Independent brands and new energy continue to exert strength Dongfeng company's sales in the first quarter increased by 3.2% year-on-year

Reporter Yu Dian, Shi Yingjing, reported in Shanghai

Dongfeng Motor Group Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as "Dongfeng Company") recently released a sales report showing that in the first quarter of this year, Dongfeng Company sold 848,400 vehicles, an increase of 3.2% year-on-year, and the growth rate exceeded the industry average. Among them, the cumulative sales of commercial vehicles were 141,400 units, and the cumulative sales of passenger cars were 707,000 units, an increase of 14.7% year-on-year.

It is worth noting that in recent years, under the influence of multiple factors, the domestic automobile market pattern is changing, and the market share of independent brand passenger cars has steadily increased. Dongfeng, which has many independent passenger car brands, has also continued to exert efforts in the direction of independent brands, and strives to enter the top three in the industry by 2025.

At the same time, in the field of new energy business, Dongfeng Company is also actively laying out and accelerating its advancement. Previously, Dongfeng Company's high-end electric brand Lantu, which was built with the strength of the whole group, has recently opened the pre-sale of its second model, Lantu Dreamer. As an important strategic layout of Dongfeng Company, Lantu undertakes the dual tasks of new energy and high-end of Dongfeng Company.

The relevant person in charge of Dongfeng Company said: "With the release of new brands, new technology applications and new model launches in the second quarter, Dongfeng Company will adhere to customer-centric, while maintaining strategic initiative and strategic patience, constantly insight into market opportunities, overcome difficulties, and go steady and far-reaching." ”

The momentum of independent brands is strong

From January to March this year, Dongfeng sold 172,300 self-owned passenger cars, an increase of 63.6% year-on-year, and the cumulative sales of joint venture brand passenger cars were 534,600 units, an increase of 4.6% year-on-year. In terms of sales growth, independent brands are more rapid than joint venture brands.

Specifically, Dongfeng Fengshen sold 45,900 vehicles, an increase of 173% year-on-year, exceeding sales in the first half of 2021; Dongfeng Venucia sold 28,800 units, an increase of 117% year-on-year; Dongfeng Fengxing sold 41,800 units, an increase of 32% year-on-year.

It is worth mentioning that Dongfeng Fengshen sold 15,711 vehicles in March this year, an increase of 123% year-on-year, the best in March of the calendar year; sales in the first quarter of this year increased by 165% year-on-year, surpassing the total sales volume in the first half of 2021 and the best in the first quarter of the calendar year. Behind the eye-catching sales data is the technical blessing of Dongfeng Mach Power. Mach power set "extremely fast, extremely provincial, extremely quiet, extremely harsh" quadruple advantages, has won the "China Heart Top Ten Engines", has been in the Yixuan MAX and AX7 Mach version to achieve the implementation. In the first quarter of this year, the Mach power family added new members, and the C15DR engine is about to be put into production, adding new momentum to the new dongfeng Fengshen model to compete in the market.

It is understood that as an important task of Dongfeng during the "14th Five-Year Plan" period, the company continued to promote the transformation and upgrading of the independent passenger car business. According to the plan, by 2025, Dongfeng commercial vehicles, autonomous passenger cars and new energy vehicles are all planned to reach 1 million units. Among them, the scale of Dongfeng's own brand passenger cars should enter the top three in the industry. In 2022, Dongfeng Group will launch more than 13 new products, including 5 independent brand products, including key models such as Lantu Dreamer and Fengshen Haoji.

The continuous increase in sales volume is not unrelated to the speed of new product launches of Dongfeng's brands. In the first quarter of this year, Dongfeng Company intensively launched more than 10 new cars. Among them, Dongfeng Fengshen Dark Night Yixuan MAX, Dongfeng EX1 PRO, Dongfeng Nissan Venucia Big V Dark Horse Edition and other centralized listings have become the continuous rush of independent passenger cars.

Zhu Yanfeng, chairman of the board of directors and secretary of the party committee of Dongfeng Company, recently said: "Chinese auto brands should focus on three roads, that is, to take the road of scientific and technological innovation and high-quality development, the road of creating open innovation for new energy vehicles, and the road of independent research and development to build a brand power." ”

Multi-line promotion of new energy business

In the field of new energy business, Dongfeng also maintained a strong momentum of development.

Relevant data show that from January to March 2022, Dongfeng's new energy vehicle sales increased by 264% year-on-year, close to 2 times the market growth rate. Among them, easyjet, Dongfeng passenger car, Dongfeng Liuqi, Dongfeng Venucia, Dongfeng shares growth rate is obvious; taking easyjet as an example, the cumulative sales from January to March are 17,456 units, an increase of 192.9% year-on-year.

When new energy plays the main theme of the automobile market, the layout of high-end sub-brands has become an important fulcrum for the upward movement of the Dongfeng brand. According to reports, the previously released Lantu Automobile ushered in the 10,000th mass production car Lantu FREE off the production line on January 21 this year. On the evening of April 7, Lantu Dreamer, positioned as an "electric luxury flagship MPV", opened pre-sales. The relevant person in charge of Lantu Automobile said: "As of April 9, the order of Lantu Dreamer has exceeded 3,000 vehicles. Lantu Dreamer is the second model of Lantu brand, with leading advantages such as comfortable space, comfort and luxury, warm technology, and global safety. ”

At the same time, following Lantu Automobile, another high-end electric brand created by Dongfeng Company has also made new progress. On January 18, Dongfeng high-end new energy off-road vehicle project started construction. The project is aimed at personalized high-end user groups and develops a new electric off-road platform. At a time when the automotive industry is plagued by homogenization problems, Dongfeng's layout in the off-road market segment is undoubtedly eye-catching and is expected to break through.

It is worth noting that according to the data released by the Association of Passenger Vehicles, the domestic retail penetration rate of new energy vehicles in March this year was 28.2%, and domestic new energy vehicles accounted for nearly 30% of the overall new car sales. The industry generally believes that the production and sales of new energy vehicles in 2022 will reach 5 million units, becoming the main force of market growth.

In the face of the hot demand for new energy vehicles, Dongfeng Company has not only expanded its products, but also invested heavily in technical reserves and forward-looking products. Dongfeng's scientific and technological innovation "leapfrog action" is becoming a code for understanding Dongfeng's transformation and upgrading.

On March 7, the first prototype of Dongfeng pure electric strategic platform was successfully powered on and off the production line in the trial production workshop of Dongfeng Company's technology center. As the first pure electric platform independently developed by Dongfeng Technology Center, the flexible and evolving performance covers low, medium and high-end pure electric vehicles, which can meet the product planning of multi-brand independent passenger cars in Dongfeng Company, and will strongly support Dongfeng's new energy transition action.

In addition, in the field of solid-state batteries, Dongfeng Took the lead in starting mass production of solid-state battery vehicles. In the Catalogue of New Energy Vehicle Models Exempted from Vehicle Purchase Tax (The 51st Batch) issued by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, Dongfeng Fengshen E70 solid-state battery vehicles were registered in the catalogue and obtained a tax-free license, becoming the first solid-state battery passenger car in China to obtain a tax-free license. It is understood that the first batch of 50 Dongfeng Fengshen E70 solid-state battery vehicles have been delivered and placed in Jiangxi, Guangdong, Zhejiang, Jiangsu and other 4 provinces.

(Editor: Quartzing Proofreader: Yan Jingning)