Author | Nie Yiyao
On June 1, 2022, JiKe Intelligent Technology announced the latest delivery quantity of its luxury hunting and racing car, JiKe 001: in May 2022, JiKe 001 delivered 4,330 vehicles, doubling the delivery volume compared to the previous month and growing by 102.6%, setting a new record for monthly delivery volume.
As of May 31, JiKe 001 has delivered a total of 20,715 vehicles. From the delivery of the first vehicle on October 23, 2021, to the 20,000th vehicle delivered at the Guangdong–Hong Kong–Macau Greater Bay Area Auto Show on May 28, 2022, it took JiKe 001 217 days, setting a new record for the delivery speed of a new energy vehicle.
As a high-end intelligent pure electric brand, JiKe 001 has an average order amount exceeding 335,000 RMB. It is truly impressive that they have achieved a “new high” and a “record” in such a short period of time, in a price range of over 300,000 RMB. JiKe’s speed is truly fast!
In fact, the momentum of JiKe’s speed began from the official brand launch on April 15, 2021, which has continued to amaze the world. From the brand launch to the official delivery, it took only 192 days; from the official delivery to the delivery of 10,000 vehicles, it took 110 days; and from 10,000 to 20,000 deliveries, it took 107 days.
What is the secret of JiKe’s speed? Can it maintain its momentum and even accelerate in the face of the continued tight supply chain of global auto industry?
At the Guangdong–Hong Kong–Macau Greater Bay Area Auto Show, Zhao Yuhui, the Vice President of JiKe, confidently revealed some information: JiKe 001 received more than 10,000 new orders in April; the air suspension components supply will improve in June, and the production of all air suspension orders will further speed up before January 2022; offline stores construction will continue to accelerate, and JiKe’s national stores will expand to 300 this year… All for JiKe to accelerate to the next 10,000 vehicle delivery milestone.
“The Power of Giants” Lays the Foundation for JiKe’s Speed
“The Power of Giants” is the gene that JiKe has always been proud of. It can be said that it is a symbol, but more importantly, it is the capital that JiKe directly points to the high-end intelligent electric market. The “giant” behind JiKe, Geely Holding Group, has laid a solid foundation for JiKe’s rapid rise.
When asked how JiKe achieved its current achievements amid the unfavorable situation of the pandemic and the tight global auto supply chain, Zhao Yuhui, Vice President of JiKe, revealed that there is a “giant” behind it.# “Geek+” has over 2,000 chips, including 7 global firsts. It is a vehicle with very high technology content and technical intensity, and the overall chip environment puts great pressure on the supply chain, but the entire supply chain has been improving. The most popular configuration for Geek+ is our air suspension, which was in short supply last year, but after multiple rounds of communication with Weiback, the Geek+ air suspension parts exclusive production line has been put into operation, and the overall production and delivery of Geek+ will continue to improve.”
Before the conception of Geek+, Geely Holding Group had accumulated a deep industrial foundation and global advantageous resources over 35 years, and had begun laying out for high-end intelligent electric vehicles 7 years ahead of time, investing over 20 billion yuan over 5 years to build the SEA vast architecture, establish an electric vehicle research institute, and build the Geek+ Intelligent Factory…
From brand positioning and layout, to product research and development and production, to the construction of the industrial chain, Geely Holding Group steadily nurtured and empowered Geek+, waiting for the right moment to fully unleash its potential.
In fact, the timing of the birth of the Geek+ brand was not exactly ideal. In early 2021, new domestic electric vehicle producers such as NIO had already established a solid footing in the market and began attracting capital at a high point.
Revealing itself during such a time of fierce competition and when competitors were shining brightly on the market, the pressure on Geek+ was undoubtedly significant. However, the foundation laid by “the strength of giants” early on has given Geek+ considerable product “firepower”. “The strength of giants” has also allowed Geek+ to have the CEVT European Innovation Center and the Shanghai Geek+ Smart Research and Development Center, strengthening its self-developed full stack capabilities and solidifying Geek+’s intelligent image.
“As more and more users experience Geek+ 001, many people say after test-driving it that the performance and experience are very good. Before they had heard of it, but the impression was not very deep. Now they hear more and more friends say that this car is easy to drive and that the cost performance is very good. In May, we actually just went through a round of price adjustments. According to the previous pattern, orders in May might not be ideal, but honestly speaking, order in May were quite good, because the strength of the Geek+ 001 was felt by our users through our efforts in all areas.” Zhao Yuhui said.
