From knock-off old-man's electric vehicles to industrial giant

Chapter 221 A Dazzling Starlight, A Grand Opening (Part 1) (5k)

The new model from Xingchen has finally been finalized.

From a vague concept image to the unveiling of the concept car and the inside story revealed by an internet battle, the true face of the car has gradually been revealed to the public.

Even if it's just the tip of the iceberg, it still sparks endless imagination.

There was shock.

There are speculations.

There was more discussion and questioning.

The extended-range route has sparked widespread discussion, whereas in the past it would have been met with ridicule.

Outdated, simplistic, and superfluous technological approach.

Not only are industry insiders pessimistic about it, but ordinary consumers and enthusiasts can also offer their opinions on it.

However, this news was released simultaneously with a case study of a groundbreaking achievement that set a new record for the thermal efficiency of mass-produced engines in China.

Faced with this shocking revelation!

Even the executives from GAC Toyota, who were previously at odds with each other, have stopped responding.

Who can easily say that "the technology is simple"?
The week before the press conference.

The exhibition vehicles, including media exhibition vehicles, have been arranged for shipment nationwide. The first batch of hundreds of store test drive vehicles cannot cover all stores across the country, but they are distributed in the most densely populated and economically developed store locations, and will be unveiled simultaneously on the media public day the day before the press conference.

The preparations for related store events and display boards have been updated.

Billboards in commercial districts of major first- and second-tier cities have been quietly replaced with Xingchen Automotive's promotional materials. People test driving and purchasing cars in front of dealerships, as well as passersby strolling, enjoying entertainment, and dining, can all see a brand-new promotional concept image:

—The Starry Night L7 is about to be launched!

Including cinemas within the shopping district, several films achieved high ratings during the October holiday season, including "Never Say Die," "Chasing the Dragon," and "The Foreigner"...

An advertisement for Star Auto was inserted a minute before the movie started.

For offline marketing, we put in a lot of effort internally, purchasing a large number of advertising spaces.

Every billboard in a prime commercial district represents a significant investment of real money.

This traditional model, which is widely and subtly permeates the audience, includes not only young people who love browsing the internet, but also the vast majority of people who do not pay attention to public opinion, as well as the main consumer group aged 30 to 50. They passively receive this information and learn about the Starry Sky new car launch event.

The new car launch event is scheduled for October 25th, at 7 PM.

7 p.m. is the time when most people finish work and leisure activities. Whether they are students, office workers or the general population, they have free time to relax at this time, and this period is also more conducive to generating heated discussions on social media.

Choosing to launch on Thursday also allows time for offline experiences over the weekend. By leveraging trending topics on weekends to spread the word, those who have placed orders and are interested can arrange their weekend travel plans with minimal obstacles. Ideally, they can stay up all night to watch the launch event and then visit the offline store the next day, Friday or Saturday or Sunday. The whole process is perfectly planned.

On the 25th.

Xingchen Group Headquarters.

A grand event has begun.

The press conference attracted a large number of invited media outlets and visitors who came to participate in the exhibition.

Representatives from major official media outlets, online media, city leaders, business tycoons, investment institutions, and high-level executives from various supply chains that have partnered with Xingchen Automotive attended in person, including CEOs and senior executives from well-known domestic automakers such as Li Shufu of Geely, Wei Jianbing of Great Wall Motors, Wang Chuanfu of BYD, BAIC, SAIC, JAC, as well as emerging forces like NIO, XPeng, and WM Motor. Some in the internet industry also saw Lei Jun and Shen Wei, the CEO of Vivo, making appearances. The total number of attendees exceeded six or seven hundred, and the venue was packed.

Many media personnel present were shocked!
Everywhere you look, there are big shots!
If you just throw a stone down there, it could probably knock down several elites worth hundreds of millions!

Why did the Star Auto launch event garner such a large amount of attention?

In fact, just by looking at the models under Xingchen Motors, there are only two models, which have achieved sales of nearly 400,000 pure electric vehicles in a year. Among them, 300,000 are Xingchen Mini and more than 80,000 are Xingchen S7.

This sales volume might not seem like much in the realm of gasoline-powered vehicles, but in the realm of new energy vehicles, it's a record-breaking achievement!
This is something that no traditional car company in China can afford to ignore!

