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

Chapter 312 He is President Xu, there's no mistake (4k)

The public days of the Capital Auto Show will last for a full week.

Whether you're a professional visitor or just an amateur looking for fun, you'll have a great experience in the meticulously designed international exhibition hall.

The vehicle display areas of most brands are very close together.

If a particular exhibition area is full, you can simply visit other nearby booths and then come back to find that your spot is available.

There's no reason to insist on queuing up to see which car.

It's not uncommon to see people queuing up to see car models.

however.

At this moment, many senior executives from leading brands were staring strangely at the east area of ​​Hall W2, their eyes looking as if they had seen a ghost!
They meticulously arranged their booth, carefully selected car models, and even provided on-site drinks and ice cream to attract visitors on public day…

The actual foot traffic that day did not develop as they had imagined.

They were all "siphoned" away from there.

Their display area was completely empty, with minimal decorations, not even car models; all the spotlights were focused solely on the center point…

The queue has grown from a "crowded crowd" to a "sea of ​​people," and it continues to increase.

……

Zhang Xiaolong is the Deputy General Manager of Sales at BMW Brilliance, responsible for the public day exhibition area.

Looking at the flow of people at the scene, I felt a little anxious!
The public days of the Capital International Auto Show do not have high requirements for traffic and consumer surveys, because most of the exhibits are concept cars.

However, for a major auto show of this caliber, leaders from the global headquarters will definitely be present.

If customer traffic is poor, what will the senior management at headquarters think?
What a coincidence.

He was also in charge of last year's Shanghai International Auto Show, so the details are self-evident.

The car models at Xingchen Auto are really voluptuous...

Oh no, their aesthetic sense and understanding of consumer psychology are truly spot on. While other brands are still playing the old tricks, they, as a new force in car manufacturing, are willing to bend down and take the initiative to innovate and change.

This is not.

Other domestic independent brands have also learned from this experience and followed Xingchen's lead.

BMW Brilliance had not originally prepared a similar contingency plan, but Zhang Xiaolong took the initiative to submit his opinion, considering the possibility of a headquarters inspection. After some internal discussions, it was quickly approved.

If someone were to conduct a survey, they would find that the service quality and aesthetic appeal of major auto shows in the past two years have improved dramatically compared to before, due to certain factors.

BMW Brilliance has arranged for car models today, and imported ice cream is also on display.

But the foot traffic is just average.

Zhang Xiaolong was speechless.

There's a feeling of having exhausted all your tricks, only to have them all countered by your opponent in a single move.

But thinking about it carefully, isn't Mingxing Chenche the one chasing after them?

……

"Excuse me, could we have two ice creams?"

At that moment, two blond-haired, blue-eyed backpackers approached.

Taking advantage of a break while the sales staff were making ice cream, Zhang Xiaolong leaned over and verbally greeted the foreign tourists, "Of course! Are you interested in BMW models? The display area over there shows BMW's latest new energy vehicles..."

The two foreign backpackers quickly shook their heads, trying their best to clarify their intentions:

"No, no, we came from Germany. Chinese people may not understand BMW's capabilities in the new energy field, but do you think we don't know what BMW is like? They're all industrial garbage used to cheat subsidies and appease environmentalists. Their configurations are lower than gasoline cars, but their prices are higher."

We came here to see China's new energy supercar. We heard it can turn around on the spot—oh my god, that's so cool! After getting our ice cream, we went to queue up. Thank you so much for your service, thank you!

As soon as these words came out.

Zhang Xiaolong couldn't hold back on the spot.

What does it mean to say, "If Chinese people don't understand BMW, don't we understand it?"

What do you mean by "it's all industrial waste used to scam subsidies and appease environmentalists"??

Why does this sentence structure sound so familiar?

Is this correct? ?

The two German backpackers were also very polite; after saying thank you, they took their ice cream and went to join the queue.

They didn't care at all about the length of the line on the Starry Sky side.

As Zhang Xiaolong observed the varying visitor numbers, he glanced at the BMW IX3, BMW 530Le, BMW 740le, and other new energy-themed prototypes in his own exhibition area.

Is the underlying thought process really that obvious?

These cars, judging from their appearance, are actually not bad.

They deliberately placed them at the forefront of the exposure area, but consumers weren't interested and preferred to walk around to look at the gasoline cars.

BMW's influence as an international giant has always been unstoppable in the field of gasoline-powered vehicles, but it has encountered significant resistance when it tries to penetrate the field of new energy vehicles.

The emerging electric vehicle brands that focus on new energy vehicles are on a completely different level in terms of competition and service attitude compared to the old-school car companies.

Companies like Star Auto and NIO didn't rely solely on their cars to attract attention; they won over the Chinese market by showcasing their service systems and demonstrating respect.

Zhang Xiaolong had no intention of getting involved in the "oil and electricity dispute".

