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

Chapter 154 Ride-hailing services are good, but ride-hailing services have to run!

a few days later.

"Ding! Your vehicle information has been approved. Congratulations on successfully registering as a Didi driver..."

I did some research online.

Following the tutorial, Huang Jun quickly registered on several major ride-hailing platforms.

Everything went very smoothly.

All you need to do is submit your vehicle, driver's license, and vehicle registration information, and then wait for the review.

Especially now, these ride-hailing apps seem to be competing with each other, and in order to recruit more drivers, the entry point for registering as a ride-hailing driver is almost always placed on the app's homepage.

only.

The information he found about ride-hailing drivers' income was somewhat fragmented.

Some people online say it doesn't make money.

Some argue that the cost of fuel is not worthwhile due to vehicle depreciation.

Others say that converting vehicles to run on natural gas is costly, gas is expensive, and it affects power, etc.; still others say that the rental income is just a way for the taxi company to make a living...

They said they had activated the car owner qualification, but they didn't actually take any orders.

In short—it doesn't make money!

Huang Jun was completely baffled, and there was still no concrete conclusion.

correct.

These are all problems associated with renting cars, gasoline cars, and natural gas cars. What do they have to do with my own electric car?

"Can it be any worse than getting into a factory?"

With a determined and apprehensive heart, I gritted my teeth.

Huang Jun began his first day as a ride-hailing driver.

just now.

He can already receive ride-hailing and express car orders in the city on several major apps.

I just opened the app.

"Ding, you have a new express car order..."

When this message came in.

The wrinkles in the entire cerebral cortex were instantly smoothed out.

There's no need for a professional mindset or any strategic thinking; you just need to follow the app's navigation and drive to the customer's location.

……

The day passed by in a flash.

have to say.

Driving is still tiring.

After more than four or five hours, the traffic jams and the constant attention to traffic lights and road conditions can cause noticeable fatigue.

By the end of the day, Huang Jun was dizzy and lightheaded.

Excluding the one hour for lunch.

He was in a state of constant anxiety throughout the eight-hour run.

The car's battery is also running low.

eight pm.

Huang Jun drove the car to the Xingchen Supercharging Station.

With a click, it was charged with the free electricity provided by the stars.

Then, like a lump of mud, I lay sprawled on the driver's seat, not wanting to move at all.

"Damn... driving for a ride-hailing service is really tiring."

"They say online that people can run for 12-14 hours a day, are their backs and eyes made of iron?!"

……

Huang Jun was speechless.

The first two hours.

He found it novel and simple.

It can be driven for more than five hours.

As a new driver, his nerves were already a bit too weak to handle it.

"Forget it, let's see how much we made today first."

Huang Jun sighed.

This was my first time driving for a ride-hailing service, so my efficiency wasn't high.

Not only are they not skilled at taking orders, but they sometimes even go the wrong way.

I feel dizzy and lightheaded.

As a result, he hasn't even checked how many orders he received or how much money he made in a day.

He was very worried.

Now it's a good time to take a look.

Open the driver's backend.

A striking number appeared.

Today's transaction amount: 293 yuan

...

Huang Jun was dumbfounded!

He was shocked by the number.

"Holy crap... Is driving for a ride-hailing service really that lucrative? You can actually make 300 yuan!"

He was confused.

Open the order record.

The data showed that he completed a total of 15 orders that day, with the mileage and income for each order clearly displayed.

From any perspective, this is an inconceivable thing.

Because I had never been involved in the ride-hailing industry before.

Huang Jun always thought that ride-hailing drivers only earned a few thousand yuan a month.

...

This is actually an information gap.

The past two years can be considered the first year of the battle between ride-hailing platforms. Not only is there a lot of online promotion, but you can even get promotional offers from ride-hailing platforms on the street.

Two years ago, some unlicensed taxi drivers even made tens of thousands of yuan in revenue during a long holiday.

For regular vehicles, fuel and gas costs must be deducted from the transaction records.

For Huang Jun, however, charging does not require any cost at all.

Even if you use up all the free electricity, according to the preferential electricity price offered by Xingchen Supercharging Station, you might only spend about 20 yuan a day. Not only is the service fee waived, but the electricity price is only 40 cents.

Current charging power: 105KW

It boasts a supercharging capability that is twice as stable as any other pure electric vehicle on the market.

It reminded him that the vehicle could be charged to 90% in just half an hour.

"Damn... this ride-hailing service is great, I really need to get running ride-hailing services!!"

Huang Jun immediately perked up.

I was feeling dizzy and tired, and I just wanted to go home and sleep.

But I can't fall asleep right now.

If I work two more hours overtime and go home at ten o'clock, wouldn't I be able to earn three hundred and fifty, or even four hundred?
That's a really high salary!

An unprecedented feeling filled his heart.

I couldn't wait to drive the car out immediately.

Let's hurry up and complete a few more orders!

He opened the app and glanced at it; it was rush hour.

The unit price and platform subsidies are even higher than during the day!!

But the car still needs to be charged.

He could only stay in the car for more than half an hour.

Huang Jun gradually understood why he had seen mostly small gasoline-powered cars and modified natural gas vehicles on the street all day.

this line.

Time is money!
Those pure electric vehicles with 30kW or 60kW charging power charge like a small water pipe when they charge.

The range is only 200-300km. It wastes two or three hours a day charging, offering no advantage over a modified gas-powered vehicle.

But his Star S7 is different.

Long battery life, fast charging... and there just happens to be a StarCal Supercharger station right here.

