On October 11, the two-wheeled electric vehicle brand Xiaoniu Electric released its third-quarter sales data. According to the data, Maverick Electric sold nearly 400,000 vehicles in the third quarter. In the seven years since its establishment, Xiaoniu Electric has relied on the concept of "intelligent two-wheeled electric vehicles" to occupy a certain market opportunity, and was listed on the NASDAQ at the end of 2018, achieving the same echelon as traditional electric vehicle companies such as Emma and Yadi.
Traditional enterprises in the vigorous promotion of intelligent upgrading, Emma and Yadi have set up a smart connection R & D center, when "intelligent" is no longer the exclusive signboard, Maverick Electric rely on what to fight the market? In a conversation with Sohu Finance's "Future Business Forces", Li Yan, CEO of Xiaoniu Electric, shared his thoughts.
Sohu Finance's "Future Business Forces" dialogue with Li Yan
Since April 2019, the new national standard for two-wheeled electric vehicles has been officially implemented, and the two-wheeled electric vehicle industry has also entered the stage of major reshuffle. In the face of fierce market competition, Li Yan's response is to adhere to lithium battery, intelligence and branding.
Li Yan said that as the earliest enterprise to do smart lithium battery electric vehicles, Xiaoniu was the first to choose lithium batteries, which not only adhered to the concept of environmental protection and low carbon, but also made the battery light and easy to take out, which is more suitable for the use of high-rise buildings.
In terms of intelligence, Maverick's products can realize the interconnection of people and vehicles, and can check the status at any time and prevent theft. In addition, through the differences and changes in the needs of users riding, in the face of different travel needs, targeted launch of different products, and strive to cover more travel scenarios, for more people to bring high-quality travel methods.
Talking about the way for Maverick to go out of the circle, Li Yan introduced that in response to the demands of the emerging consumer circle for self-expression, Maverick insists on enterprising, pleasant, independent and assertive brand image, communication technology, trend, free brand concept, and constantly launches original design fashion models, forming its unique style, realizing brand occupation in the hearts of consumers, which enhances the company's sales and competitiveness. In Li Yan's words, the Maverick is not just an electric car, but also an attitude to life.
Li Yan, CEO of Xiaoniu Electric and a student of Tsinghua Wudaokou Finance EMBA class of 2021
With the landing of the new national standard, all localities have introduced a transition time limit or deadline for the use of non-national standard vehicles. Li Yan believes that the adjustment of the new and old national standards has stimulated the development of the entire industry to a certain extent, "From 2017 to 2020, the number of lithium battery electric vehicles has increased by 10 times." It is predicted that more than two-thirds of the 40 million vehicles in the next year will be lithium-ion electric vehicles. ”
Li Yan told the "Future Business Force" that in the future, with the increasing improvement of the safety and intelligence functions of electric vehicles, the penetration rate of electric vehicles in the field of travel tools will gradually increase, and the market size of 100 million two-wheeled power vehicles is expected to be 100 million worldwide.
The following is a condensed interview between Sohu Finance's "Future Business Forces" and Li Yan:
"Future Business Force": Maverick Electric was once known as the "Tesla in a two-wheeled electric vehicle", what black technology does it currently have in terms of batteries?
Li Yan: Thanks to the outside world for talking about us as a two-wheeled Tesla, we have brought some changes to the two-wheeled electric vehicle industry in terms of electric power, design and product strength. In 2015, Maverick Electric first launched a two-wheeled electric vehicle with smart lithium battery, and defined this category, we are the first two-wheeled electric vehicle company to launch lithium batteries, promoting a technological revolution from lead-acid to lithium battery;
Second, at that time, many cars were not intelligent, we were the first to launch a two-wheeled electric vehicle, the car can be networked, whether it is positioning or online inspection, can be done through the app of the mobile phone;
The third is from the design itself, the Maverick is recognized by the entire industry as the most high-end electric vehicle in terms of design style and design tone.
In the past 20 years, the Maverick electric MQi and UQi series are the only two travel products that have won the grand slam of the world's 7 most important design awards such as The German Red Dot and the German IF. In the two-wheeled electric vehicle industry, it has promoted a design style that respects original design and respects the tonality of travel.
"Future Business Force": What technical problems do two-wheeled electric vehicles need to overcome to achieve long endurance?
Li Yan: The endurance of two-wheeled electric vehicles is actually a false proposition, because this is different from the endurance anxiety of cars, and two-wheeled vehicles will not be congested on auxiliary roads. On the issue of energy consumption, the current two-wheeled electric vehicle is standardly equipped with 1-1.2 kWh of electricity, which can run 60-80 kilometers, which can meet the daily commuting distance, basically three or four days to charge once is enough, which is the first.
Second, what is the big difference between lithium battery electric vehicles and lead acid? Lithium battery is very light, we are the first to do smart lithium battery electric vehicles, the first is to choose lithium battery, so that the battery can be taken out lightly, more suitable for the use of high-rise buildings.
And there is a management system in the battery to ensure that the charging process is safe, plus many of our batteries also support fast charging, 2-3 hours can be fully charged.
From these perspectives, in fact, the endurance of two-wheeled electric vehicles is not as anxious as that of cars. The 7th generation Ruidian system independently developed by Xiaoniu Electric makes the battery life longer, longer life, lighter weight, higher safety and stronger power; compared with our products last year, the 7th generation of Ruidian has increased by 32% on the basis of endurance.
"Future Business Force": Traditional enterprises are vigorously promoting intelligent upgrading, Emma and Yadi have set up intelligent R&D centers, when "intelligent" is no longer the exclusive signboard, what does Maverick Electric rely on to fight for the market?
