WEILAI challenges BMW to "break the wrist": the new car ES7 will be unveiled in April this year, benchmarking BMW X5L

Reporter Xia Zhibin Shi Yingjing reported from Shanghai

"The NIO ES7 is competing with the BMW X5L, which is a blockbuster new car that everyone is looking forward to in the first half of this year. We look at the entire market, the ES7 and X5L may become the two large five-seat SUVs that everyone is most looking forward to this year, and they are in the traditional fuel and emerging electric markets. We hope to be able to work hand in hand with the excellent BMW X5L to meet the different needs of users. ”

(Qin Lihong, co-founder and president of NIO)

A few days ago, Qin Lihong, co-founder and president of Weilai, told the media, including the reporter of China Business Daily. He introduced that Gemini (Chinese name is "Gemini") is the product code of Nio ES7, this new model is a product between ES8 and ES6, specifically positioned as a medium and large five-seat SUV, that is, the folk commonly known as "big five", will also be equipped with NIO NT2.0 platform.

The reporter noted that as early as May 2021, there was news of Weilai ES7 in the market. At that time, a tender announcement released by Jacque Automobile showed that JAC and NIO were preparing a production line for a new model, named "Gemini" ("Gemini"), and the annual output was expected to reach 60,000 units.

In addition to sharing information on new products, for the layout of WEILAI's capital market, Qin Lihong said, "In the current complex domestic and foreign situation, the first must be to do all possible risk prevention." Second, we welcome all kinds of possibilities, and we do not rule out all kinds of possibilities, which are subject to the official announcement of our listed company."

This year's delivery targets are up to the supply chain

"BMW has a long history of making cars and is a very good and respectable brand. But in terms of high-end new energy vehicles, Weilai and BMW are not latecomers. Among the high-end electric vehicles of more than 300,000 yuan, WEILAI's market share last year was 40.7%, 36.9% in the first half of the year, and 44.4% in the second half of the year. Qin Lihong said.

Qin Lihong added that Wei came from the beginning of its establishment, and the benchmark was BBA (BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Audi). Our founder Li Bin once said in an interview with CCTV that Weilai will achieve "one of the world" in the high-end brand market and BBA in the future.

The ES7 that Weilai will launch this time is also the latest product to be benchmarked with BBA. Previously, Qin Lihong said in an interview with the media, "We pay more attention to the contrast relationship with the mainstream traditional fuel luxury models such as 'BBA'. As WEILAI enters the high-end market and forms an alternative to high-end mainstream luxury fuel vehicles, we should be able to turn the 'BBA' pattern into an 'NBA' in the future. ”

"Three years ago, many people were saying that the development window of Weilai was short, and it would end when the BBA came out of the electric car, but now that they have finished the first round of cards, we are still running in a relatively high position. In the increasingly fierce market competition, Weilai still has a foothold in the field of high-end pure electricity, which is related to the original intention of Weilai when it was established, as well as the strategy and business model that Weilai has been adhering to in recent years, and there are also certain stage results. Of course, the competition in the entire market has just begun. Qin Lihong said.

In Qin Lihong's view, the automotive industry is very complex, in the early stage of the development of electric vehicles, it is reasonable for everyone to rank all electric vehicles together and compare shares.

"But in the past year, the penetration rate of new energy vehicles in China has reached 14%, of which more than 20% in December 2021, and the entire fourth quarter of last year was basically around 20%, and new energy vehicles are no longer a niche market." In such a booming emerging market, and then put different price points, different market segments of the car together to compare (inappropriate), the methodology to iterate, to the same market segment of the car, gathered together for comparison. Qin Lihong said.

It is worth mentioning that for the sales target for 2022, Qin Lihong said that this year's delivery target is decided by the supply chain, and how much production is paid. "In terms of vehicle production capacity, NIO's first factory in neopark Xinqiao Intelligent Electric Vehicle Industrial Park will be put into operation within the year, and the overall production capacity will definitely go up to a relatively large level."

Consolidate the competitiveness of the system

While launching new products, WEILAI, as a typical representative of user-oriented enterprises, is also constantly consolidating its own system competitiveness, including its all-weather marketing model.

The reporter learned that WEILAI's all-weather marketing is based on the user's enterprise model, user-centered, full-touch system marketing capabilities, relying on WEILAI's system competitiveness, building a pleasant whole-process experience, and strengthening the high satisfaction of WEILAI users. Unlike traditional marketing campaigns aimed at boosting sales, NIO's all-weather marketing aims to give users a better experience throughout the process.

Weilai said that all-weather marketing comes from the competitiveness of the system, and Weilai has built a strong system competitiveness from four aspects: car, full life cycle service, digital experience and lifestyle beyond the car, and continues to innovate in research and development, manufacturing, digital management, business model and other aspects to create a pleasant lifestyle for users.

During the Spring Festival, a total of 7,326 WEILAI users experienced the longer battery life experience brought about by the flexible upgrade of the battery during the holiday, and the red envelope charging pile issued a total of 3,136 red envelopes during the seven-day holiday, unlocking 338,688 points; users initiated 8,721 "one-click power-ups", 150,000+ services were provided by the national substation, and 223 high-speed substations provided 37,000+ services during the holiday.

In the view of Wei Jian, senior vice president of user operations of Weilai, "The difference between Weilai and other companies is that in addition to mugs, red envelopes, cattle houses, energy supplementation systems, user service systems, human resources, etc., more importantly, our corporate culture, these things together constitute Weilai, not to rely on a command, but to rely on everyone to do a better job together at this special time node of the Spring Festival, which is what we are really doing now." ”

"In the past, now, and in the future, Weilai's moat is all users. We are indeed very pleased to see that the concept of NIO's user enterprise, including many concepts and practices of community operation, has received a lot of response from peers. But the moat is not a boundary river, my moat dug wide and your moat has nothing to do, each has its own good way for users, our family harmony does not mean that neighbors want to quarrel, home harmony is the best. ”

Qin Lihong further added: "Objectively speaking, we feel that the level of service users in the entire automotive industry is compared with many other industries, there are still many places to learn and improve, and we especially hope to see the users of automobiles, especially those who bravely choose electric vehicles, get the best service, I think only in this way, the emerging industry will develop." ”

(Editor: Quartzing Proofreader: Zhai Jun)