On the afternoon of June 17th, I was invited to participate in the design appraisal event of NETA S·Yaow, and I have organized the Q&A as follows:
Fanyang Fan, Chief Designer of NETA S·Yaow
Bing Chang, Vice President and General Manager of NETA Automobile Design Center
Honghan Zhang, General Manager of NETA Automobile Brand Center
Fanyang Fan:
Here I would like to share some small design stories and case studies with you during the design and development process.
The first thing I would like to share with you is why we have adopted the idea of a double wishbone front suspension.
As a sports performance coupe car, we wanted to create a model that not only looks good but also provides a sense of speed and performance, bringing a true sports car experience. So how do we create this style and attitude? Our design team made some attempts in the early stages of development. After completing the 1:1 model, the overall posture of the car did not achieve the expected sense of movement. Although it was beautiful, it lacked the feeling of a sporty car experience. We had in-depth discussions with the engineering team, and found the root cause, adjusted the front suspension to double wishbone, and the entire front of the car underwent a significant change, with the front of the car being pressed very low, which also brought many benefits.
Secondly, the aerodynamic coefficient was greatly reduced, achieving an excellent value of 0.216. Thirdly, the center of gravity of the car was further lowered, providing a good foundation for the true handling performance of the vehicle.
The second thing I would like to share is the changes in the overall lighting of the vehicle. Just now, we talked about how this car originated from the Eureka03 exhibited at the 2020 Beijing Auto Show. We can see that the expression of the entire front of the car was relatively calm. After the production of the car, the expression of the entire front of the car underwent a significant change, which was also related to lowering the front of the car. After lowering the front of the car, the entire front lighting, including the position lamps, high and low beams, ultrasonic radar, laser radar, and millimeter wave radar, were all placed in the front bumper area. This posed a challenge in terms of selection, so we chose a lighter and thinner lens, including these very sharp-looking eyebrow lights, where the thickness at the corners of the eyebrow lights is only 5mm, which is also a huge challenge. However, after making these lights, the entire expression of the front of the car achieved the feeling we wanted to express, very confident. The taillights are inspired by the “Fang Tian Hua Ji” (a type of ancient Chinese weapon), and the overall shape is a large “H”. We made a very three-dimensional and layered design at both ends, making the entire taillight look more recognizable.The third component we shared earlier is the LiDAR sensor. The development and design process of LiDAR has been very challenging, as it is not very compatible with traditional car shapes. It has a flat and rectangular shape, just like a smartphone. As we know, it is rare to see such flat surfaces on cars, and it is a significant challenge to integrate it into the car’s appearance. In our design process, we considered two approaches: one is to hide it by integrating this incongruous component into the overall design through specific design techniques, which benefits the user’s traditional understanding of car design and increases acceptance. The other approach is to showcase it boldly by making this component very distinctive and visually appealing, which informs users that the car has a new feature and a brand new functionality.
For this car, we chose the first approach, hiding the LiDAR sensor. Our primary consideration in making this decision is that LiDAR is an emerging component that is expected to undergo iterative changes to its size and appearance, which will make it more compatible with car design over time. Therefore, we selected the design approach of integrating the LiDAR sensor into the overall appearance of the car.
As you can see, the black area is the installation surface for the LiDAR sensor, which is a very small component. Once the LiDAR sensor design changes, it can easily be matched at a small cost, keeping the user’s cost in mind. This black area integrates the high/low beam lights, ultrasonic radar, and a complex and difficult-to-integrate LiDAR sensor that resembles a smartphone. We also added a feature under the headlight for pedestrian protection, which not only protects pedestrians but also to some extent, protects the LiDAR sensor.The fourth feature we are sharing is the multi-screen interior cabin. We have a total of four screens, as seen in the real car sketch of the entire interior, especially in the IP area, where we aim for a slim and light look. In the video by President Chang, we mentioned the four screens, which are the AR-HUD, the 13.3-inch instrument panel in the driver’s area, the 17.6-inch central control screen, and the 13.3-inch entertainment screen specifically designed for the passenger seat. It was very challenging to place these four screens on the slim IP as per the design and layout. Our team of engineers worked hard and finally decided to use the solution of a hidden electric air outlet. As seen in the image, there is a very thin and long channel on both sides of the passenger’s screen, which is the electric air outlet. It is very narrow or short, only 25 millimeters high. During my test drive two days ago, I was worried if the narrow air outlet could blow air effectively. It was thirty-six or seven degrees that day, and I turned on the air conditioning while sitting inside the car. A cool breeze blew my face, which gave me confidence in the new technology. This image shows another important feature we want to highlight in this interior design, specifically on the lower right corner. We aim to convey a strong sense of being embraced and an overall view. As seen in the image’s IP, it extends to a black and mysterious area on both left and right doors. This area is dark and only lights up when powered on behind the IP’s hidden screen. The door panel does not feature ordinary piano black decorations but uses an entirely new material called a translucent film. When powered on, a pattern will be illuminated. This effect enhances the interior’s overall sense of embrace and fullness visually. This image shows our real car photo, which further proves that we have achieved the slim look we wanted for the entire IP and conveyed the overall sense of being embraced in the cabin.
