Ashkenazi BBA electrification road, who can laugh last

In 2022, the electrification process of the troika "BBA" of traditional luxury brands continues to accelerate. Among them, Mercedes-Benz and BMW invariably released the flagship EQS SUV and i7 of pure electric models. For Audi, the largest step in the electrification transformation, not only has it launched the Urbansphere concept car that breaks the human design, but at the same time, the pure electric models of the PPE platform, including the Q6 e-tron and A6 e-tron, are also on the string, and will be put into production as early as 2023. On the surface, the electrification of the BBA can be described as full horsepower, and there is a trend of "stepping on Wei Xiaoli and catching up with Tesla", but the statements of the three executives on the electrification process can be described as the difference between cloud and mud.

In contrast, BMW's attitude towards fully promoting electrification is more "ambiguous", and at the BMW annual meeting in March this year, BMW Group Chairman Oliver Zipse said: "It is expected that by 2030, pure electric models will account for at least 50% of the total delivery volume of bmw group." ”

In the process of electrification of the BBA, Audi undoubtedly plays the role of a technology pioneer, in the "Vorsprung 2030 (leading 2030)" strategy announced by the Inglestadters in August last year, clearly pointing out the "big limit" of fuel vehicles, after 2026, Audi will stop launching any new cars equipped with traditional internal combustion engines.

As a traditional Ashkenazi luxury brand, why is BBA's understanding and planning of electrification so different? We will analyze each one for you below.

Mercedes-Benz: Forward-looking technology is the greatest luxury

Among the traditional giants, Mercedes-Benz did not enter the electrification time too early, until 2019 to launch the first mass-produced pure electric model EQC, and then accelerated the speed of new car launch.

Since the technical information on the EA platform is scarce at present, we may as well explore the future electrification layout of Mercedes-Benz from the technical information disclosed on the MMA platform.

In addition, MMA is not really a pure electric platform. Its technical data clearly states: "The platform is to build electric vehicles as a priority, while still having the production capacity of fuel vehicles." "This also leaves plenty of room for imagination for Mercedes-Benz plug-in technology." Some overseas media even revealed that in the future, the engine on the platform plug-in hybrid model will be the M252 inline four-cylinder turbocharged engine developed in cooperation with Geely, and the displacement will be divided into 1.5T and 2.0T.

In addition, Mercedes-Benz has now deployed 9 battery factories around the world, covering three major markets in China, North America and Europe. In addition, Mercedes-Benz has also cooperated with technology companies such as Factorial Energy and ProLogium Huineng Technology to develop solid-state battery technology.

Through a powerful artificial intelligence system, the system will continuously understand and recognize users, and adjust according to their habits and preferences, proactively providing personalized services.

BMW: Get up early in the morning and catch up late

Among the three BBA car companies, BMW can be said to be the earliest car company to have insight into the development prospects of electrification.

At that time, the European Commission required all car companies to reduce the carbon dioxide emissions per 100 kilometers of commercially available models to less than 120g by 2012, and the standard will continue to be tightened to 95g by 2021. For reference, toyota's third-generation Prius, launched in 2009, emits 89g of CO2 per 100 km.

In the North American market, California's Zero Emissions Regulation (ZEV), which is important to the government and manufacturers, also announced new regulations in 2008: luxury brands and SUV manufacturers with large CO2 emissions must sell the same number of pure electric models as high-emission models after 2018.

Starting early did not give BMW an advantage, the fundamental reason is that BMW put its eggs in the wrong "basket".

After Harald Krueger took over as CEO, although BMW subsequently launched the i3 extended range model and the long-endurance model with larger battery capacity, it was very limited to boost sales.

After all, there is not much time left for BMW.

On the other hand, another reason why BMW is so "obsessed" with the internal combustion engine is that it is in the insistence on hydrogen fuel technology.

Coincidentally, future "Die neue Klasse" models will also offer hydrogen fuel cell power options.

Audi: The forerunner of the Volkswagen Group's high-end brands

In terms of layout electrification, Audi, like Mercedes-Benz, is also a full-fledged "follower".

As the Volkswagen Group's full transition to electrification unfolds, Audi has once again become a "testing ground" for the new pure electric platform PPE and related new technologies.

Coupled with the fact that the Ingolstadters have always been forward-looking technology as a brand highlight, in the face of the tide of electrification sweeping the automotive industry, Audi, which has the lightest "idol baggage" in the BBA, sees it more as an opportunity for brand transformation than a challenge.

Backed by a business strategy, Audi can be described as a multi-line development in electrification.

In terms of power, the PPE architecture supports two layouts of dual-motor four-wheel drive and single-motor rear-drive, which can support up to 475kW (646 hp) power levels. In addition, the PPE architecture combines the advantages of MEB and J1 architectures, supports battery packs with a maximum capacity of 100kWh, and will adopt a series of new technologies such as 800V architecture, 270kW fast charging, and prismatic lithium batteries.

The platform, similar to Mercedes-Benz's MB.OS system, will integrate in-vehicle connectivity, entertainment and driver assistance functions. Including a new unified infotainment stack, remote online updates, and advanced autonomous driving assistance will all be reflected in the system.

Editor's summary: Facing the future, Mercedes-Benz has set a set goal of preparing for electrification in 2030, BMW strives to deliver 10 million electric vehicles at the same time point, while Audi is moving towards electrification without nostalgia, directly pronouncing the "death penalty" of the internal combustion engine in 2033, and the BBA seems to be full of confidence. However, the automotive industrial revolution brought about by electrification is not as simple as changing the form of drive, with the development of intelligent and autonomous driving technology, the inherent evaluation criteria and value system of automobiles are undergoing great changes. In the face of a new generation of consumers who pay more attention to intelligent experience, technological attributes and even peripheral services, how to tell a good story and maintain "decency" in the BBA era that earns a lot of money by brand premium in the era of internal combustion engines is probably the real problem worth thinking about.