On October 15th, after the announcement that the Ideal One 2020 model will be delivered directly to users, a small investigation was launched on the 42 Garage mini-program titled “Are you satisfied with the Ideal ONE 2020 optimization?” As of December 4th, 851 users participated in the investigation, and 455 were certified booking and locking users. According to the investigation results, as high as 85.71% of the booking and locking users expressed satisfaction with the upgrade content.
So, how much improvement did the upgrades of the 2020 Ideal ONE bring to vehicle workmanship, handling, NVH, intelligent driving, and other aspects compared to the 2019 model?
On November 30th, with this question in mind, I went to Changzhou to experience the new 2020 model before its official release. With the perspective of a prospective car owner, I hope to answer some questions through this experiential report.
As usual, I would like to declare at the beginning that there will be many of my personal subjective opinions in this article. If there are any differences in opinions, please trust your own feelings.
The article mainly has two parts. First is the introduction of the 2020 model optimization content. If you are a long-time follower of Ideal ONE, you must already know this part, you can skip it and go directly to the second part. Learn about those weird little issues that only users care about, maybe there are some issues you are concerned about.
What optimizations have been made to the 2020 Ideal ONE?
The upgrades of the 2020 Ideal ONE can be divided into two aspects: “visible and touchable optimizations” and “driving experience optimizations.”
Visible and touchable optimizations:
- Variable intake grille
The variable intake grille is the least surprising configuration upgrade in the 2020 model. As early as the open day event in Changzhou’s base in April, Li Xiang (the CEO) revealed this good news to the visiting users in advance, but at that time, he mentioned that due to various complex tests, the first batch of users might not have time to install them, and they would need to be installed for free later. Unexpectedly, they were completed in time for the first delivery.
Image: [https://upload.42how.com/wechat_post/b9grz6hpxj8uk9v3ou7a6okrb9v1ziy7.jpeg]The variable intake grille is provided by Röchling, and as Ideal ONE product manager Zhang Xiao puts it, “it is very expensive, really expensive, and very expensive” is the biggest feature of this accessory.
The most obvious change after adding the variable intake grille is that the overall integrity of the front face looks better. When standing at the front of the car and looking towards the middle grille, the silver intercooler inside is no longer visible, so the grille no longer looks thin as before, and the aura of the front face becomes more powerful.
Of course, visual changes are still secondary. The biggest change brought by the variable intake grille is the improvement in performance. With the variable intake grille closed, the vehicle’s drag coefficient can be reduced from 0.34 Cd to 0.32 Cd. Under high-speed conditions, this will save 5% of energy consumption.
The opening and closing of the variable intake grille are controlled by the system without human intervention, and when driving on the road, you will not know whether the grille blades have been opened or not. In addition, the variable intake grille can also be upgraded in the future to control the opening and closing angle of the grille with speed, which can achieve the goal of reducing energy consumption while balancing drag reduction and heat dissipation.
The second-row double-layer soundproof privacy glass is still provided by Saint-Gobain. Compared with single-layer glass, it can reduce 7-8 decibels of noise and has a significant improvement in sound insulation.
In addition, the double-layer glass has a PVB interlayer in the middle, which is equivalent to an additional anti-theft property. Even if the glass is cracked by someone, it can still maintain its integrity and has a better safety performance.
Compared with the front-row double-layer glass, the thickness of the second-row double-layer glass is 4 mm, which is 1 mm thinner than the front-row glass. This is not an ideal way to cut corners. Just like with phones, thinner glass is more expensive, and the reason for choosing thinner glass is mainly due to the structure of the door panel.
Due to the model of the product, the color of the second-row double-layer soundproof privacy glass is slightly lighter than that of the third-row privacy glass.
The light transmittance of the second-row double-layer soundproof privacy glass is 15%, which is the lowest light transmittance of Saint-Gobain’s 4 mm double-layer soundproof privacy glass. The light transmittance of the third-row side window privacy glass is 10%, and there is a 5% difference in light transmittance between the two. The 5% difference in light transmittance is almost imperceptible to the naked eye. At least, I stared at the two pieces of glass for a long time and didn’t notice any difference in color.
