What's wrong with me being a rich man?

Chapter 502 Speaking Frankly
The mobile internet is brewing even fiercer competition.

This matter has even become known in other industries.

Yu Xing visited BYD and received a warm welcome. On the first day, due to time constraints, everyone ate, drank, and chatted. Naturally, he was asked about the competition of silicon carbon data in short videos.

He didn't expect the boatman to care about this: "It's just normal competition. The team from Silicon Carbon Data is busy, and the competition is fierce, but it seems to be going well for now."

Wang Chuanfu didn't understand mobile internet, but since he happened to have an appointment and knew it was being held in Shenzhen, he inquired about the situation.

The following day, he accompanied Yu Xing, along with Luo Hongbin, who was in charge of the Engineering Research Institute, to visit BYD's production line. They also test-drove the upcoming new model, "Tang," which will debut at the Guangzhou Auto Show at the end of the year and be released early next year.

BYD has high hopes for this car.

As Wang Chuanfu got into the car, he said, "President Yu, why don't you give us some feedback, the kind that's frank and outspoken?"

Yu Xingzhi laughed.

The BYD Tang is the first product of the "542" strategy. It is a 4WD vehicle with a speed of 5 seconds and a fuel consumption of only 2L per 100 kilometers. We talked about it at dinner last night. Its positioning with a guide price of around 270,000 yuan is also a breakthrough for BYD.

Of course, that's the guide price. In reality, with the national and local subsidies added, and no purchase tax, the final price is around 20 yuan.

The domestic subsidy is 3.15 yuan, and local governments like Shanghai and Shenzhen provide matching subsidies of 3.15 yuan on a 1:1 basis. This policy is clear and was also a factor considered by the Silicon Carbon Group when discussing pricing.

Yu Xing test-drove the vehicle and praised BYD's groundbreaking product repeatedly.

As one of the people in charge of "Tang", Luo Hongbin, who was also in the car, was overjoyed.

Wang Chuanfu was equally pleased, but more composed. After driving a few more laps, he said, "President Yu, please stop praising me. I wanted to ask for your feedback today. From what you're saying, this car is perfect. How can such a thing be?"

“I think it’s great,” Yu Xing said with a smile. “It feels like a perfect hybrid version of the S6, with plenty of power and good fuel economy.”

The S6 was BYD's first SUV model launched in 2011, with an exterior similar to the Lexus RX. Although the Tang's exterior and interior have been adjusted, it still inherits a lot from the S6.

“Mr. Yu, that's exactly what we're saying. We still need your guidance.” Wang Chuanfu adopted a humble attitude. “We're both in the new energy industry. Is there anything you can't say or I can't listen to?”

When Luo Hongbin heard the BOSS say this, although he was a little skeptical, he still chimed in and agreed.

BYD has encountered setbacks in the past two years. Whether it is the upcoming gasoline version of the S7 or the hybrid Tang, they all carry the company's hopes for a turnaround. The Tang, in particular, is subject to subsidies and also bears the task of pushing up prices.

Yu Xing declined several times, but seeing that the boatman seemed genuine, he pondered for a moment and said, "Then I'll just say a few words, purely from the perspective of a customer."

Wang Chuanfu nodded seriously, while Luo Hongbin glanced at President Yu, who was driving, and was surprised to find that he actually had something to say.

“The domestic subsidy policy is very good, and the SUV market has been experiencing explosive growth in the past two years. If the Tang sells for 20 yuan next year, it can compete with both high-end domestic cars and low-end joint venture cars. There is room for growth,” Yu Xing said, discussing the target of market competition.

The SUV market around 20 yuan is dominated by joint venture brands. The four models, Tiguan, X-Trail, CR-V, and Envision, account for 70% of the market share, with other models sharing the remaining 30%.

The Tang is positioned in the price range of high-end domestically produced models to low-end joint venture models.

Wang Chuanfu was still listening.

Luo Hongbin said, "Yes, Mr. Yu, we believe our power system will have a significant competitive advantage."

"The powertrain is a crucial factor in the competition between new energy vehicles and gasoline vehicles." Yu Xing agreed with this point, adding, "But compared to the four brands of Volkswagen, Nissan, Honda, and Buick, if we want to achieve better sales, we need to offer more."

Upon hearing the names of the four brands, Wang Chuanfu knew that President Yu had carefully studied the market, as these were precisely the competitors that "Tang" was focusing on.

“BYD’s headquarters are in Shenzhen.” Yu Xing changed the subject with a smile, “So, when I touched the car, I was a little puzzled.”

Luo Hongbin, who had put a lot of effort into Tang, said somewhat resentfully, "President Yu, I would like to hear the details."

"Since the price is this high, and you're doing research and development here, why don't you add seat ventilation to this seat?" Yu Xing had already pulled over and was touching the seat when he asked, "In the south, wouldn't it be less stuffy when driving for long periods of time if you added seat ventilation?"

Luo Hongbin was taken aback: "This..."

Shenzhen's geographical environment, besides its long hot season, also makes it prone to sauna-like days.

Based on this logic, seat ventilation would be a very practical feature.

As for why there isn't one...

Seeing that Luo Hongbin didn't give him an answer, Yu Xing didn't dwell on it and continued, "When I got in the car just now, I adjusted the seat a few times. It's really nice that it's adjustable, but the seat cushion is a bit low and flat. When I sat in the back just now, I felt that my thighs didn't have much support. The front seats can be adjusted, but the back seats are indeed not very comfortable."

