Who is the brother of the independent brand? It's really hard to say at the moment. A few years ago, Jili took over Chang'an's class and sat in this position for many years, and now facing the challenge of BYD, Chang'an has been holding back and counterattacking, and it is very fierce.
Judging from the narrow passenger car sales released by the Association of Passenger Vehicles in March, Changan won the top spot in the sales list of car companies with 132,000 units, and even ranked in front of the North and South Volkswagens, which shows its strength.
In terms of SUVs, Changan CS75 sold 22,811 vehicles in March, ranking third, while CS55 and Auchan X5 also entered the top ten, ranking fifth and ninth respectively. In terms of cars, Changan Yidong sold 20,353 vehicles in March, ranking seventh, and has surpassed Geely Emgrand.
In addition to the counterattack of the basic disk of fuel vehicles, 15,233 units were also achieved in March in terms of new energy. Moreover, Changan began to fully transform into an intelligent low-carbon travel technology company. Next, the new energy field will be the focus, with the target of 1.05 million vehicles in 2025, accounting for more than one-third of the total target of 3 million.
If Changan can really make a comprehensive breakthrough in the field of new energy, coupled with the advantages it has achieved in the field of fuel vehicles, it is indeed possible to regain its own brand brother. So, this company, which has a history of 160 years, what is it going to do next?
Changan Navy + Avita double brand
A large wave of new cars will be on the market
Intensive pushing of new cars is the most basic operation. According to Changan's planning, in 2022, the entire group will launch 36 new cars, with 19 independent brands, including 9 new products and 10 redesign products. The number of new energy models will reach as many as 8, and they will be listed one after another this year.
Specific models include: plug-in hybrid models of UNI-K and UNI-V, "automotive robot" Auchan Z6 with multi-power combination, new energy products such as electric coupe C385, C673 and small scooter LUMIN, and Avita 11 in cooperation with CATL and Huawei. In addition, the first mass-produced hydrogen fuel cell car in China is also about to be unveiled.
In the commercial vehicle market, 6 new products will be launched in the future, and the mainstream bus market will be fully covered by 2025, and 2 new platform pickup truck products will be launched. It is reported that the first community grid transport vehicle will be launched this year to meet the needs of express delivery quality transportation.
These new cars belong to different platform architectures. The MPA architecture, compatible with fuel vehicles and electric vehicles, has been released with UNI-V and is currently mainly an iDD hybrid model. EPA architecture for new product families such as C385, C673, LUMIN and so on. ChN platform is an intelligent electric vehicle technology platform jointly created by Changan, Huawei and CATL, corresponding to Avita brand models. In the future, Changan will also build an intelligent electric vehicle architecture SDA.
In order to strengthen the new energy business line, Changan has also specially created a new digital pure electric brand Changan Deep Blue, and in the future, mainstream pure electric vehicle brands will form a high and low stagger with the high-end intelligent electric vehicle brand Avita within the framework of this brand.
Start with the core technology
Electrification and intelligence go hand in hand
Changan gives people the impression that it is still a traditional car company, and the core technology is the blue whale power engine, which is difficult to associate with new energy and intelligence. However, from Changan's proposal to make a comprehensive transformation, there are so many new models on the market immediately, which can be seen in the deep accumulation of this enterprise.
In fact, Changan Automobile's research and development in new energy and intelligence has already started, focusing on two plans: one is the "Shangri-La Plan" for new energy, and the other is the "Beidou Tianshu Plan" for intelligent networking.
First, let's look at the field of new energy. As early as 2001, Chang'an began to involve research in this field, accumulatively won more than 20 provincial and ministerial awards, mastered more than 400 key technologies, and applied for more than 800 core patents. At present, Changan Automobile has a complete positive development capability of new energy "Dasan Electric".
In terms of batteries, the new platform battery adopts 590 modules, which can cover 400-700km endurance demand by adjusting the number of modules, the system energy density is greater than or equal to 180wh/kg, and the assembly has zero fire.
At the same time, the deep integration of seven-in-one electric drive system, that is, motor + reducer + motor controller + DC converter + charger + DC / AC converter + high voltage distribution box, can meet the needs of front drive, rear drive, four-wheel drive applications, with 1 meter sound pressure level NVH ≤ 78dB deep-sea level mute effect. Changan said that the seven-in-one electric drive system plans to achieve mass production this year.