However, with the group's strategic shift, there will inevitably be a fixed quota for the sale of these new energy vehicles, and he will still have to handle the relevant matters. At this moment, he couldn't help but worry in advance.

Perhaps the first thing to change when shifting a brand strategy is the system and attitude.

Think of this.

He decided to stay here today to observe the current market situation and was not in a hurry to visit the other exhibition areas.

...

That's when.

An argument broke out at the ice cream stand in their own booth.

Zhang Xiaolong came to his senses and realized that two Chinese tourists were arguing in front of the booth.

"What's wrong? What happened?" Zhang Xiaolong walked over and asked, his face serious.

The middle-aged male tourist was seething with anger: "We were thirsty and asked for two cups of ice cream, but your sales staff said they didn't have any. Then, after we walked around for a bit, foreign tourists came over and got ice cream. What kind of logic is that?"

He had barely finished speaking when the young female BMW saleswoman interrupted, "The ice cream we provide is for visitors to the exhibition vehicles. I see you have no intention of visiting the vehicles. If you want ice cream, you can go to other booths."

"Bullshit...pure nonsense! Those two foreigners were just queuing up at the Xingchen Auto showroom with ice cream, why didn't you give them any? It's clearly discrimination!" The middle-aged man was really angry, and his voice started to get louder.

The loud voice attracted the attention of others nearby.

Even staff from other car companies were watching.

“That’s different…” The saleswoman’s face tightened, and she wanted to argue her point.

"Shut up!"

Zhang Xiaolong's expression turned cold, and he shouted to stop the chaos in front of him.

"Go get the customer ice cream, a large one... When did BMW ice cream become so expensive? Is getting an extra serving going to cost you money??"

"I..." The saleswoman didn't move, she just stood there frozen, and the little pearls in her eyes immediately started to swirl around.

Seeing this, Zhang Xiaolong felt a chill run down his spine.

I can't imagine the chaos that would have ensued if I had actually left. "If you're not feeling well, you can go and rest. You two aren't in charge here anymore..."

Zhang Xiaolong immediately canceled the two men's work and beckoned two other male salespeople to come and take over the situation.

He finally breathed a sigh of relief after the situation was swiftly and decisively resolved.

The two Chinese tourists received large portions of ice cream and eventually stopped complaining.

Many onlookers turned their attention away as a result.

……

"Mr. Xu, you've been looking over there the whole time. Are you interested in BMW's new energy vehicles?"

On the public day, He Xiaopeng chatted with Xu Yi in the exhibition hall.

He personally brought the coffee from his own showroom, and on the way, he noticed Xu Yi's gaze fixed on the BMW booth, with a cryptic expression on his face.

"No, there was a small problem over there just now. I thought it would escalate, but I didn't expect BMW's executives to react so quickly this year," Xu Yi said with a laugh.

He was quite surprised.

Given the arrogant attitude that BBA (BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Audi) is accustomed to, the probability of this happening is indeed not low; they conduct plagiarism checks every year.

But today the situation has been reversed.

From this perspective, not all traditional luxury brands are bad at management.

At least some of them are responsible.

Xu Yi secretly memorized the facial features of this BMW China executive. When the Brilliant brand becomes independent and builds its own marketing channels, it will also need capable people to get things done.

"Perhaps the Brilliant is just too attractive. I saw it drawing in foreign tourists, putting pressure on luxury brands like BMW," He Xiaopeng said with a smile, unaware of what was happening over there.

This scene is truly enviable.

When will XPeng Motors be able to achieve this?
"Well, it's too early to talk about these things now. We've only announced the concept car; there are still many technical issues to be resolved, and the mass production date is yet to be set," Xu Yi replied politely.

Although the monthly sales of the Starry Night L7 have exceeded 10,000.

It's quite good among domestic independent brands.

But if you really compare it to the BBA (BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Audi) and other first- and second-tier luxury brands, it's at best a small caramel-level caramel.

We need to cover at least the entire price range of 300,000 to 400,000 to 500,000 yuan, and ensure that each price range has monthly sales of over 10,000 to 20,000 vehicles.

Only then can one truly be considered to have established a firm foothold.

After conquering the SUV market, there's still the huge sedan market to explore. The distribution of vehicle models needs to be expanded step by step, and we need to proceed according to plan.

Of course, Xingchen's current focus is on large SUVs.

He Xiaopeng then talked about XPeng's exhibition vehicle, which is now in the mass production stage, and he came to seek the opinions of successful people.

“We had high expectations for the G3. We originally planned to complete the intelligent driving functions in one go before releasing it, but in practice we found that it was more difficult than we imagined. Indeed, as you said before, Mr. Xu, the leap from L2 to L3 level is a long march of thousands of miles…”

When XPeng Motors held a press conference a couple of years ago, it imitated Baidu and announced the slogan of "L3 in two years and L4 in five years".

Upon further research, it was discovered that this was not the case at all.