"I spent 220,000 yuan to buy a Star S7, but using it to drive for ride-hailing doesn't seem like a very good deal..."

Even if I don't drive for ride-hailing services, I still need to buy a car.

So, by that calculation, it's equivalent to me earning an extra 10,000 yuan in net income each month.

If you're willing to work hard, you might be able to earn over ten thousand!

Huang Jun's mind was racing!

I quickly convinced myself.

Regarding those claims online, sports cars will also incur "deductions of several thousand yuan for fuel and a significant amount for vehicle damage."

You also need to factor in "depreciation".

I utterly despise that.

If you calculate it this way, after paying off his car loan and car expenses with his previous job, he had no money left and could only rely on his family for support.

Now, at least you can make money driving for ride-hailing services.

If business is good, you can run for twelve hours a day.

It's not impossible for the turnover to be five or six hundred!

...

While resting and charging in the car, he had many random thoughts running through his mind.

It stands to reason.

Half an hour is already very fast.

But this feeling of staying in the car doing nothing can make the time feel very long.

Feeling bored, Huang Jun simply took out his phone and started filming himself and the car's interior.

Hello everyone, I'm Xiao Huang—

A 90s-born unemployed driver took out a loan of nearly 20 yuan to buy a Mazda 7. "Today is my first day driving for a ride-hailing service..."

...

This year.

Creating self-media accounts is quite popular.

The platform rewards viewers who get a lot of views.

He saw that many influential figures became famous by creating content on their own media platforms, and some even transitioned into becoming top livestreamers.

However, those people mostly shoot travel photos, pictures of all sorts of high-end scenery, and their daily lives, eating, drinking, and having fun.

For those who want to take a spontaneous trip, the 318 highway is a must-drive for young people.

This is something that ordinary people can only envy.

You can only look at it.

Huang Jun probably wouldn't get any viewers for his miserable daily life as a sports car driver.

I don't care right now.

I was just bored while charging my car, so I thought I'd jot this down.

……

……

Xingchen Automotive R&D Center.

As required at the meeting.

The collaboration between design and R&D quickly finalized the appearance of the "Starry Mini Ultimate Edition".

Besides the major changes to the interior.

The exterior features a pair of cat ears, and the headlights have an additional pair of LED bulbs inside.

This makes the headlights look more striking during daily driving, somewhat similar to Porsche's "frog-eye headlights" design concept.

Chengli and several engineers are responsible for the assembly and testing of the T-BOX (remote control unit) + 4G communication module, including detailed modifications to the new chassis components.

After all, the Starry Mini Ultimate Edition is equipped with remote vehicle control functionality.

...

"Who mixed this new car paint color? It's way too flashy!"

Cheng Li clicked his tongue in amazement.

The one they were dismantling was the older model, since the trunk and chassis design were the same, and the T-BOX module would be installed in the space at the bottom of the trunk.

However, the latest version of the "cherry blossom pink" paint, customized by the supplier, has already been released.

As a specially formulated paint.

Both the color and the sheen are more "high-end".

Of course, the cost is also a bit higher.

As per Mr. Xu's request, they worked with suppliers to create a "cherry blossom pink" that was not available on the market.

The goal is to create a "wow" moment for users.

This was no challenge for the paint design engineers inside the Starry Sky.

Very weird.

A group of grown men.

Everyone was incredibly enthusiastic when developing the "cherry blossom pink" and "girly pink interior" designs!

Many versions of the design scheme were produced in succession.

Even the "cherry blossom pink" paint was selected and adjusted many times, showing more care than the interior of the Starry Sky S7.

The final result.

Cheng Li can only be described as amazing.

Are you asking if any female designers participated in the research and development?
I'm sorry, no.

Women don't understand anything about teenage pink!
...

"It seems that XCMG was in charge of mixing the cherry blossom pink paint color. I didn't expect that he could come up with such a creative and high-end color scheme under his balding appearance."

"That's what you call professionalism..."

Two other engineers nearby made a joke.

The quality and gloss of a car's paint are determined by the materials used.

However, color matching is also of paramount importance.

Some car manufacturers use high-end materials, which are very expensive, but the resulting colors are not very popular with users and appear rather mediocre.

There are some rules to follow for this.

At least after seeing this new "cherry blossom pink" color, they all have to give it a thumbs up.

This is truly heartfelt!

We've finished testing the T-BOX's internet connectivity.

Chengli, on the other hand, is working on improving the chassis structure.

Previously, the Star Mini used a front MacPherson strut and a rear solid axle non-independent suspension, and both were single-layer designs.

Due to cost constraints, cars in this segment all have similar structures, and even most other brands don't use as many materials as Xingchen Automotive.

What he needs to do now is to make some minor improvements to the shock absorption.

Two control arms were added to the main bridge structure.

That is, the two additional "upper" and "lower" connecting rods upgrade the structure to a four-bar integral bridge structure.

The integral bridge has a simple structure and low cost, but it also has many disadvantages.

The most noticeable issue is that the left and right wheels move in tandem and affect each other, resulting in significant body roll when cornering and poor comfort.

The four-link integral bridge is much better.

The two extra control arms can control the vertical jump and horizontal sway of the axle.

It greatly improves chassis handling.

...

If outsiders saw this, they would definitely be astonished.

of course.

Several insiders nearby were also quite shocked!
"Engineer Cheng, Mr. Xu only asked us to slightly improve the chassis comfort for female users, but your new tuning plan is a bit too advanced!"

……

(End of this chapter)