VOYAH Auto or reject Huawei's smart selection, Dongfeng and Changan thought together?
On January 22, there was a bombshell news from the auto market. Dongfeng Motor's new energy brand, VOYAH Automobile, announced that it has reached a strategic cooperation agreement with Huawei on intelligent vehicle solutions. Based on their respective strengths, the two parties will jointly create the ultimate intelligent travel experience based on user needs. Through the innovation and exploration of cooperative models in multiple fields, we will accelerate the large-scale commercialization of intelligent technology.
VOYAH and Huawei have warmed up for this cooperation between the two parties. On the morning of January 20 (last Saturday), Huawei's intelligent vehicle solution official Weibo and VOYAH official Weibo had a dialogue over the air, announcing: "Few words are big things, see you on Monday!" Subsequently, Huawei China and Dongfeng Motor forwarded the above information, and at the same time unanimously interacted and said "See you on Monday", implying that Huawei and VOYAH will have a big event.
On January 22, photos leaked from the scene showed that the leaders of the two sides attending the signing ceremony included You Zheng, member of the Standing Committee of the Party Committee and Deputy General Manager of Dongfeng Motor Group Co., Ltd., Lu Fang, CEO of VOYAH Automobile, Xu Zhijun, Vice Chairman and Rotating Chairman of Huawei, and Jin Yuzhi, CEO of Huawei Intelligent Vehicle Solution BU, who witnessed the signing of the agreement. Jiang Tao, COO of VOYAH Automotive, and Chi Linchun, Vice President of Huawei's Intelligent Vehicle Solution BU. Surprisingly, Yu Chengdong, chairman of Huawei's automotive BU, which is in charge of the smart car business, did not show up.
This may mean that the smart car model has not become the first choice for both parties. At present, there is already an opinion that VOYAH has chosen the HI mode. According to Huawei's current three cooperation models in the field of smart cars, incremental component and solution providers, HI mode, and smart car mode upgraded to HarmonyOS Zhixing. Because only the HI model is in line with the statement of the two parties in this cooperation - through the innovative exploration of cooperative models in multiple fields, accelerate the large-scale commercialization of intelligent technology.
And this also echoes the remarks of Zhu Huarong, chairman of Changan Automobile, that "do not accept Huawei's smart car model, and must be your own brand when you build a car".
Perhaps, this is the "common disease" of the second-generation new energy brands of state-owned automobile groups with deep backgrounds such as Dongfeng and Changan, and the technology can be used by you, but the car must be controlled by itself.
We aim to reach 100,000 units next year
Dongfeng VOYAH has already shown strong market potential in 2023. Sales data shows that in 2023, Dongfeng Lantu will deliver a total of 50,552 vehicles, a year-on-year increase of 160%, completing the annual sales target, and is one of the few brands to complete the target in 2023. It should be mentioned that since June 2023, Dongfeng VOYAH has achieved seven consecutive increases in deliveries. In December 2023, VOYAH delivered 10,017 new vehicles.
Based on the outstanding performance in the second half of 2023, VOYAH will challenge the goal of 100,000 units in 2024.
In the second half of 2023, VOYAH was able to stand out in the price war, mainly because VOYAH has launched three highly competitive products one after another, namely the new VOYAH FREE, the "smart driving and touring big five-seater SUV", the new VOYAH Dreamer, the "mobile castle of dreams", and the "new executive electric flagship" Chaser PHEV. Among them, the monthly sales of the new VOYANT Dreamer exceeded 5,000 units in December, achieving four consecutive increases, standing firmly in the second place of luxury new energy MPV, and successfully ranking among the top players in the high-end MPV market.
Objectively speaking, relying on Dongfeng Motor's profound product heritage, VOYAH has created a new product that allows consumers to have a sense of "security, comfort, respect, pleasure and taste", and more importantly, it has established the brand label of "Chinese elegance" of VOYAH Automobile, and it is precisely because of the recognition of the brand that the sales volume has increased.
From the perspective of overall planning, the entire Dongfeng Group has completely built a brand pattern of new energy passenger vehicles covering luxury, high-end, mainstream and small in all fields, composed of VOYAH, Mengshi, eπ and Nano. The importance of VOYAH to Dongfeng Motor can also be seen.
If VOYAH wants to achieve 100% sales growth in 2024, when the involution is upgraded, external variables must be added. Therefore, choosing to cooperate with Huawei is a good move for VOYAH to take. Whether it is market volume or intelligent technology considerations, Huawei has the advantage of being "far ahead". To some extent, VOYAH has a greater desire for Huawei than it does for VOYAH.
Moreover, as soon as the cooperation between the two sides was announced, Dongfeng Motor's skeleton began with a one-word daily limit on January 22. This also shows that the capital market is optimistic.
Eager to cooperate, but stay sober
Although VOYAH and Huawei are more willing to cooperate, VOYAH remains sober.
Among the three major cooperation models of Huawei's automotive business, Smart Car has the largest voice, and at present, Celis, Chery, JAC, and BAIC Blue Valley are all partners of Huawei Smart Car. Under this model, Huawei is deeply involved in the entire process of product definition, R&D, manufacturing, and sales.
Judging from the news on January 22, VOYAH did not join the convinced news in Huawei's smart selection camp. At present, Huawei's HI model partner is only Changan AVATAR.
As for why Changan AVATR chose the HI mode instead of the more in-depth smart car mode, according to Zhu Huarong, chairman of Changan Automobile, said that the cooperation in the HI mode is in line with regulatory requirements and user interests, and can realize the strong alliance between Changan and Huawei, complement each other's advantages, maximize their respective advantages, and form the best bundle of interests.
Obviously, Dongfeng Motor also has such interests to consider, after all, what Dongfeng Motor wants is only to make up for its own shortcomings in intelligence through cooperation with Huawei, and it does not need Huawei to deeply participate in the whole process of products. Because VOYAH is a blockbuster brand built by Dongfeng Motor, it has gathered countless manpower, financial resources and time, and if another company is allowed to intervene in the whole process, it is to make a wedding dress for others. This is unacceptable, both from the perspective of business operation and from the reporting of the higher authorities.
Of course, this does not mean that the cooperation between Dongfeng Motor and Huawei is problematic. Because the two sides began to cooperate as early as 2013, it has a history of more than 10 years. From informatization construction to cloud data center construction, to the "full-scenario solution application model", the cooperation between the two parties is much deeper than we imagined.
To cooperate with Huawei, the choice of smart car mode or HI mode depends on the strength of the car company. For example, Cialis, its own volume is relatively small, the right to speak is not large, Huawei is naturally not a problem with the whole process, anyway, it does not cooperate, Cialis has not made much progress, and the volume and sales of cooperation have risen, and it is happy to hand over its soul; Let's look at Chery again, although it cooperates with Huawei Zhijie S7, but it has casually played the Star Era ES, and the SUV model ET has also been unveiled. In other words, the intellectual world is equivalent to being a concubine, and it is best to achieve something, and if it is not successful, it will not affect the overall situation.
Cooperation and competition in the shopping mall are, in the final analysis, a game of interests between both parties.
The people evaluate the car
The automobile market is a huge pillar industry that involves the national economy and people's livelihood, and its development has never relied on a single path, but multiple paths coexist and develop together. The same is true for the new energy transition, and although cooperation with Huawei is a shortcut, it is not the only option. Not to mention automobile groups of the size of Dongfeng, Chang'an, and Chery, they have a deep background of state-owned assets behind them, and they are more capable and responsible for all-round development, rather than holding on to a tree and not letting go.
Only in this way can China's auto market go out of more exciting, rather than only one wonderful.