Now, even the slogan of L3 is not being promoted too much.

In contrast, Xingchen Automotive is the smartest one.

Although their intelligent driving technology is leading the way, they never claim to be L3. They simply demonstrate the functions they have implemented and let consumers experience and build word-of-mouth for themselves.

"The internal goal is to start the first batch of deliveries before October. This car has been refined over three years, and the progress should have been faster. However, due to differing opinions and the fact that everyone has their own strengths but limited resources, a lot of time has been wasted and we can't keep up with Xingchen's efficiency. Now the actual car is finally in front of us. Mr. Xu, do you think our car will sell well?"

Xu Yi listened to He Xiaopeng's account.

He recognized from the tone of his voice that this wasn't someone trying to get a title by feigning innocence, but rather someone sincerely seeking guidance.

"The G3 has its own ecological positioning and will definitely be able to occupy a place in the market."

Xu Yi laughed and said, "As for sales volume and whether it will sell well, we'll know by looking at WM Motor..."

Although XPeng's G3 and WM Motor's EX series are not strictly comparable models, their prices are similar, which ultimately resulted in their annual pure electric vehicle sales being almost identical.

"WM Motor?" He Xiaopeng seemed to be thinking.

“Yes, I think XPeng Motors is definitely stronger than WM Motor.” Xu Yi nodded affirmatively.

"I really have to thank Mr. Xu for his good judgment!" He Xiaopeng was secretly pleased to hear this affirmative praise.

Internally, they also consider WM Motor a competitor to some extent. However, with the Geely lawsuit at the end of last year, WM Motor's reputation in the market has been affected to some extent.

Moreover, he had also seen the actual vehicle of the other party and believed that it was not a car that focused on intelligence. Although it was mature in many aspects, it was the kind of "mature" that was simply copied, just like what the industry insiders had revealed.

But upon further reflection, he concluded that WM Motor's overall sales figures were not something to be complacent about.

XPeng's guarantee to investors this year is to sell 40,000 G3 units throughout the year, while their internal bottom line is around 25,000 units, which would just be enough to recoup the more than 2 billion yuan in R&D and factory construction costs in the early stages.

“I understand, Mr. Xu, you mean the G3 won’t be able to break the 20,000-unit sales mark for the whole year? Do you think there are any aspects we can improve? How can we enhance the product’s appeal to consumers?” He Xiaopeng pondered for a moment, then spoke with a tone that was both exasperated and amused.

Those words are really hurtful.

It sounds like a compliment, but in reality, it's a disaster.

The highest monthly sales of the Starry Sky S7 reached 18,000, but despite their significant investment, their annual sales have struggled to break 20,000.

The comparison is too surreal!

“If I had to say, I think the product issues are secondary. The biggest problem with XPeng Motors is with you. Just as you said, everyone has their strengths and weaknesses in the R&D cycle, so I imagine there must have been a lot of arguments…” Xu Yi began.

"Yes, but our internal relations are still very harmonious. Disputes won't affect our enthusiasm for building cars," He Xiaopeng quickly added, afraid that he might misunderstand.

Xu Yi laughed, recalling a passage that he decided to quote on the spot:

"You are the chairman of XPeng Motors, but you should position yourself more like the CEO, understand the focus of the supply chain and R&D, and even inspect every steel plate and screw in the supply chain, instead of handing over power to others and doing everything yourself... The Internet and car manufacturing are different."

Large corporations have their own problems, and so do internet-based car manufacturers.

The most obvious manifestation of this is that corruption in large corporations is often maintained in a delicate dynamic balance, while corruption in startup car companies is completely disordered.

If the CEO of a startup doesn't understand this aspect and is indifferent to it, then it's even easier to fool them.

As soon as these words came out.

He Xiaopeng was stunned. He could tell that President Xu was referring to him.

I started thinking about it.

--hiss.

Is it really necessary for car manufacturers to inspect even a single steel plate and a single screw?

We've been friends and brothers for many years.

His gaze as he looked at President Xu was clear and unbiased.

It conveys a sense of openness and honesty, like "You asked sincerely, and I answered sincerely."

He received guidance from the leading figure in China's new energy vehicle manufacturing industry.

He Xiaopeng's inner voice temporarily suppressed his desire to argue.

—He is President Xu, there's no mistake.

　After reading the comments, I thought it was just normal setup, but then there was no discussion at all. Now I'm a bit confused, and I can't tell what's fluffy and what's not...

　　Or if there's a specific area you'd like to see, you can tell me, and I'll definitely take it into consideration;
　　Of course, if everyone finds the reading experience too bad and abandons the book, it's truly due to my incompetence. I can't keep up with the early work indefinitely; the scale and value are different, and the industry chain is all about the big picture. Going forward, I can only try my best to adjust the content. There's a sense of helplessness in trying my best but still feeling like it's all for naught...

　　
　
(End of this chapter)