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

Chapter 251 Toyota... Has it gone wrong?!
Kobayashi Kazuhiro was suddenly tugged twice by his secretary.

He also wanted to vent his frustration in front of the media about the importance of "being down-to-earth in car manufacturing".

Given Toyota's sales volume and global standing.

They are qualified to say such things.

what?
You want to argue?

How can a domestically produced engine refute this?
Faced with the craftsmanship of a century-old automaker, one should obediently accept being bullied!
But the spell was interrupted.

...

"What's wrong?" Kobayashi Kazuhiro asked.

The secretary moved the phone screen closer, while simultaneously reaching out to block the prying eyes of others.

Kobayashi Kazuhiro glanced at it once, and his whole body went limp, his mind went blank. Fortunately, the executive next to him supported him in time.

"..."

didn't say anything.

The Toyota team, led by Kazuhiro Kobayashi, suddenly changed their attitude, turned around and left quickly, not even intending to stay for the afternoon meeting.

Many stared in astonishment, and the media was astonished.

With another showdown about to begin, Toyota still holds the advantage.

How?

He left suddenly?

"Mr. Xiaolin, Mr. Xiaolin..."

Reporters chased after them, but were stopped by the secretary and other employees.

"Everyone, Mr. Kobayashi has some urgent business to attend to and will be temporarily unable to conduct interviews."

The media reporters present were completely baffled.

Wang Chuanfu was also baffled.

He thought Xingchen Motors and Toyota were really going to have a "fight".

Given Mr. Xu's personality, this is very likely to happen.

Offline sales clashed, but when they met in person, they started arguing.

They exchanged sarcastic remarks in front of the media.

How exhilarating!

Well~~
Real business battles are just that simple and straightforward!
"Mr. Wang, something has happened."

Just then, Zhao Changjiang suddenly spoke up. His phone was still vibrating, and several windows popped up, bombarding him with exciting news.

Wang Chuanfu's attention was drawn, and he turned his head. "Hmm? Who's in trouble?"

"It seems... Toyota has run into a major scandal with its supply chain with Japanese companies!"

"Toyota... what happened?"

……

Wang Chuanfu shifted his gaze to the phone screen, where the layout and English text indicated that it was an overseas website.

This morning, Glaucus, a well-known international short-selling firm, released a 40-page technical report pointing out that the fuel pumps of engines produced by Denso Corporation, a Japanese auto parts giant, after 16 years have been found to have defects and pose serious safety hazards.

The report parameters listed the fuel pump impeller material test results: insufficient PA66 glass fiber content, resulting in a sharp drop in wear resistance, operating pressure fluctuation exceeding 0.5 bar, and impeller dynamic balance reaching 0.5 g·cm...

Wang Chuanfu was slightly startled, as BYD also had long-term experience in engine research and development.

According to the technical report, the impeller resin density is at least 20% lower than the industry average. We don't even need to look at the other data; this one issue of severe impeller wear alone is enough to cause systemic failures such as engine stalling after 10,000 kilometers.

It took him a few minutes to confirm the accuracy of the information and the technical authority of the report.

The testing methods, the data for each item, the molecular density testing of the material, and the systematic technical defects summarized are all things that only highly skilled professionals in the industry could produce.

Interestingly, Glaucus, an organization that had no previous experience in shorting automakers technically, suddenly produced such a report, which greatly surprised even this seasoned industry professional.

"How many batches of vehicles are affected by this fuel pump?"

"The number is probably quite large. If it really is a batch from 16 or later, it's conservatively estimated to be at least one million vehicles..."

"hiss!!"

Wang Chuanfu took a breath and stared intently at the report.

If that's the case, then it's not just Toyota that's involved, but also imported brands like GM and Ford. You know, Japan's supply chain has been touted as being driven by craftsmanship in recent years.

Recalling one million vehicles?

This is hilarious!!
No wonder he left in such a hurry.

"Mr. Wang, what's wrong?"

