Produce "high-quality, high priced, and high sales" products, with parallel production at home and abroad

On August 25th, the first day of the Chengdu Auto Show, in the media interview room of the Western International Expo City, we once again met four senior executives of SAIC Maxus.

Under the price war, the sales pressure in the automotive industry has been unprecedented this year: data shows that about 70% of car companies have not completed 50% of their annual sales, and about one-third of dealers have incurred losses. Compared to previous years, the number of new cars at this year's Chengdu Auto Show is one of the lowest in history, and many car companies are rolling up prices and marketing just to overcome sales difficulties.

What is reassuring is that this enterprise, which always insists on putting products first, still operates steadily. In this interview, Hao Jingxian, General Manager of SAIC Maxus, repeatedly emphasized that "high quality, high price, and high sales" is the goal that SAIC Maxus has always implemented. "At any time, Maxus will not lower its requirements for quality for a particular market."

Hao Jingxian is unwavering: We always believe that in order for a company to operate sustainably, the first consideration is to provide customers with valuable products and services. We would rather invest more and make customers feel the value.

New products, seize the opportunity

In July of this year, everyone 9 received praise for their first entry into the Hong Kong and Macau markets: it is understood that within less than three months of entering the Hong Kong market, sales exceeded 500 units, becoming the highest monthly sales of Chinese brand MPVs in the local area.

However, Hong Kong users have also pointed out that due to geographical limitations, a car length of nearly 5.3 meters and a width of 2 meters are good for reception or nanny level models, but it is still slightly larger for household use.

Actually, this was already under consideration by JPMorgan Chase. At this year's Chengdu Auto Show, SAIC Maxus launched the new MPV Dajia 7, which is designed specifically for home users.

Chen Chao, Deputy General Manager of the Passenger Car Division of SAIC Maxus, pointed out that "the length of the previous G60 and the 9th class cars were basically over 5 meters, the width of the cars was close to 2 meters, and the height of the cars was generally over 1.8 meters. The huge interior space brought high-end enjoyment to users, but at the same time, it also made it difficult for car owners in cities with less affluent parking spaces, such as Shanghai, Chengdu, Beijing, or those who shared parking spaces with others to park. However, there are no suitable MPV models with side sliding doors in the new energy segment market, which can truly make it easier for car owners and their families to drive and take care of the elderly and children. Therefore, Maxus has specially launched the" Maxus 7 "for these customers.".

Compared to everyone's 9, although the two cars seem very similar, there are obvious differences in customer base, so there is also a clear differentiation in price range. Chen Chao introduced, "The customer base of Everyone 9 is more typical, with a portion being users in the government and enterprise industries who choose the price range of 300000 yuan more. The other customer base is family users who choose the price range of around 350000 yuan. From this perspective, private family users always maintain the price range of around 350000 yuan in Everyone 9, which is different from Everyone 7's price range of 250000 to 300000 yuan."

Da Tong stated that everyone 7 will start pre-sales and delivery in October, and a right-hand drive version will soon be launched for Hong Kong and Macau.

Change battery, take the first step

To launch a new product, it is necessary to increase sales. To be frank about this point:

We are still quite confident in the sales of everyone's 7 after its launch, and we believe that users can perceive the differentiated advantages of this product. "Everyone 9 sells nearly 200 units per month in Hong Kong and 300 units per month in Thailand. Our user base has bought them to replace local international brands."

Their confidence lies in their product strength. In addition to the fact that Datong products themselves can take the lead, the follow-up services supporting new energy are also at the forefront: for example, everyone 9 has launched a battery swapping version, equipped with SAIC Group's Rubik's Cube battery, with two capacities of 90/77kWh to choose from, and can meet the service life of 5000 battery exchanges. The fastest battery swapping time is only 2 minutes and 30 seconds, and it can quickly replenish energy. In the future, there will be not only plug-in hybrid versions but also battery swappable versions for everyone 7. Da Tong revealed that the new battery swapping system utilizes the latest technology developed by SAIC Group. It is developed by Jieneng Zhidian New Energy Technology Co., Ltd., jointly invested by SAIC Group, Sinopec, PetroChina, CATL, and Shanghai International Automobile City, specializing in the system, operation, and battery management of battery swapping stations.

