Rebirth 08: Rise from copycat phones

Chapter 572 The Female Demon Takes Office

On May 16th, Hailan Auto held its annual press conference, where it released new versions of all its models, especially the high-end versions equipped with solid-state batteries.

They also launched the entry-level mid-size SUV, the Hailan HEV.

News of the launch event for Aqua Auto quickly spread around the world.

As more information spread, Hailan Auto officially launched online pre-orders on its domestic website on the same day!

In just one day, the total pre-orders for all car models online exceeded 500,000 units!

This is a real order with a non-refundable deposit!
Several data points from these orders have attracted the attention of numerous media outlets and professionals. First, the order volume for the Hailan HEV is extremely large, reaching 180,000 units in a single day. Second, the order volume for the Hailan YEV has also reached 150,000 units.

The remaining orders are for the Aqua SLMC and Aqua MEV.

This signifies the tremendous success of the Hailan HEV model... It was just launched, and most consumers hadn't even seen the actual product in person yet; they placed orders based solely on the promotional materials from the launch event and the video footage and performance specifications on the official website!
This once again proves the immense brand appeal of Hailan Auto!

Besides the huge success of the Hailan HEV model, another key statistic has also attracted a lot of attention.

That means that among all these orders, the number of models equipped with solid-state batteries accounted for 60%.

Although long-life versions of solid-state batteries are relatively expensive, they still account for 60% of pre-orders, which shows people's great expectations and acceptance of solid-state batteries.

Some media outlets also interviewed some so-called subscribers... These subscribers basically chose to order solid-state batteries for two reasons: longer battery life and better safety.

Safety is something everyone will mention, and while battery life is also a common concern, some people don't really care about it.

In addition, users in northern regions pay more attention to the battery life of solid-state batteries!

This is because previous lithium iron phosphate batteries, conventional ternary lithium batteries, or the semi-solid-state batteries that have been introduced in the last two years all suffer from significant power degradation in the harsh winter climate of northern regions... not to mention that heating also requires additional power.

Driving in winter will reduce the overall range by more than half.

Various factors combined have led to the fact that pure electric vehicles have never sold well in northern regions. Local consumers prefer range-extended and plug-in hybrid models, which is why Hailan Auto has launched range-extended models in addition to pure electric models!
A significant portion of these range-extended vehicles are sold in northern regions, addressing the range anxiety of consumers in those areas during winter.

This time, Hailan Auto launched solid-state batteries, which has initially reversed this situation!
Although heating still requires additional energy in winter, the hybrid oxide polymer solid-state battery of Hailan Auto only has an 8% battery degradation in cold climates, and a comprehensive range reduction of only 10%.

This can be considered a preliminary solution to the range anxiety problem of pure electric vehicles during the winter in northern regions!
Therefore, a significant portion of the pre-orders for this solid-state battery version actually came from the northern region... even the three northeastern provinces received a large number of orders.

These middle- and high-income groups in the northern regions also want to experience top-notch autonomous driving technology and drive smart electric vehicles like Hailan Motors, which are full of futuristic technology and cutting-edge features!
However, the previous Hailan cars used traditional liquid lithium batteries, which made it difficult to avoid range issues in winter, so potential consumers in northern regions had many concerns.

For most families, buying a car worth 300,000 to 400,000 yuan requires careful budgeting and consideration of all aspects. They need various cutting-edge technologies, multiple functions, an attractive appearance to make a good impression, and practical features such as spaciousness, stable vehicle quality, and few breakdowns.

There are many concerns when purchasing such high-value, large industrial consumer products.

Even though Hailan Auto has many impressive features, many potential consumers in northern regions still have concerns... mainly about the battery's range in winter, but other aspects are not a problem.

As for the brand, there's no need to elaborate. Hailan Auto is the top, and perhaps only, luxury car brand in China. It's not only recognized domestically, but also internationally.

