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

Chapter 123 Xu Yi: You want me to fight in the guise of justice again?!

Yu Hu's intentions are very clear.

In short—if you pay more, I'll talk.

His team of independent car reviewers doesn't actually have that many scruples.

Especially before the account becomes popular, there's not much room for being picky.

"Brother Tiger, the other party has agreed, and one-third of the recharge amount has been transferred directly."

"After a short while," the assistant said.

Hear the words.

Yu Hu immediately perked up and stood up.

I picked up the materials and glanced at them a few more times. The recharge provider hadn't even revealed its source; it was a private contact number.

But there is one requirement: relentlessly criticize Star Mini.

The more scathing the criticism, the better.

"Tsk...it must be one of those manufacturers whose sales were snatched away."

It's obvious without even guessing.

There's a peculiar phenomenon in the automotive industry: for any model that sells well, there are several competing models at the same price point.

Initially, everyone followed the normal rules of market competition, trying to win over consumers through features, workmanship, and driving experience.

However, this method of competition has its limits.

The configuration and materials cannot be rolled up indefinitely.

You can't possibly sell cars at a loss, can you?
It wasn't until someone discovered that when a brand's car model at the same price point suffers "reputation damage," the sales of competing products would increase year-on-year.

Thus, smear campaigns and marketing attacks were born.

Car companies typically don't actively engage in such attacks; instead, they usually hire online reviewers and let their respective marketing departments take the lead.

Especially in the last two years.

With the widespread popularity and influence of self-media on the internet, it's even easier for them to create negative content to attack others.

……

The next afternoon.

A huge runway test field.

A Star Mini is placed there.

Recording equipment was placed next to several cameras.

"I'm Tiger, a professional car talker."

What's the hottest topic online lately? The first car for young people!

I borrowed this Star Mini for a review at the request of some fans.

......"

"The car behind me only costs 42,000 yuan after all the fees."

It's small and compact, with an exquisite appearance, making it the top choice for transportation—everyone loves it!

......"

Tiger speaks fluent rhymes and has a natural host's tone, which are his distinctive style.

The opening remarks, before even being accompanied by background music, were already accompanied by a beat-up beat.

If you didn't know better, you'd think it was some major advertising deal.

but.

As the opening remarks ended.

His tone changed:
"Dear viewers..."

Recently, many fans have left messages asking Tiger to talk about cars around 50,000 yuan, especially the popular city mini type.

This is a new energy vehicle that not only gets a free green license plate but also has low travel costs, making it suitable for young people and stay-at-home moms. Ask me if I recommend it.

I want to say that this is a great question, but I can't say for sure whether I recommend it or not, because I'm afraid it might hurt the feelings of some friends who have already bought a new car.

Tiger has already test-driven this Star Mini, and overall, it is indeed very good. Both the exterior and the interior give people a very comfortable feeling.

Anyway...

At first glance, this car looks quite good. For a domestically produced car, it's not easy to achieve such an appearance and aesthetic, especially considering the price is quite low.

Tiger continued talking non-stop.

"But if you think about it carefully, it is, after all, a new energy vehicle. The biggest feature of a new energy vehicle, as everyone knows, is that it has a huge battery pack underneath. Even a small car contains nearly 20 kilowatt-hours of electricity. This is a huge amount of energy. Once it is involved in a collision, the battery pack may catch fire or explode."
Some might say, "Tiger, you're talking nonsense. New energy vehicles that can be marketed undergo professional review and are not so easy to catch fire in a collision."

That's actually true.

Other new energy vehicles on the market are quite large and have relatively good protection.

But the one in front of us is a mini car.

In this situation, the safety risks in the face of an accident would be significantly higher than for a typical large vehicle.

The assistant next to him.

Upon hearing this speech, his expression subtly changed.

I have to say, Tiger's move was ruthless.

They didn't start criticizing immediately.

Instead, it's a case of "praising first and then criticizing."

They immediately labeled the popular Star Mini as "unsafe".

To know.

For a car company

There are many ways to be black.

"Expensive", "poor configuration", "poor driving experience", "low-end aesthetics"...

Everything can be criticized.

But there is one thing that all consumers cannot accept.

That's "insecurity"!
As a means of transportation, the most basic attributes are passage and safety.

If this aspect is questioned, it will be a significant blow to the brand.

It will definitely cause a great deal of discussion online.

……

"Of course, I'm just speculating and analyzing, because Tiger is just an ordinary car reviewer and can't do crash tests for everyone..."

However, based on my observation, these mini cars focus all their efforts on appearance in order to save costs, making them flashy but impractical.

The actual body material is very thin, and the A-pillar is short and thin, with strength far lower than that of its competitors, suggesting that the materials used were cut. It might break upon impact.

If you have the budget, why not spend a few tens of thousands more to buy a larger car? Or a traditional gasoline-powered car, which has been proven in the market and is definitely more reliable than a newly launched model.

