Text/Wen Chong
On Wednesday, April 13, Changan Automobile officially announced its three major electrification brands - the newly released digital pure electric brand "Deep Blue", the electrified UNI brand upgraded from the UNI product sequence, and the high-end intelligent electric vehicle brand Avita.
The richest electrification brand family in the industry is placed here, and Changan Automobile's determination to transform to electrification is seen, but I believe that many people will ask: How to distinguish the three major electrification brands? These three cards, how is Chang'an going to play?
■ Named "Navy" Digital pure electricity is mainly oriented to Z
Electrification, Changan Automobile has been trying, well, it has been trying.
Previously, Changan Automobile has actually launched many new energy models, such as CS55 E-Rock, Ben E-Star, CS15 E-Pro, Yidong EV460, new Ben Ben EV360, Yidong ET, CS75 PHEV, etc., but in addition to the Ben Ben EV can also be, other models basically belong to the "accompaniment".
Why hasn't Changan Automobile had a new energy model that could be sold? Largely because Changan Automobile has never had an electric brand to cope with the explosive growth of the new energy vehicle market, it cannot give users brand memory. The previous Avita, too, had been wandering until may last year, when it was officially renamed by Chang'an Weilai.
Nowadays, the arrival of "deep blue" can be said to have really opened the curtain of Changan Automobile's "wild running" on the new electrification track. However, compared with other independent brands such as the Great Wall, BAIC and Geely, which launched independent electric brands such as Euler, Jihu, Geometry and Extreme Krypton early, "Deep Blue" can be said to be "late", and it is not easy to be different, remembered and selected by users.
Navy C385
Zhu Huarong, secretary of the party committee and chairman of Changan Automobile, said, "The deep blue brand name symbolizes exploration, life, science and technology, and the future. Changan deep blue brand will let users feel the convenience and beauty brought by digital technology, and open up a 'deep blue' light to the future for strategic transformation." ”
It is not difficult to see that the "deep blue" brand emphasizes the application of digital technology. This may also be the differentiated label created by Changan Automobile for deep blue pure electricity that distinguishes it from UNI and Avita. Zhu Huarong said that the Changan Deep Blue brand will provide four major brand values for new energy users of Generation Z: innovative reconstruction, interconnection of all things, experience and low-carbon life.
At the same time, Deep Blue is aimed at the mainstream passenger car market. In other words, Deep Blue will undertake the task of "walking volume" of Changan Automobile on the road of electrification transformation. At present, the Deep Blue brand has planned a total of 5 models, of which the Deep Blue C385EV and C673EV will be launched within the year. It is reported that the deep blue C385EV will be built based on the EPA1 platform, positioning the future technology electric coupe.
■ UNI brand independent firepower is mainly concentrated in the field of hybrid?
UNI brand independent operation?
This time, who danced the guess in front of the Lord?
Oh, the Lord. That's fine.
Since the establishment of UNI, a high-end product sequence for Changan passenger cars, rumors about UNI operating independently have always existed. After all, its market performance can be regarded as a relatively successful attempt by Changan Automobile in the process of breaking through to the high-end, and it has the possibility of branding. According to official data, as of now, the cumulative sales of the UNI brand have exceeded 240,000 vehicles.
Of course, previous speculations have either been denied or unresponsive. This time, the "main lord" Changan Automobile finally stood out. Zhu Huarong announced, "We will create innovative and diversified passenger car brands, promote the brand operation of Changan UNI, and realize the electrification of all products." ”
The brand operation of UNI means that the high-end brand of Changan Automobile has finally begun to be realized.
However, Changan Automobile's brand high-end seems to have been realized, but it seems not to have been realized.
Why? Generally speaking, the price of the model is more than 200,000, which can be regarded as entering the threshold of the middle and high-end. Although the Changan UNI sequence is positioned at a high end, the price of its "KTV" (UNI-T, UNI-K and UNI-V) models does not exceed 200,000 yuan. In contrast, the highest price of Lynk & Co 09 and Weipai Mocha DHT-PHEV has exceeded 300,000 yuan, and Changan Automobile as a whole is still "blank" in this price range.
This time, the Changan UIN brand is independent and chooses electrification to land, in fact, it also wants to break through upwards. From the current point of view, Changan UIN may focus its firepower on the field of hybrids. Zhu Huarong said bluntly at the meeting, "UNI is electrified, and Chang'an's hybrid products are worth looking forward to. ”
And Changan UNI's hybrid products have begun to be launched. On March 10, the UNI-K iDD, the first Blue Whale iDD hybrid system, was launched. Next, UNI-K PHEV and UNI-V PHEV two plug-in hybrid models will also be introduced to the market this year.
■ Avita positioning high-end The first model is about to be mass-produced
If "Deep Blue" is a digital pure electric brand, UNI is the main force of hybridization, and it is aimed at the mainstream passenger car market, then Avita is the high-end intelligent electric vehicle brand that Changan Automobile really wants to launch.
Zhu Huarong said, "Avita aggregates the advantages of Changan Automobile, Huawei and Ningde era, and is committed to building a global brand in the field of high-end SEV (emotional intelligent electric vehicle). "It re-emphasizes Avita's high-end positioning and globalization goals.
Moreover, Avita also takes the high-end limited route. On April 7, Changan Automobile released its Avita 011, a joint limited edition emotional intelligence electric coupe with Matthew M. Williams, creative director of French luxury brand Givenchy, with a global limit of 500 units.
Different from Deep Blue and UNI, Avita is not only positioned at the high end, but also has the support of NINGDE Era and Huawei. Zhu Huarong said, "At present, CATL has become the second largest shareholder of Avita, although Huawei has not invested in shares, but the degree of empowerment, support and close cooperation with Avita is like a joint venture." ”
According to reports, Avita is the first high-end intelligent electric vehicle brand equipped with Huawei HI in the whole series, and currently plans to have 4 complete vehicle products, covering the main market segments of the middle and high-end. Among them, the first model built on the CHN platform, the Avita 11, is about to achieve mass production and will meet with you within this year.
■ Invest more than 80 billion yuan to accelerate the transformation of electrification
In addition to the three independent brands of Deep Blue, UNI and Avita to start the electric journey, Changan Automobile will further optimize the brand strategy and positioning of Changan Passenger Vehicle, Auchan and Kaicheng, and make a comprehensive transformation to electrification and electrification.
According to the plan, in 2022, Changan Automobile will launch 8 new energy products, including Auchan Z6-PHEV, as well as the aforementioned Navy C385EV, Navy C673EV, UNI-K PHEV, UNI-V PHEV, Avita 11 and other models. It is worth mentioning that the first mass-produced hydrogen fuel cell car in China is also about to debut.
Based on its layout in the field of electrification and electrification, Changan Automobile announced that its total sales will reach 5.5 million by 2030, of which 4.5 million will be in its own sector, 2.7 million new energy sales will reach 60%, and overseas sales will account for 30%.
In order to better achieve the goal, Changan Automobile plans to invest more than 80 billion yuan in key areas such as new energy, intelligence, scientific and technological innovation, and digital transformation by 2025, with a total of about 20,000 R&D personnel, and reduce the carbon emission intensity of bicycle manufacturing by 30%. At the same time, by 2025, Changan Automobile will build 2-3 overseas manufacturing bases and complete the production capacity layout of the first phase of the global automobile market.