life and power performance, the performance is more general. Official data shows that NEDC has a range of 415 kilometers. In terms of power, the maximum power and peak torque of the permanent magnet synchronous motor are only 136 horsepower and 230 Nm. Of course, if the future price can be lowered to less than 100,000, there is still a certain degree of competitiveness.
Public opinion: In the stage of rapid growth of new energy, there are still many uncertainties. The power exchange mode has become the technical direction identified by some car companies. Among them, including Geely. Geely Automobile previously said that it will successively launch 5 smart pure electric products with exchangeable electricity by 2025. The Maple Leaf Automobile, which was jointly built with Lifan, is one of the territories. The new car Maple Leaf 60S released this time, how the future market performance will be, Xiaobian will continue to pay attention to.