...

"In addition to that, I would like to talk about the social impact of the Star Mini from other aspects."

As a young person's first car, it also has some nicknames online, such as "chopped pepper fish head" and "old man's car with license plate"...

That sounds hilarious.

However, I came across some posts saying that these kinds of small cars are so common in cities with license plate restrictions because the registration cost is too low, and the expansion is too fast, leading to some chaotic situations.

Not only do they dart around and disrupt traffic, but they also park in the innermost parking spaces, much to the frustration of many gasoline car owners.

Large cities already have limited transportation resources, and these types of vehicles are exempt from road maintenance fees and registration fees.

Owners of these types of cars have already gotten a significant advantage.

If drivers don't pay attention to traffic etiquette, accidents can easily occur. Although small cars are agile, they don't gain an advantage when colliding with large vehicles, and may even face greater danger.

Hopefully, everyone who watches this video will take it as a warning.

Finally, should I recommend this car or not?

I would like to say that different people have different opinions. Low-cost travel is good, but it should not come at the expense of safety.

......"

……

A short video, only a few minutes long, was filmed.

After some editing and production, it was uploaded to various video platforms.

The first half criticizes security, while the second half seems to incite conflict.

But at first glance, it seems like they're saying it's all for your own good.

This is called the art of language.

The "Zoo Talks Cars" account was only recently launched.

Then the relevant traffic came.

With a considerable number of fans, it quickly made it onto the page of the video site's automotive section.

...

Within the video website, there are certain groups of viewers.

Huang Meng is an office worker who was idly browsing Bilibili on this particular day.

Not a moment.

He stared at the movement and let out a soft "Eh."

"The zoo-related car review I follow has been updated..."

"Wow, the car they were talking about is actually the Star Mini. Perfect timing!"

Upon seeing the video title, he looked slightly surprised, but immediately became somewhat expectant.

I never expected that the "Zoo Car Talk" channel I follow would be reviewing the Star Mini.

That's why I was surprised.

It's because he himself is a pre-order owner of a Star Mini.

Thanks to its continuous popularity, the Star Mini is quite popular on Bilibili, especially after the last itasha video, which Huang Meng also saw.

I liked it at first sight.

Simple and elegant, and reasonably priced.

For a young man like him who has only been working for two years, buying this kind of car as a temporary solution is indeed a way to save money.

No hesitation.

Go directly to watch the video.

at the same time.

Others who shared similar thoughts also clicked on the video.

The video begins.

"Hello everyone, I'm Tiger, a professional car talker... The car behind me only costs 42,000 yuan after taxes and fees."

It's small and compact, with an exquisite appearance, making it the perfect choice for daily commuting—everyone loves it!

… Hearing the familiar rhyme, Huang Meng laughed.

on the one hand.

The Starry Night Mini's appearance is indeed pleasing.

on the other hand.

As a prospective car owner, I naturally like it no matter how I look at it.

The video played a continuous explanation.

But slowly, Huang Meng listened.

His brows furrowed unconsciously.

Collision and fire?

Is it not very safe?
hiss--

It sounds jarring.

Behind.

Flashy.

Cutting corners...

Is the A-pillar shorter and thinner than those of other cars?
The video included several pictures showing the A-pillars of some small cars that broke during a crash test conducted by a certain testing organization.

The connection between the two is for those watching the video.

They were completely stunned.

Huang Meng's eyes widened in disbelief.

I felt a little uneasy.

Good guy...

A sudden wave of anxiety arose from within me for no apparent reason.

He had high expectations for the Star Mini.

You can buy a nice little car for commuting for tens of thousands of yuan. What's wrong with that?

But now that I've only watched half of the video, I have a growing feeling that safety is even more important.

Why don't we return the car and save up to buy a car that costs 100,000 yuan?

Or maybe add a little more money and buy a 150,000 yuan car in one go?
at this time.

The video continues.

Now for the main event.

Claims that "the Star Mini is hogging traffic resources," "taking advantage of other gasoline car owners," and "small car owners are less civilized"...

Although it wasn't said directly.

But that's the feeling it gives off, that's what it sounds like.

The video even had comments floating around.

"I own a gasoline-powered car, and the video is so well-written..."

"These kinds of small cars that look like 'old people's cars' shouldn't be on the road."

"Hehe, it's fun to eat chopped chili fish head for a while, but you'll know what a light-speed crematorium is when you get into a car accident."

"New energy vehicles are, after all, emerging products. Without subsidies, they simply cannot be sold. As a gasoline car enthusiast, I would never buy an electric car; there is absolutely no safety to speak of."

"This Xingchen Motors company used to make electric cars for the elderly, right? This thing can't even be called a car. You can only say that if you drive this kind of car, you've got a lifetime of happiness."

……

Below the video.

The discussion is getting more and more heated.

Many strong opinions have emerged.

It was less of a discussion and more of a direct and targeted attack and contempt.