Li Yan: Mavericks have indeed promoted the transformation of this industry, and the good things we have done are intelligence, lithium battery, and branding:
In terms of intelligence, people and vehicles can be interconnected, and the status can be checked at any time to prevent theft. It can provide users with a more convenient car experience; in addition, through the user's riding continuous feedback, optimize the product.
Since the launch of the first car NQi in 2015, it has been accumulating in this regard, through our NIU INSPIRE big data system, NIU IoT, CLOUD ECU intelligent central controller, continuous analysis of riding data, optimization of riding experience, from the R & D direction of the calf to adjust the optimization of products and services for user feedback to optimize the process of improving the process, so that the car can ride better.
Maverick also continues to find differences and changes in the needs of users riding, in the face of different travel needs, targeted launch of different products, and strive to cover more travel scenarios, for more people to bring high-quality travel methods.
"Future Business Force": Maverick Electric relies on the concept of "intelligent two-wheeled electric vehicle" to occupy a certain market opportunity, where is the advantage?
Li Yan: Maverick Electric is still a relatively young company, which has only been established for 7 years. I think it's actually two-wheeled electric vehicles in China that have created some brands of mind occupation. Globally, consumers mention electric two-wheeled travel, will think of NIU, more from the brand to recognize this product, because the brand concept of Maverick is enterprising, pleasant and independent, it can better meet the needs of consumers in technology and design.
The second is that when consumers use our products, the riding experience is very good, whether it is the adjustment of the sense of acceleration, or even the feeling of shock absorption, there will be obvious feelings, and the test drive experience before sales is also pleasant.
The third is that I think The Maverick has a great advantage, all of our designers are original designs, the design style is unique, the Design Style of the Mavericks can be recognized at a glance on the street, the recognition is very high, and the core is that we have always followed the original design.
So this point is that I think it is for all of our consumers, because in the end, everyone buys this product, or hopes that he uses it every day to bring him a pleasant mood and convenient travel. At the same time, it can also make him feel a little arrogant when riding every day, and feel that he chose this product to represent a way of life, represent a convenient environmental protection and a pleasant and enterprising life concept, which is passed on by our brand.
"Future Business Forces": In November this year, the transition period policy of over-standard electric vehicles in Beijing will end, and a large number of over-standard vehicles will be restricted on the road, how to view the adjustment of the new and old national standards?
Li Yan: After the launch of the new national standard on April 15, 2019, everyone thought that it would limit the development of the entire industry, and finally promoted the development of electric vehicles. Because of the restrictions on speed and specifications, more people choose two-wheeled electric travel, but it has become a safe environment, so in 2020, the industry sales achieved a 15% increase, after the new national standard came out, resulting in the industry in rapid growth.
I think this is a very good thing, after the emergence of the new national standard also brought lithium battery, resulting in about 6 million to 7 million of the 40 million vehicles last year is lithium battery, from 2017 to 2020 about three years, the number of lithium battery electric vehicles increased by 10 times. It is predicted that more than two-thirds of the 40 million vehicles in the next year will be lithium-ion electric vehicles.
"Future Business Forces": How to predict the market for two-wheeled electric vehicles?
Li Yan: Since its inception, Maverick Electric has maintained rapid growth, as of the third quarter of 2021, Maverick Electric has accumulated global sales of more than 2 million intelligent two-wheeled electric vehicles, and has more than 2,500 brand experience stores and specialty stores in China; at the same time, it has entered nearly 50 overseas countries. Over the years, the proportion of revenue in overseas markets has always been more than 15%.
At present, a big technological revolution is from the power form of oil and the power form of lead acid to lithium battery. The global market basically has a scale of 100 million two-wheeled vehicles, of which lithium batteries only have 6 million to 7 million units, so lithium batteries as a technological revolution, the future breakthrough is the point I am most concerned about. Because personal travel is just needed, at present, the choice is basically a two-wheeled vehicle.
"Future Business Forces": Will the problem of battery recycling be considered?
Li Yan: Definitely consider it. Because we do not produce batteries, mainly to purchase batteries, how to recycle these cells to the upstream battery companies, we have also been promoting the development of lithium batteries.
When lead-acid electric vehicles appeared in China in the past, why didn't Europe become popular? Because many European countries do not allow the import of lead-acid electric vehicles, they began to allow entry when lithium battery electric vehicles appeared later. The reason is that the recycling and environmental benefits of lithium batteries are much higher than that of lead-acid. In fact, in China, we are also transforming the environmental protection power form from lead-acid to lithium battery, which is the same as the global transformation from fuel oil to lithium battery.
"Future Business Forces": What is the reason for choosing to study at Tsinghua Wudaokou Finance EMBA at this time? What are the plans for the future?
Li Yan: Last year, I participated in a training program at Tsinghua Wudaokou and took some courses, which I thought was very good. Because for me personally, whether it is for the financial system or business management, these systematic training and learning are necessary. It is also for this reason that I want to come to Wudaokou Finance EMBA for further study.
For Maverick, it is still a very young enterprise, established in 2014 to the present, there are less than 700 people, in china's enterprises belong to a relatively small enterprise, but we are growing very fast, october 2018 listed on the NASDAQ, the capital market and consumers are very optimistic about Maverick, I hope to make Maverick into a medium-sized enterprise, into a decades of old stores.
Then, the enterprise to go one step further to improve, I think it is sometimes necessary to have some systematic knowledge, I need some understanding and precipitation of some systematic knowledge, which I also hope to find some answers in the study of Wudaokou.
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