Message to All Ideal Car Employees

Today, CEO of Ideal Car, Li Xiang, issued a letter to all employees, in which he reiterated the company’s “mission, vision, values”.

In the internal letter of 2021, Ideal Car’s vision was to “create a mobile home and become the world’s leading intelligent electric vehicle company”, while in this internal letter, Ideal Car’s vision was adjusted to “become the world’s leading artificial intelligence company by 2030”.

Li Xiang hopes that Ideal Car will be able to build a complete systematic capability in the field of artificial intelligence (Software 2.0) 15 years later, and he also explained the difference between the eras of Software 1.0 and 2.0.

Software 1.0: Humans design the logic, humans code, machines compute and humans use software.

Software 2.0: Machines learn from humans (including perception, decision-making, execution, and feedback loop), algorithm training on the cloud, machines use algorithms, and machines serve humans.

In the all-staff letter, Li Xiang also stated that “in 2023, the technology products of Software 2.0 will be officially launched in China, and the city NOA navigation-assisted driving (not relying on HDMAP) based on BEV perception and Transformer model which realized end-to-end training will be launched starting from the end of 2023 in the most important intelligent electric vehicle field.”

The following is the original text of the all-staff letter:

“Hello, colleagues of Ideal Car.

At the starting point of our efforts in 2023, I would like to say a few words to everyone.

In December 2022, Ideal Car delivered a total of 21,233 vehicles, and both Ideal L9 and Ideal L8 broke the 10,000-mark, setting a record for the highest monthly delivery among new forces, and becoming the brand that achieved a monthly delivery of more than 20,000 vehicles the fastest. The achievements of these two models have also enabled Ideal Car to achieve four firsts in December 2022:

• The highest sales volume of SUVs priced at 300,000-500,000 yuan;
• The highest sales volume of new energy vehicles priced at 300,000-500,000 yuan;
• The highest sales volume of large SUVs;
• The highest sales volume of medium-sized SUVs.

Such achievements are the result of our long-term adherence to the Ideal Car corporate culture over more than seven years, including the mission, vision, values, and code of conduct.

The mission answers why we founded this company.

The vision answers what kind of company we hope to become in the medium and long term.”>

Values, Behavior and Culture: The Foundation of Our Business

Our values are the most important and unique choices we make, which continuously help us achieve success.

The code of conduct supports us in upholding our values, providing a set of guiding principles that ensure we stay true to our values and keep moving forward, whether we face challenges or work in uncharted territory.

Our brand is a way to tell our customers who we are, but our company culture is the way we tell ourselves who we are, where we are going, and how we get there.

Mission: Create a Mobile and Happy Home

Our business started in 2015 when we founded “Beijing Chehejia”. We are committed to using two of the most important new technologies of the next century: renewable energy (the Joule Revolution) and artificial intelligence (the Bit Revolution) to change the most important physical spaces in our lives: our cars and our homes. Our goal is to create a mobile and happy home.

Vision: Become the Global Leader in Artificial Intelligence by 2030

When we first started, we envisioned that in 15 years, the ideal car would have a complete system in the field of artificial intelligence (Software 2.0).

Intelligent electric vehicles with automated driving capabilities will be the first artificial intelligence robots, and they will create the mother ecology of the physical world of artificial intelligence: from AI algorithms to life-changing AI products, from AI operating systems to AI inference chips, from AI training platforms to AI training chips, and more.

We hope to use the continuous research investment in the field of artificial intelligence, coupled with our ability to continuously surpass user needs, to change the efficiency and experience of the physical world using artificial intelligence robots, benefiting every family we serve and each member of their families. Through continuous effort and repeated rounds of industry elimination, we aim to become the leader in the global artificial intelligence industry by 2030.

Software 1.0: Humans design, program, and use software for machine calculations.

Software 2.0: Machines learn from humans (including perception, decision-making, execution, and feedback looping), the algorithm is trained on the cloud, and machines service humans.

