In the past 10 years, electric vehicles in the policy to promote, to achieve the rapid establishment of the industrial chain and the initial formation of user cognition; with the subsidy decline, policy-driven is about to turn into a market-driven, although the "intelligent electrification" of the outlet seems to be more victorious, but in fact, the competition is driving into the deep water area, behind the test is the car companies' understanding of electric vehicles, as well as the perception of user needs.
After years of in-depth observation of the automotive industry, Waterdrop Auto believes that there are two major misunderstandings that need to be vigilant under the prosperity of the new energy market.
Myth 1: Smart electric vehicles, equal to high computing power, L2.999 and various cool "black technology"
The solution: security is the first priority of intelligence
It is true that electric vehicles, as the carrier of a new round of scientific and technological revolution, will inevitably stage countless subversions and innovations. However, the way many car companies highlight the intelligent strength of their electric vehicles is to compare the computing power of chips, the number of lidar, and the level of automatic driving. It seems that without sensational figures and cool "black technology", it is not a good car. But how is this different from the old routine of stacking configurations and fighting parameters in the era of traditional fuel vehicles?
So, how should we evaluate the intelligence level of electric vehicles? Perhaps everyone has their own answer, and it is difficult to achieve "national unification". On April 28, Toyota bZ pure electric exclusive series of the first product bZ4X officially opened pre-sale, the pre-sale price of 220,000 to 300,000 yuan, the author saw some universal standards from this product.
First of all, smart electric vehicles and smart phones and other 3C products are different, its essence is still the car, related to the safety of users' lives and property. Therefore, the intelligence pursued by the car, the first point must be safety.
Toyota bZ pure electric exclusive series products will be based on human "safety" in the first place, Toyota bZ4X will be equipped with the new "TOYOTA Safety Sense Safety Assistance Kit", with intelligent panoramic monitor (PVM), pre-collision safety system (PCS), lane departure warning system (LDA), dynamic radar cruise control system (DRCC), lane tracking assistance system (LTA), high beam automatic control system (AHB), Road Identification Assistance System (RSA), Emergency Driving Stop System (EDSS), Door False Opening Warning System (SEA), Predictive Active Driver Assistance System (PDA) and other 10 intelligent driver assistance functions to deal with unexpected situations that users may encounter from getting on and off to various road conditions.
Although Toyota has not "graded" its own intelligent driving system, it does not mean that Toyota bZ4X is not intelligent, in fact, the car also has "high-level" functions such as intelligent parking assistant, which can support up to 6 parking and outbound scenarios, support parking space memory functions, and can be used even without a parking line. Even in the case of inconvenient getting on and off the car, the driver can also realize remote control parking through the APP outside the car.
In the view of Waterdrop Automobile, the so-called intelligent driving level of the blind target list is responsible for consumers. At a time when traffic conditions are complex and autonomous driving technology is far from mature, users should not be misconceptions about the level of automation of cars. At this stage, car companies will do a good job in the active and passive safety system to prevent problems before they occur, which is more practical for users.
It is worth mentioning that the "TOYOTA Safety Sense Security Assistance Kit" supports remote OTA upgrades, and the follow-up Toyota bZ4X will evolve more practical security features, and the performance will continue to improve.
Secondly, the "black technology" equipped by electric vehicles must be "humanized". Through user surveys, Shuidi Auto found that people are full of complaints about the "demon-style" innovation of car companies and the "chicken ribs" new functions of smart electric vehicles - the former has various bugs, which look good and are not easy to use; the latter is flashy, and the form is greater than the content.
In addition to the "safety" of people, Toyota bZ pure electric exclusive series products also emphasize the people"-based and people-based "experience". The author understands that Toyota engineers have created the cockpit of bZ4X with the concept of "Activity Hub", the core of which is the most cutting-edge "third space" concept at present, that is, in the era of intelligent electrification, the car is not only a mobile means of transportation, but also a beautiful space to get along with family and friends, and users should have a feeling of excitement in it.
