On February 26th, 2020, the new energy vehicle quota for Beijing was finally released as scheduled, with a total of 54,200 personal new energy vehicle quotas. On that day, many friends in our Beijing new energy vehicle buying group showed off their “success” screenshots.
This student in the group is so cute, why is the confirmation letter for the quota in black and white???
Actually, it is true that such a worthy-of-celebration thing should have a more festive color.
First of all, congratulations to those who have obtained the quota. You can finally buy a car now. Due to the current epidemic situation, public transportation is densely crowded, and the air circulation in the car is not good. Many friends who have obtained the quota cannot wait to buy a car.
Car companies start a “fight for talent”
Compared with the lucky lottery winners, many new energy vehicle companies may be more anxious.
After the subsidy reduction last year, sales of new energy vehicles have clearly declined. The industry itself was already struggling, and unexpectedly, the black swan of the epidemic hit at the beginning of this year. Since the end of January, car sales have plummeted.
Although the personal new energy vehicle quota for Beijing is only 54,200 in 2020, according to the statistics of the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers, the cumulative sales of passenger vehicles nationwide in 2019 was 21.444 million. From the perspective of the overall car market, it can be said to be very small, almost negligible.
However, another set of data shows that according to the statistics of China Insurance Research (CIRC), the pure electric vehicles (personal) insured by Beijing in 2019 were 57,528 (excluding imported vehicles, and the excess might be due to late use of the quota last year or the use of regular quotas by some friends), and the number of pure electric vehicles (personal) insured nationwide in 2019 was 305,650 (excluding imported vehicles).
After a simple calculation, personal purchases of electric vehicles in Beijing accounted for 18.8\% of the national total, so the importance of Beijing’s electric vehicle market is self-evident. Obviously, the electric vehicle market in Beijing is a battlefield that all car companies must contend for.
This set of data is the insurance of Beijing electric vehicles (personal) from January to December 2019. Obviously, after the new round of quota issuance on February 26th, sales from March to June increased significantly, of course, the phased reduction of subsidies also had a certain impact, so sales peaked in June. The insured vehicles during these four months totaled 34,039, accounting for 59.1\% of the entire year.In addition, this is a typical stock market, with more than 50,000 new energy indicators every year. The more you sell, the less others will sell.
Therefore, many car companies have recently launched related promotional activities targeting only the Beijing electric vehicle market, trying to take the initiative and start a fierce “talent war”.
We have also organized the specific preferential content of limited-time promotion brands for friends who hold new energy indicators in Beijing.
As for whether the specific discount is worth it, everyone can judge for themselves. However, as a “wool party”…, I did find some wool to be harvested (bolded in the above figure).
It is precisely because of the recent “talent war” that if you are in a hurry to use a car, it is recommended to take action before the end of March. Presumably, most electric vehicle dealers will have certain flexibility in prices, which is more conducive to bargaining.
Which electric cars are worth buying
I believe that many friends in Beijing are not familiar with electric vehicles, and unlike traditional fuel vehicles, there are few powerful products from traditional well-known car companies. I will briefly summarize the recommended models in each price range.
First of all, I would like to make it clear that for the same model, try to choose the version with the longest endurance, not only because the endurance is better, but more importantly, the cost performance of the long-endurance version of the same model will be higher. It will also have a relatively high future value rate.
I will not make recommendations for the price range below 100,000. First, the scarcity of Beijing license plates highlights the value of the license itself, so the number of buyers in this range is already low. Second, if it is used for license plate registration, the cheaper the better.
In addition, I would like to add that if you really want to use it purely for license plate registration, it is recommended to find scalpers to extend the indicator, which costs about 2000 yuan and can be extended for 2 years, which is much more cost-effective than buying a car for license plate registration.
- 100,000-150,000
BAIC New Energy EX3
EX3 is the only model under 150,000 with an NEDC range of 500 km, especially in large cities like Beijing, where not to mention home charging piles, many people cannot even solve fixed parking spaces, so the endurance is still very important.
Of course, the shortcomings of EX3 are also very obvious, that is, the interior workmanship and texture, which are somewhat difficult to criticize. For comparison, BYD, GAC, and Geely, all traditional independent brands, have made great efforts in workmanship and design in recent years.BYD e2, BYD e3, BYD Yuan
From left to right: BYD e2, BYD e3, BYD Yuan
I recommend these three cars together for two reasons: first, they all belong to the lower price range with prices ranging from 110,000 to 120,000 yuan for the high-volume configuration version, and have a range of 400 kilometers in NEDC, which is quite cost-effective. Secondly, the interior design style is consistent and has certain advantages in interior texture in the same price range.