The fifth feature we are sharing is the floating steering wheel. As shown in this sketch, most steering wheels have a connection with the central part in the button area. On the market, some steering wheels that pursue the floating effect will have at least some structure connected to the central part of the wheel, but only called hollow. Our steering wheel has three sides completely empty without any connection, and only one side has a relationship with the grip, which is truly the floating steering wheel. To achieve the floating effect of the steering wheel buttons, our team of designers and engineers has conducted in-depth discussions on the overall structure of the steering wheel. Our team offered excellent creative ideas to achieve the floating effect we wanted finally.Here’s the translated text in English Markdown format, preserving the HTML tags:
On this picture, you can see that we used a very simple key layout. There is only one trackball in the middle of the one-side key area, and on both sides of it, there are touch buttons with vibration feedback. In addition to the basic upward and downward scrolling and pressing functions, the trackball can also achieve customizable functions.
For example, we can set long press to open the trunk, which makes the operation very convenient. With very few keys, this key set combines multiple functions. This is the effect of materialization, and it’s really floating.
As for the seats and speakers, there are two sensations I want to talk about regarding the front seats. When you see this seat, you can feel that it is a very sporty seat. But when you sit on it, you will feel that it is just like a luxury seat and is very comfortable to sit on. This is my true feeling after experiencing it. Here I want to focus on the rear seats. There’s a function that I really like on the rear seats, and it is the 8-degree adjustment. When I tried the car two days ago, I really experienced the 8-degree adjustment function. How did I feel? A colleague who is about 1.8 meters tall sat in the front row, and I am 1.82 meters. When I sat in the rear seat and the backrest leaned back through the 8-degree adjustment function, I instantly relaxed, just like the feeling in the first-class cabin. Also, President Chang has mentioned before that we have a huge panoramic sunroof of 1.9 square meters. There’s no beam blocking the middle of the sunroof. When you look upwards with a semi-reclining posture, you will feel very relaxed and connected to the outside world. This is a function that I really like.
Finally, it’s about naming. President Chang talked about the naming of the wheel hub and car body color in detail in the video. Here I want to share the Resilience wheel hub. I was a bit worried when I was designing the wheel hub because it has a retro style. But after the materialization, I found out from chatting with some engineers that this wheel hub is very popular, and many people like it. This wheel hub indeed has its unique features. For example, it uses a very expensive process, which engineers call “milling and forging.” It’s based on forging but also has milling function. This enables us to make each spoke very thin without compromising its strength. It achieves both lightweight and necessary strength. There are three interior colors, namely Assassin Black, Samurai Orange, and Iron Knight Grey.
Q1:
How to understand the difference between consumers of new energy vehicles and traditional fuel vehicles?
Chang Bing:
In the industry, there is often a discussion on how much the design of new energy vehicles differs from that of traditional fuel vehicles. From my perspective, these differences have not been stable until now.
First of all, all new energy vehicle designs are obviously younger and more avant-garde than fuel vehicles. This is a fact and a result. The driving force behind this result is the change in technology, because in new energy vehicles, both the architecture and power source are different from those of traditional fuel vehicles. However, this change brings two even more far-reaching impacts.The first thing is that people have different attitudes towards electricity. In the era of gasoline-powered cars, all electrical appliances consume energy and it is desired to use them as little as possible. For example, lighting and sound systems are generally not used too much as they consume gasoline. However, for electric cars, especially for the power electronics, the electricity consumed by electrical appliances such as sound, light, and electronics can be negligible and the proportion is very small. Therefore, new energy vehicles exaggerate the use of electricity and lighting in their designs. For example, ambient lights, screens, exterior lighting, and illuminated logos in new energy vehicles are design features that were not present in traditional gasoline-powered cars. This design feature reflects people’s different attitudes towards electricity. Of course, this is still a relatively small aspect. More importantly, the design and development of traditional gasoline-powered cars have gradually become stable over the past 100 years. The division of gasoline-powered cars in terms of design styles and vehicle types has become increasingly stable, and it is very difficult to make breakthroughs. Only after the emergence of new energy technologies is it possible to make significant changes and adjustments to the overall layout and architecture of the car. With the adjustment of the architecture, the changes in the body will naturally become more obvious. We often talk about content being more important than form, and only when the content changes, can the form naturally change; otherwise, the content remains the same, but the form changes, which is inevitably limited. Therefore, all new energy vehicle designs are different. On the one hand, the architecture and technology of the car itself have changed, and on the other hand, it has spurred changes in people’s ways of thinking. As we know, all new energy vehicle designers and development teams are from traditional gasoline-powered car companies, and we wonder why they are more conservative in their designs in traditional gasoline-powered car companies but more avant-garde in new companies. It’s because of people’s mindset, and the basic structure of the car being designed has changed, which has brought about many changes.
