Written by | Chen Hao, Yu Jie
Produced | Automotive Sankei
The day before yesterday (May 7) in the interview session of the new HI version of the Polar Fox Alpha S launch conference, Yu Chengdong (Huawei's managing director, terminal BG CEO, and CEO of smart car solution BU) came up and threw away the microphone, saying " I have a loud voice, the microphone has an echo and is uncomfortable." ”
During the chat, he also wanted to stand up several times when he talked about the excitement, and then was reminded by Liu Yu (deputy general manager of BAIC Group and chairman of BAIC BJEV) to "sit down and sit down".
Seeing such a scene, the media teachers in the automotive circle were happy in their hearts. After all, the media communication meeting of the traditional automotive industry is mostly stable and dull.
The interview is still in progress, and a media teacher took out his mobile phone and said that he liked Yu Zong's frank, straightforward personality that did not go around the bend.
In fact, at this extreme fox core media communication meeting, many people are full of expectations for being able to interview Yu Chengdong himself.
After all, Huawei's managing director, known as "Yu Dazui", is not the first day from the technology circle to the automobile circle. It's just that people who haven't seen it before smell it.
At the end of last year, Yu Zong asked the world M5 with salt at the press conference, I am afraid that you will remember, "second kill BBA" and "comparable to million-level luxury cars" Many people estimate that it is especially in their ears.
Another point that is often ridiculed by people in the auto media is well known: this year, AITO will be sold 300,000 vehicles.
Earlier, when Huawei decided to introduce car sales in its own terminals, Yu Chengdong also said, "If you use Huawei's channels to sell cars, you have to sell millions of units." ”
But have you noticed that in the matter of bragging and talking big, Yu Chengdong seems to have some restraint recently.
Not long ago in an interview with a media, the reporter asked about the sales target of the M5, Yu Chengdong voluntarily "punched the face", bluntly saying that the previously set sales target of 300,000 vehicles could not be done at all, "it is a miracle to be able to achieve 100,000 and 200,000 vehicles."
The reason is that when setting the goal, I did not understand the automotive industry deeply, such as not knowing that the lack of core in the automotive industry was so serious. In short, it was young and ignorant at the beginning.
And the day before yesterday, when I stood for the Pole Fox, except for occasionally exposing a trace of "big mouth" nature through body language, such as "Teng" getting up in the interview, such as grabbing Liu Yu's words in the round table pie link... The media teachers had expected a golden quote that could be used as a headline, but there was not one.
It was a bit disappointing.
In the round table party specially planned by Jihu on the day of the listing conference, Yu Chengdong often grabbed the conversation
What did Yu Chengdong say that day?
In a word: In addition to saying that the advanced driver assistance system equipped by the Polar Fox Alpha S is "the strongest in the world", the rest of the time is all looking back.
Like what
"China's roads are very complicated, we must not over-brag, and then let everyone relax their vigilance, causing traffic accidents, can not be over-publicized."
Another example,
Although according to last year's road test video, the car's automatic driving ability has been described by the outside world as L3 level, but in the entire communication meeting and conference, Yu Chengdong has never let up, insisting that its automatic driving level is L2.99.
On the one hand, it is said that it is the strongest on the surface, and on the other hand, it seems that everyone is afraid that everyone has too high expectations for this system.
Some say it's a strategy that leaves a backway for the actual experience delivered later.
Auto Sankei would like to say that this road is indeed a must stay. Because the benchmark of the Polar Fox HI version is too significant.
So important that even if the big mouth is like Yu Chengdong, the soul of the person who once single-handedly created Huawei's mobile phone to C business, he can't afford it, and Huawei may fail on the entire front of automatic driving.
For Huawei, the biggest difference between the Polar Fox HI Version and the Q&I M5 is not the cooperation model, but the former's first application of Huawei's most advanced intelligent driving technology (hardware + software).
Wang Jun (Huawei's intelligent car solution BU COO) once described Huawei's full-stack capability of Huawei's Inside in the car industry: "At present, no one in China can do this like Huawei. ”
Wang Jun said, "Everyone is doing algorithms, but how many computing power platforms can do?" "How many chips can be made?" "How many operating systems are there on the chip that can do?" "Some still need high-precision maps, how many?" "To do a good job of autonomous driving, you have to have sensors, how many can do sensors?" Especially do lidar. How many lidar performance indicators can be made? ”
"If you really do a full stack, you can count how many there are in the world."
The W6 was equipped with Baidu's AVP (Autonomous Parking) + ANP (Pilot Assist) system last year, but it claimed that it had actually reached the L4 level. But has anyone paid as much attention to the WEMA W6 as they did today with the Polar Fox Alpha? After all, at least in terms of sales, Weima is stronger than the Extreme Fox.
Some people say that this is because Huawei understands propaganda, but the most fundamental reason is actually like Wang Jun said, Huawei's full-stack capabilities are unmatched. This full-stack capability, in IT parlance, is the ability to "integrate hardware and soft".
When the software algorithm of autonomous driving ushers in more and more competitors on this road, hardware has always been Huawei's unique ability.
This is also why at the press conference, Yu Chengdong has always emphasized that the "hardware is the strongest" of the Polar Fox HI version.
This is the strongest, not the strongest sensor with more, not stingy piles, but the autonomy + controllable strength.
In short, on the Polar Fox Alpha S, Huawei took out the ability to look after the family.
The Q&I M5 was successful, but it only contributed to the sales of Huawei's smart car. If you fail, add a few fewer bricks.
However, the success of the Polar Fox HI version will bring higher bargaining power and more partners to Huawei technology, so that Huawei's inside model will be widely copied. And if it fails, it is likely that the road will be blocked.
What is the biggest possible failure? It is not the level of sales, but the reliability of the system. Or to put it bluntly, accident rates.
The camera function of Huawei mobile phones is not the strongest on the surface, and can be analyzed and compared from multiple angles. There's always an angle that's better than Apple. And the price is slightly cheaper, and everyone feels justified. Don't bother.
But a high-profile, high-profile driver assistance system, an accident, may be a devastating blow.
Moreover, with Su Jing's "Tesla killing" remarks in front, Huawei must be more cautious and self-exhorted on this route.
In the past, Huawei participated in the product technology communication meeting of traditional car companies, and It was Wang Jun who came to represent the platform, and this time it was replaced by Yu Chengdong, who had a higher title and brought his own traffic. Obviously, more attention is paid to it, but Yu Zong must also be cautious in his words.
Because this time, Huawei and Polar Fox bet on the new HI version of Alpha S. Yu Chengdong can't afford to blow, Polar Fox can't afford to lose, and Huawei can't afford to lose.
This cooperation between Huawei and Polar Fox has now had a high-profile out of the circle. Upfront traffic always monetizes some sales.
Just like the M5, the average monthly sales in March and April have exceeded 3,000, which can be said to be very good.
Therefore, the HI version of the polar fox that has been warmed up for a year should also be worth looking forward to in the early sales. But sales are the real beginning of the test.
In short, on the track full of temptations and dangers of automatic driving, such as the promotional slogan, Huawei and Polar Fox are indeed forerunners.