Translation

Author | Zhou YiWu
Editor | Cold ZeLin

On July 4, 2022, WENJIE M7 was released at Huawei’s Summer New Product Launch event, with a price range of 319,800-379,800 yuan.

When it comes to three-row extended-range vehicles priced around 300,000 yuan, people will firstly think of the Ideal brand. WENJIE M7 indeed has the same key features as the Ideal ONE.

Ideal has made the “historical” technology of extending the range of vehicles shine. With the guidance of veteran teachers, WENJIE needs to retain its core advantages and make breakthroughs in addition.

When it comes to building products in the field of new energy vehicles, Ideal is the first choice, and WENJIE is perhaps the second. Many users have told Geng Zhi Chu Xing, “When I see the WENJIE M5, I feel like it’s very similar to Ideal. The interior feels luxurious and the design of each function is very user-friendly.”

M5 takes the lead

In a way, the M5 is a two-row version of the Ideal ONE + Harmony OS car computer.

There is no direct competitor for a 250,000 yuan two-row extended-range car in the new energy sector. WENJIE M5 surpassed 7,000 units in monthly sales after only four months of launch, compared with XPeng P7 which took 12 months, and Ideal ONE which took 15 months. The staff of the securities department of Xiaokang Motors even said that there is a good chance that sales will exceed 10,000 units in July.

This reflects the rapid progress of China’s new energy vehicle industry chain.

In 2019, new forces were thinking about how to deliver over 10,000 vehicles annually, but in 2022, the first new energy vehicle from a completely new brand has the potential to deliver over 10,000 vehicles per month within six months. For established car enterprises, delivering over 10,000 units per month for a new model within three months is also possible.

However, the market is one thing and product strength is another. JiKe 001, backed by Geely Group, took eight months to deliver more than 4,000 units in two consecutive months.

In comparison, WENJIE M5’s delivery speed is record-breaking. Rapidly reaching the leading level in the fiercely competitive market is crucial for any business.

Building a successful brand is not easy for anyone, but WENJIE, with the boost from Huawei’s intelligence selection, has taken the lead.

Several WENJIE salespeople told Geng Zhi Chu Xing that the main buyers of WENJIE M5 are males over 30 years old and females over 25 years old. Most of them are Huawei mobile phone users, with a few being Apple mobile phone users. Potential buyers are mostly attracted to Huawei.

Nobody can deny that WENJIE has successfully implanted the image of a mid-to-high-end brand into the minds of users with the help of Huawei’s brand. This is what “BYD-like” companies are trying to achieve, but have not succeeded in doing.

M7 Aims at Ideal ONE

If the M5 is a two-row version of the Ideal ONE, then the M7 itself is very similar to the Ideal ONE.# Ideal ONE vs. WM Motor M7: Comparing Family and Business Orientation

Ideal ONE positions itself as a family-oriented vehicle, being commonly referred to as the “second-child dad car”. On the other hand, WM Motor M7 leans towards the business and family use of the car.

WM Motor M7 has emphasized multiple times that their competition with the Ideal ONE is primarily on the three-row space. The key to their competitiveness is dependent on whether or not the three-row space is comparable to that of the Ideal ONE. With an advantage in its new model and its partnership with Huawei, WM Motor M7 is likely to outcompete the Ideal ONE.

The M7 boasts its interiors that are more spacious than that of the BMW X7, Mercedes GLS, or Audi Q7L, with a three-row space measuring at 808mm, thus capable of accommodating adults. However, feedback from people who have already experienced the M7 stated that the three-row space is slightly smaller than that of the Ideal ONE.

Given this information, the WM Motor M7’s competitiveness will be weaker than that of the Ideal ONE to families looking for a car with stronger demand for a third row.

In reality, the third row has an important use case: having a child seat accompanied by a grown-up or adult. Despite having a slight disadvantage in the three-row space, Ideal ONE is superior to WM Motor M7 in this specific aspect. The third row of Ideal ONE is equipped with Type-C that caters to the demands of individuals occupying the third row.

Although falling short in the third row, the first two rows of WM Motor M7 have its unique advantages. This aspect is likely what WM Motor considers as a compromise to cater to business clients.

On the right side of the second row, WM Motor M7 installed a gravity-free seat that automatically leans forward to a 30-degree lift, creating a comfortable seating space while the car is moving. This feature is practical for executives.

Moreover, WM Motor M7’s carjack has 2 sets of 66W wired chargers and 2 sets of 40W fast chargers, simultaneously charging two mobile phones, a laptop, and a tablet. This functionality improves the efficiency of business professionals.

The most significant highlight of the car system is the addition of the “Super Desktop” feature, allowing users to access smartphone apps directly from the car monitor; adapting to the screen size and multi-tasking features. WM Motor M7’s combination of hardware and software capabilities, including hands-free voice control, makes it more intelligent compared to other cars.

In conclusion, at present, the penetration rate of new energy vehicles is approaching 30%. Currently, there is still a battle to dominate the oil car market instead of the new energy vehicle market.

Extended-range vehicles are a more acceptable option compared to traditional oil cars, with all the benefits of oil cars, and only a slight drawback in their recharge potential. WM Motor M7’s electric range is 150KM, indicating that most of their customers switched from oil cars to electric cars. However, after experiencing it, many plug-in hybrid vehicle owners expressed their concern about the low range of the electric mode. BYD’s new DM-i with an electric range of 242KM indirectly shows that the market demands more of this feature.Although Wanjie M7 and LI ONE are similar in product positioning, in fact, they are now comrades-in-arms, with common enemies. Wanjie M5 can achieve a monthly delivery of over 7000 units in four months and is expected to achieve a monthly delivery of over 10,000 units in five months. So, how long will it take for M7?

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.