Author: Tuantuan
Just after the New Year’s Day of 2023, when consumers had not yet digested the aftermath of the national subsidy withdrawal, Tesla took the lead in launching the first price cut of 2023. Perhaps due to overcapacity or further cost compression in the production process, regardless of the reason, the first price cut did not seem very friendly to the owners who had just taken delivery of their cars.
Tesla wants to win the market by reducing prices, but now, with the rapid development of new electric vehicle technologies, the increasingly sound industry supply chain, and the growing product strength, there are many products that can stand up to the Model 3/Y.
After all, their main selling models, the Model 3/Y, are no longer “fresh”. Therefore, when Tesla announced the price reduction, we saw some brands choose to follow suit, but more domestic brands decided to challenge Tesla with their own products.
For example, while Tesla announced its price cut, Leapmotor released a poster like this:
It challenged the Model Y with the slogan “R7 is better than WHY”. They say that a soldier who is afraid to become a general is not a good soldier. Similarly, any model that is not confident enough to challenge a hot-selling model is not good enough. But at the same time, to challenge it, they need to show their confidence and strength.
What is the confidence of Leapmotor’s R7 to challenge the Model Y?
As a pure electric SUV with a price range of around 300,000 RMB, almost every model in this field in the past year cannot avoid being compared to the Model Y.
Instead of comparing it behind the scenes, it’s better to actively take the challenge.
Leapmotor’s R7 is called the “Large Model Y” by its fans. This “large” first of all shows on its size.
Comparing the dimensions of the two cars, the wheelbase, length, and height of the R7 are much larger, making the knee and headroom in the rear seat more spacious.
Styling can be subjective, and both the streamlined body of the Model Y and the FEIFAN R7 are more refined. And as a smart electric vehicle, electrification and intelligence cannot be ignored.
Let’s talk about energy supplementation. Tesla and FEIFAN have chosen two different routes: the Model Y relies on supercharging stations and V3 supercharging to meet its fast charging needs, while FEIFAN has chosen a “chargeable, replaceable, and adjustable” energy supplementation system.
Whether it’s fast charging or battery swap, they are both a mode of heavy load forward and require a sufficient number of charging/swapping stations and a dense charging/swapping network to provide users with convenient experiences. Tesla has first-mover advantage, with over 10,000 superchargers built in China from 2019 to date; FEIFAN, standing on the shoulders of giants, has partnered with China Petroleum and Chemical Corporation to install battery swap stations at gas stations, providing a more convenient energy supplementation experience.
In terms of intelligent driving, Tesla can be said to be a leader in the industry, with unique visual perception solutions, advanced algorithms, and the fully automatic driving capability of the FSD already available in North America, all of which are benchmarks in the intelligent driving field.
Most Chinese automobile companies have taken a completely different strategy, after all, for users, safer and more reliable intelligent driving assistance, as opposed to “futures” that appear daring and radical, is the initial expectation of every consumer. The FEIFAN R7 uses the RISING PILOT fully integrated high-end driving system. In order to provide an intelligent driving system that is ready to use without waiting, the FEIFAN R7 uses leading perception hardware such as the Luminar 1550nm high-definition laser radar, 4D imaging radar, and 8 million pixel camera, paired with the industry’s top NVIDIA Drive Orin ultra-computing chip and self-developed Full Fusion fully integrated algorithm to maximize its intelligent driving capabilities.
Taking LCC adaptive cruise control, one of the most commonly used intelligent driving functions for Fleva R7 users, as an example. When Fleva R7 passes through complex intersections without reference lines, it will not exit or deviate from the direction with the preceding vehicle due to the inability to recognize the road conditions. When entering and exiting a continuous large curvature bend, Fleva R7 can always keep the vehicle in the middle of the lane. In the event of encountering a large vehicle during driving, it can also make evasive maneuvers in advance to reduce the nervousness of the driver and passengers. All of these make Fleva R7’s intelligent driving level in the top tier of the industry.
In terms of the intelligent cockpit, compared with the Model Y, which only has one large iPad, Fleva R7 has a more solid “material”. Its cockpit is equipped with a RISING MAX 3+1 giant screen, consisting of a 43-inch wide-color triple screen and Huawei’s first mass-produced AR-HUD. The 43-inch triple screen uses a splicing of two materials, AMOLED and Mini LED, to provide users with a more stunning visual experience. The AR-HUD has the clearest resolution in the industry, a wider interface range, and more abundant display information. It can even act as an “X-ray vision” in deep night/blind areas.
Besides strength, what gives users a better experience?
Today’s intelligent electric vehicles have strong configurations. But for users, the most direct feeling is not how many advanced configurations there are, but how the user experience is.
Therefore, we see more and more car companies mention “customer-centric”.
“Customer-centric” sounds easy, and it seems that interacting with users through the app and organizing offline activities is the best way. However, truly customer-centric design needs to be traced back to the product, and user needs should be defined to design functional scenarios that focus on user experience.
In this regard, there are also significant differences in the actual driving experience between Fleva R7 and Model Y.
As an example in terms of driving experience, Model Y’s single pedal mode can be said to be a love-hate design for users. Those who like it can handle it skillfully, while those who don’t like it avoid it. On the other hand, the R7 from Fleva gives users the power to choose, making the driving mode infinitely customizable. Users can finely adjust power response and energy recovery parameters according to their driving habits between 0 and 100, enjoying a more free driving experience.
Similar user-centric designs can also be seen in the cabin. Tesla, represented by Model Y, has always adopted a “minimalist” style in cabin design, highlighting intelligence and technology by eliminating physical buttons and other designs, but the relatively complicated interface and less intelligent voice control mechanism require users to adapt to this technology. In comparison, although Fleva automobiles also employ technology to establish intelligent interactive spaces in cars, it places more emphasis on user experience. To meet the needs of watching videos in the cabin, Fleva R7 is equipped with a “dual independent cinema for driver and front passenger.” The front passenger can connect Bluetooth earphones to enjoy video content without disturbing the driver. When the front passenger wants to share the video screen, they can use a triple-finger swipe to synchronize the content of the front passenger screen to the central control screen or share it to the AR-HUD with one click, sharing with friends together.
It is undeniable that both have a solid foundation based on the development of the automotive industry. But Tesla’s philosophy is to popularize electric vehicles like the Ford Model T did in the era of gasoline cars. Its goal is to attract the public with advanced technology, focus on cost reduction and efficiency improvement, and its products only need to be functional. In the high-end market, Fleva automobiles focus on the ultimate experience of each driving scene and aim to make the experience of traveling “easy-to-use.”
Both cars have performed well on their respective battlefields. There is no need to elaborate on Tesla’s performance. As a new car that was only unveiled at the end of September, Fleva R7 delivered a total of 3024 units in the last two months, with December’s sales ranking fourth among mid-to-large sized SUVs. This product, which is centered around user experience, has the potential to win user choice. This is a bidirectional pursuit between the product and the consumer.
Last Words
Encountering the 2023 Tesla price cut at the beginning of the year, a bigger shuffle is inevitable. We also hope to see more brands like Leapmotor that dare to challenge the status quo in 2023, not only possessing the determination to succeed, but also unique strength to achieve more success in segmented markets.
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.