Author: Yuan Yuan Li
At last year’s Beijing Auto Show, “Electric Vehicle Observer” released the “2020 Beijing Auto Show Exhibition Report,” which concluded that although the initial form of intelligent electric vehicles had taken shape, traditional electric vehicle companies still had not made or were unable to make strong efforts.
This situation has greatly improved at this year’s Shanghai Auto Show. On the one hand, traditional car company giants such as Volkswagen, Mercedes-Benz, Toyota, Hyundai, and Kia have all brought products developed on an electric vehicle-specific platform. The Volkswagen MEB platform’s ID series; the pure electric SUV based on the Toyota e-TNGA architecture; the IONIQ 5 and EV6 based on the Hyundai/Kia E-GMP platform; the Mercedes-Benz EQS developed on the EVA platform…all attacking together, breaking the previous attitude of much talk but little action.
On the other hand, many new car companies are no longer just focusing on electric vehicles but are continuing to upgrade their intelligence. They have all reached the level 3 automation threshold. Companies such as WM Motor and XPeng will showcase their recently released WM W6 and XPeng P5, which respectively boast L4 autonomous parking systems and Laser radar and Urban NGP functions (XPilot 3.5 auxiliary driving system). Alpha S of JIHU Auto also has several city scenario autonomous driving functions. ET7 is also NIO’s first “autonomous driving vehicle” according to their own claims.
In addition, luxury brand national teams such as Zhi Ji, Voyah, JIHU, and Hongqi have all appeared with their flagship models. New forces previously only seen in PPTs such as Evergrande and GAC Aion will also debut at the Auto Show.
To understand the great changes in China’s new energy vehicles, this year’s Shanghai Auto Show is a window that cannot be missed. Stay tuned to “Electric Vehicle Observer” and “Cyber Car” for more updates on smart electric vehicle industry trends and product details from the auto show.
Let’s take a look at the five major trends in the smart electric car field at the Shanghai Auto Show.
- Traditional giants launch pure electric platform models, launching a full-scale counterattack;
- New car forces upgrade their intelligent driving and approaching L3;
- Luxury brand national teams made collective appearances. Although eye-catching, they received poor reviews;
- In independent brands, BYD, SAIC Chery barely maintained, while BAIC, JAC, Zotye, SAIC GM Wuling, Great Wall Ora and Guangqi Aiyin rose;
- The new car forces are stratified, with “NIO Xiao Li” leading the way, and NIO Zero Run initially standing firm in the second tier; WM Motor, GAC Aion, and Evergrande are still raising their “bullets.”
Let’s dive into a more detailed analysis.
Traditional Giants Launch a Comprehensive Attack
The direction of traditional fuel car giants towards intelligent electrification is one major indicator of trends in the industry.Starting from Volkswagen and BMW, many traditional giants in the automotive industry have entered the field of electric vehicle production, focusing on developing electric vehicle platforms instead of “oil-to-electric” products that have long been criticized. This includes Toyota, which used to dismiss pure electric vehicles and moved slowly into action.
Volkswagen ID.6
On April 17th, on the eve of the Shanghai Auto Show, the flagship SUV model of Volkswagen’s ID. series, the ID.6, was globally launched online. This pure electric SUV is specifically tailored for China and is available in two versions – the SAIC Volkswagen ID.6 X and the FAW – Volkswagen ID.6 CROZZ.
The Volkswagen ID.6 comes in a 6-seater or 7-seater layout. Feng Sihan, CEO of Volkswagen’s passenger car brand in China, said that Volkswagen’s goal is to make the ID.6 a “mobile rest space.” The ID.6 was developed based on the MEB platform and incorporates a number of Volkswagen’s advanced technologies, such as augmented reality head-up display and the Travel Assist cruise assistance system that can achieve semi-automatic driving assistance.
Audi e-tron and Audi e-tron Sportback
FAW-Volkswagen Audi will unveil its global debut of a new C-class pure electric vehicle at the auto show, as well as its recently launched luxury pure electric C-class SUV, Audi e-tron and Audi e-tron Sportback, and pure electric flagship sports coupe, the Audi RS e-tron GT and e-tron GT.
These two vehicles are both built on one of Audi’s four major electrification platforms, the PPE, which is a joint development between Audi and Porsche. Its highlights include an 800V high-voltage battery technology and 350 kW charging capacity.
Mercedes-Benz EQS
On the eve of the auto show, Mercedes-Benz unveiled the EQS pure electric sedan, which features L3 level autonomous driving capabilities. It is the first vehicle from Mercedes-Benz to use the EVA electric vehicle platform and the first model to be equipped with the Mercedes-Benz MBUX Hyperscreen system. The new car will make its global debut in China on April 18th.
The Mercedes EQS is positioned as a mid-to-large size car, which can achieve a maximum range of 700 km under WLTP test conditions. It is expected to be launched in Europe and the US in August this year and in China in January 2022.
