Author: Lu Zhiyao

When it comes to this month’s hottest topics, the World Cup is definitely at the top of the list. For us old fans, it’s definitely a quadrennial event; for those of us who are interested in being World Cup fans, it’s also something that requires some thought.

Now that the first round of group matches is over, Saudi Arabia and Japan have caused upsets, while Argentina and Germany have already had some problems. But to give everyone a clearer picture, we decided to use a car analogy to compare the different teams and let everyone know who the favorites are this year.

Brazil – Tesla

Reason: Strong strength and amazing attack power

Don’t ask, Brazil is the strongest. That’s the position the Brazil team holds in the World Cup. They might have problems, drawbacks or shortcomings, but whenever, wherever, the Brazil team is always a powerhouse. This time around is no exception, with nine forwards that can break the opponents’ defensive lines apart.

This is basically comparable to Tesla today – no matter what happens, they can create waves. The team has ace players that can change the course of the match (Neymar, Vinicius), experienced players that can stabilize the game (Thiago Silva in defense), and even a loudmouth (Pele), who can make headlines by just saying a few words.

This is just like Musk’s big mouth, always creating something new. To put it more directly, isn’t Tesla’s “attack power” just as frightening as Brazil’s?

France – BYD

Reason: Biggest favorite

What’s the current level of the French team? Strong, very strong, the kind of strong that can defend the title with ease. Although they’re missing heavyweight players such as Benzema, Pogba and Kante, their strength is too strong. They won 4-1 in the first round, and everyone said that the defending champions couldn’t make it out of the group, but France refuses to believe in superstition.This is just like BYD. Even though Shanghai will cancel the green license plate policy for DM-i models in the future, which might interfere with BYD’s hot sales, the stabilizing base of BYD should still be the hot choice for new energy vehicle sales in the future. In multiple vehicle models, BYD is developing balance, which is comparable to France’s team personnel reserves that almost have no shortcomings today.

Germany – Toyota

Reason: Good, but doesn’t look like much.

Is this current German team really disappointing? For German fans, this is not unexpected; after all, in the past four years, the German team has never shown any decent performance. Losing 1-2 to the Japanese team seems like an upset, but it is actually the true reflection of the German team’s recent strength. They should not easy to lose, but it is even harder for them to put on a convincing performance.

This looks a bit like Toyota. It still has amazing competitiveness, but when we look back years, there doesn’t seem to have been any significant breakthroughs. Hybrid synergy drive has been useful for so many years, and although they said they want to make electric cars, they aren’t that attractive, resulting in what it looks like now – having a strong position yet a worrying outlook for the future.

Japan – Ideal

Reason: Surprise manufacturers as expected

What is the strength of the Japanese team? If you are not familiar with the Japanese team, you are likely to make mistakes. The head coach, Hajime Moriyasu, said before the game that their goal in this tournament was to reach the quarterfinals. This means that they not only have to advance from the group that includes Germany and Spain, but they also have a chance of defeating the Belgian team that eliminated them in the previous tournament. What is their performance like? They certainly didn’t disappoint anyone with their 2-1 victory over Germany.

This is just like Ideal. There are countless reasons why people don’t have high expectations of them, but in the end, they surprise us. Sure, there are some issues: the sudden discontinuation of the Ideal One, which they were eagerly waiting for; axle failure before delivery; and concerns about technological lag. Nevertheless, market feedback is still good. Of course, if they want to do better, they still need to work hard.

Argentina – NIO

Reason: Strong lineup but with hidden concerns

You can say that Argentina is definitely strong. But even the most loyal Argentina fans dare not say how likely they are to win the championship. Messi is Argentina’s glory but perhaps he is also a shackle that restricts Argentina’s progress.

This is somewhat like NIO. The “luxury” and “battery swapping” that NIO has always touted seem to be their trump cards, but whether they can really produce practical results remains to be proven by the market. They certainly have had outstanding performances and also leave enough room for people’s imagination. Although their recent performances have not been as impressive, there are definitely more people who hope that NIO can stay on the race track for a longer period of time.

England – Mercedes-Benz

Reason: Old school and truly luxurious

Mercedes-Benz is one of the earliest brands to enter the global passenger car market and has always given people the impression of high-end luxury. Although their script has slowed down in the era of electric vehicles, Mercedes-Benz is still one of the brands in the world that understands luxury the most. For the vast majority of consumers, the name Mercedes-Benz is synonymous with high-end.

In contrast, this is the current situation of England. As the pioneer of modern football, England’s performance this year is really strong, and their 6-2 victory in the first game of this tournament has indeed given everyone enough confidence. If the England team wants to win the championship again after 56 years, this year should be the best opportunity.

Italy – Zotye

Reason: What’s your business with this?

Although the Italy team is the European champion, they did not participate in the current competition – just like Zotye, what does it have to do with us when we are discussing the World Cup?

China – Huawei

Reason: Not participating, but everywhere

Does it seem disrespectful to call Huawei the Chinese team? Apparently not, because this is the Huawei’s status in the automotive industry: “Although not on the court, my shadow is everywhere.” SAIC Motor has regained vitality with the M5 and M7, while Lynk & Co and Hozon have not made a breakthrough yet due to insufficient Huawei elements.

Don’t doubt it, this is the power of China.

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.