The chrome trim of the grille outer ring.The addition of the chrome trim on the outer rim of the grille is due to feedback from customers that the front of the vehicle appeared dull and lacked the sophisticated feel that the rear conveyed. After trying various solutions, the Ideal Design team ultimately decided to add a chrome trim to the outer rim of the grille. From the scene, the addition of the chrome trim indeed significantly enhances the delicacy of the front face, transforming it from a science and engineering look to that of a business elite. It can be said that it is the finishing touch.
Regarding the chrome trim, some members of the Ideal Car Enthusiast Group also gave feedback that the front face appeared to have an additional silver curve, which seemed abrupt based on the photos. However, in reality, the chrome trim on the vehicle is not as pronounced as it appears in the photos, and as a whole appears to be harmonious.
Optimization of B-pillar decorative panel and steering wheel airbag cover process
The B-pillar decoration panel is now darker and shinier, and has been improved in terms of refinement compared to the PP3 stage vehicle. In addition, its scratch resistance and surface flatness have also been improved.
The steering wheel airbag cover has an optimized leather texture, making it more delicate to the touch compared to the PP3 stage vehicle.
Canceling the second-row exterior armrest
The cancellation of the second-row exterior armrest is the most controversial configuration optimization for the 2020 model. At first, when I learned that the exterior armrest was to be removed, I was also disappointed. However, after experiencing the single armrest, I discovered that the impact on functionality from the lack of an exterior armrest was not as significant as I had imagined. Although there is a slight difference in height between the inside armrest and door handle when resting my arms on both, and the armrest on the door side is slightly further away, they are both still within an acceptable range with no sense of inconsistency.
After removing the outer armrest, the adjustment of the seat and the retraction of the seat belt will no longer be interfered with by the outer armrest. When getting off the car, the possibility of being blocked by the outer armrest and forgetting to lift it up and being obstructed is eliminated, which eliminates the potential danger. From a safety standpoint, I tend to support the removal of the outer armrest. It just needs some mental preparation emotionally to remove the outer armrest, which is like suddenly losing a treasure that you originally had.
Silent Tires
Due to the use of 20-inch tires, the size of the ideal ONE is larger and the cavity noise generated during driving is relatively greater. Cavity noise is difficult to isolate through “blocking”, so the 2020 ideal ONE simply replaced the tires with silent tires to completely eliminate the noise from the source.
The Michelin Primacy silent tire has a polyurethane sponge layer added to the inner wall, which can effectively absorb the tire cavity noise at low and high speeds.
Like the variable air inlet grille and the second-row double-layer glass mentioned earlier, “expensive” is also an important feature of this tire.
The feel of the polyurethane sponge layer inside the tire is not much different from that of a regular sponge, soft and fluffy. If encountering a flat tire, the sponge at the flat tire needs to be cut off first, and then the sponge needs to be glued back after the tire is repaired.
Also, due to the absorbency of the sponge, the puncture repair liquid equipped with the 2019 model has been removed, and now the toolkit under the trunk lid contains an inflatable pump and a reflective vest.
Jademo, who was in the same car with me, is particularly sensitive to low-frequency cavity noise of the tires. According to his feedback, compared with the 2019 model, the 2020 ONE, which is equipped with silent tires, has improved significantly in terms of tire noise.
Induction Tailgate
The induction tailgate is a newly added configuration based on user feedback. When carrying the key, the tailgate on the left side can be opened by kicking the area to the left of the tailgate with your foot. The area recognized by foot kicking is between the two radars on the left side of the tail.
In order to prevent the tailgate from being accidentally opened by small animals passing under the car, the foot-kicking induction distance is controlled within 10 cm from the bottom of the car.
It should be noted that the induction time required to open the tailgate by foot kicking needs to be between 0.2 and 1 second, so if you try to open the door with a sweeping leg, it may not work due to the long retention time.There were car owners asking on site whether the sensors would be affected if the car bottom gets dirty on a bad road. The answer is that there is no need to worry as there have been extensive tests done and it will not be affected.
Currently, the sensor tailgate only supports physical keys. In the future, there will be a chance for OTA upgrades to support Bluetooth keys on mobile phones.
12V Power Interface
The two newly added 12V power interfaces in the second row have a total power of 180W. When combined with the 120W power interface in the trunk, the total power of these three power interfaces reaches 300W. However, for safety reasons, the official does not recommend users to use high-power electrical appliances in the car.