Toyota e-TNGA Architecture Pure Electric SUV
Toyota will unveil its new pure electric exclusive series for the first time in the world at the Shanghai Auto Show, and the first model is a mid-size SUV built on the e-TNGA architecture. The e-TNGA architecture supports front-wheel drive and all-wheel drive, and can be equipped with a variety of battery packs and motors.
Hyundai IONIQ 5 and Kia EV6
Hyundai IONIQ 5 and Kia EV6 are the first mass-produced vehicles based on the electric modular platform E-GMP of Hyundai and Kia Group, and they also debut in the Chinese market for the first time.
The IONIQ 5 has significantly improved in vehicle comfort, performance, charging, and intelligence compared to previous “oil-to-electric” models, and the NEDC comprehensive cruising range of the EV6 can reach 600 km.
New Forces, Intelligent Automobile War Upgrade
The electrification and intelligence are one of the key differentiation advantages of new automobile manufacturers. Especially intelligence, which is the highlight of new forces at this year’s Shanghai Auto Show.
XPeng P5-“City NGP” Function
Prior to the Shanghai Auto Show, XPeng Motors released its third vehicle under the brand, the XPeng P5, which is claimed to be the world’s first mass-produced intelligent vehicle with laser radar. The car will be exhibited at the auto show.
The XPeng P5 is equipped with XPILOT 3.5 autonomous driving assistance system, which integrates 13 high-definition cameras, 5 millimeter-wave radars, 12 ultrasonic sensors, 2 vehicle-grade lidars, and 1 set of high-precision positioning unit (GNSS+IMU) to achieve a 360° dual fusion perception of the environment combining visual and radar technologies. Compared with the premium Tesla Model 3, the P5 has 10 more sensors, and its camera has a resolution of 2 million pixels, far surpassing the 1.2 million pixels of the Model 3, thus greatly improving precision.
With XPilot 3.5 driving assistance system, XPeng can achieve the “City NGP” function, which means that automatic driving can be realized in some urban scenarios based on navigation.
WM W6 – L4 Level AVP autonomous parking system
Prior to the Shanghai Auto Show, the WM W6 was launched, with five versions priced between RMB 169,800 and RMB 259,800, and a range of 520 to 620 kilometers. The car will be showcased at the Shanghai Auto Show.
Overall, the WM W6 has two main features: firstly, it has a super-strong 5G computing power and an evolving digital intelligent cockpit; secondly, it is equipped with the world’s first L4 autonomous parking system of AVP, which must be emphasized that it is a specific scenario, mainly for autonomous parking.
NIO Eureka 03
In the 2021 Shanghai Auto Show, the mass-produced model of NIO’s Eureka 03 concept car will also be showcased. Based on the brand-new architecture platform that NIO invested RMB 2 billion, it is an extended-range electric vehicle with a pure electric endurance of 300 kilometers and a total endurance of more than 1,100 kilometers.
The mass-produced version of Eureka 03 will be equipped with 3 lidars, 5 millimeter-wave radars, 12 ultrasonic sensors, and 18 cameras. Based on the next-generation domain controller, the mass-produced version of Eureka 03 will achieve L4 autonomous driving in some scenarios.As the first car from Huawei INSIDE, the ARCFOX brand’s Alpha S autonomous driving capability is impressive, equipped with several functions for urban autonomous driving. In addition, the NIO ET7 will also be equipped with a laser radar, providing strong autonomous driving capabilities. Geely’s new high-end all-electric brand, Geometry, unveiled its first car, the 001, under the vast HA platform. Although it is not equipped with a laser radar, it will achieve L2 and L2+ assisted driving through the 360-degree pure visual intelligent driving system.
With the help of new forces, the automotive industry is approaching level three autonomous driving.
Luxurious Brands’ Strong Presence
Alpha S by ARCFOX
Prior to the Shanghai Auto Show, Alpha S, brought to you by ARCFOX, a subsidiary of Beijing Automotive Group, was launched, including the Alpha S Huawei HI version, which can activate urban autonomous driving functions.
The Huawei HI version of Alpha S has a total of three laser radars, six millimeter-wave radars, twelve ultrasonic radars, nine ADS cameras, four panoramic cameras, and a total of 34 pieces of environmental perception hardware.
The vehicle’s dual-chip computing power reaches 400TOPS, and single-chip capacity is approximately 200TOPS, which is greatly exceeding the industry average level. Currently, most automakers’ autonomous driving chip capabilities are below 50TOPS.
Geometry L7
SAIC’s high-end brand, Geometry, will debut its all-electric vehicle, the L7, and open pre-orders for the vehicle at the Shanghai Auto Show.
The L7’s three-electric system is developed based on SAIC’s all-new E-architecture. In terms of power, the new car will be equipped with a 93 kWh battery as its standard, and the high-end model will feature a 115 kWh battery. The globally first silicon-doped lithium battery technology enables each single cell to achieve a 300 Wh/kg energy density, which, within the new architecture bandwidth, can support up to nearly 1000 km of range.