The Aqua SLC and Aqua SEV are the vehicles of choice for many business owners, while the Aqua SR supercar series is a favorite toy for many second and third-generation owners.

The Aqua SEC is a popular model among many young people, and its two-door coupe version has always sold very well, making it the best-selling entry-level sports car on the market.

In terms of brand positioning, the SLMC is no less competitive than the BMW 3 Series, 5 Series, and other comparable brands like Mercedes-Benz and Audi.

The brand is undoubtedly top-notch!
There's no need to worry about vehicle quality either. As a top-tier luxury car brand and a global giant that sells well worldwide, its quality control is of a first-class standard.

The quality of Hailan cars is incomparable to that of second- or third-tier car brands and emerging car brands.

After all, Hailan Auto's supply chain is known for its extremely demanding requirements... The technical requirements are extremely demanding, but they pay very quickly, have short payment terms, never delay payment, and do not use so-called commercial bills or anything like that. It's all cash settlement, with the goods delivered on the spot.

It's not just because Hailan Auto has plenty of money, but also because Hailan Auto has extremely stringent technical requirements for its suppliers.

Hailan Automotive Supply Chain is essentially the intelligent cloud supply chain of the automotive industry.

Stringent conditions, large orders, high unit prices, and prompt payment... virtually every automotive supply chain company, both domestically and internationally, that ranks among the top globally is vying to enter Hailan Auto's supply chain.

As for ordinary supply chain manufacturers, they simply cannot get in...

Therefore, there is no need to worry about quality issues.

Most importantly... Hailan Auto is the only automaker that implements the same recall policy for both domestic and international markets!

That's right, it's the only one!
Whether it's foreign or domestic automakers, their vehicle recall measures are basically tailored to different groups and are based on the relevant laws and regulations of each country.

In order to build a top-tier luxury car brand and a global car brand, Hailan Auto adopts a globally unified car recall policy, which is the foundation of a typical global multinational automotive giant.

If there are any problems, a unified global recall will be implemented, and different measures will not be formulated for different countries... This also includes domestic ones.

This led to a very unique phenomenon: Hailan Auto is the only automaker in China to implement a globally unified recall strategy.

This undoubtedly increased Hailan Auto's after-sales costs significantly, but it also gave Hailan Auto greater brand appeal in the domestic market...

Domestic consumers can enjoy the same recall policies as foreign consumers, which is very rare... Consumers aren't stupid, so they will naturally be inclined to choose domestic products.

In terms of brand and quality, Hailan Auto is impeccable!
Not to mention the technology, Hailan Auto itself stands out with its cutting-edge technology... its autonomous driving alone is unmatched globally, and it also has all sorts of other high-tech features.

The brand, quality, and technology are all impeccable! The only concern for users in northern regions is the inherent limitation of lithium batteries: severe range reduction in winter.

This isn't just the case with Hailan Auto; other automakers' electric vehicles are the same, and some are even worse than Hailan Auto.

However, this shortcoming has now been made up for by solid-state batteries... At minus twenty degrees Celsius, the overall battery life reduction is only 10%, which has little impact in actual use.

If you buy the long-range version, which has a range of over 1,000 kilometers, even if the range is reduced by more than 100 kilometers, you will still have 900 or even 1,000 kilometers of range left, which is not a problem at all.

This is also why a large number of users from the northern region placed orders after Hailan Auto launched its online pre-order service... They had been waiting for Hailan Auto for a long time.

Previously, the only concern was about battery degradation, but now that the concern is gone, it's only natural that large-scale orders have been placed.

Even so, Hailan Motors has not completely withdrawn its range-extended models this year... Among Hailan Motors' models this year, there are still separate range-extended versions that use a combination of semi-solid-state batteries and range-extending engines!

This isn't a question of good or bad; it's just that some people prefer range-extended vehicles, so Hailan Auto will continue to offer this option to consumers.

Speaking of which, Hailan Auto is a typical representative of range-extended electric vehicles in the automotive industry, while BYD is the representative of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles.

