[Introduction: In the "Daya" of the "Book of Songs", there is "the truth is pulled out first", in the dark, this may be the answer to the current Honda to clear the fog in the Chinese auto market. In the face of the wave of electrification and intelligence, Honda, like all multinational car giants, is also experiencing the pains of transformation, but the more complex the current automotive world, the more it needs to abandon the vanity and superficial confusion, return to the essence and original intention, and stick to the true self, in order to survive in fact. With the needs of Chinese users as the core and technology empowering products, Honda has gathered leading technical resources to accelerate its progress on the new track, hoping to provide Chinese consumers with a new value experience of "better driving", "more interesting" and "more stylish". 】
Written by Li Suwan, edited by He Zi
Accelerating or decelerating on the new track of electric vehicles? Standing at the crossroads of the once-in-a-century transformation of the automotive industry, unlike Ford, General Motors, Mercedes-Benz and other European and American car giants who are currently pressing the deceleration button for electrification, Honda has chosen to accelerate.
Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (China) Investment Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as "Honda China"), which has always been low-key, has just delivered an answer sheet in the Chinese market, which has the fastest electrification speed, clearly conveying Honda's mature thinking on the future of mobility and its attitude of not catering to and not flattering in the face of the hustle and bustle of the car market. The new platform and other comprehensive evolution, while inheriting Honda's pure genes, with excellent technology and innovation that adheres to the bottom line of safety, the fun of electric driving has been sublimated again, making electric more Honda, and vowing to carry out the goal of full electrification in China by 2035.
On April 16, at the launch of Honda's new electric brand in China with the theme of "Inspiring Authenticity", "Ye" appeared as the protagonist. Three new models of the "Ye" brand, "Ye S7", "Ye P7" and "Ye GT CONCEPT", made their world premieres. Masayuki Igarashi, head of Honda's China headquarters, said that the Ye S7 and Ye P7 are the first models of the Ye brand and are scheduled to be launched at the end of 2024, and the Ye GT Concept is the second model of the Ye brand, which is scheduled to be mass-produced and launched in 2025. By 2027, the "Ye" brand will launch 6 models.
"Ye" means "bright and shining", as financial writer Wu Xiaobo said at the press conference, Ye is a powerful attempt for Honda to stick to its original intention and face change.
The "Ye" brand is tailor-made for the Chinese market
Honda's electrification seems to be slow, but in fact, it sticks to its true self, clears the fog, sees the subtleties, digs into the origin of things, and looks for an exit to truly break through.
At present, China's automobile industry rolled out of the new sky, this year in China's auto market will be about 200 new cars to launch the news, the competition is extremely fierce, not only the price, but also the technology, marketing...... The abrupt pace of changes from product to marketing has put multinational auto giants under pressure, and their share of the Chinese auto market has been shrinking, even the strong Japanese and German auto companies are no exception.
In response to the shrinking market share of gasoline-powered vehicles in China and the expansion of the market share of new energy vehicles, Honda is taking measures to respond to changes in the environment. Masayuki Igarashi said that from the perspective of management, Honda now has two strategies: the first is to quickly respond to the current situation of expanding the market share of new energy vehicles, and the second is that the sales of fuel vehicles are declining significantly, and it will consider whether to make adjustments in terms of productivity. He admitted that Honda China has recognized that the layout of new energy products is a bit slow compared to the market, and hopes to accelerate the promotion of electrification strategy through new brands and new platforms.
Following the launch of the all-new pure electric brand "e:N" in 2021, Honda once again took the initiative in China and launched a new round of offensive under the new "Ye" brand. "Next, the 'Ye' brand and the e:N brand coexist, which is our sincerity, and we are full of confidence in this. Igarashi Masayuki said. The "Ye" brand will have 6 new models, which is the planning of the product camp, and then it will be combined with the launch time to add added value to these 6 new models in line with the positioning.
Masayuki Igarashi pointed out that the difference between the "Ye" brand and the "e:N" brand is mainly based on the platform. The "e:N" brand is based on the front-wheel drive platform, which is mainly used in small and medium-sized vehicles to achieve "human-vehicle-integrated" agile and agile driving performance, and the "Ye" brand is a newly developed rear-wheel drive and four-wheel drive platform for the Chinese market, which is a new platform for the new generation of electric vehicles: intelligent and efficient pure electric "W" architecture. In addition, there is also a difference between the "Ye" brand and the "Honda 0", which also focuses on electrification, the "Ye" brand is a new electric brand developed specifically for China, which is built by integrating China's resources and technology, inheriting Honda's "MM concept" and "fun of handling" and other consistent car manufacturing concepts, and implementing the brand accumulation of high quality, safety and peace of mind; "Honda 0" is a series with a global premise and will be launched in North America in 2026. The brand will be developed first in China.