He touched the material again, squeezed it carefully, and asked, "The faux leather material is fine, but the padding inside feels a bit hard, and the side support doesn't seem quite enough. If you keep it open for a long time, your back might get tired easily." Seeing that President Yu was about to launch into a barrage of questions, Luo Hongbin said somewhat reluctantly, "President Yu, you're very observant."

Yu Xing chuckled: "Actually, that's about all I'm not satisfied with; everything else is great."

He lightly pressed the accelerator to continue driving forward.

“Mr. Yu, don’t listen to him,” Wang Chuanfu said, then asked Luo Hongbin in the passenger seat, “Doesn’t the car owner pay attention when using the car? It’s the best thing that Mr. Yu can give us feedback.”

Luo Hongbin's reply was an instinctive one, but upon hearing the BOSS's voice, he suddenly realized his mistake and quickly apologized, "President Yu, that's not what I meant. I just thought you had a very keen eye. Indeed, these are points we overlooked. We did consider the seat ventilation before, but... uh, that..."

“The parts are universal, but they’re not on the S6, right?” Yu Xing laughed. “If we want to add them, we’ll have to make a new mold.”

Luo Hongbin's silence is the answer.

“But the new S6 is at most less than 130,000 yuan, while the Tang’s guide price is already over 200,000 yuan. I know that many luxury cars, including those in the same price range, do not have it, or offer it as an option.” Yu Xing said, “I don’t know if the Tang can be equipped with it as an option, but from the perspective of a car owner, my car is a bit lacking without it.”

Wang Chuanfu stated directly, "There are no optional accessories."

Yu Xing nodded slightly, casually adjusted the air conditioner, and said, "It would be much more convenient if there was a knob for adjusting the airflow."

Luo Hongbin suddenly felt that Shenzhen was quite hot today, and he felt like sweating.

"This car infotainment system uses Microsoft's CE. Hmm, there's nothing in the app store, just Bluetooth. The navigation uses Careland." Yu Xing fiddled with the screen a couple of times and said, "Careland isn't very good. We tried it when we were considering car navigation, but the navigation wasn't accurate, so we ruled it out."

He opened Careland and chuckled, "This Careland is a stripped-down version, isn't it? There's no 'K-Friend Interaction' feature."

Careland offers different versions for in-vehicle infotainment systems. For example, the "K-Friend Interaction" version has congestion warnings and accident alerts. The stripped-down version not only lacks these functions but also lacks online map updates and cloud synchronization. To upgrade, users need to manually download map packages via SD card and update.

Silicon Carbon Group has conducted detailed comparisons of different car navigation systems, so they naturally know the situation.

Luo Hongbin's voice unconsciously softened: "Mm."

"Mr. Wang, let's drive back." Seeing Mr. Luo's reaction, Yu Xing felt it was better to stop there.

"President Yu, it's a rare opportunity for us to have a face-to-face exchange today," Wang Chuanfu said again. "We welcome any criticism and would absolutely love to hear your suggestions. Your feedback is a great help!"

Yu Xing sighed helplessly, "President Wang, I didn't mean to offer any suggestions, I was just chatting casually, and I really don't have anything else to say."

He placed his hand on the center console and said, "Hmm, this kind of slush molding is made of PVC resin, right? If we could use TPU, the feel would be more like natural leather, but it would be a bit more expensive."

Yu Xing gave a heads-up: "Mr. Wang, we plan to compare the differences between PVC and TPU materials at our press conference. It won't be because I saw you using this material here."

Wang Chuanfu immediately replied, "Of course, Mr. Yu, please feel free to speak your mind."

"Oh, what do you mean by 'speaking freely'? I was just chatting casually." Yu Xing turned to look at the boatman and suddenly said with a hint of surprise, "Hmm? Doesn't this car have a one-touch power window?"

"..." Wang Chuanfu's voice was also a little muffled, "No."

Yu Xing nodded: "Then it probably doesn't have an anti-pinch function either, right?"

Wang Chuanfu took a light breath: "No."

Yu Xing turned around, then lightly pressed the accelerator and said, "Mr. Wang, let's go back and talk. We can even have a smoke in the office."

Luo Hongbin silently moved his throat, and suddenly felt a sense of relief.

Yu Xing drove for a few seconds, reached out to press the screen but then canceled the action, and laughed: "The return button on this car's infotainment system is in the upper right corner. The person who designed it must not drive. I'm almost 1.8 meters tall and I can't press it in one go."

Luo Hongbin, in the passenger seat, quietly helped the car's infotainment system return from the map to the main interface.

While driving, Yu Xing said, "I had a meeting with the company in Lingang and made a request. I hope that the cars made of carbon silicon are designed to be of quality for 30+ yuan, rather than thinking that the actual selling price after subsidies is 20+ yuan. This is actually a car worth 20+ yuan. I want them to focus more on the needs of car owners and strive for excellence."

Wang Chuanfu said sincerely, "President Yu, you came to the right place today. We have benefited a lot. I will bring more people to exchange ideas next time I go to Lingang."

Luo Hongbin echoed this sentiment, and as the conversation shifted to the Lingang press conference, he subconsciously rolled down the car window.

He took a breath and leaned back, only to suddenly realize that a fine layer of sweat had unknowingly appeared on his back.

The autumn wind blew in, and sweat seeped through the clothes and onto the seat, creating a resonance that made the seat need ventilation.

(End of this chapter)