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

Chapter 229 Sharpening the Knife for a Joint Venture...

This time, the trending topic is more impactful than ever before.

Especially in today's market dominated by joint venture luxury cars, domestically produced cars have always been a symbol of transportation for low- and middle-income groups.

As for domestically produced new energy vehicles, let's not even mention them.

The technological approach feels like an experiment.

Without subsidies or aggressive promotion, it is rejected by most consumers.

What if the battery ages? What if the electric vehicle catches fire? Even if it doesn't age or catch fire, this thing has only been around for a few years. Can it be compared to the heritage and stability of traditional gasoline vehicles?

The market for gasoline-powered cars, ranging from tens of thousands to millions of yuan, is spread all over the world. But for new energy vehicles, there are very few priced at three to five hundred thousand yuan.

Criticism has always been present.

The order data released by Xingchen Automotive today is tantamount to a slap in the face to these people.

"I watched the entire launch event for the Xingchen L7, and yesterday I even went to the Xingchen dealership to see the actual car. Although I didn't get a chance to test drive it, I have to say that the overall appearance of this car is really good, and the configuration is impressive. I can hardly believe that it was made in China..."

Some people sighed sincerely.

"Indeed, if you changed the logo, this car would really have the feel of a high-end car. It's amazing that it has this many orders!"

...

"I disagree. Putting aside whether the order data is inflated or not, this car feels completely out of place. It's eligible for new energy vehicle subsidies, yet it has a fuel tank and an engine. Don't you think that's strange? If I had 300,000 yuan, I definitely wouldn't buy a car like this. Wouldn't a Mercedes or BMW be better?"

"The fuel tank and engine shouldn't be affected, right? This car's main strength is its features and design. At this price point, you won't find anything with air suspension and a 0-100 km/h acceleration of 4.9 seconds. Do you know how much it would cost to get this configuration from a BBA (BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Audi)? Five hundred thousand, seven hundred thousand wouldn't be enough..."

"Brother, configuration isn't everything. If BBA (BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Audi) were to play the configuration comparison game with you, would they still be BBA? If you value that, it means you're no longer BBA's target customer. To put it bluntly, most people with this kind of thinking are poor and can't afford BBA."

"Excuse me, what kind of car do you drive?"

"I drive a Geely Emgrand, but I'm picking up my BMW 3 Series at the end of the month—the Midnight Edition."

"I drive a 7 Series."

Two pictures were posted in the comments section.

The tit-for-tat responses came to an abrupt end, leaving a subtle sense of absurd realism.

However, this is just the tip of the iceberg. While Xingchen Auto attracted a lot of attention, it was followed by a flood of questions and discussions. Some questioned the authenticity of its sales data, others questioned the reliability of its technology route, and still others simply spoke without evidence, making grand pronouncements that domestic car brands could not support sales at this price point.

In short, it's wrong for domestically produced cars to sell for 300,000 yuan; selling them at a high price is a crime!
Huang Yongqiang closely monitored Xingchen Motors' movements. When he saw the publicly available order data, his eyes widened. Since their feud over hydrogen energy, the two brands had been locked in a head-to-head confrontation.

"Bullshit! Data fabrication! Anyone can fill in order data!"

I don't believe it from the bottom of my heart.

In his view, it was impossible for Xingchen Motors to have such a high number of orders; there must be some exaggeration involved.

He typed a message, intending to start a Weibo group mockery.

But think about it.

After much hesitation, I deleted it.

Having been slapped in the face twice before, which left a bit of a shadow, Xingchen Motors always manages to launch a counterattack from an unexpected angle and win the battle of public opinion.

Not only did he not benefit, but his stock price and brand reputation were also damaged, even though he believed it was not his fault.

Huang Yongqiang was caught in a dilemma, torn between whether to issue a statement or not. If he didn't issue one, he would feel frustrated and unable to resolve his inner turmoil; if he did issue one, he would have many concerns. He kept going back and forth like this.

Just then, the secretary came in and reported some sales data: "Mr. Huang, Highlander sales broke a new record at the end of October, exceeding 11,000 units. It is expected that after November and December, the total sales of Highlander this year will exceed 110,000 units, which has exceeded the target we set in the first half of the year."

These words eased Huang Yongqiang's intense frustration, and his tightly furrowed brows relaxed immediately.

"Really? You've been performing so well these past two months?"

It's worth noting that at the beginning of this year, the Highlander, as a high-end SUV in the 300,000 RMB price range, only had a sales target of 100,000 units, and production capacity was arranged according to this target.

If annual sales exceed 110,000 units, that represents a year-on-year increase of at least 15%-20%, which is commendable in every respect.

The secretary nodded and said, "Yes, it's almost the end of the year, and another wave of car buying is coming. The factory is operating at full capacity, and dealerships and 4S stores all over the country are short of stock and competing for slots to order cars."

In China, car-buying culture is not only reflected in family units, but is also closely related to the holiday cycle.

The period around the Lunar New Year is often a peak time for car purchases, leading to price increases at dealerships. Luxury brands, in particular, often see record-high sales despite these price hikes.

This is strange, but not strange in the country.

If you have money or not, go home for the New Year.

Whether someone is doing well or not can't be explained by just talking. What kind of car they drive, what kind of logo they have... those are things you can tell at a glance.

Cars can speak for people.

As the year draws to a close, fewer people are paying extra to pick up their cars, simply because the intended use of the vehicle has been removed.

This is all there is to understanding human nature.

"We'll increase production capacity again by the end of the year, striving to maintain 11 billion and even surpass 12 billion..."

