In response to topics such as the 3.5 yuan charge for AutoNavi map, on March 27, AutoNavi Map responded that all kinds of "AutoNavi Map Charges" that have been circulated on the Internet in the past two days are all false rumors, and AutoNavi has not had any plans to charge for map navigation services in the past, present and future.
A few days ago, the major self-media rumored that the navigation will be charged in the future, the era of free navigation is over, Gaode charges 3.5 yuan, etc., and the rumor is very good, but the problem is that the reason for the matter has not been clarified.
The so-called Gaode charges 3.5 yuan, is it the cost of navigation? That is the money charged for the car logo, the car logo decoration price of the recent Gaode map and the "Snoopy" co-branded car logo decoration is 3.5 yuan, and there is a car logo decoration price of 8.8 yuan co-branded with "My Emperor Cat", only these two personalized decoration charges, the navigation function of the Gaode map is still free. To put it bluntly, it is to change the skin, and the skin is charged. But this doesn't mean that you can't use navigation in the future without charging, which is completely different.
To put it bluntly, just like playing a game, some people like to buy some skins, purely for the sake of looking good, but if you don't buy skins, you can't play your game? That's not the core feature, it's just the added decoration.
Some people will definitely say that this is a test of the Gaode map, and it will definitely be charged in the future. I think it.,People charge for skins、Voice packs,It's understandable,As long as the core function of navigation is not charged,There's nothing to spray.,People who pursue personalization,Spend some money to buy a skin.,It can also make Gaode map lose a little less.,What's wrong?
In fact, AutoNavi Map has been losing money, and AutoNavi Map, when it was just acquired by Alibaba, had a loss of $46 million in the first quarter. In the third quarter of 2023, AutoNavi's revenue was 1.28 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 32.6%, but the net loss was 1.04 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 23.1%. Since it is a loss, why doesn't AutoNavi Map charge users?
Because the era of charging for navigation maps has passed, it is impossible to drive history backwards. Insist on charging users for map software, the grave grass is three feet high. For example, the old drivers are familiar with Kailide, in 2013, Kailide's market share reached more than 70%, and in 2014, Kailide achieved a revenue of 203 million yuan, and the net profit was as high as more than 50 million. But in 2013, after Baidu Navigation and AutoNavi Map successively announced that they would be free forever, Kailide was quickly taken down and never got up again.
If AutoNavi Map charges the C-end at this time, Baidu Map must be the happiest at this time, because it will be able to sit on the top spot in the industry without much effort. If the map software wants to make a profit, it can charge like B-end users, but charging with C-end is undoubtedly a lantern in the toilet - looking for death.
So since the map software has been losing money, why do Internet giants like BAT do it?
Because whether it is eating, drinking, and playing local life, warehousing, logistics, express delivery, smart city digital infrastructure, or intelligent driving in the future, maps are a crucial strategic highland. You can lose money, but you can't afford not to do it.
With the development of intelligent driving, map software is still expected to be profitable, but it will definitely not charge users, and car owners can put their hearts in their stomachs.