After the recent launch of Han, a college friend suddenly asked me how the car was. He had been following the product for a long time and was familiar with all its features, data, and configurations, as well as those of its competitors, the XPeng P7 and the Tesla Model 3. After talking for a while, I learned that he had already placed a deposit, but was still a bit indecisive and wanted my approval.
He is in his early 30s, a typical STEM guy who values pragmatism and high quality, and is not very sensitive but very family-oriented. After graduating from university, he stayed in Nanjing, got married, bought a house two years ago, and has a parking space. This is his family’s first car, which he uses to commute to work and take his wife and occasional elders to the suburbs on weekends.
He initially considered NIO ES6, which his family liked, but it was beyond his budget when fully equipped for over 400,000 RMB, so he gave up. Later, he looked at the Tesla Model 3, but the 688km long-range version was still over his budget at around 350,000 RMB, while the standard range version within 300,000 RMB with a range of 455km was not suitable for family travel due to cramped rear space, so he gave up on that as well.
He eventually narrowed down his choices to Han EV and XPeng P7, saying that he had been “indecisive for a long time.”
Both are large-size sedans with similar dimensions. When you compare core data points, the two products’ differences are not significant for him. For example, XPeng P7 has a 316kW electric motor, while Han EV has a 363kW motor which is slightly more powerful, and the former has a range of 706km, while the latter has a range of 605km. However, “the differences in data have little impact on actual use.”
He finally chose Han EV for two core reasons:
First and foremost is safety.Before talking to him, I didn’t realize how popular BYD’s “Blade Battery” had become. He explained the technology and why it’s safer for over ten minutes on the phone. I won’t delve into it here, but the chemical properties of lithium iron phosphate compared to ternary lithium batteries and the structural design of the BYD blade battery do make the product more stable, and some experimental data can provide relatively objective evidence.
Safety is paramount, and this is the general attitude of users. A Tesla owner once told me, “Before the Tesla Shanghai fire incident, he would usually play on his phone or computer inside the car while fast charging, but after that, he would get out of the car and wait, then get back in after charging is done.”
The first element is safety, which is the general mentality of users. In the opinion of this university friend, BYD makes its own batteries, and the product has been validated in the market for a longer time compared to XPeng.
The second is cost-effectiveness.
XPeng’s P7 has a suggested retail price range of 229,900 to 349,900 yuan after subsidies, while the Han EV ranges from 229,800 yuan to 279,500 yuan. The price difference between the two, especially for the high-performance four-wheel-drive version, reaches 70,000 yuan. Customers who purchase products at this level may not be so sensitive to price differences of 10,000 to 20,000 yuan, but after all, money is hard-earned, and it is inevitable to consider price differences of more than 50,000 yuan.
User Groups, Typical Personas
My friend’s car buying mentality is actually similar to many users. In the end, he chose the Han EV based on his own actual situation and needs, but that doesn’t mean this product is suitable for everyone.
Summary
1: If practicality, such as configuration and space comfort, safety, comprehensive value, including reputable automaker’s reputation, especially for families who want a more comfortable experience for everyone, then Han EV is definitely the better choice.
2: If you’re not yet married and primarily drive alone, and you like a simple and high-tech look, and have a strong desire to use and emotionally connect with autonomous driving, driving a Tesla seems like you understand Musk, talking about a $1,700 stock price, watching rocket launches, and feeling a bit closer to a Mars mission. Then don’t hesitate, Model 3 is for you.3: If you are someone who enjoys new things and seeks uniqueness, and are ready to pay for the inexperience behind the novelty, just like those early adopters who chose the Model 3 back in 2013, then the XPeng P7 is a good choice. After all, from appearance to performance, this car has comprehensive strengths.
Alright, that’s all for today’s discussion.
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.