As for which specific model to choose, I think you can choose based on appearance and space, because BYD e2 is a two-door sedan, BYD e3 is a three-door sedan, and BYD Yuan is a small SUV.
- 150,000-200,000 yuan
This price range of 150,000-200,000 yuan is generally the price range that everyone cares about the most, and many car models at this price range have a range of 500 kilometers in NEDC.
Since there are many car models to choose from at this price range, they can be simply divided into three categories: new electric car companies, traditional domestic brands, and joint venture brands.
New Electric Car Companies
XPeng G3
XPeng G3 is arguably the most distinctive car in this price range. Its exterior is very young, and more importantly, XPeng G3 currently provides the best experience for intelligent and automated driving under 200,000 yuan.
Although XPeng G3 is a small SUV, it actually feels like a sedan when driving, and the overall handling is also good. The disadvantage is that the space is relatively small, and the interior and chassis texture are relatively average.
Therefore, if you are interested in new things and want to experience the benefits of intelligent and automated driving, XPeng G3 is highly recommended.Please refer to “Tested the current XPeng G3, I am looking forward to its long-range version”.
Byton EX5
Although both belong to new forces of car manufacturing, Byton EX5 obviously does not have as many distinctive features as XPeng G3. Both its exterior and interior design look more mature. In terms of intelligence and assisted driving, Byton EX5 is indeed not as good as XPeng G3, but compared with traditional independent brands and joint venture brands, it still has some advantages.
Of course, many friends are currently not very concerned about intelligence and assisted driving, but are more concerned about space and endurance. Byton EX5 happens to have some advantages in these two aspects. Let’s not talk about the specific space here, after all, the body size of Byton EX5 is much larger than that of XPeng G3, and it is an SUV.
Let me mainly talk about the endurance. At present, most people are worried that the endurance of electric cars will be greatly reduced in winter. Byton offers an optional diesel heating system, which is simply a small diesel engine that can burn diesel to heat the battery in winter. The excess heat can also provide heat for the warm air, greatly reducing the endurance reduction caused by low temperature in winter.
For Beijing, where the temperature is generally around 0 ℃ in winter, this function is very useful.
Traditional independent brands
Currently, among the independent brands at this price point, the most popular ones are Qin Pro EV, Geometry A, and Aion S. First of all, these three cars have very good overall workmanship and driving feel, which are not inferior to joint venture brands at the same price level. This shows that the progress made by traditional independent brands in recent years is still very large.
There are also obvious differences between the three cars.
If one word could be used to describe the Geely Geometry A, it would be “youthful”. Both the exterior and interior are very young, especially the interior, which is extremely simple and Nordic in style. The only drawback is that the space is slightly smaller than the other two cars.
For a detailed review of the Geely Geometry A, please refer to “The First Inspection in the Eastern Hemisphere: Geely Geometry A | 42Test“.
If one word could be used to describe the Aion S, it would be “luxurious”. The interior design, workmanship and materials all show that GAC NE has put in a lot of effort, and the legroom in the rear seats is also very good. The only drawback is that the endurance performance is average, in fact, the urban endurance is basically not different from the other two cars, and the main problem is the severe reduction in high-speed endurance.Please refer to the detailed review of Aion S in [Come and check it out, are you satisfied with the endurance of GAC New Energy Aion S?](http://mp.weixin.qq.com/s?__ biz=MjM5NTIyMjA2MQ==&mid=2656753633&idx=1&sn=5cdaac8fca2ee71573d238703a9c639a&chksm=bd55b0a3 8a2239b5a02fa7a306e92668da8fc6ea4dda8074fa720d9331e9c841b333b2b79c62&scene=21#wechat_redirect) | 42Test.
If I had to use one word to describe the Qin Pro EV, it would be mediocre, with no obvious strengths or weaknesses.
As for how to choose among these three cars, if you don’t often go on long trips, I suggest choosing based on your preferences for appearance and interior design. If you do need to go on long trips, then I recommend simply passing on the Aion S.
Joint venture brand cars
At present, there are only two joint venture brand cars in this price range with a range of around 500 km, both of which come from the hands of Hyundai. However, I only recommend the Hyundai Encino pure electric vehicle.
The other newly launched car, the Fiesta pure electric vehicle, has a NEDC range of 490 km, but its battery capacity is only 56.5 kWh, and it is not much more than many NEDC range 400 km cars in the same class.