Of course, it's not that only these two manufacturers are working on range extenders and plug-in hybrids; in fact, many other manufacturers are doing the same thing, just with different technical approaches.

In the early stages of the development of new energy vehicles, there were three main types: pure electric, range-extended, and plug-in hybrid, and each type developed well and had its own market audience.

Hailan Auto primarily focuses on pure electric vehicles, with range-extended electric vehicles as a secondary option. As for why they don't develop plug-in hybrids, it's simply because they lack the technology. Over the years, Hailan Auto hasn't invested much in technological research and development in this area.

If Hailan Auto really wants to develop plug-in hybrid models, it will find itself in a very awkward situation: it won't even be as good as BYD!
This is a huge blow to the Hailan car brand... If the technology isn't up to par, then they might as well just give up.

Instead, they focused solely on pure electric vehicles, while also devoting a small portion of their energy to finding partners to develop Zengcheng... Even with range-extended models, Hailan Auto didn't develop them independently; instead, they partnered with traditional domestic automakers who provided the internal combustion engines!

Hailan Auto doesn't even have its own internal combustion engine... It can't develop one on its own, so it has to seek cooperation.

Besides focusing on core components such as autonomous driving, smart mobility, motors, automotive-grade chips, and LiDAR, most of Hailan Auto's technical resources and R&D funds are primarily invested in pure electric powertrains.

Specifically, this manifests in the development of various advanced batteries and battery management systems.

Now that solid-state batteries have been developed, plug-in hybrids will be even less likely to be used in the future, and range-extended electric vehicles will likely be phased out in a few years.

Hailan Auto's determination to pursue pure electric vehicles far surpasses that of other automakers.

After all, this is one of the main technological advantages of Hailan Auto!

The reason why Aqua Auto has been able to sweep the globe and establish itself in the high-end luxury market is because of its autonomous driving technology and advanced battery technology; everything else is secondary.

Three days later, Hailan Auto officially began delivering its new generation of models in China, with the first batch of Hailan HEV models and other models equipped with solid-state batteries being delivered successively.

A few days later, Lavande officially announced that the new generation of models would also be officially launched in Europe... Lavande Europe's Spanish and Hungarian factories will simultaneously produce these advanced models and sell them in the nearby European market.

Going forward, Hailan Auto will further modify its various new models, especially the Hailan HEV model, to suit different markets, and then gradually launch them in various markets, such as the ASEAN market and the South American market.

Even in the North American market, corresponding plans have been launched. The Mitt brand, produced in the Mexican factory, will launch solid-state battery versions of multiple models, as well as a so-called new generation of entry-level mid-size SUVs... However, their new models are all rebadged versions of the Aqua brand models, with little core change.

The new generation of Hailan models has been well received by the market. In the report submitted by Hailan Auto to Xu Shenxue, it is estimated that the total sales volume this year will definitely exceed three million units.

The only question is how much it can break through!

This depends on the final sales figures of the Hailan HEV model, and also on the performance of the mid-to-low-end brand Ella.

The Ella brand originated in overseas markets and was officially introduced to the domestic market last year. Although it achieved sales of more than 100,000 vehicles, the overall impact was not good.

This year, the ELA brand will launch several important improved models both domestically and overseas to further expand its marketing scale and strive to increase the brand's sales.

However, the Ella brand targets the price range of over 100,000 yuan, and the competition in this price range is extremely fierce!
In the field of new energy vehicles, there is BYD as a competitor, as well as new energy vehicles from other domestic manufacturers!
The biggest competitors are not these new energy vehicles, but various gasoline vehicles priced around 100,000 yuan.

In the past year, in order to cope with the impact of new energy vehicles, domestic gasoline vehicles have also entered an era of price reduction.

A few years ago, a gasoline car cost 200,000 yuan, but now you can buy a new model for 140,000 to 150,000 yuan.