As for whether the front of new energy cars was big-mouthed or closed at the beginning, that is a very minor and insignificant aspect. As you know, only the very early electric cars were closed at the front because they had a smaller ventilation requirement. However, around 2017-2018, the energy density of power batteries changed dramatically, and the improvement was very fast. Therefore, there is also a very high demand for heat dissipation. It means that the current electric cars require heat dissipation no less than traditional gasoline-powered cars, so new electric cars now no longer require a closed front because the closed front cannot dissipate heat effectively. What people say about how new energy cars will definitely be like this and traditional gasoline-powered cars will definitely be like that is not true. It is actually the technology itself that has changed. Technological changes brought about by the times have led to changes in people’s ways of thinking, and people can make newer things. This is the bigger background, and the specific creative ideas of the designers are relatively secondary.We have previously posted some pictures that received very positive feedback online. However, there were also a few users who said that the rear of the car was not as impressive as the front and side. We were surprised because we attached great importance to the design of the rear. As we know, we can only see the front of another car from the rearview mirror, and when following a car, we often stare at the tail for a long time. Therefore, the rear of the car is an area that we attach great importance to. But there was a typical user who saw one of our real cars at the Deep Hong Kong Macau Auto Show and posted a message saying that the rear of the car was “extremely attractive,” using the phrase “extremely attractive” to express a strong feeling of level and power. As we know, all the designs of NETA are very distinctive, with almost nothing similar to others, and this is done very well.
Chang Bing: “In order to be successful, all aspects of the car must excel, and design is only the first step.” Any new car that wants to gain attention and favor from customers must rely on its design first, but this is only the first step. When customers have contact with the car, all aspects of performance, service, intelligence, and traditional mechanical qualities must all be above par, in order to maintain a very high level and ultimately increase sales. Therefore, this is definitely a very systematic project. Any car that sells well on the market must excel in all aspects. “High comprehensive quality” is the common point of all popular models.
Q2:
As the first product of SH platform, what improvements in design does the NETA S·Yao have?
Chang Bing:
SH platform is the first platform, and the first model of the platform is NETA S·Yao. Firstly, its size, including compatibility with the chassis performance and width, is very strong and large, with strong expandability.In the fields of intelligent driving and intelligent cabin, we have reached a new level. I cannot provide exact numbers, but overall, we have experienced a qualitative change compared to traditional NETA car models. For example, we are very satisfied with the dimensions of the NETA S·Yao, especially the width, which is 1,980mm. Normally, for this level, B+ models are around 1,900mm wide. With a width close to 2 meters, this is largely due to the platform’s advantages. The width can not only accommodate more battery reserve for better endurance, but also a more powerful suspension system, and a more spacious interior. We are very proud of this. About 10 days ago, we revealed some data on the NETA S·Yao, and some media put us in the category of the “Four Little Dragons” of the competition. But when the actual data and size parameters were released, you will find that we are much bigger than the other three models. Therefore, the platform’s size advantage is the strongest and most intuitive, including the 50:50 front and rear weight ratio of the NETA S·Yao, and the very low center of gravity at 470mm, which is an excellent number. For the handling performance of the car, it was built entirely like a sports car for the four-door version, not just an extremely powerful sedan. This difference in development logic is actually ensured by the technological advantages of the Shanhaitian platform.