To this end, Toyota has designed a revolutionary appearance full of power for the cockpit of the bZ4X on the one hand, and on the other hand, it has also created a more user-friendly car experience by equipping it with intelligent functions. For example, the bZ4X's Smart Cockpit is equipped with a digital in-vehicle ecosystem that supports speech recognition, allowing users to easily achieve human-vehicle interaction; based on digital keys, users can seamlessly lock, lock, and start the engine using a smartphone. By handing over permissions to family and friends, car owners can realize remote control of the vehicle, and can also enjoy a variety of door-to-door services such as valet maintenance and valet charging.
Although the toyota bZ4X's smart cockpit design is less eye-catching gimmicks, it can bring real comfort and convenience to users.
Myth two: building more supermarket experience stores is to directly connect users
The solution: Continuously providing users with value services is the key
Influenced by Internet companies and new car-making forces, in recent years, smart electric vehicle brands have begun to fully "connect users", establishing experience centers, city exhibition halls, and pop-up stores in large supermarkets and CBD central areas to increase user contacts.
However, what Waterdrop Auto wants to emphasize is that the construction of direct sales channels is only part of the direct connection to users, pre-sales and after-sales are equally important, and even in the era of intelligent electrification, it is more critical to continue to provide value for old users.
From the perspective of consumers, smart electric vehicles are still a new thing, users are not familiar with related technologies, it is inevitable to encounter problems when using, and professional help is needed; at the same time, at the moment when the social infrastructure is not perfect, pain points such as charging difficulties often plague users, seriously affecting the use experience of electric vehicles. In view of this, a perfect and intimate after-sales service system becomes indispensable.
From the perspective of enterprises, intelligent electric vehicles are different from fuel vehicles, car purchase is no longer a hammer deal, in the whole life cycle of the product to provide users with value, for enterprises to understand user needs, expand business, enhance brand reputation and so on is crucial. Compared with the new forces starting from 0, the strength of the market for many years and the strength of the system is obviously more advantageous in serving users.
Taking Toyota as an example, relying on its nearly 1,400 dealerships across the country, companies can provide bZ4X users with many exclusive after-sales services. Among them, the 3-year or 100,000-kilometer (whichever comes first) vehicle warranty, 10 years or 200,000 kilometers (whichever comes first) three-electric warranty can help consumers dispel concerns about the quality of electric vehicles; and the policy of "10 years or 200,000 kilometers (whichever comes first) battery capacity warranty, free replacement when the attenuation is greater than 30%", as well as the repurchasing policy of reassuring value preservation and the multi-scenario convenient player scooter service, are rare in the industry.
In addition, Toyota bZ4X owners can enjoy 10 years or 200,000 kilometers (whichever comes first) free electric vehicle safety inspection, 10 years or 200,000 kilometers (whichever comes first) free basic maintenance. At the same time, based on the digital key, the manufacturer also provides users with convenient door-to-door services such as valet maintenance and valet charging. If there is an accident in the vehicle, the 24-hour all-weather emergency rescue will solve the problem for the user at the first time.
The author believes that the above after-sales service policies have a strong pertinence, which can effectively eliminate the worries of electric vehicle users and continue to give users a sense of security. And Toyota bZ4X's warranty efforts exceed the industry average, which not only reflects the company's full sincerity to users, but also reflects the manufacturer's high confidence in product quality.
Write at the end:
Technology is changing rapidly, and there is also a hidden bubble behind it. Waterdrop Automobile believes that in the face of the tide of change, auto companies need to be bold and innovative, and they need to adhere to their original intentions.
Looking back at the history of the automobile industry for a hundred years, only Toyota has elevated car manufacturing to a philosophy, and its core is the "people-oriented" spirit advocated by Chinese culture. Based on respect for human nature, Toyota's "Way of Happiness" has passed the test of time and has been recognized by tens of millions of users around the world.
Today, on the Toyota bZ4X, we can still feel the spirit of putting people first. And the happiness of the ironing posts it transmits to users, whether in the era of fuel vehicles or the era of intelligent electrification, will be the ultimate criterion for evaluating good cars.