Wanbo from Co-pilot Temple
Reference for Intelligent Vehicles | Official Account AI4Auto
What is the price range for luxury pure electric cars?
The latest pre-sale of the LINGO C01 gives an answer:
¥180,000, isn’t it surprising?
However, the question remains, is the “luxury pure electric sedan” starting at ¥180,000 really luxurious, or is it just a trick of car industry jargon?
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What is the quality of the “luxury car” starting at ¥180,000?
The luxury of the LINGO C01 is reflected in three aspects:
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Intelligence
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Three-electric system
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Performance and exterior design details
First of all, the main selling point of the LINGO C01 is its intelligence, including intelligent driving and intelligent cockpit.
Regarding intelligent driving, LINGO emphasizes full-stack self-research and development, from AI chips to algorithm software and hardware, all self-researched and self-produced.
The LINGO C01 is equipped with 2 self-developed Lingxin 01 chips, with a total computing power of 8.4 TOPS.
The number of sensors is 28, including 2 front cameras, 4 panoramic cameras, 4 blind-spot cameras, 5 millimeter-wave radars, 12 ultrasonic radars, and a face recognition camera.
The entire series is equipped with 23 L2 level advanced driving assistance functions, including high-speed navigation assistance driving. However, according to official information from LINGO, the high-speed NOA function will only be available via OTA updates in the second half of the year.
The intelligent cockpit uses the Qualcomm 8155 computing platform as the underlying hardware, which is currently the most powerful and supportive cockpit platform in mass production.
The car-infotainment system comes from OPPO. Its biggest feature is that it is compatible with the OPPO ecosystem. Thus, OPPO phones can connect to the car, and OPPO watches can control the vehicle as well.
In addition, Apple users can also control the vehicle using iWatch.
As for the three-electric system, LINGO has been preheating its self-developed CTC battery technology (battery-free pack technology) half a month ago, which is also the first global launch of its kind.
The so-called battery-free pack technology is the integration of the battery core directly into the chassis. In simple terms, the intermediate battery pack is eliminated, with the aim of reducing costs and weight, increasing volume and efficiency.Based on official data, after being equipped with battery pack-free technology, the LINGPARK C01 can increase battery layout space by 14.5%, add 10mm to body vertical space, extend range by 10%, and increase the body light weighting coefficient by 25% compared to traditional methods.
The battery capacity is 90kWh, and the maximum driving range is 717 kilometers. In terms of charging efficiency, the vehicle adopts battery pack-free technology and can potentially expand to 800 kW fast charging in the future, achieving a 5-minute charge for a 200-kilometer range.
Similarly, the self-developed motor from LINGPARK uses the industry’s first variable architecture oil-cooled electric drive, with a maximum output power of 200 kW and peak torque of 500N·m. The four-wheel-drive version adopts a front and rear dual-motor layout, with a maximum output power of up to 400kW and a maximum torque of 720N·m. The car can reach 0-100 km/h acceleration in 3.66 seconds.
In terms of dimensions, the LINGPARK C01 is positioned as a C-segment car, with a length, width, and height of 5050mm/1890mm/1503mm respectively and a wheelbase of 2930mm. It belongs to the same level as Xpeng P7 or BYD Han.
In terms of exterior design, the LINGPARK C01 looks sporty, featuring a low body, streamlined body lines, and a high-raised ducktail design on the tail, which is somewhat similar to BYD Han.
This design is not only aesthetically pleasing but also considers energy consumption, with an official drag coefficient of Cd0.226.
In terms of design details, the LINGPARK C01 follows the trend of “luxury” pure electric cars: frameless doors, built-in handles, and a closed front grille.
With the vehicle machine using a family-style triple-screen layout, the interior space is relatively large, with a rear legroom space of 319mm, and a trunk capacity of 496L, which is relatively suitable for family use.
Lastly, what about the price? The LINGPARK C01 is said to be a “luxury electric sedan designed for Chinese people“. How much will it cost?