What used to cost 130,000 to 140,000 yuan for an entry-level gasoline car can now be had for 100,000 yuan.

A low-end car that used to cost 100,000 yuan can now be bought for 70,000 to 80,000 yuan.

We have to lower the price... or we won't be able to sell anything!

The rapid rise of new energy vehicles in China has severely impacted the traditional automotive giants' presence in the Chinese market. Many gasoline-powered models that used to sell reasonably well and survive are now completely ignored.

Models that used to be extremely popular, with waiting times of several months and even extra charges, are now readily available, and you're even getting various discounts and offers.

This has further intensified competition in the car market at the price point of over 100,000 yuan... Although the Ella brand has technical support from its parent company, Hailan Auto, it is still very difficult to succeed.

Domestic car manufacturers dare to use semi-solid-state batteries in models costing tens of thousands of yuan... They cram all sorts of functions, whether practical or not, into them, making it quite difficult for Hailan Auto's Ella brand to keep up.

Therefore, it's hard to say how much sales the Ella brand will achieve this year.

Hailan Auto's goal is to achieve 300,000 domestic sales and 500,000 global sales for the Ella brand this year, which would be considered a success... Any more than that would be a pleasant surprise.

It's quite funny, really. Within the Hailan Auto Group, the Hailan brand, which focuses on the mid-to-high-end luxury market, and the Mite brand, which is just a rebadged version of the brand, have high vehicle prices, but their sales are expected to exceed 2.5 million units or even higher, and they are maintaining a good growth rate.

On the contrary, the cheaper Ella brand, which mainly targets the market of around 100,000 units, has an estimated annual sales volume of only 500,000 units!

This price range is too damn competitive... To be honest, Hailan Auto isn't good at competing in this low-end market!

They've always focused on luxury brands and the high-end market... To be honest, it's a bit of a shock to ask them to go into the low-end market.

In particular, the performance of several senior managers who were transferred from the headquarters of Hailan Auto to be in charge of the Ella brand was not very good... Some netizens said that the management of the Ella brand were trying to have their cake and eat it too, and couldn't let go of their pride!

This is a market segment of around 100,000 RMB, and the technology of the vehicles is indeed low-end... But when it comes to actually selling them, people always think about buying them at a higher price, feeling that since they come from a top-tier automotive group, they should be able to buy them at a higher price.

Even advertising and marketing are the same!

Well, it's not down-to-earth enough...

However, how can a brand that mainly targets the low-to-mid-end market sell if it's out of touch with reality and hovers in mid-air, neither here nor there?

In response to this situation, Xu Shenxue and Bao Yongyan discussed and made adjustments to the management of the Aila brand, namely the management of Shenzhen Aila Automobile Co., Ltd.

Several senior executives who had been transferred from Hailan Automotive Group were brought back, and Xu Shenxue even specially transferred a vice president from Weiku Electronics Group to become the CEO of Aila Automotive Technology Co., Ltd.

When it comes to the low-to-mid-end market, the executives at Vcool Electronics are the real experts!
Despite the vast differences between smart terminals and automobiles, this does not hinder the ability of senior management to perform their duties.

The vice president transferred from Vcool Electronics Group is named Zhao Yixin, and she is a very rare female executive!
She worked in several multinational companies in her early years, specializing in marketing, and accumulated a wealth of work experience.

In 14, he was invited to join Vcool Electronics Group. In 17, he was promoted to Vice President of Vcool Electronics Group, assisting Bai Qiwen in handling the marketing work of Vcool Electronics Group.

This female executive in her fifties, regardless of other aspects, is truly adept at targeting the low-to-mid-end market. Bai Qiwen, the CEO of Weiku Electronics, and Luo Yinian from the human resources department of Liuhe Investment, both have very high opinions of her.

Luo Yinian's team's evaluation of this person is: "He is good at uniting teams, has extremely high work efficiency, has a good sense of emerging international markets, and is especially good at marketing. He has flexible yet stable strategies in the field of internet marketing!"

