The 200,000-level tram has a lot of thunder and little rain

Lead

Introduction

Many car companies don't understand what kind of mid-to-high-end sedans consumers need.

Author丨Yang Jing

Editor-in-charge丨Li Sijia

Editor丨Jin Penghui

Within just 20 days of listing, Chery's high-end brand Xingtu Xingyuan ES announced the official price reduction of 20,000 yuan, which caused heated discussions in the industry. Not only that, Xingtu Star Era ES also launched a low-cost Guochao version priced at only 198,800 yuan, which undoubtedly brought huge pressure to itself and the industry.

This series of operations is not accidental, it reflects Chery Automobile's deep insight and keen response to the current market environment. Obviously, Chery has clearly realized that in the 200,000-level pure electric car market, the competition has become white-hot. In order to stand out in this increasingly crowded market segment, it is only possible to regain attention through price adjustments and product strategies.

In recent months, we can clearly feel the strength of domestic automobile brands in the field of new energy cars. A significant feature is that more and more car companies have begun to launch "532" standard new energy car products. Including the domestic "7 series" new energy sedans summarized in the early stage, there are many "532" models.

The influx of "532" models into the market not only represents the rapid development and popularization of new energy technology, but also symbolizes an important leap forward for domestic brands in the automobile industry. This leap is not only an upgrade at the product level, but also a comprehensive transformation from market positioning, brand image to consumer cognition.

This leap is of great significance to domestic brands. It not only enhances the overall image and competitiveness of domestic brands, but also provides consumers with more and better choices. At the same time, it also indicates that domestic brands will play an increasingly important role in the field of new energy vehicles, contributing China's wisdom and strength to the transformation and development of the global automotive industry.

However, judging from the actual sales data, the development of domestic 200,000-level new energy cars has not reached the expected ideal state. The first is that the traditional oil vehicles of the joint venture brand still have strong competitiveness, and the second is that the brand building of domestic brands in the field of new energy cars is still weak. What's more, many car companies have not figured out what kind of mid-to-high-end sedans consumers need.

The phenomenal Model 3 and Han

In fact, in China's mid-to-high-end new energy vehicle market, the two models have become phenomenal products with their unique charm and appropriate launch time. They are Tesla Model 3 and BYD Han, each of which leads the market and leads the development trend of new energy vehicles.

As an important representative of the Tesla brand, Tesla Model 3 has won the favor of many consumers with its subversive design, excellent performance and advanced intelligent technology. Just like many people describe the emergence of Tesla as Apple in the mobile phone industry, making smart electric vehicles popular among the majority of consumers.

With the dividends of the times, BYD Han has become a dark horse in China's new energy vehicle market. The reason why BYD Han has become a popular model is mainly due to its strong technical strength, high safety, stunning appearance design, focus on quality and high-end, integration of Chinese elements and meeting market demand.

The emergence of these two phenomenal products not only enriches the product line of China's new energy vehicle market, but also promotes the technological progress and market development of the entire industry. In their own unique ways, they meet the needs of consumers for new energy vehicles and lead China's new energy vehicle market towards a better future.

It is precisely because of the insight into the hot sales of models such as Tesla Model 3 and BYD Han in the market, as well as the remarkable results achieved by Chinese brands in the field of new energy penetration in the field of mini cars and small cars and the comprehensive layout of compact cars, that Chinese auto brands are now focusing on the more challenging and opportunistic market segment of mid-to-high-end cars.

The mid-to-high-end car market has always been one of the most competitive battlefields for auto brands, which not only tests the brand's technical strength, product quality and marketing capabilities, but also is an important way for brands to break through and enhance their brand image. In the past, this market was dominated by well-known international brands, and Chinese brands performed relatively weakly in this area.

However, with the rapid development of the new energy vehicle market and the continuous breakthroughs of Chinese brands in new energy technology, Chinese brands have gradually begun to show strong competitiveness in the mid-to-high-end car market. The success of popular models such as Tesla's Model 3 and BYD Han has provided valuable experience and reference for Chinese brands to develop in the mid-to-high-end car market.

However, the result is that the middle and high-end new energy vehicles show the characteristics of "thunder and rain", and there is no "dark horse" model after Tesla Model 3 and BYD Han. These subsequent models either do not have much innovation in technology, or are not affordable enough in terms of pricing, or lack brand influence.