Fangyang Fan:
In order to achieve L4 or higher-level intelligent driving, we certainly have many sensors. As I just mentioned earlier, the biggest challenge for us is the lidar, and we designed two of them. We naturally thought of two headlights, so we placed them under the headlights and concealed them with black decorative pieces. In fact, there are many other sensors around it, as I mentioned earlier, we have ultrasonic radars all over the car, which need to be exposed, and there is a hidden millimeter wave radar, commonly known as a corner radar, beside it, located in the front and rear of it. Such a large number of sensors is a huge challenge for the designer. The biggest challenge is the interaction between the designer and the engineer, including the relationship between the engineers themselves. It is not about compromising with each other, shaking hands and making results. Instead, it is when the designers challenge the engineers to reach their limits, and the engineers then turn around to challenge the limits of the designers. It is only in this kind of mutual challenge and interaction that so many new and unique components, which are seen for the first time, can be gracefully integrated into the appearance or interior of the whole car.Translation
Markdown:
“`markdown
And here’s an example: the AR-HUD head-up display for the interior is an augmented reality display device. Its volume is very large. Why is the volume so large? It wasn’t emphasized in the movie just now, but its display area and volume have a certain proportional relationship. We pursue a large display area, which means that from the driving position, through the front windshield, a larger area of the AR-HUD display can be seen, which requires the AR-HUD itself to become very large in size. Therefore, there is an open AR-HUD above the IP, which is called the viewport. As just mentioned, we can arrange it in this thin IP, which is also a challenge to the limits of various structural sizes. This is how we achieved a very satisfactory, very broad view of the front.
Zhang Honghan:
“In the intelligent drive and intelligent cockpit sections, around August or September, our entire system, after being adapted to the car, will basically meet the calibration standards, and at that time we will conduct in-depth sharing and experiential themed activities.”
Q3:
“I have a question. There are a lot of details in the NETA S·Yao that have been carefully considered, but I think they could be even cooler, for example, the interior color texture does not use particularly cool contrasting designs, and the wheels could be larger and more striking. Are we holding back in this area? It still looks like a pixelated car. I think the custom colors for the body could be even more dazzling and bright. Will there be customized colors or customized interiors in the future? Another question is, when we drove the NETA U Pro previously, I felt very comfortable, it had the qualities of an electric car. I believe that feasible people and designers must have gone through a lot of struggles, is this a problem that frequently occurs in the development of new NETA cars? How do we consider this?”
Fan Fengyang:
“I’ve tried several electric cars before and it takes me some time to adapt to them, such as the acceleration and braking. But when I test drove the NETA S·Yao, I was surprised. I didn’t have to spend too much energy adapting to it, as the acceleration, braking, and steering all became familiar very quickly. I felt very confident and familiar. This also indirectly indicates the characteristics of our car. The car you see now is indeed more simple, but in the early stages of our design strategy, we had reserved many possibilities, such as wheels; now we have 19-inch wheels, but we can also install 20-inch wheels. For example, we have also reserved for some more exaggerated side skirts and front and rear bumper designs, all of which were planned in the early stages of our development. As for color coordination, we choose more neutral colors for the interior, but from the material used, we have used a lot of suede materials that are only used in sports cars. In terms of color, we can also add some very contrasting and vivid colors on some parts to make the whole interior more personalized. We can even do some painting for the exterior, which is not a problem.”We have taken care of the general needs of most users, but the car’s performance reserves are very abundant. In addition to the 20-inch wheel hub that Mr. Fan mentioned just now, many exterior components are already pre-divided, which means that they can be modified in large quantities. I can tell you that this is a project that we internally rejected before. We once wanted to make a high-performance carbon fiber version that users could directly purchase. The lips and skirts of the entire front and rear bumpers were different, as were the wheels. However, the cost was a bit high, so we internally rejected it. But I believe that after this car is truly on the market, some aftermarket modification companies may target it and provide high-performance modification kits with better cost performance. Because the car body structure is very well reserved, it can be easily modified.
Q4:
The LiDAR is placed in the small triangle area, so will the two LiDARs of NETA affect the full play of its functions? What are the features of this AR-HUD?
Fang Yang:
As I mentioned earlier, the placement of LiDAR must first ensure its performance. Our placement strategy is to first place it near the headlight, which is the closest position to the front. The other is to place it on the roof position. If it is placed high, it can indeed see further, but it also has disadvantages. We have done some balancing before, whether to put it high or closer to the ground. We choose the latter, which is closer to the ground, and there are two LiDARs that can scan a larger range. This is the strategy for the placement of LiDAR.
Chang Bing:
I talked to my colleague in charge of intelligent driving about this at the auto show, and I asked him similar questions, including the difference between two and three LiDARs. He told me very clearly that many friends’ understanding of LiDAR is still based on the understanding of early product performance, but the latest product performance has improved rapidly.