We believe that in 2023, the arrival of software 2.0 technology products in China will begin in earnest. Based on BEV perception and Transformer models, the city NOA navigation assistant driving (independent of HDMAP) with end-to-end training will begin to be implemented at the end of 2023. This will be an important starting point for the transformation of Software 2.0 in the physical world, especially in the intelligent electric vehicle field.>
Value: Beyond User Needs, Create the Best Products and Services.

Cruelly speaking, most companies have misconceptions about values. Values are not slogans that we add to cover up our shortcomings. Values are the core value choices we truly have, the special abilities that support these choices, and the continuous help we need to succeed. The values of an outstanding company must be unique and can be reflected even in the small phase of its development.

We are brave enough to go beyond user needs and never stop at meeting those needs. In 2015, no consumer survey would tell us that users needed extended-range electric cars, six-seat SUVs, and self-service maintenance services through apps.

We must have enough courage to go beyond user needs, and make up our minds to develop the products and services we believe in, until we showcase them to the users.

Users will be surprised to find that this is the product and service I want: it turns out that there is still a way of energy that can be used to power cities, generate power for long distances, and discharge for camping without the need to queue for charging stations when driving with the family on vacation.

It turns out that the six-seat SUV with three rows is very convenient to get on and off, and the second-row can even be electrically adjusted, until today, three rows of seats in SUVs with six seats have become a common feature. It turns out that maintenance can be easily done through a mobile app. Someone will pick up the car during work, and the car will be delivered back before the end of the workday. The whole process is even easier to settle than ordering takeout.

We accurately build a complete chain of business capabilities around the best user group of families, go beyond user needs, and create the best products and services. This is the fundamental reason why, after becoming the sales champion of the same level, every product of the Ideal L9, L8, and L7 can continue to succeed.

Code of Conduct:

1. Always put user value first.
2. Do the right thing, not the easy thing.
3. Solve all problems collaboratively.

The code of conduct not only supports our adherence to values but also serves as an invisible ruler and yardstick in our culture.

On the other hand, we are in a rapidly developing and changing industry. We need to innovate in uncharted areas and face various unknown challenges. The difficult choices you face may have no processes or rules, and your managers may not be able to tell you exactly what to do, but as long as you adhere to our values and code of conduct, you can be bold in your actions.>
All partners will definitely trust you, and no one will blame you when there is a problem. When faced with difficulties, there will always be partners who will help you, and when you fall, there will always be someone to support you. As long as you remember and practice our code of conduct:

Always put user value first. It is necessary to fully understand users and also to gain insights and discoveries from various fields such as technology, industry, culture, sociology, etc. to think and explore deeper values, which are more long-term than what users think, to continuously create products and services that can truly create value.

Do the right thing, not the easy thing. Allocate time to long-term correct things and avoid being tempted by short-term benefits. Efforts should be made to manage oneself with necessity instead of inertia, continuously improve cognition, strive to make oneself aware of what oneself does not know, continue to confront laziness, and confront short-term behaviors that treat the symptoms rather than the root cause, so as to truly control one’s own destiny.

Solve all problems in a collaborative manner. Understand oneself, handle the relationship with oneself well, be proactive and positive, look inward and optimize one’s own goals and time management, and be a qualified adult;

Regarding understanding others as one’s management obligation, handle the relationship with others well, help those around to overcome their weaknesses and be a good manager and operator;

Having enough patience and willingness to spend time on letting more people understand oneself is our higher-level management obligation. We aim to encourage more and more people to sincerely want to help us, lead more people to achieve goals, achieve common growth, common achievements, and common benefits. Continuously train one’s leadership in every challenging project and business.

As long as we adhere to seeking truth from facts and tolerance and collaboration, this world will definitely become better and better!

Good luck with the work.

Li Xiang, CEO of Ideal Automotive
January 28, 2023
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.