Recently, Tesla has raised its price twice in five days, with a price increase of as low as 18,000 yuan, and the highest price increase model is the Model Y performance version, with a price increase of 30,000 yuan.
Interestingly, as a representative of high-end electric vehicles, Tesla's 30,000 yuan price increase can actually cover most of the purchase cost of micro-electric vehicles at the other end of the market.
In terms of the 2022 new model of the popular Wuling Hongguang MINI EV, the starting price is only 34800 yuan, and the current newly listed Dongfeng MINI EV, Chery QQ ice cream and other starting prices are basically at the level of 20,000-30,000.
Coupled with the fact that the cost of using trams is not as high as that of oil cars, consumers can basically increase the price of less than 10,000 yuan on the basis of the current Tesla Model Y performance version of 30,000 yuan, and they can buy a micro-electric vehicle of decent quality, and can also meet the demand for cars for about two years.
For most people, this is an easy barrier to entry, which also explains why the micro-electric vehicle market can be hot now. At the same time, data can also provide support for this explosion.
According to the data of the Association of Automobile Manufacturers, the corresponding A00-class pure electric models in the micro-electric vehicle market are jumping from 290,000 in 2020 to 900,000 in 2021, an increase of 2.1 times. Among them, Wuling Hongguang MINI EV is thriving in this market, accounting for nearly half of the share.
At the beginning of 2022, there have been wind, Changan and other car companies have released micro-electric vehicle positioning products. It is foreseeable that this market will soon enter a situation of a hundred flowers.
For potential consumers, the entry of many manufacturers into the same market, mutual "inner volume", is to provide more diversified and rich car purchase options in the market. But is this really a good business for automakers?
Judging from some indications now, it seems that the car is hot, and this business is not so easy to do.
First, there is the issue of profitability. With the continuous evolution of the international pattern, the global supply chain has encountered various black swans, which makes the micro-electric vehicles that are already in the bottom line of the automotive market face the challenges of raw material shortages or price increases.
Taking Euler's cessation of orders from black cats and white cats as an example, in the announcement, Euler officially said bluntly that "although there are advantages in the industrial chain behind the Euler brand, this fashionable and people-friendly car still brings huge losses to the company!" ”。
In terms of specific figures, Euler lost ten thousand yuan for every black cat sold. As a brand under the Great Wall, Euler still encounters such a crisis, and the profit problems encountered by other emerging car companies under the current supply chain crisis are even more imaginable.
At this time, some people may think of points, but combined with the current situation of the points market, it can be directly said that this road is declining.
In 2021, the unit price of points has risen to about 2,000 yuan, but this year's points transaction price has returned to the level of about 1,000 yuan / min in 2020, and some transaction prices have even dropped to 500-800 yuan / min. With the gradual fading of the aura of points, it will be difficult for car companies to "make money" by points.
Secondly, it is difficult for manufacturers to create differentiated products in the current competitive market.
Due to the low technical threshold of micro-electric vehicles, many car companies have focused on adding value to the user experience. Since the user experience varies from person to person, and can even be said to be very different, such a development direction will bring a certain degree of disorderly competition to this market.
Some time ago, Wuling's micro-electric vehicle model KIWI EV launched a strawberry bear theme skin as an example, this car and the IP strawberry bear in "Toy Story" to carry out in-depth cooperation, not only the interior of the car is combined with the strawberry bear element for customization, and even boldly use plush material on the outside of the body.
In general, cars emphasize practicality. The plush body launched by KIWI EV can neither avoid rain nor moisture, but has been launched and listed, which is enough to see that manufacturers are already digging up another way when creating product uniqueness.
From the extension of the "profit crisis" caused by the current supply of raw materials, it is still unknown whether the cultivation of a niche market like Strawberry Bear can bring sustainable business models to car companies.
However, it is certain that in the process of China's electric vehicle market from a dumbbell structure of "large on both sides and small in the middle" to a healthier spindle structure of "small on both sides and large in the middle", a large number of low-end market participants are bound to face the choice of transformation or exit.
For car companies that do not see the cruelty behind the micro-electric vehicle market, entering such a market is undoubtedly dangerous. Before the arrival of a harsher market environment, it is undoubtedly the best time for car companies to seriously consider the ultimate question of "who am I, where I come from, and where to go".