They're getting so many subsidies and carbon credits they're practically overwhelmed.

This has greatly excited the bigwigs of traditional automakers, who secretly lamented that they had previously underestimated the enormous potential of the new energy vehicle market.

Between last year and this year, Li Shufu promoted the establishment of a new energy high-end brand jointly by Geely and Volvo, namely Polestar. The brand's official announcement and the launch of its first model, Polestar 1, are also scheduled to be released simultaneously.

The original date was October 17th, but after learning that Xingchen Automotive was going to hold a new car launch event, he took the initiative to postpone the official announcement of the brand to the 30th of the month.

Even the name "Polarstar" was subject to internal debate during its approval process.

Actually, they had already decided on this brand name 15 years ago, but who could have imagined it?

With its "Polestar Battery," Xingchen Motors has made a name for itself in the new energy vehicle manufacturing field in just two years.

This made them internally feel that "Polestar cars" and "Polestar batteries" were similar products.

Even the car logo.

It also looks very similar to their initial logo design from 15, so much so that they had to make a series of modifications to the logo!

As Polestar Motors' sales continue to soar and it gains recognition for its battery technology, some senior executives in charge of the Polestar Motors project are heartbroken, lamenting that their luck has been snatched away!

It clashed with both the brand concept and the car logo!
Now that the Polestar brand has been launched, it will likely face another wave of criticism, possibly because someone inside leaked the brand concept information.

This discussion was quickly suppressed by Li Shufu.

What a joke.

It's just a coincidence in brand name and design; they're already undermining morale before the product has even launched.

There was absolutely no questioning about the leak.

The main reason is that, in his opinion, his own design team didn't have much originality at all. Take their car logo for example, it not only looks a lot like Starry Sky, but also like XPeng Motors!
XPeng was founded in 14.

Going back further, there's a car logo from Kowloon Motors that's almost identical to their internal Polestar logo, except for the addition of a circle.

To put it simply, when it comes to car logos, everyone tends to go for something simple and clear.

If something is made too complicated, it's hard for people to remember it at first glance, which is very detrimental to brand communication.

The simple patterns and lines are limited to a few types. If you look at hundreds of license plates around the world, you'll find that everyone's design is more or less the same.

Wang Chuanfu led his executives to the press conference venue, where they first bumped into Wei Jianbing and Li Fengying from Great Wall Motors. The two sides exchanged pleasantries.

With Starlight's subsidiary, Weineng, announcing the external supply of its first-generation Polestar batteries and its partnership with Yutong Bus, BYD's bus and battery businesses are feeling external pressure.

Great Wall Motors happens to have a strategy for its first plug-in hybrid vehicle, and Wang Chuanfu is interested in facilitating cooperation between the two parties. If Great Wall Motors can purchase their hybrid system or power battery, it would be a powerful alliance. All companies have put their strategies of investing heavily in the new energy vehicle market into the open, but each company has its own ideas on how to implement them and how to expand its market share.

Wang Chuanfu knew that Great Wall Motors preferred to develop its own technology, so he could only try his best to show goodwill and strive to facilitate cooperation on one or two models. This would at least further expand BYD's influence in the industry regarding batteries and hybrid technology.

Soon, he saw Li Shufu and others from Geely.

"Mr. Li, I heard you're launching a new brand this month?" Wang Chuanfu greeted him with a smile. There had been recent news about Geely's new energy brand coming soon, but it hadn't been officially announced yet, so he knew about it.

Li Shufu saw him and said, "Yes, our Polestar Motors was originally scheduled to launch on the 17th, but since Star Auto has a launch event, we simply postponed it."

“Polarstar Motors…that name is rather coincidental.” Wang Chuanfu looked thoughtful.

“Haha, I also feel it’s quite a coincidence, but our Polestar is ‘Polestar’, not ‘Star’. If you trace it back, the originality is still very high.” Li Shufu laughed twice, and then went on to talk about the idea behind the creation of this car, seriously stating the “originality” of his company.

Polestar was originally a Swedish car brand.

The earliest origins can be traced back to the Swedish racing team Polestar Racing, which was founded in 1996. In July 2015, Volvo acquired the Polestar brand and company, establishing it as a separate high-performance division.