In the case that "e:N" failed to successfully leverage the Chinese electric vehicle market, the "Ye" brand made up for it in time, and it was the first in the world to use the new "H" logo exclusive to the new generation of electric vehicles, demonstrating Honda's determination to accelerate the electrification transformation in China. In order to be closer to the needs of Chinese consumers, the R&D team of the "Ye" brand is a team of Chinese engineers mainly composed of post-90s, and in order to enhance its competitiveness in the Chinese market, Honda has embraced Chinese suppliers with a more open mind, and local companies such as CATL, Huawei, Hangsheng and iFLYTEK have appeared in the list of Chinese suppliers of the new brand "Ye".
From Honda China's point of view, the Chinese automotive industry, including suppliers, is indeed at the forefront of electrification technology, and autonomous driving and intelligent technology are also relatively strong.
In the electric era, the "technology" is surging again
However, Honda, which has always been known for its technology, has been working with Chinese suppliers in a more open manner, while still insisting on holding its core technology in its hands.
In the era of fuel vehicles, "one Honda, Honda for life", Honda's durability, technological innovation and excellent performance will make people have deep feelings for the Honda brand, but the current consumer views are changing, will Honda's previous word-of-mouth advantage continue to the era of electric vehicles?
"Technological innovation" is undoubtedly a weapon for differentiated competition and an entrance to attract traffic, but if it is too aggressive, it will bury many hidden dangers. Some new power car companies are in a hurry to succeed and rely on the sky to show off their skills and take away a lot of orders, but the frequent safety accidents will also make the enterprises that use immature technology taste the consequences, and will eventually eat themselves. Enterprises that adhere to long-termism, unremitting innovation and reverence for car manufacturing have the opportunity to find a broader world through the fog of the market.
Tetsuya Miyahara, executive deputy general manager of Honda China, said that now, the competition of electric vehicles in the Chinese auto market is very fierce, especially fast charging, batteries, etc., and OEMs in various fields are vigorously developing these advanced technologies, of course, Honda is also developing and has its own ideas and promotion plans. "But in the process, we fully consider that Honda's principles are: we must adhere to safety and quality, which is our unwavering philosophy. On this basis, we will accelerate it in a planned way. As for how to deal with the current atmosphere of Chinese roll technology, Tetsuya Miyahara clarified Honda's attitude.
Tetsuya Miyahara also said that Honda is working hard to develop all-solid-state batteries, which will be installed in new models between 2025 and 2030. Honda is fully aware that solid-state batteries are an important technology for the next generation of electric vehicles, and will promote the development and installation of the technology based on the concept of "safety and security".
Inheriting Honda's consistent car-making philosophy, the all-new brand "Ye" gathers the world's leading Chinese technology and superior resources, and integrates Honda's latest technology to provide Chinese consumers with a new value experience of "better driving", "more fun" and "more stylish".
One of the technological advancements of "Ye", which inherits Honda's sports genes, is the adoption of Honda's intelligent and efficient pure electric "W" architecture for the new generation of pure electric vehicles created for Chinese consumers. 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 and high-density batteries, and a specially designed split isolated battery cooling system is used to protect the battery safety from the inside to the outside; The 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 exciting and interesting personalized customized driving experience.
In addition, the "Ye" brand gives "vitality" to the car with advanced active AI intelligence, bringing an emotional and energetic smart experience, providing consumers with a comfortable and immersive mobility space, and the design language representing "one touch of the future" will make the new model more stylish.
Although there is not much window left for new electric vehicle brands in the current market, the "Ye" brand is still having the opportunity to compete for a place from the cracks, thanks to Honda's strong R&D strength, profound technical skills and abundant funds.
Comments
China's auto market is changing so fast that global multinational auto giants are generally facing unprecedented challenges in China. A new car-making force like Xiaomi, its first new car Xiaomi SU7 has nearly 90,000 orders in just one day on the market, which is incredible for traditional fuel car companies, but the reality is so cruel that electric vehicles are eating away at the market share of fuel vehicles out of control. Honda is still firmly committed to full electrification, especially in China, to actively respond to the rapidly changing market environment, launch the "Ye" brand, and accelerate localization in terms of R&D, design, supply chain, etc., so that the new car of this brand will be launched in less than a year. Honda, which has 18 million users in China, adheres to its own car-making philosophy and dares to compete, and continues to create new value experiences for more users, and is expected to run at "China speed" in the field of electric vehicles.
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