He thinks that three is a bit redundant, and two is enough. As for the position, he said the difference is very small, possibly theoretically different, but in practice, through software algorithms or considering all the sensors of the intelligent driving system, the difference in position becomes very weak, and the difference is not that great. They will definitely do sufficient experiments in various scenarios, and I believe they will be able to handle this.
Chang Bing:
First of all, in terms of the displayed content, we did not make it particularly unique. The display is still mainly based on core driving information, such as vehicle speed and basic navigation, and can also display some entertainment content. However, this item is temporarily closed in the default mode, and you can enter it, but the basic driving information is turned on by default.From yesterday’s test drive experience, the clarity and naturalness were very satisfying. To be honest, many of the leaders who test drove with us had never driven a car with AR-HUD before. Their feedback was comfortable without any abrupt feeling. As we all know, AR-HUD technology has been a mature technology in the industry for 10-20 years. In these 10-20 years, the improvement has been in the quality of improving clarity, brightness, faster response, and more intricate display, all of which have brought the technology to a new level. From a qualitative point of view, I don’t think there is too much difference between them.
Q5:
There are “five criteria” for whether a car design looks good. How did the NIO ES8 pass the criteria you defined as a designer?
Chang Bing:
The first criteria is the design itself. For instance, the designer thinks the car looks good.
Secondly, every layer of the company’s decision-making process must approve the design, from management to the designers.
Thirdly, the users are critical.
Fourthly, peer recognition. Although this factor is not very relevant to the product itself, it is fundamental to improving one’s design aesthetic.
Finally, the time frame is significant. Today’s fashionable design may not be so fashionable in ten or twenty years time. This is also a very important dimension.
In this sense, not only the NIO ES8 but all the previous models of U and V were developed with the same philosophy. In addition to emphasising design philosophy, the three words “Self-Confidence in Yourself” are not just the slogan of the design team, but the most critical factor is whether the design philosophy can be realised in the brand.
Nearly every brand aims to create the most personalised, beautiful and avant-garde design. However, not every brand has enough support or real conditions to achieve this. The most critical factor for achieving this reality is that the entire enterprise and brand have a sufficient understanding of design because design is mostly based on user demand, and the cost and technical costs are behind this demand. Therefore, the enterprise needs to strive to attain the aesthetic standard of user demand.This is indeed an advantage for Li Auto. Firstly, our design team and internal team have a very flat structure. In our design center, there is an unwritten rule that any designer, even a new assistant designer, can talk to me directly if they have an idea or a plan. If you have a creative idea, but your boss thinks it’s not good, and you think it’s very good, if your opinion and your boss’s opinion are not the same, you can talk to me directly. We avoid any suppression from the so-called structure or hierarchy on original ideas from a system or reporting relationship. For the division and relationship between experienced and young designers, it is not the traditional hierarchical management, but rather a concept of complete protection and guidance. We hope that experienced designers can help young designers avoid mistakes. I can tell you where the problem is, but how to do it better, I won’t give you directions, I encourage you to explore it on your own. I will only tell you what’s wrong, but I will try to say less about what’s right.
This internal culture can largely protect creativity that comes from the youngest people. As we all know, creativity is always best understood by young people for young users, and this point should be fully protected.
In addition, the decision-making system is the biggest difference between different brands in terms of design decisions. The biggest difference behind the design of each different brand that we see is the difference in decision-making systems. This is because the differences between designers are relatively small, and every company has very excellent designers. However, whether excellent ideas can be turned into products depends more on the decision-making system.
Li Auto has a chief designer and an independent design center. The design center can maintain a very independent and equal relationship with the traditional engineering research and development department. Moreover, our decision-making efficiency is extremely high. For example, in some large companies, if a styling selection and review is conducted, it may take almost a week, including pre-evaluation, formal evaluation, evaluation by different levels of people, and final decision-making, which is very long. We directly add an item to the company-level meeting, display the pictures, or show the model to the leaders. We can make decisions in 15 to 20 minutes.
This is a huge advantage of the architecture and the entire company’s understanding of design. As a representative of design, the marketing department represents users, and the engineering research and development department represents technology and cost. Three people, plus the CEO, can make decisions in 10 to 15 minutes. The higher the decision-making efficiency, the less intervention and influence on design. You can see the difference in Li Auto’s design results without us having to say too much.The last and most crucial aspect of the Five Gates is time, which is the designer’s own pursuit. Apart from hoping that cars sell well, we also hope that in ten or twenty years, when someone summarizes the history of Chinese car design, they can include the NETA car model. When a car model is freed from the constraints and background of commercial success and sales volume, evaluating its aesthetic design becomes much cleaner and more straightforward. We hope to make a place for ourselves in that evaluation. Of course, this still needs to be verified by time, but we are highly confident in ourselves.
