On NIO Day 2022, many of Weilai’s actions are obviously a little cautious.
Even participating in the NIO Day of Weilai Automobile, you will not be surprised by many actions of this company.
As usual this year, there is a golden sentence, “In 2023, Weilai’s goal is expected to exceed Lexus’ sales in China.Sales“. Obviously, this golden sentence is a good title for the major media in advance.
For several years in a row, it can leave hot spots of public opinion, such as the last time “NIO ET5 sales will kill the BMW 3 Series” and “fuel vehicles are garbage”.
Well, if you only read some news of NIO Day this year, I believe that you with some analytical ability will find some very simple facts. The starting price of the 100kWh battery pack is 546,000 yuan, while the starting price of the Weilai ES8 with a 75kWh battery pack is 528,000 yuan, and the executive version will add 20,000 yuan. 638,000 yuan, and the price of the Baas plan also exceeded 500,000 yuan.
According to traditional car thinking, the guide price range of the first-generation Weilai ES8 currently on sale is 484,700 to 656,000 yuan, and the price of the second-generation Weilai ES8 has undergone obvious changes, especially for the entry-level version. , an increase of more than 40,000 yuan. Another Weilai EC7 will almost certainly be understood as the Coupe version of the Weilai ES7.
Therefore, judging from the superficial information, Weilai is obviously a little bit drifting.
At the scene, the cold field of Weilai EC7, and the rescue of Weilai ES8
As usual, let’s make a quick summary of NIO Day 2022 this time. Over the years, NIO Day’s expression of everyone’s impressions has remained unchanged. The core content is divided into three sections: users, technology, and models. To make users have fun, such as a market sponsored by cars; to officially announce the core of technology Progress, especially the establishment of the Flag, makes people look forward to it, and the completion of the contract will make the sense of trust stronger and stronger; to release their own new models, they will be delivered one after another after accepting reservations.
Taking NIO Day 2021 as an example, the car hosted the bazaar, announced the car owner partner plan, set the Flag of solid-state technology batteries, and released the DC homeChargeAt the same time, it also launched the explosive models of NT2.0, NIO ET5 and NIO ET7, and the current market performance is very good.
Relatively speaking, the information content of NIO Day 2022 is slightly lower than that of previous years. Weilai is a user-oriented enterprise, so many rights and interests of car owners have maintained a stable development. Next year, we will continue to build infrastructure, so that many popular but remote scenic spots (grasslands, etc.) will be established to replenish energy networks, and it will be more convenient to add electricity than to refuel. Goal forward.
When it comes to technical topics, there are two cores this time, namely 500kW ultra-fast charging and the third-generation power station. The former needs to use liquid cooling technology to achieve faster energy replenishment for vehicle charging, not for the solid-state technology that has not yet landed. The battery can also be used in existing models. The charging speed mentioned at the press conference is about “20 minutes, and the 100kWh battery pack can charge from 10% to 80%”, which is about 400 kilometers from the start. Of course, for Weilai users, ultra-fast charging is obviously only a supplementary means. They prefer to change batteries, and the parameters given by the third-generation power station are that the service capacity will be increased by 30%, and the maximum power exchange in a single day will be increased to 408 times, and the time for each battery change is further shortened. In addition, the core highlights of the third-generation power station also include the use of 2 laser radars and 2 OrinX chips, with a total computing power of 508TOPS. After the increase in intelligent capabilities, it can realize the function of calling for battery replacement.
However, judging from the fact that there were only applause and no cheers at the scene, the sound of the third-generation power station replacement was not loud enough, either because the users did not understand it, or the users felt that it was not cool enough. What I don’t understand is that adding a high computing power to the power station, what else can it do besides calling vehicles to change batteries. The answer, most likely, is to optimize the algorithmic logic of battery swap distribution. With more and more cars coming to Weilai, especially the launch of a second brand next year, how to prevent battery swaps from running out is obviously an important issue. . Of course, it may also be related to the pre-embedding of NAD function assistance. In short, many aspects need to be explained.
But it is understandable to feel that it is not cool enough. Because the improvement of the third-generation station to the second-generation station, compared with the previous second-generation station to the first-generation station, the qualitative variable level is not particularly exaggerated. At the beginning of 2021, when the second-generation station was released, the scene was blown up. The number of batteries has increased from 5 to 13, and the service capacity has been increased by 3 times, and 312 battery replacements can be completed every day. Therefore, looking at the 30% increase in the service capacity of the third-generation website, we can understand it as an optimized version that is a little faster. Of course, progress is a good thing, and there is no need to criticize it because there is no qualitative change.
Based on the above, after several years of development of the three electric technologies, the glass ceiling is obvious. There are no new bigger and faster battery packs, because the squeeze potential of lithium batteries is now visible to the naked eye, and it takes more money and more time to cultivate.