The answer is: starting from 180,000 RMB and capped at 270,000 RMB.Starting at 180,000 yuan, Zero Run Chairman Zhu Jiangming even compared it with cars priced at 400,000 to 500,000 yuan at the launch event, without specifying which models, which is not important. What is important is that from a data perspective, whether it is the cabin seats or the intelligent software and hardware, it has reached the level of “paper luxury”. However, whether it is real luxury is still up for debate.
For example, highway pilot-assisted driving and the first-in-the-world battery pack technology, which are abilities and technologies that most joint venture luxury cars still do not have. For instance, Zero-to-60 acceleration time of 3.66 seconds is on par with the NIO ET7 and the Tesla Model Y. However, certain basic functions that are regarded by Zero Run as being positioned as luxury are no longer rare in production models in China with a “luxury” positioning.
Specifically, here are two points:
Firstly, in terms of intelligence, high-speed pilot-assisted driving features have already been implemented in cars ranging from the over 400,000-yuan NIO ET7 to the under-300,000-yuan XPeng P7.
Secondly, battery-free pack technology will soon be mass-produced in two models, namely the Tesla Model Y and the BYD Sea Lion.
Moreover, compared with the aforementioned models, Zero Run C01 still has one big shortcoming. The two self-developed Lingxin 01 chips in the Zero Run C01 have a total computational power of only 8.4 TOPS. This level of computation power is far from the leading edge in today’s models. More importantly, computation constraints are greatly restraining the smart driving and expansion capabilities of Zero Run C01.
This is apparent enough to Zero Run Chairman Zhu Jiangming. He disclosed that Orin-X chips will be used in more car models in the near future. Compared with mainstream domestic pure electric vehicles, Zero Run C01 can only do well in some areas while falling behind in others.Compared to the NIO ET7, which also positions itself as a luxury car, the LINGMAO C01 has advantages in terms of pricing, but falls behind in its growth potential for intelligent driving and power level.
But don’t forget that the reason why the NIO ET7 dares to position itself as a luxury car is also inseparable from its nanny-style owner service. Most NIO owners choose a domestically produced luxury car model for a premium of 400,000 yuan, largely for this reason.
Compared to the mid-to-high-end BYD Han, the LINGMAO C01 has advantages in intelligent driving technology and future 800V high-voltage fast charging, but falls behind in terms of range and experience with new energy vehicles.
So when compared, the LINGMAO C01 claims to be luxurious, but it is mainly compared to joint-venture brands. After all, companies such as BBA, either still rely on gasoline-electric hybrid models, like the BMW i series, or are lagging behind in the field of intelligent driving technology, like BMW and Audi.
But once they encounter domestic automakers, the competitiveness of the LINGMAO C01 may still fall short of luxury vehicle standards, why?
What domestic automakers are best at is using superior configurations to undercut joint ventures. The BYD Han, XPeng P7, and P5 all have used this tactic.
So in the end, the actual positioning of the LINGMAO C01 still falls into the mid-to-high-end market. Moreover, do not forget that in terms of size and price, the LINGMAO C01 is more than 40,000 yuan cheaper than the BYD Han and XPeng P7.
When it comes down to it, the 180,000 yuan “luxury car” may be a bit exaggerated, but in terms of value for money, the LINGMAO C01 can still hold its own as the most affordable C-class electric sedan.
So in the end, the final positioning of the LINGMAO C01 follows the same path as domestically produced mid-to-high-end cars, using superior configurations to undercut prices, and even more so than other automakers.
Looking at it as a whole, the LINGMAO C01 does deliver as a C-class pure electric sedan.
But whether it is luxurious enough remains a controversial topic with its 180,000 yuan price tag. After all, in the automotive world, luxury≈expensive, and at times comes with additional charges and options.
However, from the perspective of new forces and new rules, the 180,000 yuan LINGMAO C01 brings to mind Xiaomi.
On paper, the performance, specs, and features all seem impressive, and it has the added value of an “ultimate value for money” price tag.
So whether or not it is truly a luxury car remains up for debate, but the LINGMAO C01 definitely follows in the footsteps of Xiaomi.
While Xiaomi’s own car is still in the making, its path has already been taken by LINGMAO.
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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.