Chen Chao pointed out that battery swapping is not about following the trend, but about meeting the real needs of users. "After the launch of the 2024" Everyone 9 "battery swapping, 10% of the new orders are currently for battery swapping. Nine battery swapping stations have been built in Shanghai, and it is expected that 28 stations will be built in Shanghai by the end of this year, with two stations in Chengdu."

Chen Chao emphasized that as the number of websites built continues to increase, users themselves are not unfamiliar with battery swapping, but are increasingly valuing services. As long as the service reaches a certain level, the proportion of changing to tram models will significantly increase. For example, half of the newly added orders for changing to tram models come from Shanghai. SAIC Maxus has also seen the demand and trend for battery swapping and has begun to introduce electric vehicle models. Datong believes that battery swapping will be an important way to supplement energy in the future and will continue to adhere to this route.

Hydrogen energy is imperative

At the same time as exchanging electricity, the heat of hydrogen energy decreases. As Datong, which has always been committed to researching hydrogen energy vehicle models, will it change its track?

Hao Jingxian is quite firm in this regard: from a long-term strategic perspective, whether for a company, an industry, or a country, I still insist that hydrogen fuel is one of the future energy routes.

He said with a resounding voice, "We still believe that this is a very worthwhile task, which is meaningful for the automotive industry, technological progress, and future exploration.".

Hao Jingxian stated that the world is focusing on carbon footprint management and guiding green and low-carbon behaviors. Now Europe has introduced a law to reduce carbon footprint by including all products used in batteries. The importance and value of the future hydrogen economy will be better realized. Because the entire process of hydrogen can be carbonized lower, its production, transportation, and use are more environmentally friendly.

Hao Jingxian emphasized that the convenience of hydrogen energy in certain scenarios is not available in today's charging and swapping. For example, in the truck market, especially for long-distance heavy-duty trucks. Although the number of heavy-duty trucks accounts for only about 3% of the total number of automobiles, their carbon dioxide emissions account for about 47% of the total number of automobiles. Because it has a much longer mileage than a family sedan and consumes much more fuel and electricity per hundred kilometers. In this scenario, for heavy-duty trucks or light commercial vehicles with longer operating mileage, hydrogen fuel cell refueling will be as convenient as refueling in the future when hydrogen refueling stations are common, and there is no need to worry about the range at all.

Hao Jingxian continued to express that for the infrastructure hydrogen refueling stations that everyone is most concerned about, after multiple seminars and communications conducted by industry experts, it was found that they are actually safer than gasoline stations.

In the next three years, the country will launch a special support subsidy plan for ten city clusters targeting hydrogen fuel cells. In addition, enterprises will also make progress. They will improve the performance of hydrogen vehicles and lower costs, so that the entire hydrogen energy industry line can gradually be cultivated.

Spread, Targeted

This year, the presence of SAIC Maxus can be seen in many unexpected places, such as becoming a designated driver on the variety show "Sound Never Dies", and being elected as a guest car at the recent SCO International Expo. At the same time, several celebrity spokespersons such as Zhang Xinzhe, Guo Ailun, and Chen Hao were announced one after another. At this auto show, a live broadcast team consisting of dozens of dealers occupied a corner of the booth. In terms of dissemination style and volume, Datong has undergone significant changes.

Liu Ya'er, General Manager of SAIC Maxus Passenger Car Business Unit, stated that the changing trend in communication is actually more about the way users obtain information to correspond to the changes in communication work of car companies. According to a survey conducted by Datong, the overlap between the number of new media and vertical media customer acquisition is less than 10%. Currently, user purchasing scenarios are more diversified, and the channels for obtaining automotive brand and product information are more diversified. This diversified dissemination places higher demands on communication.

The seemingly contradictory marketing approach of "walking on two legs" between state and celebrity cars is also the result of careful consideration by Maxus: northern consumers highly recognize state owned cars, so creating a "prestigious" image of state owned cars in the north; For consumers in the south, especially in the Pearl River Delta, Hong Kong and Macao, these southern regions, celebrities are more recognized for promoting products. Datong has collaborated with popular music programs to become the official designated car for the program, creating an image of "celebrity same style nanny car". By spreading through these two lines, the overall brand image can be enhanced.