As for the Aion LX pure electric vehicle itself, although the endurance is indeed good, due to its small SUV size, its space is indeed inferior to that of the similar-sized BYD Yuan.
- RMB 200,000 – 300,000
Aion LX
There are not many models available in this price range, and other models are basically not a significant threat compared to the Aion LX, mainly because the Aion LX 80, as a midsize pure electric SUV, achieves an NEDC endurance of 650 km with a price of RMB 279,600, which can basically meet 99% of the driving needs, and there are no obvious shortcomings in space and interior.
**As for why I did not recommend the domestically-produced Model 3 Standard Range Plus, we will discuss it separately later.
- Above RMB 300,000
The most frequently asked question at this price is whether to choose the Model 3 or NIO ES6.
First of all, I want to say that these are two completely different types of cars, one is a sedan with a sporty style, and the other is a comfortable and luxurious SUV, there is actually no comparability between them. The difficulty in choosing is mainly due to their overlapping price range, and the official announcement of the delivery of the Model Y by Tesla is next year, so it is indeed regrettable for those who receive the quota this year.
The advantages of the Model 3 lie in its assisted driving, vehicle handling, and endurance, while its disadvantages are also very obvious. The interior does not have a luxurious feel, and the space is indeed small. The suspension is also more sporty and slightly harder.
The NIO ES6, on the contrary, creates a luxurious interior and has a spacious cabin for a mid-size SUV. Although the standard 70 kWh battery’s NEDC range is mediocre, only 420/430 km, it is rarely heard of ES6 owners facing range anxiety because of the lifetime free battery swapping policy and a comprehensive service system. Therefore, if you prioritize driving by yourself, the Model 3 is recommended, while if your concerns center on family, the NIO ES6 is a better choice.
About the Made-in-China Long-Range Rear-Wheel-Drive Model 3
Next, let me explain why the Made-in-China Standard-Range Plus Model 3 is not recommended.
The reason is simple: With the NEDC range of only 445/455 km, it is not impressive in 2020, and more importantly, the Made-in-China Long-Range Rear-Wheel-Drive Model 3 is highly likely to begin delivery in the middle of this year.
Therefore, not only do I not recommend the Made-in-China Standard-Range Plus version, but also the imported Long-Range All-Wheel-Drive and Performance versions.
Although Tesla has not officially released any information of the Made-in-China Long-Range version of Model 3, one of the domestically-produced versions of Model 3 was announced in the latest batch of corporate-declared models published by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology on February 12. The 1745 kg curb weight and 202 kW motor power are indicators of the Long-Range Rear-Wheel-Drive Model 3 (curb weight of Standard-Range Plus Model 3 is 1614 kg).
Moreover, the domestically-produced version is 8 kg lighter than the imported version, uses a ternary lithium battery, and is likely to adopt the 2170 battery cell supplied by LG Chemical in Nanjing.
Why do I say the domestically-produced Long-Range Rear-Wheel-Drive Model 3 is highly likely to begin delivery in the middle of this year?
The Made-in-China Standard-Range Plus Model 3 was first published in November 2019 and delivered officially on January 7, which had nearly a two-month gap. By this calculation, the Long-Range Rear-Wheel-Drive Model 3 might start delivery as early as in April.
However, due to the epidemic, the Shanghai factory was shut down for some time, and the entire supply chain was affected to some extent, so it is conservatively anticipated that the domestically-produced Long-Range version will start delivery around mid-year.
As for the price of the domestically-produced Long-Range Model 3, please refer to the following chart of Model 3’s price changes since its debut in 2019.
On April 12, 2019, the imported rear-wheel drive long-range version cost 421,000 yuan, while the imported standard range upgrade version was priced at 377,000 yuan, with a difference of 44,000 yuan.
On July 16, 2019, although the rear-wheel drive long-range version did not officially reduce its price, in fact, the rear-wheel drive long-range version was already facing delisting at that time. The actual sales had a discount of about 15,000 yuan. Calculated in this way, the price difference is around 50,000 yuan compared to the standard version.
Considering the situation of the comprehensive imported version, I estimate that the selling price of the domestic long-range rear-wheel drive Model 3 after subsidy will be around 350,000 yuan.
So if you really want to buy a Model 3, you must wait this time.
Well, due to the limited space, if you have any questions about the Beijing new energy license plate policy or car selection and use, or other issues, please scan the QR code below to join the group discussion. There are multiple electric car owners, policy experts, and 42HOW senior editors in the group to answer your various questions in all aspects.
This article is a translation by ChatGPT of a Chinese report from 42HOW. If you have any questions about it, please email bd@42how.com.