Pure user thinking helps drive the speed of Geek+.# The “Zeekr Mode” – Leading the New Era of Intelligent Electric Vehicles
In contrast to traditional car manufacturing and new disruptive models, in order to achieve the rapid evolution of intelligent pure electric vehicles, Zeekr has adopted the “Zeekr Mode”, a novel approach to pure electric vehicle development in the third lane, and has become a pioneer in Geli’s exploration of intelligent electric vehicles. In the “third lane” of intelligent electric vehicles, Zeekr’s speed is not only derived from highly competitive products, but also from the “power of giants” and pure user thinking, accelerating from product evolution to delivery, continuously improving the user ecosystem, and fully cooperating with users to create the ultimate travel experience and lifestyle.
In order for Zeekr to succeed, it must stay close to its users. Traditional automotive industry models create distance between brands and users through dealerships, like a vast mountain range. Zeekr wants to bridge this gap in order to stand in front of its users.
With the birth of the Zeekr brand, Zeekr continuously expresses its original intention to the outside world: “Zeekr puts the needs of users at the forefront of everything we do, creating positive interactions and collaborations with users. We strive to provide unique value experiences for our users throughout the entire lifecycle of our products, continuously exceeding their expectations for intelligent pure electric vehicles. This is why we have also attempted to adopt a user-focused organizational and direct sales model, believing that this is the right path.”
Zeekr’s actions speak louder than words. In just six and a half months, Zeekr has built teams, constructed frameworks, established channels, developed brands, marketed products, operated apps, sold cars, handled customer complaints and feedback…
All of these efforts have paid off for Zeekr. Through the process of curiosity, misunderstandings, resolution of misunderstandings, and trust-building, Zeekr has developed a better understanding of user thinking, clearer visions of user-focused enterprises, and more appropriate handling of the boundaries between brands and users.
Today, “many partners and users are at the forefront, helping customers who are interested in our products. Zeekr’s user referral rate remains at around 35% to 40%,” according to Zeekr.
“Wherever our users need us, we must provide our services,” says Zhao Yuhui. “This year, the user’s scenarios will undergo significant changes compared to last year. We will have several major OTA updates this year, and users will experience more features. After users have access to these features, the driving experience with Zeekr 001 will change significantly. At this time, the boundaries of our community, vehicle-related services and content, and our services will undergo significant changes. Our organization is a flexible one that will also adapt to changing user needs.”
The Zeekr Mode, Galloping in the “Third Lane”
The automotive industry is currently undergoing an unprecedented transformation, from traditional fuel-powered vehicles to intelligent electric vehicles. The industry is full of challenges and the exploration of new models is a hot topic.However, with the changes in the industry and the exploration of new models, the focus has shifted from a product-centric approach in the previous era to a user-centric approach in the age of electric, intelligent, and connected vehicles.
JiKe, with its unique advantages on both the left and right sides, has opened up a third track to continuously create value for its users. Because for users, the value that a brand can provide is the most important and desirable.
“On the left, which we call the power of giants,” said Zhao Yuhui, “JiKe was born out of the Geely Holding Group. Our ability to develop and manufacture products, as well as maintain the supply chain, is not simply achieved by capital alone. It is the result of years of market selection and support, and this is our left hand.”
“On the right is pure user thinking. Traditional car companies face many challenges in their transformation, but JiKe insists on direct sales, directly facing customers, and a community relationship that manufactures and co-creates with users.”
JiKe refers to this model of combining their “power of giants” with pure user thinking as the “third track”. On this new track, JiKe is not trying to simply overtake the competition, but is fully embodying their core competitiveness based on the advantages given by this “third track.”
The advantages of the “third track” have indeed given JiKe a strong product power, facilitating the rapid expansion of their service system across the country. In less than 8 months, JiKe has established 67 direct JiKe stores nationwide, including JiKe centers and spaces. After-sales services rely on Lynk & Co service points to improve their hardware and software according to JiKe’s needs.
This year, JiKe has launched a new business model, JiKe Home, to establish partnerships in shopping malls and 4S dealership areas, leveraging local resources to build JiKe Homes. JiKe’s nationwide stores will also expand to 300.
“Our entire system, from inside to outside, from form to reality, has a strong desire and determination to embrace change and the new era,” Zhao Yuhui said. It is this determination and desire that drives JiKe to go further and better on the third track.
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.