HiPhi Z: A High-End Electric SUV+GT Flagship Matrix by Human Horizons
As the digital GT (Grand Touring) model HiPhi Z from the high-end brand of Human Horizons approaches mass production and makes its debut in China, the SUV+GT dual-flagship matrix has taken shape.
The vehicle will be officially launched and available for consumer pre-orders at the Beijing Auto Show next year, with delivery starting in 2022. The outstanding performance of HiPhi X is undisputed, as it surpassed Porsche Taycan and became the best-selling electric vehicle in China priced above ¥500,000 in September.
With the launch of HiPhi Z, the brand’s presence and appeal in the high-end electric vehicle market will be further strengthened, continuing to expand its brand influence.
HiPhi Z: Unwilling to Be Ordinary
The internal competition in China’s electric vehicle market has even surpassed that of the fuel vehicle market. From the leading Tesla to the popular and low-priced Wuling Hongguang MINI EV, along with traditional car companies and new forces such as WM Motor, finding new blue ocean niche markets is not an easy task for any brand, especially for a new one.
HiPhi Z uses the futuristic “digital mecha” and the awakening of the “machine” to give the Chinese team of Human Horizons’ interpretation of future automotive products and the market.
Specifically, in terms of design, HiPhi Z strives to leave a deep impression on consumers in the increasingly homogeneous electric vehicle market.
The electromagnetic NT scissor doors on HiPhi X have been replaced with the globally first ISD (Inverse Symmetrical Design) light band (surrounding ISD lamp group) on HiPhi Z, continuing this concept.
Combined with the breathing scale grille (Active Grille System), air suspension tailfin (Active Spoiler System) and flexible armor hub (22-inch wheel designs), HiPhi Z has a comparatively high degree of recognition.
If you encounter such a model on the road, you can’t help but take a look back.
When it comes to the intelligent cockpit, it is worth mentioning the deployment and application of the world’s first multi-axis displacement in-vehicle digital robot HiPhiBot carried by this model.
In addition to the common human-machine interaction functions based on AI systems and accompanying the driver and passengers, the biggest highlight of HiPhi Bot is its intelligent movement function based on mechanical structures, which can recognize the speaker’s location. Perhaps after HiPhi Z, future models will deploy this function as part of its high-end configuration.
According to related research, people tend to spend more time in electric vehicles, especially resting in the car after reaching their destinations, compared to gasoline-powered cars. How to make good use of this time has become the focus of the efforts of major automakers. Some companies have introduced meditation modes that create a brief private space for drivers through coordinated adjustments to the seats, air conditioning, ambient lighting, and audio.
HiPhi Z not only considers the demands of consumers, but also the increasing demand of gamers for immersive in-car games.
It teamed up with the world’s top gaming software company Epic Games and became the first to use the most advanced 3D rendering development engine, Unreal Engine, in domestic vehicle systems. In the future, our in-car games will no longer be limited to small games on mobile phones or Xbox games; even exclusive immersive games on vehicles will be available on HiPhi Z.
In terms of driving assistance systems, the HiPhi Z from Gaohe also adopts a visual and radar-based solution, coupled with the new generation AI computing platform of the HiPhi Pilot driving system, powered by the NVIDIA Drive Orin-X chip with ultra-high computing power, and continuing the dual-redundancy system design of the HiPhi X, to achieve a better driving assistance experience.
However, during this communication meeting, Gaohe did not reveal too much about the future upgrade plan for this driving assistance system. Whether it can reach or even approach L4 through continuous upgrades in the future remains to be seen. After all, the competition in the field of automatic driving/driving assistance functions has become an important area to measure the core competitiveness of car companies.
66% of users told us to continue to be avant-garde…
And the HiPhi Z from Gaohe has indeed achieved this.
At first, when I saw that Gaohe named its new car Z, I thought this was a product with positioning, price, and product strength geared towards young consumers, especially since the biggest headache for today’s car companies is “how to meet the demands of the Z era consumers (the post-95s consumer group)”.
However, the word “flagship” shattered the dreams of young workers again. Why doesn’t Gaohe make product sinking? Despite internal friction, it must release another flagship? Personally, I think it’s because the brand personality is not deep enough.
On the HiPhi X, Gaohe did use unique technology features such as NT dual-door, projection lighting buttons, etc. to package their product, but the C-end has not really gotten to know the sci-fi setting that Gaohe worked hard to create, and many people have been nitpicking about the practicality of the above-mentioned features.
