Author: GeekCar
Newly established car companies have been underestimated since their inception. Previously, NIO doubted Ideal’s claim that it would sell more than 10,000 vehicles per month starting in September. However, in the automotive industry, sales are the best weapon to dispel doubts and the best criterion to test product strength and overall company ability.
In June, Ideal topped the list of new domestic energy vehicles with indisputable sales performance, leaving doubts far behind with real results.
Sales are the best weapon to dispel doubts.
According to CPCA’s terminal retail data, Ideal ONE’s insured sales volume in June 2021 was 7,827 vehicles, surpassing NIO (7,777 vehicles) and XPeng Motors (6,639 vehicles), and crowned the brand of China’s new energy vehicle. Compared with the batch sales or retail data published by manufacturers, the insured data has the highest authority. What’s more, Ideal achieved this result with just one model, ONE, which sold more than three NIO models and two XPeng models. Ideal’s outstanding product strength has undoubtedly been fully recognized by the market and users. Looking at the entire new energy SUV market, Ideal ONE is second only to Model Y. This shows the degree of popularity Ideal ONE has in the market.
Besides leading the way in the competition with NIO and XPeng, Ideal ONE has also entered the mainstream luxury brand competition. In June, it broke into the top ten of the luxury brand sales rankings for the first time, surpassing many old luxury car brands such as Land Rover and Lincoln. Ideal ONE has won the sales championship in the medium-to-large SUV segment and its sales have exceeded those of the SAIC Volkswagen Touareg, the Lexus RX, and the BMW X5. If nothing unexpected happens, this lead will continue to expand.
Behind the manifestation of product strength, Ideal is one step ahead of consumers.
On the surface, Ideal ONE’s product strength is a series of product highlights. Behind it is Ideal’s in-depth insight into consumer needs and the effective balance of factors such as technology development, user experience, and cost based on this insight.
Given that there has been no fundamental improvement in battery energy density, the only way for electric vehicles to improve range is to stack more batteries. This not only significantly increases battery costs but also raises energy consumption. More importantly than range, the problem that affects user experience the most is the inefficient charging infrastructure and the poor charging experience it brings.And these problems have been solved by Ideal’s products themselves. The range extender system of Ideal ONE 2021 has been further improved on the basis of the original, with a NEDC comprehensive range of 1080 kilometers, a WLTC range of 890 kilometers, and a thermal engine oil consumption of 6.05L/100 kilometers. This level of energy consumption is hard to find a second one among the large SUVs with four-wheel drive on the market.
In terms of driving assistance, Ideal ONE 2021 is the world’s first model equipped with NOA navigation-assisted driving as standard. The self-developed advanced driving assistance system, together with the Horizon dual J3 (Journey 3) dedicated chip, 8 million-pixel high-definition camera, 5 new millimeter wave radar, and high-precision maps, provides a safer and more intelligent driving experience.
In addition, the spacious 6-seater of Ideal ONE is favored by family consumers, and Ideal ONE 2021 has made further improvements. The overall seat comfort has been significantly improved. The four electric seats in the first two rows are equipped with electric lumbar massage, and the legroom of the third row has increased by 4 centimeters. The in-car voice assistant “Ideal classmate” has become smarter and provided a more spacious, comfortable and intelligent space for more family users.
In terms of intelligent interaction, based on the global first four-screen voice, Ideal ONE is also about to realize the whole vehicle voice interaction function through OTA to become the world’s first intelligent cockpit supporting cross-tone area interaction.
In addition to product strength, the success of Ideal’s business model is also a key factor in supporting its soaring sales. Transparent and open prices, only one configuration for the entire series, test drives can be done in the retail centers located in the popular business districts of the city, making car buying efficient and worry-free, and bidding farewell to suburban day trips and price comparisons. As of July 10th, Ideal Automobile has had 100 direct-operated retail centers across the country. By the end of this year, this number is expected to increase to 200. The expansion of the retail network will allow more users to have a closer opportunity to experience and get to know Ideal ONE, laying a foundation for achieving higher sales targets.
Ideal Automobile has officially entered the circle of luxury brands.From an OEM’s perspective, establishing a higher brand positioning is more crucial than creating a successful product. With an average terminal selling price of 338,000 RMB, the Ideal ONE not only surpasses Audi but is also only second to Mercedes-Benz and BMW, leaving behind a multitude of second-tier luxury brands such as Cadillac, Volvo, and Infiniti. Consumers who are familiar with the domestic luxury automotive market know that it’s common for second-tier luxury brands to offer discounts up to 70-80% off the official price. For a Chinese start-up auto brand like Ideal Automotive, it is not easy to avoid price wars.
What supports this selling price is the Ideal ONE’s comprehensive intelligent cockpit configuration, superior human-machine interaction experience, standard assisted driving system, and the pure electric driving experience after solving range anxiety and power anxiety.
That’s why there is a saying among digital technology circles: “You cannot simply try the Ideal ONE; once you try it, you’ll want to buy it.” It is this intergenerational leading advantage that encourages more consumers to pay for the Ideal ONE, which has an average selling price higher than that of older luxury car brands.
Sometimes creating a luxury brand appears challenging, requiring several or even a dozen generations of product accumulation. However, under the wave of intelligent electric vehicles, the industry’s technological transformation has given the Chinese market an excellent opportunity to create a new brand. For the first time, domestic brands rooted in the Chinese market have the opportunity to stand on the same stage as traditional luxury brands and prove their worth. A better intelligent cockpit, superior human-machine interaction, and standard assisted driving are all results of China’s continued cultivation of talent and advancement in the automotive industry. They are also historical opportunities that intelligent electric cars have given to China. Brands that seize this opportunity and are committed to delivering products far beyond consumers’ expectations can generate actual sales for Chinese households.
An increasing number of consumers are beginning to pursue the essence of cars and abandon the irrational brand premium while enjoying the upgraded experience brought by intelligent automobiles. This signifies the progress of national strength and the demonstration of Chinese self-confidence. In the race of intelligent electric vehicles, China has hopes of developing its own global high-end brand similar to what has happened with intelligent smartphones.
The Ideal Automotive, which has become one of the top ten luxury car brands for the first time, is currently a competitive seed player.
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.