After the cooperation between Geely and Mercedes-Benz, the shape of the Smart car has been praised by smoke and smoke, and here can't help but introduce a topic: in the brand whose target customers are women, Euler first took a step in the electric car, and then the BMW Mini brand also launched some small cars with the Great Wall - in this field, whether it can improve the electrification penetration rate as soon as possible is worth looking forward to.
Note: Our P7 body is large and long, resulting in too much attention to the field of vision, resulting in more trouble in getting started and controlling the car; smoke this novice, do prefer a small car that is easier to drive and park
In the segment of urbanized small models, we can see that Mercedes-Benz and BMW have chosen domestic partners in the process of electrification - the same is to use the micro-small car platform to cooperate with Chinese car companies. One of the reasons is indeed due to the fact that in this segment around the cost performance segment, the tonality of the brand is questionable, and with Geely and the Great Wall two electric vehicle platforms evenly shared, one is to make some kind of attempt, the other is to achieve a certain degree of Chinese-foreign integration. The results of cooperation and joint ventures in this regard are similar, and we must continue to pay attention to them.
In addition, we also have to pay attention to a situation: as mentioned earlier, the wave of China's electric vehicles still depends on whether independent brands can achieve systematic overtaking.
Figure 1. Facing the city small car A0
In Figure 2, I pulled out the sales data of several cars in 2022, and everyone made a reference. In the data here, Dolphin's models are all 400 km of 45kWh version, ID3 is the version of 57kWh, Euler 401 km of 46-49kWh version is the majority, 59kWh ternary version is only less than 27%.
Figure 2. Sales of three pure electric vehicles in 2022
Part 1 Smart's platform design
The core logic of this Smart, in fact, is very different from before, on the basis of the capital cooperation between Geely and Mercedes-Benz, Smart has encountered bottlenecks in overseas development, starting from a short distance and small car to become larger, so based on the Geely Vast SEA architecture, designed by Mercedes-Benz, Geely is responsible for vehicle engineering development, and uses China's supply chain system to produce domestically, and officially listed for sale within the year.
Figure 3. A short-range version of the Vast Battery
From the perspective of power and endurance, the system of the new Smart Genie #1 is:
● Permanent magnet synchronous electric drive, the maximum power up to 200 kilowatts, peak torque of 343 Nm, 100 km acceleration time is only 6.7 seconds (this acceleration time is not of great significance), in the Premium is also equipped with SiC driver, higher than the Pro + version (535 km to 560 km) - this more interesting configuration;
● Equipped with a 66 kWh ternary lithium battery, designed as a 2C charge from the perspective of magnification, this charging speed is better reflected in the small battery, and it also supports 150 kW DC overcharge, and the charging time of 10% to 80% is designed to be 30 minutes - compared with the situation of the vast battery module, it should be similar;
Figure 4. The design of the 66kWh battery integration module makes a short battery version on the original architecture
In this sense, the 66kWh version can be done with the LFP version, and then cover 400 kilometers of mileage, in this sense, Geely to the iron lithium to do, you can put the price down a little.
Figure 5. In fact, you can come up with an LFP version
In this design, the cockpit design is also more interesting: here is mainly divided into a long strip shape of the 9.2-inch LCD instrument to display basic driving information, and then with a 12.8-inch central control screen, which is a more accepted design since the Model 3, but also equipped with a 10-inch HUD head-up display.
These three displays are supported by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8155 smart cockpit chip. The software system of the cockpit consists of smart OS all-scenario digital ecological vehicle and machine system, which is also from closed iteration to open system.
Figure 6. The design of the whole cockpit is a bit cute
Part 2 Under the diffusion of technology, the transformation of foreign brands
What is said above, or more of a hypothesis is a possibility: we are observing overseas brands in the design and development, where is the slower?
Electric vehicle platform, in the development of the need and the original platform, the original design specifications, the original design process and personnel to deal with, the entire development time is indispensable, especially the so-called platform, the need for round after round of personnel to review. In the next stage, the Chinese market with internal volume has allowed the domestic precipitation of some platforms with huge investment, and individual models can be iterated.
Therefore, the iteration of the electric vehicle platform has actually evolved into modularization in the new situation. It is more important to continue to observe Mercedes-Benz and Geely, BMW and the Great Wall, whether the experiment in small cars can be expanded or have some enlightenment.
Figure 7. During the iteration process, whether it is necessary to downgrade the original and then upgrade some important parts
Summary: In the current product characteristics, as the price of pure electric vehicles rises, the previous model of the price war between independent brands and Tesla will eventually come to an end - this trend change will make independent brands need to come up with differentiation to highlight the use of things other than cost performance; and the freedom of the cooperation model, we can also see the attempts of Japanese and European car companies in China, which I think is very interesting.