Optimized Door Closing Energy
By adding a pressure relief valve and other means in the trunk, the door closing energy of the 2020 model has been reduced from 14 joules to 12 joules. In addition, the door closing sound has also been optimized to be more “weighty” due to previous feedback from car owners.
Driving Experience Enhancement
In terms of driving, the optimization of the 2020 IDEAL ONE mainly focuses on suspensions, braking, instrument interface, and assisted driving.
Suspension Optimization
The optimization of the suspension mainly focuses on shock absorbers and bushings. By optimizing the piston valve structure of the shock absorber, the force during the compression process can be reduced, and the force during the recovery process can be increased, increasing the shock absorber stroke and improving the comfort. Similarly, the optimization of the bushings also makes the force softer, improving the resilience of the suspension.
After experiencing PP3 and the 2020 IDEAL ONE on different road conditions such as continuous speed bumps, twisted roads, rope roads, washboard roads, cobblestone roads, Belgian roads, and bumpy roads, we found that the 2020 IDEAL ONE has made significant improvements in the suppression of vibrations, shock absorption, smoothness, noise, and abnormal sound control in various road conditions.
Braking Pedal Feel## Improvements to the Ideal ONE Car Model
During the concentrated test drive, some car owners have reported that the brake response lacked linearity and was somewhat soft. However, with the 2020 Ideal ONE model, the brake response has become more linear. Although, in my opinion, it would be even better if the initial brake response could be more sensitive.
Dashboard and Infotainment System Improvements
Dashboard optimization can be seen in the image below, primarily involving speed, gear display improvements, and overall driving information display adjustments.
Voice and Audio System Improvements
The voice system optimization covers improvements in three main areas. First, when a voice assistant is awakened by someone in the car, the rest of the voices will be blocked by the system, which significantly improves the voice recognition rate when multiple people are talking in the car.
Secondly, frequently used voice commands for navigation, music, etc. can now be activated without the need to call “Ideal Mate.”
Finally, voice startup speed has also been improved. Voice car control supports half-open windows and a nap mode, and mute will no longer affect voice commands. The image below demonstrates the audio system improvements.
As an audio enthusiast, I cannot express an expert opinion regarding audio system optimization; therefore, you can check the image below for further details.
Mobile APP Functionality Improvements
Since it is a new experience for everyone to use the Ideal APP car control functionality, each functionality of the mobile APP is a brand new feature for car owners.
I have included two screenshots representative of the mobile APP car control interface; currently, you can see features such as the estimated mileage, door and window lock control, air conditioning seat and steering wheel heating control, and vehicle location. Additionally, functionalities such as reserved charging, preset charging limit, and so on, can be adjusted through the APP.
After parking, car owners can view four pictures taken by the 360-degree camera in the underground car park through the mobile APP, eliminating the need to take a picture of the parking space number before leaving.
Comfortable Driving Mode Optimization
The Ideal ONE car model has two driving modes: comfort and sport; this time, the optimization mainly involves the comfort mode. The new comfort mode accelerates more smoothly, with power release and aggression beginning in the mid and late stages of the throttle, which reduces energy consumption and further mitigates motion sickness resulting from acceleration.For driving modes, I have a suggestion. The switch between the comfortable and sporty driving modes of the IDEAL ONE is actually quite frequent. For example, when driving alone, the sporty mode will be used more, while the comfortable mode will be chosen when travelling with family.
Currently, switching between driving modes needs to be done on the central control screen, which is not very convenient. I hope that in the future, a quick switch button for driving modes can be added to the control screen. Like gasoline cars, preset driving modes such as “energy-saving”, “comfortable”, and “sporty” can be directly set. The power, suspension, steering, and kinetic energy recovery options are linked, and a custom driving mode can be added.
Assisted Driving
In terms of software upgrades for assisted driving, over the past two and a half months, the IDEAL ONE has undergone more than 30 iterations.
First of all, the speed range required to activate ACC adaptive cruise control has been adjusted. When there are no vehicles ahead, the minimum speed required to activate ACC has been lowered to 15km/h, and the maximum speed limit has been raised to 135km/h.