It is evident that NETA’s cars are not only unique at first glance, but also can be further explored and appreciated upon second and third looks. We are very proud of this, as not all brands’ designs can achieve this. Some designs may look stunning at first glance but upon further inspection, the content is superficial and repetitive. However, with NETA, each detail offers a new perspective, which is a higher standard we aim to achieve in our design. This is the first time I have shared this information with everyone, and I encourage you to try it out for yourselves by appreciating the designs in person instead of just looking at pictures.
Q6:
Why do production cars look visually better than concept cars? What are some practical, design-specific advantages compared to other cars of the same level?
Chang Bing:
From our perspective, the NETA production model is more stunning than the Eureka03 concept car. There are two differences: the front face went from a friendly expression to a more aggressive expression, which is generally more eye-catching. The changes to the side and rear were relatively small, especially the rear, which was the most significant difference in expression.
Also, to be truthful, the concept car was developed in a very short period as General Manager Fan had just started the job at the time. My impression is that they only spent around four to five months from a blank sheet of paper to completing the vehicle, and there was not enough refinement in the process. However, the concept car was still positively rated. By combining the base of the concept car and with more adequate production development time, the refinement of the final product was well executed, which is a crucial factor.
Earlier, you mentioned how practical the design is compared to other car models. Later, General Manager Fan can supplement more information. My lasting impression is that the trunk is significantly better than almost all rivals on the market. As we know, the trunk opening of coupe models is often very small due to the structural design, some of which are even a hole with a very deep space inside, making it challenging to retrieve things from deep within the compartment. However, our design has a big opening and spacious interior, which makes it practical and comfortable to use.One thing that stands out is the thickness of the seats. Some car models use thinner seats to make more room for passengers, sacrificing the thickness of the backrest and cushion. But the NETA S·SOLID doesn’t do that. The seats are surprisingly thick and solid, without sacrificing passenger space. This is because of its platform advantage – the platform size is impressive, allowing for a more practical design without sacrificing space. There are no space-saving designs inside our car, only genuine and practical components and space dimensions. These two points stood out to me the most, and Mr. Fan can add more details.
Speaking of concept cars, there are many stories. Unfortunately, I joined during the epidemic, and I had some fears during the process of model development. I remember going to the model company by car with the model maker, but we didn’t speak to each other because we wore masks, and we were not very aware of the virus at that time. Since the time was tight, the design wasn’t as refined as a production car.
The second question is about the new features of our car. Mr. Chang just talked about the trunk – our pure electric version has a front trunk that can hold a large 18-19 inch suitcase. Another feature I particularly like that wasn’t explained in detail in the previous video is the glass lift control, which uses touch buttons. This is a feature commonly used in new energy vehicles, but it’s not a simple touch. It adds a sliding control function, inspired by the sliding gestures used in early phone screen locks. By sliding the glass lift can be controlled. There are two ways to do this: if you don’t remove your hand, the glass will go up or down with your hand, and if you slide quickly, the glass will go up or down in one touch. It’s a very cool gesture. Of course, we were a little worried about this feature before seeing the real thing. But after test driving it the other day, I found it has a vibration feedback, making it a very good experience.
Mr. Fan’s answer just reminded me of another point, which is a shared feature of all the NETA models (U, V, and S). We have always pursued a thin and low dashboard design for the interior, which may not always be practical, but it feels very different when driving. You might remember the high waistline trend that started around 2005. The waistline of cars got higher, and the side windows became very small. This trend lasted for more than a decade, and there are still many cars that use this concept. I personally dislike this design because the high waistline makes the passenger feel cramped and confined, like sitting in a small jail cell with small windows. We aim for transparency, hoping the space inside and outside the car is well-connected, rather than being blocked by doors and dashboards in between. That’s why our side windows are relatively lower and pressed down.Second, all dashboards are very low and give a feeling of being light and slim. This slim design allows for a clear main field of vision while driving, with no obstacles in the primary field of vision, and excellent lighting. As we know, the spacious and transparent feeling of a car is determined not only by the absolute opening area and size, but also by the lighting, which gives you a feeling of openness. From this perspective, we have always insisted on making the dashboard thinner and lower. Therefore, when driving the NETA S·Yao, U, and V models, you will feel very spacious and bright, not like operating a machine in a closed space, but rather a smooth connection between the interior and exterior of the car. This feeling has always been our pursuit and is a unique feature that distinguishes us from other cars.