At this moment, Zeng Yuqun also curiously came over.

Wang Chuanfu glanced at him, silently handed over his phone, and the latter looked shocked after reading it!
"This is really similar to the Takata airbag incident last time..."

Zeng Yuqun was astonished. The "deadly airbag" case that was thoroughly investigated a few years ago was also a loophole in the Japanese supply chain.

The impact was extensive, ultimately leading to a large-scale recall of vehicles by 19 automakers worldwide.

how to say?

It is also a company with a strong "craftsman spirit".

"Toyota is going to be in trouble this time." Zeng Yuqun stared at the other people in the room. No wonder he had felt that the atmosphere was a bit strange since the beginning.

Wang Chuanfu nodded, "It happened so suddenly, if only I had known earlier..."

“We can also short it,” Zeng Yuqun added. CATL increased its holdings of upstream raw material stocks and futures at the end of the year to hedge against price fluctuations in lithium carbonate and cathode materials.

The two exchanged a glance:
"pity!"

……

Anyway.

This time, Toyota and other automakers involved are in deep trouble.

An engine stalling malfunction is no joke.

From a technical perspective, the defects of impeller density wear become more prominent in the high speed and high pressure range.

What does that mean?

Driving at 120km/h on the highway or accelerating hard uphill can cause malfunctions. If the car suddenly stalls and stops under these two conditions, it will be fatal, and no car manufacturer can afford to take such responsibility.

Wang Chuanfu was at a loss for words, and could only marvel at how incredibly lucky Xingchen Motors was.

He has witnessed the recent spontaneous combustion of new energy sources and the confrontation in public opinion, and believes that there is at least another round of fierce competition.

The 300,000 RMB family SUV segment offers significant profit margins and market scale, and high-end vehicles also have a substantial impact on brand influence.

It will be difficult for emerging players to gain a decisive advantage over century-old automakers in the short term.

Who would have thought.

The battle had barely begun when the opponent dropped a bomb!
Outrageous!

Why didn't this kind of good thing happen to BYD?

Wang Chuanfu was very puzzled.

I'm a little confused. If this had happened six months earlier, the Tang DM seven-seater facelift in the first half of the year would have at least doubled sales, bringing annual sales to 30,000 to 40,000 units!

At that time, the Starry Night L7 had not yet been released.

Tang DM is perfectly positioned to strike at the heart of the enemy with the momentum of a king!
Directly enter the high-end market.

What a great script!
How did we end up colliding with the stars?

Damn it! !

……

"Mr. Xu, congratulations."

As soon as Xu Yi escaped the throng of reporters and media and sat down, he was greeted with congratulations from Wang Chuanfu.

"Mr. Wang, what do you mean by this?"

"Didn't you guys have any inside information? Toyota has been hit with a major scandal."

"Oh no, a bombshell?"

"Yes, it should be said that Denso Corporation went bankrupt..."

……

Xu Yi's face showed just the right amount of surprise, like a passerby who had just heard shocking news.

"That's a pity."

"pity?"

"Yes, I'd also like to ask about the R&D experience of advanced joint venture engines. Our competitor's engine has just failed, it's really..."

"Mr. Xu, your aggressiveness... is quite strong."

...

Wang Chuanfu was both amused and exasperated.

Is that asking for advice? Your expression is clearly one of schadenfreude!
He stared at the micro-expressions on Xu Yi's face. "However, this report seems to have been produced by someone in the industry."

"An industry insider?!"

"Yes, the data and the angle are both very tricky."

"Mr. Wang, you don't suspect Xingchen, do you?"

"Um, Mr. Xu, why don't you tell me something from the bottom of your heart..."

"Mr. Wang, stop testing us. We don't have that kind of ability. We at Xingchen are honest and upright people."

...

Xu Yi vehemently denied the allegations and tried to prove his innocence.

They claimed that Xingchen Motors would not engage in any special means beyond normal business competition.

joke.