That's how the internet works; as soon as a slightly extreme opinion appears, an even more extreme one immediately emerges.

Especially for some car owners in first-tier cities, they have spent money to get Shanghai license plates, but they are temporarily unable to change their cars.

When discussing the concepts of "road maintenance fees" and "transportation resources".

Suddenly I realized that made sense.

It felt as if I was truly being "sucked" of blood.

All the resentment in their hearts was vented in the comments section of the video.

……

This video wasn't just posted on Bilibili.

As a multi-platform account, Zoo Talk about Cars quickly expanded to Weibo, Kuaishou Video, and other platforms.

With the manipulation of capital, these videos all received varying degrees of paid traffic within a single day.

Ever since.

Then more people saw it.

This also includes owners of Star Auto vehicles, all of whom are frequent internet users.

When they see the content of the video.

They suddenly became the target of attacks.

……

Half a day later, the topic became increasingly popular.

"Brother Yang, Xingchen Automotive has suddenly been hacked on a large scale..."

Assistant Chen Chao walked in.

in an office.

As an automotive journalist, Yang Li gets the news very quickly.

Since the last collaboration, the business cooperation between the two parties has come to an end.

It's worth mentioning that Xingchen Auto has a dedicated traffic entry point on a certain car website, which can be considered a long-term advertising space.

"what's the situation?"

Yang Li took the phone, stared at the video window for a while, and then couldn't hold back anymore.

He slammed down his phone and blurted out, "Damn... this guy is pretty vicious, how much money did he take!"

Based on his experience, he could tell at a glance that this was a fake advertisement.

It was clearly done to attack Xingchen Motors.

Moreover, they attacked from a very tricky angle.

If this is confirmed, it could very well ruin a blockbuster car model.

"Xingchen Motors' sales have been amazing lately..." Chen Chao couldn't help but exclaim.

The phenomenon of "the tallest tree catches the most wind" is quite common in the industry. Behind the scenes, there are always interests and conflicts. Even if you don't provoke others, having good sales is itself a sin.

Given the current domestic environment.

If a car company doesn't experience ridicule and attacks from trolls during its rise to success, then its "childhood is incomplete."

Other traditional major automakers have weathered many storms, and their brand image and resilience are still quite strong.

But whether a startup car company can withstand online criticism is really hard to say.

"But if he does this, I'll lose face..."

Yang Li didn't look well.

Right now, his video homepage still has a video about "old people's entertainment" pinned to the top.

These two episodes were so entertaining that they gained views and followers very quickly.

Furthermore, he subsequently promoted the Star Mini model, which became his most popular "series" this year.

In other words, he was practically a promoter for Xingchen Motors' rise to fame.

Once you accept a business order, you're forced to take sides, even if you don't want to.

Now this "Zoo Talking About Cars" is giving such a positive review of Xingchen Automotive, even though he used to rave about it in his previous videos. When viewers and consumers who watch his videos realize this, won't they turn around and attack him?

This is quite common in the automotive industry.

If a car model goes wrong, the reputation of the car reviewers who were previously praising it will also be damaged.

Thinking of this, Yang Li immediately picked up his phone camera, pointed it at himself, and started recording:

"Hello everyone, I'm Fatty..."

I just saw some people criticizing Mini cars, and I think I have to say something.

Some people are going too far. Using car safety as an excuse is like buying a slicing knife and insisting on using it to chop ribs.

This is a bit ridiculous...

Regarding the question of whether new energy vehicles are exploiting owners of gasoline-powered cars, I want to say that this is something the country advocates. Green travel and supporting energy conservation and emission reduction are goals and dreams we have always pursued. The related support is also extra from the government. How can it be considered exploiting other gasoline-powered car owners?

Yang Li said a few objective things.

He knew all too well that once the hype started, it would be very difficult to control what happened next.

soon.

The video's views surged.

But the comment section was flooded with messages.

"Here they come, the paid commenters who are trying to defend Xingchen Auto."

"You've been praising Star Cars like this from beginning to end, you must have received a lot of money from your superiors, right?"

"Can you give a positive evaluation of the safety issues of the Mini car? Others have already pointed them out. It's not fair for a car reviewer like you to encourage fans to buy a car with obvious safety problems."

"When the zoo talks about cars, they at least recommend that their fans buy a safe and reliable car worth over 100,000 yuan. You're just praising an old man like that. That's really disgusting."

"..."

Yang Li was immediately stunned.

These netizens... are still quite aggressive!

……

Xingchen Motors Headquarters.

"Mr. Xu, the online sentiment and the buzz seem a bit off; someone's trying to smear us..."

The marketing department discovered the problem.

It was reported immediately.

When Assistant Xiao Zhou arrived at the office, the relevant videos and trending posts from the internet were directly transmitted to him via the internal group chat.

I saw the relevant content.

Xu Yi was slightly taken aback.

……

(End of this chapter)