Now in 17, both parties are interested in creating a high-end electric vehicle brand, so they used the name "Polestar," a high-performance division with racing attributes.

“We are targeting the international high-end market, and we will not cause any conflict with Xingchen Motors,” Li Shufu added.

The Polestar 1 is only planned to be produced in 500 units, and it will be sold internationally by leveraging Volvo's influence and channels. If it were to be sold in China, the price would be at least 1.4 million yuan. We don't expect to sell many units; we can only say that we'll make a name for ourselves first.

By promoting the concept and technology of high-end new energy vehicles, and then developing a few affordable models to boost sales, the brand can be considered an "internationally renowned brand" when it returns to China. After all, it's easier to succeed with a foreign brand!

"This positioning is a good attempt, but the domestic new energy vehicle market is developing quite rapidly. If Xingchen's new car launch performs well in the market, the pace of attacking from the top down might be too slow," Wang Chuanfu said pointedly.

Xingchen Motors' R&D capabilities are evident to all. They're almost superhuman.

To be fair, Wang Chuanfu was also very interested to see Xingchen's exploration strategy in high-end new energy vehicles.

Judging from the leaked information about its six seats and dimensions, this car is likely priced at least 25 yuan or more.

Their painstakingly developed "Tang DM" has been struggling to gain traction in the high-end market, and its performance at this price point is showing signs of decline.

If a blockbuster model emerges in the mid-to-high-end price range of domestically produced new energy vehicles to set an example, then they won't need to rack their brains so much; at least they'll have a benchmark!
My current mindset is very strange.

It will be unveiled close to the press conference.

I'm worried that Starry Night won't sell well, but I'm also worried that it will sell too well!
...

“That’s true. Following the promotional pace of international brands tends to be slower.” Li Shufu was struck by this and began to think about it subconsciously.

Polestar has plans for an overseas listing, so it would be a bit weak to place all the hopes of the group’s high-end new energy vehicle strategy on this car. Moreover, they do not hold a full controlling stake, only half of the shares. Their control and decision-making also need to take into account the opinions of the Volvo team, which is not very efficient.

As for Geely New Energy, I didn't have any hope for it at all. I just wanted to use the Geely name to aggressively target the low-end market!

"Mr. Li, I see that your Lynk & Co brand is doing quite well. Why not expand the Lynk & Co brand to include a high-performance new energy vehicle model? That would be a great idea," Wang Chuanfu said with a laugh, half-jokingly.

Last year, Lynk & Co was officially launched in Berlin, Germany, and the near-production Lynk & Co 01 received excellent exposure at the mid-year auto show.

Geely, after all, has Volvo's technology and this year went all in to acquire Lotus sports cars, which greatly supplements its brand and technology in sports cars. The consumer market is also buying it. Although it has not been fully launched and sold, it already has a considerable number of orders, and even the factory is in full operation.

"No, that won't do!"

Unexpectedly, these words alerted Li Shufu.

Good guy.

You old bastard, you're trying to sabotage me, aren't you?
Do they have no idea how much effort they've put into the Lynk & Co brand?
We've finally achieved such momentum and order volume.

How can you just gamble it all in the new energy vehicle market?
If we fail, wouldn't we lose our brand reputation for nothing?

"Ahem... I was just saying." Wang Chuanfu felt a little embarrassed when he saw the other person suddenly twitch.

Knowing the surge in pressure brought about by Geely's strategic expansion, new business investment, and short-term acquisitions this year, and with its debt ratio of up to 70% being publicly questioned by the media and capital markets, it's understandable that Geely is on edge.

“However, Mr. Wang, your suggestion is still very good.” Li Shufu calmed down.

Just then, An Conghui suggested, "President Li, the domestic new energy market is developing so rapidly, why don't we create a sub-brand? So as not to miss the opportunity for development."

Li Shufu casually replied, "It's not impossible."

That's very abstract.

For any car company, launching a separate sub-brand is an extremely cautious undertaking.

But now he just blurted it out.

Establishing a sub-brand will inevitably disperse resources and consume huge amounts of money, just like having a son and having to raise him.

But Geely doesn't think so.

