On September 1, when schools across the country opened, the auto industry also ushered in its monthly “exams.” As it turns out, those who perform well are often the first to publish their scores, and Ideal Auto is one of them. According to official data, in August, Ideal delivered a total of 9,433 new cars, a year-on-year increase of 248%, once again becoming the leader of the new forces in the auto industry.
Looking back, Ideal CEO Li Xiang once said in the first half of this year: “Ideal ONE’s sales in September are expected to exceed 10,000.” Judging from the current trend, this part-time CEO’s “prophecy” is somewhat true. So, why is Ideal “ten thousand” on the verge of delivery?
Judging from this year’s delivery volume, it is clear that Ideal ONE’s delivery volume began to increase unprecedentedly after the release of the restyled model in May. As a mid-term restyling model, the 2021 Ideal ONE is generous enough. Upgrading more than 60 configurations only raised the price by 10,000 yuan. It’s not expensive, and it’s no wonder that the old Ideal ONE car owners who picked up the car a few months before the release of the new model were so fired up.
Second, the new Ideal ONE is equipped with the AD advanced driver-assistance system as a standard. This system is equipped with the world’s first mass-produced and delivered 8 million-pixel camera, with a recognition accuracy of up to 4K. In addition, with Bosch’s fifth-generation millimeter-wave radar and Horizon’s autonomous driving-specialized chip, it has already reached the top tier in terms of hardware alone.
In addition, the upgrade package for the Ideal car system version 2.2 has also been released recently. The new version upgrade added and optimized a total of 25 contents, including more than ten new functions. See details <<<### English Markdown Text
The plan to launch NoA navigation assisted driving function to the new model of the Ideal ONE from September may be delayed due to the impact of the OTA-related policies issued by the MIIT. It is understood that the Ideal ONE after OTA can achieve more accurate functions such as entering and exiting freeways, automatic acceleration and lane changing.
However, the above changes alone are enough to show Ideal ONE’s sincerity.
No range anxiety, still a hard truth
Compared with the pure electric route taken by car-making new forces like NIO and XPeng, the Ideal ONE is an extended-range electric vehicle. From a certain perspective, the meaning carried by the 1.2T three-cylinder engine of the Ideal ONE is similar to that of the transmission of a traditional car. If we rely solely on a 1.2T three-cylinder engine to output power in the traditional way, it is difficult to drive a mid-to-large SUV like the Ideal ONE. Even if it can be pushed, there is no driving fun at all – a typical case of a weak horse pulling a large carriage.
However, if this 1.2T three-cylinder engine is only used for generating electricity, it is not only good enough but also handy for a 40.5 kWh ternary lithium battery pack. The Ideal ONE is a double-motor driving system, namely, a full-time four-wheel-drive model with a total motor power of up to 245 kW and a total torque of up to 455 N·m. In other words, it is equivalent to the performance parameters of a traditional 3.0T engine.
What’s even more important is that the Ideal ONE with an extended-range driving system does not have the range anxiety of pure electric cars. As long as the engine can work and provide the required power for the motor, the car can drive all the time, and refueling can make the engine work.
At the same time, thanks to the decrease in the motor size, the new Ideal ONE accommodates a larger fuel tank inside the car. With the battery capacity unchanged, the range has been improved in all directions: NEDC range increased to 1080 km, and WLTC range reached 890 km, while the pure electric range also reached 188 km.
If high cost performance + intelligent driving are not enough to make the Ideal ONE “stand out”, as other new carmakers can also offer these features in abundance, then high cost performance + intelligent driving + no range anxiety may be a bit more difficult to find. But it’s not over yet!
Dedication Shows Sincerity
In terms of price, the main competitors of the Ideal ONE are Tesla’s Model Y and NIO’s ES6, but the Ideal ONE has a great advantage in terms of space. The Ideal ONE has dimensions of 5030/1960/1760 mm and wheelbase of 2935 mm, as well as a six-seat layout, which Tesla’s Model Y and NIO’s ES6 do not have.
Since the Ideal ONE only has one model to choose from, it is a “true” entry-level luxury car, and the top-of-the-line model can be purchased for only CNY 338,000. Even the entry-level model of the NIO ES6 has a post-subsidy selling price of up to CNY 3,464,800, and if you want to buy the top-of-the-line model, you need to spend CNY 526,000. This comparison shows that the Ideal ONE not only has a larger space and can accommodate six people, but also has a higher cost-effectiveness ratio.
In addition, when a product has only one option, it can to some extent prompt consumers to pay directly and place an order. After all, sometimes more comparison means more uncertainty.
Conclusion
Looking at the consumer group of Ideal ONE, they are not in difficulties at home, but not wealthy either, they like high cost-effective cars, pursue individuality but not luxury brands, and don’t want to buy cars like the Highlander or the Touareg. They like new things, but are also worried about the short legs of electric cars. They also have private charging piles at home, can meet the needs of commuting, and like traveling, and occasionally want to take an impromptu trip. Of course, being able to get a green license plate is also an important factor.
Monthly sales of over 10,000 can be seen as an important milestone, just like when the penetration rate of a new thing exceeds 10%, it will usher in an outbreak period. Monthly sales of over 10,000 is also a standard for measuring whether a car can last in the market.
So, how far will the extended-range Ideal ONE go?
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.