It should be noted that the maximum cruising speed for ACC is 130km/h. That is to say, when ACC is activated at a speed of 135km/h, the car speed will be reduced to 130km/h.
At the same time, the speed range required to activate LKA lane keeping assist has been correspondingly relaxed to between 15 km/h and 135 km/h.
In addition, many car owners gave feedback during the concentrated test drive that after entering ACC, the vehicle automatically raised the speed to 80 km/h, which scared them. The new version has also made adjustments to this. When the speed is less than 30km/h, entering ACC will default to raising the speed to 30 km/h. When the speed is higher than 30km/h, entering ACC will default to maintaining the current speed.
The requirement for entering the lane for LKA lane keeping assist has also been relaxed. Now the vehicle only needs to be within ± 50 cm of the lane centerline to activate the lane keeping function, which is more friendly to drivers than the previous ± 30cm.
Among the various upgrades of assisted driving, the most anticipated one is the addition of the assisted lane change switch.
With the switch turned on, the vehicle will still automatically complete the lane change action after turning on the turn signal, just like before. When the driver forcibly turns the steering wheel, the assisted driving will exit first, and it will be reopened after re-recognizing the lane line. This feature logic is particularly suitable for those experienced drivers who are accustomed to lightly flicking the turn signal lever and completing the lane change in the time of a few flashes.When the lane keeping function is turned off and the turn signal is activated, the function will automatically deactivate until the lane change is completed and the turn signal is turned off.
New Battery Preservation Mode
In addition to hybrid mode and extended range mode, the 2020 model introduces the battery preservation mode. The new battery preservation mode provides stronger battery preservation capability and is similar to the previous hybrid mode, making it suitable for users who rarely charge their car.
Compared to the 2019 hybrid mode, the new hybrid mode has the same power but slightly lower generator power, resulting in a better NVH experience and lower fuel consumption.
During the test drive, the new hybrid mode had a better battery preservation capability than expected. During a round trip from Changzhou to Wuxi, the battery level remained at the same level as when the vehicle was started.
As for the fuel consumption of the hybrid mode, it was tested under various conditions such as temperature below 10 degrees Celsius, rainy weather, air conditioning, heating seats, four passengers, and various road conditions such as city roads, provincial roads, highways, and mountain roads.
I took a photo before returning from Wuxi to Changzhou, and the fuel consumption was 8.3L/100km. I asked other experience drivers and their fuel consumption ranged from less than 8L to over 8L, but mostly around 8L/100km.
There were no changes to the extended range mode, and it is important to note that except for the requirement for a higher minimum battery level of 60% when switching to battery preservation mode, the other two modes can be switched at any battery level.
Weird Concerns of Car Owners
Unlike the media who constantly pay attention to various new cars, many potential car owners only care about this particular car, so they tend to examine it more carefully and have some unusual concerns. I have summarized some of the questions from WeChat groups, the Ideal APP, and my own observations for everyone’s reference.
1. Will the fully covered wheel rims fling mud into the gap between the car door and body?Please check the below English Markdown text, which is the translation of the Chinese Markdown text provided. The HTML tags are kept intact in the output.
As shown in the picture, I took a photo of the bottom edge of the car door, and it can be seen that except for mud in the outer ring of the seam between the door and the car body, there is basically no water and mud seepage inside.
2. For the child lock, why do we need to turn the key to open or close it? Why not use the self-contained toggle switch lock?
The locking buckle structure of the two types of child locks is different. In the development of automobiles, the development cycle of different parts of the car is different. Because the car door lock is related to safety and the door structure, it needs to be determined in the early stage of development, and it can hardly be changed after that.
3. Why aren’t the circular buttons for adjusting the seat made of metal?
The ideal designer has tried the solution of circular metallic textured buttons during the development stage, but found that it didn’t look good. Since the area of the circular button is relatively large and does not coordinate visually with the shape of the seat adjustment button, it is not aesthetically pleasing.
4. Why aren’t the seat belts in the same color as the seats?
It is also because it is not visually coordinated. Except for a few brands such as Porsche and Bentley, there are very few cars in the market that can handle this kind of collocation.
5. After changing the seat belt buckle to a button, will there be any rattling sound when the buckle collides with the trim panel?