In other words, this person enjoys a high-pressure work environment, likes to use online trolls, and is quite unscrupulous in doing so; smearing competitors is commonplace for them...

However... there aren't many truly kind-hearted people in the mobile phone marketing industry!

Such a person would be seen as a "female demon" by ordinary employees and competitors... but in the eyes of a boss like Xu Shenxue, she is a good manager!
After examining a group of suitable senior managers under his command, Xu Shenxue also spoke with the other party, who was very interested in the position at Hailan Auto!
Based on the management levels of Xu Shenxue's various companies, Zhao Yixin's previous position as vice president at Hailan Auto is considered a tie.

However, although she was in charge of marketing at VK Electronics and seemed to have a lot of power, she was actually controlled by a bunch of her parents.

After joining Hailan Auto, she will serve as the Vice President of Hailan Auto Group and concurrently as the CEO of Aila Auto Technology Co., Ltd., taking full responsibility for the work of the Aila sub-brand.

This is a real opportunity to take control of a region, with far greater power and status than it does now!

Moreover, despite the seemingly low status of the ELA brand within the Aura brand, its estimated sales this year are still in the 500,000-unit range... Globally, it ranks only behind Aura, Tesla, and BYD.

The opportunity to become the world's third-largest new energy vehicle brand is not something that comes around every day!

This job is extremely attractive to a career woman who is highly motivated, ambitious, and exceptionally capable!
Who wouldn't want to take full control of a large enterprise, ride the wave of success, and eventually enter the core power structure of the Xu Group?

So Zhao Yixin gladly accepted the new job!

In early June, Hailan Auto officially announced that Ms. Zhao Yixin has been appointed as the Vice President of Hailan Auto Group and General Manager of Aila Auto Technology Co., Ltd., and will be fully responsible for Aila brand matters!

This woman is decisive and efficient. Just a few days after taking office, she fired a bunch of people at Ella Technologies and implemented a series of new systems.

The reputation of the "female demon" has finally spread from Vcool Electronics to Hailan Auto!

However, this was to be expected, and it did not attract Xu Shenxue's attention... He had anticipated this situation when he transferred her there.

The Ella brand seems to be thriving, but it relies heavily on the support of its parent company, Hailan Auto, and its actual competitiveness is not very strong... It feels like it's living off its parents!

If it wants to grow into a car brand with annual sales of one million or even more, it cannot move forward in its current state. It must be injected with some new, more dynamic, and even more challenging elements.

Zhao Yixin is this element.

After Xu Shenxue transferred a senior executive to the Ella brand, he didn't pay much attention to it anymore. He had too many things to do on a daily basis, including important ones, so the Ella brand was just a minor matter and didn't require him to spend too much time and energy on it.

After finishing his business with Hailan Auto, Xu Shenxue finally had a relatively long period of free time!

During this free time, Xu Shenxue not only focused on handling some daily affairs, but also spent more time with his family.

After all, once July arrives, Xu Shenxue will be busy with a whole host of things: the autumn launch of various new mobile phone products by Zhiyun Group and Weiku Electronics, the domestic listing of Hailan Auto, Zhiyun Semiconductor and Zhiyun Storage, and the various chip launches by Zhiyun Microelectronics in the second half of the year, etc.

There's a lot going to happen in the second half of the year.

Taking advantage of the relatively free time in June and July, Xu Shenxue also plans to spend more time with his family, especially the children!
After all, he had many women and children. Apart from Lin Yaxian and her three children, he could only spend a limited amount of time with the other women and children.

Xu Shenxue is not a cold-blooded work machine; he still values ​​his relationship with his family, especially his children.

Xu Shenxue's actions pleased Secretary Li and his colleagues, who were also eager to use various methods to achieve their goals.

Xu Shenxue only has so much free time, so whoever gets it gets to keep it!
It's not just for ourselves, but also for the children!
(End of this chapter)