Having more sons makes it easier to fight; having more sons means having more options!
Li Shufu's mind was racing. Even though the press conference hadn't officially started yet, he still felt a sense of urgency as he arrived at the venue today, given Xingchen Automotive's rapid rise.

Moreover, the reluctance to brand this domestic new energy vehicle brand under Lynk & Co. stems not only from a desire to avoid risks, but also from other considerations.

That is because Lynk & Co is jointly owned by Geely and Volvo. If it also succeeds in producing new energy vehicles, it will have to share profits with Volvo. The same applies to Polestar.

The technology has now been largely absorbed and adapted.

He still secretly wanted to create a completely independent sub-brand and experiment with it.

He couldn't help but think of combining the group's two leading high-end gasoline and new energy vehicle brands: "Polestar... Lynk & Co... Hmm, how about calling the high-end new energy brand targeting the domestic market 'Polestar'?!"

"What a great name!"

An Conghui praised him.

The two parties chatted as they walked, and after arriving at the press conference venue and taking their seats, Wang Chuanfu couldn't help but interject, "Lynk & Co, Jike...aren't they too similar?"

"How about we change '克' to the traditional Chinese character, or the character for '氪' (kè), which represents a chemical element? After all, new energy vehicles symbolize electrification, so how about calling it 'Extreme Kè'?" Li Shufu asked.

"That's a good name," Wang Chuanfu nodded.

The two sides chatted casually, quietly waiting for the press conference to begin.

Looking around.

There were many familiar faces in the front row, including high-ranking leaders, and media and local TV stations had set up their own spots.

Even CCTV sent a special camera crew.

……

Backstage.

Xu Yi drank a hot coconut latte to moisten his throat.

Last time I went on stage, it was too rushed. I didn't drink any water for an hour or two beforehand, so my throat was dry after I finished speaking.

He quickly scanned the press conference speech prepared by the marketing department. Most of the speech had been rehearsed in advance, and a teleprompter was also prepared, so this was not a difficult task for Xu Yi.

He has a natural talent for public speaking; after rehearsing it beforehand, he can almost perfectly memorize the content of his speech at the press conference.

Yu Nian repeatedly checked the equipment on site to ensure it was in good working order, while the operations staff simultaneously launched official live streams on various websites to generate buzz for the brand's opening.

"Mr. Xu, it's almost time."

"Okay, let's go."

Xu Yi stood up.

He was wearing a casual shirt and khaki casual pants, with a clean and neat overall style, much more casual than last time, both in terms of clothing and mindset.

This is a kind of deep-rooted confidence that brings about a sense of fulfillment.

Today it is today.

Xingchen Automotive is not a greenhorn that has just entered the car manufacturing field, nor is it a company that relies solely on its low-cost models in the lower-tier market to survive. Instead, it is a brand that can truly stand in the spotlight across the country and lead the industry's development trend.

6:59.

The discussion continued in the venue, and people from all walks of life were still exchanging ideas. Just then, the lights above their heads gradually dimmed, and the entire venue was suddenly plunged into darkness.

The sounds of people talking and discussing were interrupted for two seconds.

The crowd booed, their eyes wide with disbelief!
They couldn't help but look at the stage and the pitch-black surroundings!
Suddenly.

A tiny fluorescent glow appeared, reflecting on the faces of the people below. A small fluorescent light lit up the canopy above their heads. As the first light illuminated, more and more fluorescent lights appeared on the canopy, like stars being lit up in a dark and silent universe. The starlight flowed, and the lights and fluorescent glow on the canopy moved together, converging towards the super screen on the stage.

The large screen then lit up, connecting with the spotlights and the vast starlight projected from the sky, ultimately converging into a rotating sea of ​​stars, magnificent and endlessly flowing.

Under the starlight, the promotional message for today's press conference slowly appeared on the large screen:

—A dazzling, grand opening!

...

When Xu Yi arrived on stage, he first saw the leaders and industry acquaintances in the front row. Of course, there were also many people he had never met before, or even knew. Those sitting in the back rows were not visible due to the lighting. Xu Yi could only smile and nod to them, greet them, and then stroll to the center of the stage.

"Good evening, everyone. Welcome to the new car launch event of Xingchen Automotive... I am Xu Yi."

……

(End of this chapter)