Q7:
Why didn’t you use a hatchback design?
Fan Fengyang:
Actually, it’s related to another one of our features. If you see the actual car, you will notice a very large panoramic sunroof, which is 1.9 square meters, and probably the largest size that can be done domestically. There is also an important function between the back of the sunroof and the rear window, which is the 5G module. One is to ensure the advanced nature of the functions, and the other is to ensure headspace. As we just mentioned, the appearance looks smooth and streamlined, but it also satisfies the required space. This is related to why we ultimately chose to give up the hatchback door.
The hatchback model has some necessary structures right where the rear passengers’ heads are, which would definitely encroach on some headspace. Similarly, if we chose a hatchback, we would have to give up another feature, which is the 8° adjustable seats, because we might not have enough space to tilt the seats back 8° for a comfortable function. After balancing so many things, we chose the large panoramic sunroof, 5G module, and 8° adjustable backrests of the seats, allowing elderly people or children in the rear seats to enjoy a more comfortable ride. This was our choice at the time.
Chang Bing:
Overall, we initially wanted to have a fully hatchback-style trunk door, but later the new technologies of the sunroof system and 5G communication module presented different requirements for the roof structure. If it were a traditional small sunroof, it would be no problem to have a fully hatchback design. But the panoramic sunroof glass and 5G module, and the 8-degree adjustment of the second-row seat backrest, are conflicting functions that must be sacrificed because the scenario of opening the trunk and stuffing a large item in is relatively rare. So we sacrificed the low probability demand and ensured the high probability demand of daily riding, making trade-offs and balancing everything.
Q8:
The NETA brand relies on the classic Chinese mythological IP NETA. For the NETA S·Yao model, in terms of the embodiment of traditional Chinese elements, such as the previous mention of the Fangtianhuaji and the name itself, are there any expressions of traditional elements in the design details?
Fan Fengyang:I will first explain my understanding of this issue. We just talked about the “Fang Tian Hua Ji” (a legendary weapon) of the taillights, which is just one part of it. Personally, I believe that the biggest embodiment of so-called Chinese and traditional elements lies in the overall front-end styling of the car. Regarding this front-end, it is actually a facial expression of the legendary character NETA. This expression can be seen as slightly fierce, which we call confidence and determination. This confidence and determination exemplify our confidence in the product and our brand.
Chang Bing:
In terms of more intuitively Chinese traditional features, in addition to the front-end expression we just mentioned, it is the eyebrow expression of NETA when he is angry and the taillights. The central armrest in the front row of our interior has a curved design that resembles the traditional Chinese clothing feature of symmetrical design. When people see the car in person, they will definitely feel the uniqueness, which distinguishes it from other brands without sacrificing practicality. In addition to these familiar Chinese traditional symbols and elements, we believe that more important is that people’s understanding of Chinese elements is too narrow-minded. What we see in our daily lives, especially in other fields, are traditional types of Chinese design that have ignored modern Chinese elements. Several years ago, in the designer circle, the application of traditional Chinese elements or oriental cultural elements was discussed. If only traditional elements were applied, it would be very limited in both usability and originality. It is also easy for everyone to wear the same clothes. Later, everyone agreed that as long as it is a unique creation by a Chinese brand, it can be called “Chinese element”. As long as it is different, has never existed before, is unique to Chinese brands, it can be defined as a Chinese feature.
From this perspective, for example, our style, such as the new feature of Hongqi, has actually reduced many traditional elements. As for the Chinese brand Lynk & Co., that is known worldwide, many elements applied by Lynk & Co. are far from traditional Chinese elements.
I will give you two examples. Including NETA, the NETA S·Shine, NETA U, and NETA V are very different from others. As long as the user accepts this difference, and it becomes a successful product from design, then its feature should be classified as good Chinese elements and Chinese design. Therefore, we might as well expand the scope a bit. This is my understanding of this issue.
Q9:
The narrowest point of the daytime running light of the NETA S·Shine is as narrow as 5 millimeters, which is quite difficult to achieve in engineering. I would like to ask where the main difficulty lies?
Chang Bing:### 5 mm is not the most difficult for the light emitting unit. There must be a structural framework around all the luminous bodies, and the structural framework must have sealing and installation structures. Other ancillary structures take up a lot of space. However, the narrowest position of the daytime running light happens to be the lowest corner position pressed by the entire front of the car. Therefore, the difficulty of the luminous body itself is secondary. More important is the sealing strength and installation structure surrounding the luminous body, which is also placed at the lowest corner position of the front of the car, making the difficulty relatively large. It’s two different concepts to light up this lamp alone and put it on the car.