LanTu FREE
The first car model from Dongfeng Automobile’s subsidiary, the LanTu, makes its debut at the Shanghai Auto Show. The all-electric LanTu FREE will be showcased at the event.
# Introduction
The LanTu FREE is a medium to large size SUV that provides two types of power systems: an extended range version and a pure electric version. Both the exterior and interior designs are original and very appealing to Chinese consumers. The highlight of this new vehicle is its intelligent features. The LanTu FREE has FACE ID facial recognition technology that quickly identifies the driver and adjusts the seat position accordingly. The pure electric version has an NEDC range of 500 km.
Red Flag E-HS9 Art Edition
Before the Shanghai Auto Show, First Automobile Works (FAW) released the pure electric E-HS9 Dunhuang-themed version, which will be displayed at the show.
The Red Flag E-HS9 uses dual-motor power and offers two different power options. The low-power version has a maximum power of 218 horsepower for both front and rear motors, with a peak torque of 350 N·m and an NEDC range of 460 km. The high-power version has a front motor with a maximum power of 218 horsepower/peak torque of 350 N·m and a rear motor with a maximum power of 333 horsepower/peak torque of 450 N·m, with a range of 510 km.
The Relay Race of Independent Brands
Since 2020, the Chinese new energy vehicle market has undergone major changes, which will also be reflected at the auto show.
Firstly, BYD’s leading position is still evident, and this year’s show will showcase flagship models such as the Tang DMi and the Han EV.
Meanwhile, the BYD Dolphin is expected to debut at the auto show. This new car is the first model built on BYD’s EV2.0 electric platform. Compared with the EV1.0 platform launched in 2018, this new platform is more versatile and has a wider range of applications, as well as an improved layout for domain controllers, providing better support for intelligent driving.
Secondly, traditional major automakers such as Chery and SAIC have fallen in the rankings, but are still maintaining their mainstream position. For example, SAIC will showcase more than 50 new energy vehicles at this year’s Shanghai Auto Show, covering pure electric, plug-in hybrid, and fuel cell technologies.
Thirdly, traditional mainstream new energy vehicle brands such as BAIC, JAC, and Zotye have dropped out of the rankings, making way for independent brands such as GAC, SAIC-GM Wuling, and Ora.
At this year’s auto show, the Hongguang MINIEV convertible will be unveiled.
Longjing’s Euler will also bring three electric vehicles to the auto show, including the first pure electric supercar Lightning Cat, the first A+ class pure electric SUV, and a brand new retro model.
GAC Aion will focus on promoting the AION Y, a smart electric car priced at 100,000 yuan, targeting young consumers, with extraordinary space and intelligent experience.
GAC Aion, SAIC-GM-Wuling, and Longjing Euler are traditional independent brands that have performed well in response to electrification. They all have stronger market thinking and flexible mechanisms and may become “survivors” in the wave of intelligent electric vehicles.
New forces are divided into camps
After several years of testing, the new car manufacturing industry has gradually divided into a relatively clear hierarchy.
In the first echelon of “Xiaoli Wei”, NIO will display the ET7 at the auto show, which was released in January this year.
The car features ultra-long range and high intelligence: the ET7 has a range of 500 kilometers and 700 kilometers, and if equipped with a 150 kWh solid-state battery pack, the range can reach 1,000 kilometers. NIO defines the ET7 as an autonomous driving car, it is smarter than the ES8, ES6, and EC6, using four NVIDIA Orin autonomous driving chips with a total of 1016 TOPS computing power, and is equipped with laser radar as standard. The autonomous driving function is subscription-based.
XPeng will exhibit the P5, and Ideal will still exhibit the Ideal ONE.
In the second echelon of new forces, in addition to Hezhong New Energy, Zero Run Automotive will display the performance version of the SUV C11 at the auto show, and will also release a new breakthrough in the smart Zero Run ecological community that shares self-developed core technologies.
In addition, the un-scaled delivery of Gaohe Automobile will also exhibit the pure electric SUV supercar HiPhi X at the Shanghai Auto Show. The new vehicle has launched four new configuration models, including the performance version 6-seater, luxury version 6-seater, flagship version 6-seater, and flagship version 4-seater, with an official price range of 570,000 to 8 million yuan.
The HiPhi X of Gaohe Automobile will start a nationwide test drive activity on April 20th and gradually deliver to customers on May 8th.
Looking back at the dazzling new forces list a few years ago, there are not many surviving companies that can appear at the auto show. New car manufacturing companies such as Horizon, Aiways, and Qidian, which have relatively weak impressions, did not appear at this year’s auto show.# The 2021 Shanghai Auto Show
The 2021 Shanghai Auto Show is a showcase of China’s current new energy vehicle market and a preview of the competition to come. Joint ventures, foreign brands, and domestic brands, both traditional giants and emerging forces, have all entered the arena, with new competition rules in place that test who can adapt the quickest. The advantage of traditional brands is waning, and younger generations are drawn to the spirit of seeking novelty and innovation found in new brands. As a result, the chips are more evenly balanced, and the competition is even more exciting.
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.