In addition, the "seven-in-one" intelligent vehicle domain controller, Changan Smart Core SVDC, has a 70% reduction in volume, 70% performance increase, and a 43% reduction in cost compared with the previous generation, with leading OTA functions.
In terms of intelligent networking, Changan Automobile has mastered more than 200 core technologies such as visual perception and multi-mode fusion, of which 26 technologies such as integrated adaptive cruise (IACC), remote parking (APA5.0), and remote intelligent parking (APA6.0) have been first launched in China.
At present, Changan has mastered more than 30 key core technologies of L3 level intelligent driving assistance, and L4 level is also under joint development with partners. It is reported that in the upcoming Avita 11 car, it will be possible to achieve high-speed and urban point-to-point intelligent driving assistance functions.
Independent brand knockout upgrade
Chang'an's ambitions are big enough, but the challenges are not small
Judging from Chang'an's technical reserves, this full-line transformation is not to catch up with the trend, on the one hand, it is to follow the trend, on the other hand, it is also ripe.
Changan believes that the development of science and technology is redefining the automobile, the "new four modernizations" of automobiles, that is, intelligence, electrification, networking, and health, is the direction of the development of the industry, and traditional automobiles are transforming into intelligent platform products and automotive robots.
In this major change that has not occurred in a hundred years, it will be eliminated if it cannot keep up with the rhythm, so the international giants, and the domestic small and scattered car companies are even more so. According to statistics, in 2021, there are 85 brands in the domestic traditional fuel vehicle market, 34 with monthly sales of less than 1,000 units, and 9 brands disappear. It is foreseeable that more enterprises will be eliminated.
For Chinese car companies, this change is also a perfect opportunity, after changing to a new track, it is no longer just a spectator and a follower, but a parallel runner or leader. In 2021, the market share of Chinese brand passenger cars reached 41.9%, exceeding 40% for the first time. In the field of new energy vehicles, it is 83%.
Compared with the new forces of car manufacturing, traditional car companies have advantages in manufacturing, channels, supply chains, word-of-mouth accumulation, etc., but at the same time, they must dare to self-revolution in order to eat dividends. To this end, Changan is ready to invest 80 billion yuan by 2025, with 20,000 R&D personnel, including more than 6,000 intelligent and software R&D personnel, more than 5,000 new energy R&D personnel, and about 1/4 of R&D personnel. In terms of organizational structure, a matrix-type and flat management model of "small headquarters + business group + shared platform + incubation and innovation" has been formed, and a more scientific incentive mechanism has been adopted.
On this basis, Chang'an set a detailed goal of the third phase of "near, medium and far". In 2022, Changan Group's sales reached 2.45 million units, an increase of 6.5% year-on-year, of which 1.857 million units were sold by its own brands, an increase of 5.9% year-on-year, and its market share increased to 11%.
In 2025, Changan Group's sales reached 4 million vehicles, of which 3 million were self-owned brands and 1.05 million were new energy. In 2030, Changan Automobile's sales reached 5.5 million units, of which 4.5 million were under the Changan brand, 2.7 million new energy vehicles were sold, accounting for 60% of the total, and overseas sales accounted for 30%. Moreover, carbon peaking will be achieved in 2027 and carbon neutrality will be achieved in 2045. Judging from these figures, Changan New Energy's ambitions are great.
This year is the opening year after the transformation of Chang'an, and whether the first shot can be fired is naturally crucial. Judging from the achievements of 1.75 million Changan's own brands in 2021, the target is not radical, and there are only more than 100,000 new energy vehicles in 2021, and this year, under the blessing of a large wave of hybrid and pure electric new cars, the growth space is very large.
But the key is that Chang'an started relatively late, whether it is hybrid or pure electricity have lost the opportunity, it is impossible to have the explosive power of BYD, and it can only compete with the second-tier camps such as Geely, Great Wall, Chery, and GAC Eian. Especially under the influence of unfavorable factors such as subsidy decline and rising costs, new entrants must have differentiated selling points if they want to get out, and this will not be known until the new car is listed.
It is foreseeable that Changan New Energy will not be difficult to quickly achieve sales from 100,000 to 200,000 this year under the pull of the vehicle sea tactics and the new car effect. However, to reach the target of 1.05 million units in three years, it will be necessary to have blockbuster models. In Changan's new energy products, whether it can create a "fixed sea god needle" like CS75 is the key to success or failure, and for Changan, the challenge is not small.
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