【Auto man】International auto show and global car, will soon become a "false proposition"

Since the global car companies are willing to lengthen the wheelbase for the Chinese market, the concept of "customization" has been ready to come out. The ultimate direction must be the heavy customization of important markets.

Author 丨 Wu Yu

Edited 丨tian grass

Produced 丨 Automan Media

April 20 came and went, waving his sleeve without leaving any ripples.

1

From compromise to persistence

This day was originally the opening day of the Beijing International Car Show held every two years. Different from the observation, waiting and adjustment two years ago, car companies no longer have the slightest hesitation and accommodation.

Everything is on track, but it is no longer the "trajectory" we know.

Indeed, there are many brand new cars and concept cars unveiled around April 20, and almost no car companies have taken the initiative to mention the topic of "auto show".

A person who has worked in European car companies for many years said that this year's Beijing Auto Show can only be "there" when "not". The debut of new cars and concept cars must follow the rhythm of the world. Whether the Beijing car exhibition is extended to June or September, it must be implemented according to the established plan, otherwise the global market will be chaotic.

An executive of a German car company told Auto Man that the exhibition car that was scheduled to appear at the Beijing Auto Show had "flown" from Germany to Beijing early. In order to "pass the customs" smoothly, the "flight mode" with the highest cost was deliberately selected, but it still failed to appear on stage.

Now, no one knows if the auto show can be done, when it can be done... But the exhibition car did not dare to "fly" back to Germany, and could only sleep in the warehouse in the bonded area.

Judging from the new cars released by car companies, the actual situation is indeed the case. The Audi urbansphere concept car, the BMW 7 series (BMW i7) sedan, the Lincoln Star concept car all made their world debuts as scheduled, while the new Range Rover, Maserati Grecale, Ford Mondeo, Jeep Gladiator... Prices are also announced step by step.

A publicist who serves in the United States car companies privately commented that although everyone is looking forward to the Beijing Auto Show, but in the current situation, it can only take one step at a time, important models will plan the time node according to their own rhythm, and the number of models will choose to be released offline as much as possible. Under the epidemic, not only the market needs confidence, but also automotive customers and the automotive industry.

For car companies, the "epidemic" is no longer the reason for the postponement. If the auto show wants to "survive", it must keep up with the global rhythm. Like the Shanghai Circuit, which no longer hosts F1 Grand Prix, only the Diamond Grandstand and pit room in the maintenance area are sunbathing.

2

From listening to co-creation

In 2022, the "user-driven" tactics have been adjusted, in addition to increasing local research and development efforts, car companies are also trying to let users participate in the whole process of design.

For manufacturing companies, users "participating" in research and development is not a new thing.

Surveys conducted by third-party companies and in which potential users participate are the most common form. This kind of research usually evaluates the design and configuration that has been formed, and the most important target is the configuration plan and pricing range. Users can see the actual car, but it is difficult to make substantial changes to the product.

In addition, it is the designer's visit to important markets and target users, and listen to users' evaluations of existing products and expectations for future products in the form of interviews. However, the results of the survey obtained in this way are very much the smell of the Remington 870+12 shotgun, and the close-range, high-output, and large-scale dissemination of information makes the recipient confused in the clouds.

An engineer working in the mobile phone research and development department once complained that the grand statement when being investigated often "ran counter to the real thoughts in his heart." They show potential users the colorful shell of the new phone, and users say, "Love, have planted grass." The souvenir of the interview is a mobile phone, and the color is deliberately closer to the direction of the interview, but the one that is taken away the most must be black.

Audi's engineering team took a different approach, inviting Chinese users to deeply participate in the whole process of sphere concept car development, from the early concept design sketch selection to the later appearance decision... One Audi designer said that users even saw the design team's proposed appearance plan earlier than the design director.

A designer at Audi China said that this model of consumer-designer co-creation is the first time in Audi's history, but it is likely to become a standard procedure for The design of Future Audi products.

3

From extension to customization

Under the epidemic, the global car has gradually become a false proposition. "Co-creation" may only be the starting point, and providing "full customization" products for regional markets is the direction.

In the Chinese market, the "customization" of automotive products has undergone several rounds of iteration.

The original form was spontaneously modified by Chinese customers, and the "Dong Liang Skylight", which used to operate in Asia, was a customer-customized version 1.0. From Otto and Xiali of 30,000 to 50,000 yuan, to the domestic Volkswagen Passat and the imported Daewoo Blue Dragon, they all went to saw the roof and installed the skylight.

The simple needs of Chinese users and the youthful "ignorance" of the automobile market have brought huge business opportunities, so that when the traffic management department standardizes the inspection of cars, it has to treat another book that has been modified.

The "extended wheelbase" can become a customized version 2.0, and Volkswagen and Audi have pioneered the long wheelbase and spacious rear row of medium-sized cars.

The Volkswagen Santana 2000, which was launched in 1995, has a 108 mm longer wheelbase and the Audi A6 C5 has a 90 mm longer wheelbase. These two Chinese custom models were not initially recognized by the "clan", until they were successful in the Chinese market, and the long-axis version gradually entered the room.

Since then, SAIC Volkswagen has developed the Lavida family, while BMW has offered long wheelbase versions for all products from compact to executive grade.

In the era of electrification and intelligence, "China Customization" will quickly enter the 3.0 era, and the products specially designed for the Chinese market will no longer consider design collaboration and process collaboration with the European and American versions, but will wholeheartedly consider the needs of local customers and local process capabilities.

This is like the North American market pickup truck hot, the European market full of streets "travel", and the Chinese market regardless of the model, size, to be spacious and spacious, there are more faces. Since the global car companies are willing to lengthen the wheelbase for the Chinese market, the concept of "customization" has been ready to come out. The ultimate direction must be the heavy customization of important markets.

On the one hand, the difference in cultural aesthetics and usage preferences of users in China, the United States and Europe is becoming more and more obvious. For example, chinese users like to be generous, it is difficult for users to pay in Europe, especially the preference for cars in the central and western European markets; and the simplicity preferred by Nordic users also has a "cold" taste in the cognition of Chinese users.

On the other hand, the restrictions of the regulations will also directly catalyze the birth of the Chinese version. For example, the U.S. market has strict restrictions on the area and air outlet of air conditioners, and designers have to spend more time on it; when intelligent driving assistance is activated, the European market requires a speed of less than 60 km / h, and the Curise unmanned car chooses San Francisco to operate... This not only limits the process of leapfrogging, but also restricts the application of technology.

Some people may say that Tesla's outlet is "hidden"! Yes, but can Wei Jianjun and Li Shufu buy Twitter?

Comprehensive customization avoids the above risks, which can not only provide local customers with products that truly meet their needs, but also reduce the process costs brought about by global collaboration and the risk of delays caused by global procurement. After all, after the test of the new crown epidemic, the importance of the supply chain has become more prominent.

Multinational car companies are already talking about "localization" in the electric age, which may be an important part of saving product profits. The EU's move to seize battery production capacity also proves the urgency of supply chain localization.

For the regional market "full customization", future products only have exactly the same name, and even the names will be expressed separately. At that time, the concept of "global car", which once showed the strength and scale of car companies, truly became a "false proposition" without compromise.

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