After talking about users and technology, I want to talk about the most important thing tonight, about the new car.
The first to be released is the NIO EC7, a coupe SUV.battery lifeCompared with the 75kWh and 100kWh models of Weilai ES7, it is 5km and 15km longer respectively. The price is not cheap. After BaaS, 418,000 yuan, 1,680 yuan/month; for the first version, 578,000 yuan, after Baas, 450,000 yuan, 1,680 yuan/month. The price is not cheap, even 20,000 to 30,000 yuan more expensive than Weilai ES7.
I believe that Weilai did not dare to use Weilai EC7 as the finale display of the night because of consideration. Because, after all the introductions, the reaction of the car owners and the media on the scene was not too big, and this is the first time since I participated in NIO Day for several consecutive years that I was a little “cold”.
The silence, because the Coupe SUV has always been a niche product in the niche, BMW failed to sell the X4 and X6, and Mercedes-Benz and Audi are almost the same. But fortunately, the design of Weilai EC7 is ok, there is no sense of bloat, and the curve can be retracted freely, except for the performance we knew before NT2.0 (silicon carbide module), battery life (optimized three electric capabilities), and intelligence (new system, lidar, etc.), it will be more flexible, luxurious and smarter than BBA-related products in the fuel age. And, more athletic.
With the addition of an electric rear wing, in the automatic mode, drag reduction can be performed at 80km/h, reducing the drag by 4%; greater downforce can be activated at 170km/h. In the manual mode, it can be closed, drag reduction, control, and manual, a total of 4 operating modes. In terms of performance parameters, it is 3.8 seconds faster than Weilai ES7. The brakes have been strengthened. Brembo four-piston calipers are standard, and six-piston calipers are optional. The official 100km/h braking distance is 33.9 meters. In addition to these, the changes in the configuration are the addition of intelligent dimming panoramic canopy, the addition of 3 new interior colors, the use of redesigned integrated sports seats, and the upgrade of Queen Fujian, which can lie down with one key The leg rest area and seat heating function have been increased.
So, from the perspective of the market, this is obviously a good choice for those who want to buy a medium-to-large Coupe SUV. Other car companies in the new energy industry are more likely to manufacture traditional-style SUVs. In the traditional field, they are all BBA. , Porsche and other old faces.
But this market segment is really small. Perhaps Europe will be where it shines. But in China, there is a high probability that it will only be the favorite of a small number of people.
For Weilai EC7, Weilai’s meaning is actually very clear, that is, to segment the market as much as possible. In the era of electric vehicles, smart hardware, software, and electric power can be shared in large quantities in many aspects, so the cost is more controllable and optimized than in the era of fuel oil, so it can find out what consumers need as much as possible. In the end, people left the impression that Weilai was “independent from other companies”.
Therefore, it is understandable that it did not detonate the scene like when Weilai ET7 and Weilai ET5 were released. More expensive, smaller, and more segmented markets are all reasons.
Anyway, the Coupe SUV has always been in this state. Those who love it can catch it at a glance, and those who don’t like it can say it countless times and still feel nothing.
But fortunately, the next Weilai ES8 has completed the rescue of the heat, although the second generation Weilai ES8 is not cheap.
The brand building of user-oriented enterprises has just begun
After the release of Weilai EC7, the scene obviously had more expectations for the second-generation Weilai ES8, and the final effect was also good. Basically, every time Li Bin finished talking about 3 highlights, one of them had to be discussed and cheered by the car owners on the scene. .
The layout of 6 seats of the whole series – according to the big data, the order volume of Weilai’s 6 seats is much higher than that of 7 seats, and the 6 seats can complete the functional coverage of the big 5 seats at the same time;
Front and rear dual motors, maximum power of 480kW, 4.1 seconds to break through a hundred – very fast, the best in the market;
The new colors, Dawn Gold, Star Green – good-looking, give NIO ES8 more freshness, and are not greasy;
The body size needs to be further increased, 5099*1989*1750mm, wheelbase 3070mm, length increased by 77mm, width increased by 27mm, height decreased by 6mm, and wheelbase increased by 60mm-everyone who knows a little about cars knows that this means that it is not bad The space is bigger;
The configuration is the highlight. The HUD display area in the car is significantly larger than that of the first generation, and the information displayed is more comprehensive. The Queen’s car has been upgraded. All 6 seats in the car can be controlled by voice, and all 6 seats have automatic air conditioners (4 independent air conditioners in the first 2 rows, 1 in the third row as a whole), and the audio power is doubled to more than 2000W, with an enhanced version 7.1.4 System.
In addition, the seat layout of the second-generation Weilai ES8 is also divided into executive version and comfort version. Out of the 170mm channel.