Sales including the Model 3 have also begun to decline in Tesla's sales share, but the Model Y has become the pillar of Tesla's sales. And the seal EV launched by BYD after Han could not reproduce the highlight moment, and in the end it could only launch the seal DM-i to save the scene. And even if the follow-up brand is as strong as Huawei, it has failed to make the Zhijie S7 go further.

Nowadays, in the current 200,000-level sedan market segment, the traditional models of the joint venture brand still firmly occupy a dominant position and hold the right to speak in the market. These models have become the first choice of consumers due to their deep brand heritage, excellent product performance and wide consumer awareness.

In contrast, some emerging brands and domestic models are facing greater competitive pressure in the 200,000-level new energy car market. Although these new energy sedans show a very high cost performance, and the style is very different, enriching consumer choices. However, the market's failure to buy it still shows that these models have not really touched the pain points of consumers.

What do consumers want?

Taking the Xingtu Star Era ES at the beginning of the article as an example, the price of this car was 225,800-339,800 yuan when it was first launched. The new car is positioned as a medium and large pure electric sedan, and all models are equipped with air suspension + CDC as standard. Especially after the launch of the 198,800 yuan Guochao version, according to the configuration parameters, it can be said to be quite cost-effective and competitive.

However, some industry insiders believe that if this car cancels the air suspension + CDC configuration that consumers don't care much about, does it mean that the Epoch ES can hit the price to 170,000 yuan, which is the real "same price of oil and electricity". I don't know if the Star Era ES will be like this, anyway, the price will drop to 170,000 yuan, and the Geely Galaxy E8 has taken the lead.

Of course, it is certain that there is a high probability that the Star Era ES will not cancel the configuration of air suspension + CDC, because this is the biggest selling point of this car and other "532" models on the market. Once the selling point of the product is lost, then all the "532" models will be infinitely homogeneous, and the final consumers will only choose the models with strong brand power, and those emerging brands will suffer.

So this leads to a very important concept: the selling point of the product. There are many distinctive products in these "532" models, or the main comfort, luxury, sports, intelligence, driving control, etc., some are benchmarked against Tesla, some are benchmarked against Porsche, some want to subvert traditional cars, and some want to create new categories, in short, they all have unique positioning and inexplicable self-confidence.

The only thing missing is to make a traditional 200,000-level mid-to-high-end car like BYD Han. It does not pursue extreme performance in one aspect, but focuses on the coordination and balance of overall performance. With its balanced performance and solid quality, it has won wide acclaim from consumers. At present, only the Geely Galaxy E8 shows such qualities.

The so-called "rules and regulations" do not refer to a lack of innovation or conservative obsolescence, but to meet the basic needs and aesthetic trends of the mid-to-high-end car market in terms of design, performance, and configuration. Such models often have an atmosphere but are exquisite, which not only conforms to the identity positioning of mid-to-high-end cars, but also attracts the attention of consumers.

They don't go overboard with extreme performance in one area, but rather focus on the coordination and balance of overall performance. Whether it is power output, fuel economy, driving handling or ride comfort, it can reach the excellent level of the same class of cars. It can not only meet the basic needs of consumers for mid-to-high-end cars, but also keep up with the pace of the times and provide an intelligent and interconnected travel experience.

This is why the sales of the Model 3 are no longer the backbone of Tesla, and the BYD Han can fight for a while. The reason is that the early adopters have faded away, and they desperately need a product with a balanced performance. This also provides inspiration for other car brands: in the future market competition, only such models can win the favor of consumers and market recognition.

It is also necessary to pay attention to the general environment, relevant channel information shows that from January to June last year, pure electric vehicles did not grow, but slowly pulled up after June, and the hybrid market has grown by more than 100% for three consecutive years. This change in market pattern not only reflects the change in consumer demand for new energy vehicles, but also provides an important reference for car companies in their future product layout and market strategy.

In other words, now car companies are piling up to launch "532" type pure electric models, but they have encountered resistance from many parties. This is not a problem that can be solved through technology research and development, product innovation, etc., but requires a comprehensive consideration. Most importantly, automakers should ask themselves what kind of products consumers in different market segments really want.