Huang Yongqiang was determined to make Q4 profits look even better, so he made the decision that expanding production of high-end cars would be the fastest way to boost profits, which would just cover the losses caused by the Camry's declining sales.

"The idea that domestically produced new energy vehicles are going to the high-end market is just unrealistic fantasy. Sales figures don't lie. Once the actual sales and delivery figures come out, the truth will be revealed."

He thought about it carefully and regained his boundless confidence! (He smiled.)

The starting price of the Starry Night L7 is 32.88 yuan, which is higher than the average price of their Highlander.

Do you think posting a picture of an order will prove that you've entered the high-end market?
This price is even close to the on-road price of an Audi Q5.

If it sells really well, he'll write his name backwards!
……

Despite the turbulent external public opinion, Xingchen Automotive remained unfazed, instead focusing on a new round of busy preparations for the explosive sales of its new car.

The marketing department has tallied the total number of stores nationwide and just finalized the plan for the next round of expansion.

"Mr. Xu, we currently have 375 stores nationwide. The large sales volume on the first day was largely due to the combined efforts of online and offline channels. In the last two months of Q4, we plan to expand by another 40 to 50 directly operated stores to increase the influence of our sales network..."

Lian Xingzhou, the deputy director of channel operations, has compiled the data from each store.

The expansion of Starry Sky's directly operated stores actually slowed down in the second half of the year, with only more than fifty stores added. This was mainly because after the production capacity of Starry Sky S7 increased to more than 14,000 units, it was stuck in the battery production capacity bottleneck and had to wait for the new factory cycle.

Furthermore, the current Xingchen direct-operated stores are often accompanied by one or two supercharging stations, and bundling with the charging network has become a necessary strategy for development.

They are also more cautious in choosing locations than before.

"The next forty or fifty new projects are mostly planned for prime locations in first-tier business districts. The decoration, facilities, and services will all be upgraded to a higher level, complementing the new high-end image of Xingchen L7 and continuing to exert its influence..."

Lian Xingzhou continued.

Previously, expanding stores was about quantity. As long as the location was suitable, any traditional 4S store could be taken over, renovated, and then cars could be delivered. But now, the focus is on "quality".

In particular, according to Xu Yi's idea, the new store should also incorporate a variety of elements, not only for viewing, washing, and after-sales service, but also for dining, coffee, and bringing children, ensuring the space and facilities are complete.

Mr. Xu only needs to give instructions, but they have to consider many more things.

The department did a lot of preparation and extensive field research, and it took half a month to submit this plan.

"The store locations are mostly fine, but have you finalized your offline advertising and marketing placements yet?"

Yu Nian glanced at it and spoke up.

There are only so many locations to choose from in the core business districts of first-tier cities, so there's really not much to worry about. In the past, Xingchen Motors didn't focus too much on this area because it prioritized cost-effectiveness and efficiency.

Things are different now. With prices exceeding 300,000, it's necessary to increase the number of stores in high-end locations to enhance influence and persuasiveness.

"Oh right, we'll do the research right away and try to finalize the fixed advertising spaces in the core business district within the next couple of days," Lian Xingzhou hurriedly replied.

Offline advertising space in prime commercial districts is no cheaper than the rent for a physical store.

However, it has a wide scope and broad effects.

Being able to have your logo displayed there for a long time is a symbol of a brand's strength, and Xingchen Automotive also aims to achieve this.

"There's no need for too much research. If you really have no inspiration, just follow our old traditions."

Xu Yi said with a smile.

Old tradition?
This description surprised most of the people present.

Yu Nian was the first to react: "Oh right, let's follow the old tradition. In the current SUV market around 300,000 yuan, which models sell the best?"

"There are Audi Q5, Toyota Highlander, Volkswagen Tiguan L, Buick Envision, and so on..."

Someone answered immediately.

For these SUVs in the same class on the market, Xingchen has conducted detailed research data. Although they are not six-seaters, they are still competing in the same market.

"That's simple. We just need to follow our competitors' ads closely and make sure that while the relevant audience sees these joint venture luxury SUVs, they also see our Xingchen L7's advertising campaign at first glance."

Oh, and by the way, also invest heavily in advertising within the car forum's owner community.

This set of "close-quarters combat tactics" has been passed down within the Starry Sky organization.

Simple and mindless, it replaces thinking!
But it works.

The market for family cars priced under 200,000 yuan is very broad, with many sub-markets. It's not a problem for dozens of brands and hundreds of models to survive in this segment.

However, the situation is different for luxury SUVs priced above 300,000 yuan. The high-net-worth buyers are a very fixed group, and it's always the same few joint venture luxury brands making waves.

If the Xingchen L7 wants to squeeze into the market, it has no choice but to target joint ventures...

"Mr. Xu, some people online have questioned the order data we released, and I think the public opinion hasn't subsided yet." Yu Nian couldn't help but bring up the heated discussions online. He didn't respond directly, but he kept a close eye on the voices online.

Some voices were sharp and even biased, completely disregarding logic to denigrate brands, arguing that domestic cars shouldn't be so expensive. He felt like a fire was burning inside him, and could only remain silent.

"Don't rush this. We haven't delivered the first batch of cars yet, so it's normal to have some doubts."

Xu Yi remained nonchalant about it.

It's okay to be questioned; as time goes on, sales figures will speak for themselves.

Besides, it's not like nobody's speaking up for Xingchen Motors these days.

In addition to close inquiries from provincial leaders via telephone, Xingchen also received an invitation from a CCTV team.

This is an evening news interview.

　It's not finished yet; there's another chapter coming around midnight.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)