No. Whether the buckle collides with the pillar trim panel during vehicle operation mainly depends on the distance between the buckle and the trim panel. If the distance is small, it is easy to collide and a webbing solution is needed. Because the Ideal ONE is relatively large, the distance between the seat belt and the trim panel is also relatively large. After testing, even if it is changed to a button, there will be no impact.
6. Can the car still be locked if the key is left inside the car?
If the key is left inside the car, the car will not automatically lock when the person leaves. However, it can be locked manually by using a physical key, touching the door, or using the mobile APP.
7. Why isn’t the edge of the window lower decoration strip fully covered in metal?No change needed.Will there be a Sentry Mode?
I’m sorry, there is no question or text provided for this inquiry. Please provide details for me to provide a proper response. Thank you.## Upgrade plan with parking monitoring function, but different from Tesla’s Sentry Mode.
Just filling up some space
Yesterday, the first batch of Ideal ONE began to be delivered, and the owner of the 0001 Ideal ONE, Han Han, had already picked up his car. As the day approached for me to pick up my own car, I became more and more calm. When I passed by the parking lot filled with freshly made Ideal ONEs at the Changzhou factory that day, I didn’t feel as excited as I had imagined. Instead, I just silently thought to myself, “Oh, my car should be in there too.” Perhaps this calmness was because I had been paying attention to the Ideal ONE for too long, or perhaps it was because I had already learned enough about the car.
The first time I heard about Ideal was actually because of following Li Xiang’s Weibo. In the early days, Ideal (then called Chehejia) was very low-key, and there were hardly any reports on it. There were only sporadic news reports saying that in addition to SEVs, there will be a large SUV that will meet the long-distance travel needs of family users in the future.
In the second half of 2017, I saw the description of this mid-sized SUV for the first time in an interview with Li Xiang: 5 meters long, comparable to luxury brand mid-sized SUVs, extended range, 800 km cruising range, equipped with advanced driving assistance systems as standard, lower fuel consumption than comparable cars, and expected to be priced at 300,000-350,000 yuan. My first reaction after reading it was that it seemed quite cost-effective, so I began to pay extra attention to this car.
Since then, I have witnessed the entire process of the Ideal ONE from product launch to final mass production and delivery, including product launch conferences, open days at the Changzhou base, Shanghai Auto Show, user test drives, and this user experience officer event.
As I have come into contact with Ideal ONE and Ideal employees more often, I have increasingly felt that this is really a company composed of a group of people who understand and love cars, and who value and are happy to listen to users’ suggestions and opinions, sincerely making a car that satisfies users. In terms of product attitude, my impression of Ideal is that they are both meticulous and innovative. These two seem like contradictory traits, but they don’t conflict in reality.
Being meticulous means that Ideal is full of awe and respect for car-making. In research and development, they tested more than 400 test cars and more than 7.7 million kilometers, which is more than twice as much as traditional car companies.
In the words of Liu Jie, Vice President of Ideal Sales and Service, “It’s not that traditional car companies don’t do enough testing, but as a new brand, Ideal hopes to be more cautious.”The number of quality management personnel equipped by the ideal car manufacturer is three to five times that of traditional car companies, and even parts quality inspection is carried out to secondary suppliers. I have seen comments from supplier employees on ideal’s news online, expressing admiration for the ideal’s quality management model more than once.
In terms of product optimization, ideal has completely broken through the convention. Every iteration of the ideal ONE before mass production brings significant progress compared to the previous version. In addition to improving the workmanship of conventional details, “large” configurations such as induction tailgate, variable intake grille, etc. are added in the late stage of research and development. From the perspective of traditional car manufacturing, the iteration speed and content are completely unimaginable.
As a user, like most people, I don’t understand and won’t study the complex process behind it, and even think that these optimizations are taken for granted. Perhaps only the ideal employees who experienced it will understand the huge effort behind it.
Of course, these are just some observations as an ordinary user, and I can’t give an answer to how the final delivered car will be and whether it can achieve the previously promised performance. Just when I was about to finish this article, the delivery expert sent a notice to me, telling me that the car will be delivered to the delivery center next week and I can make an appointment for pickup. So it seems that the answer to how the car is will be revealed soon.
特斯拉火星皮卡 Cybertruck 发布，Elon Musk 7 年夙愿成真
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.