Can we accept that?

The case involves not only Toyota, but also seven or eight other major automakers, making it a very wide-ranging issue.

Wang Chuanfu looked at him with suspicion.

Feeling that this speculation was absurd, I shook my head and gave up.

This industry salon event hosted by Xingchen Automotive is highly anticipated, given that it is aimed at the domestic new energy vehicle industry. With Xingchen Automotive's current sales volume of new energy vehicles, no one can ignore it.

A public forum will be held at 3 o'clock.

Some industry insiders left due to unforeseen circumstances.

Executives from several leading new energy vehicle companies, as well as Xingchen Automotive, were invited to take the stage for discussions.

Xu Yi then shared yet another important proposal.

It relates to the industry-wide joint standard released by Xingchen regarding its internal research and development of high-power, high-voltage supercharging piles.

Due to current industry standards and national regulations, the highest level of infrastructure construction is still at 400V and 120KW.

The protocols of each charging station company are still based on this standard.

Higher power and higher voltage charging modes are still in the exploratory stage.

The topic raised by Xingchen Automotive was precisely this point.

Supercharging protocols with single-gun outputs of 240KW, 360KW... and even 480KW!
"In response to the future liquid-cooled supercharging standard, Xingchen has made efforts to match the needs of the vehicle end and the needs of the charging pile end."

The interface standard is optimized based on the national standard GB/T 20234.3-2015.

It supports IP68 waterproof rating, is compatible with ISO 15118, features dynamic power distribution, silver-plated contacts to reduce contact resistance, and is complemented by grid-side power distribution capabilities…

We welcome industry partners to join us. The alliance will address bottlenecks in each stage through "technology co-creation".

......"

Xu Yi spoke eloquently to the audience below the stage.

They generously shared the latest achievements of the liquid-cooled supercharging piles inside the Starry Sky.

— Speak like a human.

It's about developing supercharging power of 120KW or higher; many car companies present haven't even reached that stage yet.

Or perhaps they simply lack the ability to do it.

And Xingchen took care of this matter while developing the technology.

Furthermore, a very convenient unified protocol has been developed and made open, welcoming other new energy vehicles and other charging pile groups to join the "Supercharging Protocol" formulated by Xingchen Automotive.

This "Starry Sky Supercharging Protocol" is very comprehensive and excellent in all aspects.

There are no patent restrictions. As different brands of vehicles are compatible with the system, they can naturally enjoy the maximum charging speed of the Starry Sky Supercharging Station.

Other car manufacturers and supercharging station brands also use this protocol when building their charging stations, so Xingchen Automotive's vehicles will charge faster at these stations.

This is equivalent to "unifying the writing systems of the six states".

It's a very public service.

Xingchen Motors is preparing to establish a supercharging alliance.

of course.

The subsequent higher-end liquid-cooled supercharging technologies of 360kW, 600kW, and even 800kW and above will inevitably involve some patent applications.

Such high-power supercharging stations involve complex technology and protocols. In the future, car companies that cooperate deeply with Xingchen will have to pay a fee to share the patents.

Furthermore, the entire supercharging system is supported by a super cloud platform for data collaboration, enabling data interaction between "vehicle-charging station-network" and improving operational efficiency.

This has not been announced to the public yet.

Everyone felt a little numb!
240KW per gun...480KW?!
That would be incredibly fast!

That's an exaggeration!
Xingchen Motors has been somewhat aggressive.

"Mr. Xu, the supercharging protocol solves the ecological problem, but the R&D costs for the high-voltage architecture from the vehicle to the charging station, including the R&D of core components, are quite high, right?" Zheng Gang from BAIC New Energy asked.

"Of course, Xingchen is here to avoid the industry from reinventing the wheel and to solve the user pain point of vehicle-charging station incompatibility. If other brands find the R&D cycle troublesome when they join, Xingchen can provide a full-chain technical solution."

(End of this chapter)