范凤阳：
Regarding the 5mm of car lights, there are two points that are very difficult. One is that 5mm itself is a challenge for the manufacturing mold. The other challenge is something that users are more likely to perceive, which is how to ensure that the 5mm area is still evenly illuminated when lit up. This is a big challenge, so we specifically mention the figure of 5mm.
Q10：
I remember when I interviewed Chang Bing in Beijing last time, he mentioned the design of the NETA family. Chang emphasized that the design follows the different characteristics of each car, rather than emphasizing the design of the family. We can see that this year almost all new forces brands start to adopt similar identifiable designs after their own models are relatively stable. From the NETA S.Yao to the future, will the NETA models be more unified in terms of design style?
常冰：
The issue of family design. Let me talk more about this. First of all, from a personal point of view, I do not appreciate strong family design. At that time, my point of view was that family design is the need of carmakers, not the need of users. Because only carmakers will put their cars together and compare them in a line. But for users, they are only buying one of our cars, and buying several of our cars is still a minority. From the user’s perspective, whether the car I bought is similar to other cars or not is not related to me. Of course, there are also users who have a stronger sense of satisfaction if they buy a mid-range model that is similar to the brand’s high-end model. But in my opinion, most NETA users are not of this type. The psychology of the users who buy NETA cars is very independent, and they do not need to rely on similarity to more expensive things or models to get a sense of recognition. As a result, our users have a relatively small psychological demand in this regard.But will our next step bring a stronger sense of family resemblance? To be honest, there is some difference of opinion between me and our boss on this matter. He really wants a more obvious family resemblance, while I personally don’t want to go that route at the moment. We are still discussing this. I can reveal to you that our next model will be unofficially unveiled around July, and it will have a weaker family resemblance to the NETA S·Yao. In terms of shape and pattern, it differs greatly, but you can feel the same internal spirit. U, V, and S are the same. There are differences in the details of the appearance, but you can still feel the same driving force inside the car, because it was created by the same team. Although the drawing plans and design techniques may differ, the same intrinsic qualities of this team remain unchanged, and these qualities can be felt. Of course, our boss may have different opinions in the next stage of promotion, and may apply the features of the NETA S·Yao to other car models. We are also discussing these matters.
What we can tell you now is that we will not create a strong family resemblance like some European old brands, making it almost impossible to distinguish between them. We won’t go that far. We emphasize that there are similarities, but the outstanding features of this car and that car must be different, so as to express the charm of the design. This is my point of view.
Q11:
Chang Bing:
I test drove the car the day before yesterday, and I think people’s experiences can explain the issue. It takes about half a minute to adapt to the touch buttons. After a little explanation, people can adapt immediately. After adapting, there are many advantages over traditional physical buttons.
Fan Fengyang:
Regarding the touch buttons, I just mentioned the glass lifter. I really like this feature. On the day of the test drive, a colleague who didn’t know how to use it sat next to me. I spent less than half a minute explaining how to operate it, and she tried it herself. Afterwards, she told me that the experience was completely different from what she imagined. She thought that touching the button once would be enough, but didn’t expect there to be so many hidden features. It’s like when we get an iPhone, what we see is just the surface, but we discover many interesting and useful functions when we use it. This is what we considered when designing the touch glass lifter. We don’t want to have too many similar things to other brands.
Zhang Honghan:Thank you again for actively participating in this afternoon’s interaction. I think we have gained a lot from it and it has given us a lot of inspiration and insight into this product. As a follow-up, we would like to give you a preview, of course taking into account the impact of the pandemic, which is the biggest uncertainty. If everything goes well, there should be a first dynamic test drive at the end of June, which is something we are eagerly looking forward to. The day before yesterday, Mr. Chang and Mr. Fan had a dynamic experience in the factory, which was very exciting for them and for myself. Therefore, I also hope to convey this positive feeling to everyone as soon as possible, and through everyone’s transmission to more users. If the impact of the pandemic is not that great, we will carry out this event at the end of June as soon as possible.
Subsequently, in July and August, we will have more theme-oriented and related topics that everyone is concerned about. We will have deeper communication with everyone to allow them to have a more multidimensional and in-depth understanding of NETA S·U. Indeed, NETA S·U is like a treasure boy with many aspects worth exploring.
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.