China's auto market has undoubtedly entered the era of new energy, and with the emergence of many excellent products, "volume" to the extreme has become the best way for everyone to deal with competing products. In this context, many domestic car companies are relying on the lane change and overtaking of the new energy track to complete the transformation, and the traditional joint venture manufacturers that dominate the era of fuel vehicles have long been eyeing the new energy market.
For example, Japanese brands, which used to be slow to heat up in the process of electrification, have made frequent moves in recent years. In particular, Honda's pace of electrification is more bold and aggressive than Toyota's clear banner of "hybrid".
On April 16, Honda China's new electric brand launch event was held in Wukesong, Beijing, and the new electric brand "Ye" was officially launched for the Chinese market. The three new models of the "Ye" brand, Ye S7, Ye P7 and Ye GT CONCEPT, will make their world premiere, the first two will be launched at the end of 2024, and the Ye GT CONCEPT will achieve mass production in 2025. It is worth noting that Honda plans to launch a total of six models by 2027 and achieve 100% electric vehicles by 2035.
There is no doubt that the "Ye" brand is in an important position in Honda's electrification plan. This can be seen from the naming, the word "fire" next to the word "Hua", the official interpretation of it means "bright, shining", aiming to "let the driver enjoy the fun of driving, release the deep desire of the heart, so that everyone's personality can shine, stimulate the authenticity." Judging from Honda's action of launching an electric brand for the Chinese market, it can actually show Honda's ambitions and hopes for China's new energy market.
Of course, the domestic new energy vehicle market is getting more and more powerful, and the entry of technology giants such as Huawei and Xiaomi has made the competition in this field even more treacherous, but Honda is obviously also ready, for example, in terms of technology, the "Ye" brand adopts Honda's new generation of pure electric vehicles for Chinese consumers to create a new generation of intelligent and efficient pure electric "W" architecture, to achieve further sublimation of electric driving fun.
Specifically, the "W" architecture is equipped with a "three-in-one" high-power drive motor and an integrated die-cast all-aluminum shell for large-capacity, high-density batteries, and a specially designed split isolated battery cooling system to protect the battery from the inside to the outside. At the same time, the "W" architecture is available in two drive forms: single-motor rear-wheel drive and dual-motor four-wheel drive. Among them, single-motor rear-wheel drive relies on high-power rear-wheel drive motors to achieve 50:50 weight distribution between the front and rear, while dual-motor four-wheel drive relies on two sets of high-power drive motors at the front and rear, with electronic suspension, and accurately distributes the power of the front and rear wheels according to different road conditions and driving needs. The chassis is a suspension with double wishbones in the front and 5-link in the rear with a high degree of freedom of setting, and Honda's sport-level tuning technology can better filter out bumps in the road. In addition, the "W" architecture provides highly scalable FoD services, which can be selected according to personal preferences for a variety of different driving modes or exclusive function settings, bringing a more interesting and personalized customized driving experience.
Returning to the product, the "Ye S7" and "Ye P7" that were launched at the end of this year are undoubtedly the focus of everyone's attention. The style of these two cars is also distinct, with a lot of sharp lines and many geometric elements in the overall shape. The "Ye S7" and "Ye P7" reflect two different personalities through the detailed design of the front face and tail. "Ye S7" is more flat and gathered, with stronger dynamics, highlighting the beauty of passion and vitality. "Ye P7" is more inclined to expand at the left and right ends, more concise and concise, highlighting the beauty of simplicity and wisdom.
In terms of the ride experience in the car, the two cars are also more comfortable. The "Ye S7" and "Ye P7" are equipped with high-grade soundproofing materials and technologies at the level of luxury cars, bringing a highly quiet driving environment. At the same time, the high-damping seats of the luxury car level are more ergonomically designed, making the driver and passengers more relaxed and comfortable. It is worth noting that inheriting Honda's "MM concept" and "space magic" technology, these two cars can also bring a better space experience.
In terms of power, the "Ye S7" and "Ye P7" inherit Honda's car-making experience and sports genes, and are equipped with a "three-in-one" high-power drive motor and a large-capacity and high-density battery with an integrated die-casting shell, providing two drive forms: single-motor rear-wheel drive and dual-motor four-wheel drive, so that consumers can drive happily. In addition, under the "W" architecture, the two cars can also better filter the bumps on the road, and at the same time reduce roll when cornering, greatly improving the vehicle's pitch suppression ability, which largely solves the pain point of pure electric vehicles that are prone to motion sickness.
Write at the end
All in all, the new electric brand "Ye" released by Honda is still quite interesting, although in the new energy track, the joint venture brand is indeed more than the domestic car half a beat, but the new competition has just begun, and whether the "Ye" brand can stand out in the market, we also look forward to the real listing of follow-up products.