In other words, Gaohe’s first product was a bit too practical, seeking to package its technological attributes with features.
This approach is not wrong, it’s just that everyone’s initial attitude towards the high-end new car brands is not friendly. Everyone wants to verify whether the HiPhi X, priced at 570,000 yuan, can live up to its asking price, and whether those cool features are really worth the premium.
The HiPhi Z from Gaohe, along with the HiPhi X, forms a dual-flagship product array, which is largely a marketing campaign centered around brand image. If you want to firmly establish yourself in the high-end and technology positioning, perhaps a single HiPhi X is not enough, and you also need to introduce some ingenious design language in the exterior styling. After all, the appearance of the first product did not exceed peoples’ imaginations.# Translation
You can tell that GAC Aion (formerly known as “Trumpchi”) has gone to extremes this time with its latest launch, targeting the high-end personalized market. As expressed in its advertisement, the futuristic design of the Aion V shows a sense of extraterrestrial mystery. GAC Aion has shown its intelligence by conveying the brand’s technological essence in the most intuitive visual way.
With the Star Ring ISD Screen System, breathing scales grille, air suspension tail wing, and flexible protective armor wheels, the configuration of the Aion V serves visual effects while also having functional significance. If there are still critics of the Aion V, you can only say that it does not fit their taste, but it is not overpriced.
The difference between GAC Aion’s HiPhi X and HiPhi Z is that HiPhi X sets brand image through functional means. While this strategy has its market, it has received mixed reviews from consumers. HiPhi Z is more like an Icon at the design level. If GAC Aion uses the design language of HiPhi Z to create a 300,000-class product, it will stand out as unique.
The Challenge of Operating Two Flagship Models
GAC Aion is different from other automakers who first launch a flagship model to the market and then initiate product penetration strategies. GAC Aion’s first two production models, the HiPhi X and the newly-released HiPhi Z, are both flagship models. Thus, GAC Aion has become one of the few new auto companies to launch two flagship models.
However, GAC Aion expects to maintain consistency across its vehicle platforms and three-electric system within a short period of time. According to official statements, 95% of the vehicle components belonging to HiPhi Z have already been locked down, which may confirm our speculations.
Therefore, for sales and operational teams, in addition to design, exploring the differences between the two flagship models and achieving the goal of 1 + 1 > 2, will be a top priority.
Financing and IPO Considerations
After completing its dual flagship model layout, GAC Aion aims to carry out product penetration strategies and improve its vehicle line-ups, which may include financing and going public.The automobile industry is ultimately a profit-driven industry relying on scale. NIO and XPeng have already launched, or are about to launch, entry-level products, while Tesla’s factory will also produce entry-level electric vehicles priced at $25,000 after being well-equipped in production capacity. For any electric vehicle brand, including GAC, which hopes to make a difference, it is imperative to develop a mass-market model.
Considering GAC’s current sales, if the product line sinks, whether it is from the development of new models or the expansion of factories, additional large-scale investment is needed. Unlike NIO and XPeng, which have both American and Hong Kong financing platforms, unlisted GAC is naturally inferior in financing capability.
However, with only the previous investment from venture capital such as the East Coast Fund, GAC successively completed the development and launch of two car models. Ding Lei and his team are indeed at the forefront of the market in terms of the efficiency of fund utilization.
But in order to continue to expand the scale, obtaining a continuous influx of funding will be a necessary condition. Sustaining financing and IPO will be a tremendous challenge that Ding Lei will need to face. However, with the HiPhi X and HiPhi Z at hand, Ding Lei’s confidence is likely to increase substantially.
Regardless of the storms, sitting steadily on the fishing platform! In Ding Lei, we still see the same calm and composure as before when he worked for SAIC-GM. With a physics background, Ding Lei showed off his professional knowledge in GAC’s promotional film, and it is precisely this accumulation of professional knowledge that gives GAC a completely different temperament from other new energy vehicle brands.
From SAIC Volkswagen to SAIC-GM, coupled with his experience in the Zhangjiang Group and Pudong New Area, Ding Lei, as an entrepreneur of a new energy vehicle startup, has a completely different life trajectory from other entrepreneurs. And this different life trajectory also dictates that GAC’s brand will have more sedateness and composure on its path forward.
The debut of the dual flagship is just the first step for GAC in the domestic electric vehicle market. Building a company from scratch and replicating his past achievements in leading Shanghai GM to break through one million annual sales should also be Ding Lei’s last battle.
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.