In the executive version, the central armrest has 3 mobile phone wireless charging positions on the upper layer, and the storage compartment or optional refrigerator on the lower layer, with a temperature control range of 0-50°C and a volume of 5L. The executive version of the second row of seats is also equipped with leg rests, which can achieve a half-lying state. Here, Weilai also buried an easter egg in advance. The appearance of Weilai’s NIO Phone is not discussed for the time being. The current smartphone design has already entered the homogenization range, and Weilai is not immune. In terms of function, this mobile phone can realize the control of the functions of the whole vehicle, giving people a lot of room for imagination. Therefore, it is still an old topic, and we will make a judgment after the real thing comes out.
Another key configuration is AR/VR. The interior of NIO’s car is very clean. It is not covered with screens, nor is there a small table for homework and online classes for children. It has an N-BOX host, and the 4 positions in the front row can be connected with anti-shake The unique AR glasses increase the possibility of interaction in the cockpit. In terms of display effect, AR/VR is obviously better than the large rear-discharge screen, and the AR glasses are in light transmission + anti-shake mode, which also improves the “motion sickness” in a certain sense. Passengers may also watch while driving, which is an improvement over the ideal L9s who can only stop and watch.
However, after all, none of the current AR glasses can achieve true wireless, and the battery capacity cannot support the computing power + battery life requirements of the glasses, so a physical cable must be connected.
Then, based on the above-mentioned performance of the second-generation NIO ES8, it is understandable for NIO users to get high. The price has not increased much, but the actual configuration, performance, ride, and smart upgrades are all obvious, and they are worth the fare.
Also, it did not lead to the ideal situation of being chased and scolded by car owners. First, NIO released the news that the second-generation ES8 will be released very early, and made a good public announcement; second, the price has increased significantly, which is directly proportional to the upgrade of the configuration, rather than to increase new orders. Just make a lot of improvements directly on the original price. Therefore, from the comment area of the Weilai App, car owners generally agree, but there are also some car owners who feel uncomfortable, such as those who bought the first generation not long ago.
In the workshop after the press conference, we also specifically asked the person in charge of NIO product development. The overall improvement of the second-generation NIO ES8 is still the old rule: based on the communication with users, the overall improvement of their opinions and needs Think, then screen and satisfy. With this kind of action, and many of the people who came to the scene were the first-generation NIO ES8 owners, it was very easy to ignite the atmosphere, bring back the heat, and get them high.
Therefore, after the press conference, the whole booth was full of people in an instant, surrounding the second-generation ES8 and Weilai EC7, touching and looking at them, which is very good.
However, after all, there are still many people in the world who don’t know about Weilai, so Weilai also needs to take a closer look at God’s perspective to see how the second-generation Weilai ES8 will go next.
As soon as this price came out, in my two WeChat groups with hundreds of people, almost all discussions on this car revolved around the price. One is that the price has become more expensive, which is prohibitive, and the other is that it is possible to wait for the related transformation products of BBA, and the price may be cheaper. In the market dominated by traditional fuel vehicles, there is still a significant discrepancy between the perspective of the NIO ES8 and the owners of the NIO car after several years of reconciliation.
However, in any case, Weilai has achieved the desired effect. Relying on the release of the second-generation Weilai ES8, on the superficial level, it made the atmosphere of the night high again. In the public perception, Weilai = real luxury, not the strongest exaggeration within 5 million.
In fact, there is one more thing we should see, which is Weilai’s approach to brand building. From the perspective of excitement and public perception, the volume of NIO Day 2022 is not as explosive as last time, but the effect it achieves is to continue the “consistency” of NIO. It is to engage in luxury, it is to engage in long-termism with some ideals and so on.
write at the end
Therefore, this year’s overall listing, Li Bin is a bit “floating”. What is floating is that the models released are not the usual inertial thinking in the market. They only focus on creating “explosive models” for enterprise operation and maintenance, but follow the logic of globalization to segment various markets and continue to deepen dig. The underlying logic is that instead of judging a hero based on sales volume, the KPI of the car model serves the business logic, focusing on several major points to evolve and make users happy.
Under such logic, Weilai’s car manufacturing is a bit “monster”. Everyone is stacking big screens, it plays AR/VR, and everyone is grabbing new orders, seeking the first-mover advantage to quickly establish a market segment, but it has picked a small market to dig a new layer .
Of course, as Li Bin said, “this kind of logic may not be absolutely correct”, but this is the path NIO insists on.
Obviously, the above-mentioned needs allow consumers to have a new round of awareness of this, after all, there are still many people fornew energy vehiclesTheir cognition is still biased towards disgust and resistance, which is a problem for their long-termism.
Author丨Huang Qiang
Original title: Li Bin is floating, Wei Lai is a demon