In terms of new car pricing strategy, Audi did not learn from the earlier experiences and lessons of the two “big brothers” Mercedes-Benz and BMW, but remained “confident” as always. Text | Chai Xiaona Figure｜Source network The same is the ace electric car on the market. Ford “Mustang” electric car-Mustang Mach-E won a lot of money, and “old driver” Audi recently launched two e-tron electric cars, but the pricing “floating” and falling into controversy. On April 11, the Audi e-tron family was launched. FAW-Audi’s domestically produced e-tron has launched three models with subsidies priced at RMB 546,800 to 648,800; FAW Audi’s imported e-tron Sportback has launched two models with subsidies priced at RMB 658,800 to 718,800. The domestically-made Audi e-tron and Sportback models have 230 and 265kW motor power, and the acceleration is only 7.5 seconds. It is equipped with a 96.7kWh ternary lithium battery from the Ningde era and has a NEDC endurance of 500km/465km. Regardless of the acceleration performance or the endurance, the two Audi e-tron products can only be said to be close to the “mainstream level” of the market, and there is no outstanding advantage. However, in the new car pricing strategy, Audi did not learn from the previous experience and lessons of the two “big brothers” Mercedes-Benz and BMW, but remained “confident” as always. To be honest, the price of the domestic Audi e-tron is enough to buy the top equipment in almost all Chinese brand electric vehicles, including Weilai, plus all the optional equipment. The question is, now that both Mercedes-Benz and BMW have suffered “high pricing” losses, why did Audi set such a high price for the two e-tron family products that were launched earlier? The battle has just started, and the “Aura” can’t be lost first There is no doubt that the reason why Audi dared to price the two e-tron products introduced into the Chinese market is obviously not from the excellent sales record in the world. From a global perspective, BBA is still a “catch-up player” in the high-end electric vehicle market. From the full year of 2020 to the first quarter of 2021, the sales performance of Audi e-tron, Mercedes-Benz EQC and BMW iX3 is far from reaching expectations, and none of the models entered the top 10 sales list, which is unimaginable in the sequence of fuel vehicles. In 2020, the global sales of Audi e-tron was 47,000, which was also the number that was highlighted at the press conference. In addition, in the first quarter of 2021, Audi e-tron delivered 3,474 vehicles in the United States, an increase of 103% over the same period last year, but last year’s global epidemic, this year-on-year data is not conspicuous. In addition, 850 units of the newly launched e-tron Sportsback were delivered. It seems that the reason for setting prices so confidently because of good global sales is obviously untenable. Since the sales volume is not good, why is the price of the follow-up domestic models still so high? What are the factors behind it? The author noticed a detail that the FAW-Volkswagen Audi e-tron will be assembled and produced in the form of CKD at the FAW-Volkswagen Audi Changchun plant. Compared with the complete localization of the Tesla Shanghai plant, Musk has achieved the ultimate cost advantage. A senior person in the new energy industry analyzed “Car One Road” and said that CKD assembly is different from Tesla’s full localization, industrial chain, R&D, talent, and supply chain system. The global supply chain system for new energy vehicles is basically in China. (Except for chips, it will also be in China in the future). If you want to win, you must all in China, not all in e-tron. This person said that Germany’s new energy supply chain system has no economies of scale and no cost system. Musk has to rely on the Chinese supply chain to survive. If Audi is still in the CKD stage and has not tapped the potential of China’s supply chain, Even if there is no comprehensive localization, it will be difficult for the domestic Audi e-tron to make a difference in the Chinese market in the future. In terms of how to use the supporting advantages of the Chinese market to minimize production costs, the overall performance of BBA is not as good as Tesla. In addition, the BBA is invincible in the era of fuel vehicles. It has unique pricing power in the Chinese market, and the brand premium is extremely high. This kind of inertial thinking about pricing is difficult to change. Otherwise, there are two most difficult things in the world, one is to put other people’s money in one’s own pocket, and the other is to put one’s own thoughts into other people’s heads. Finally, the face of the century-old brand “old nobleman” can be said to be let go. This is even more invisible power. Obviously, in addition to the two major price killers of cost and brand, in the era of smart electric power, the power of software subscription services should also not be underestimated. If you only look at cost and premium brand premiums, you obviously understand the current “software-defined car”. Not deep enough. Different “underlying logic” from new cars If you have seen the press conferences of new car-making forces, such as Weilai ET7, HiPhi X, including Zhiji L7, Xiaopeng P5, etc., which are constantly streaming out the latest information, and even last year’s Weilai EC6, Xiaopeng P7, including BYD Han EV, you will notice that Audi and other BBA players rarely mention chips, algorithms, cruising range, lidar, full-stack self-developed, etc., frequently mentioned by new carmakers. Taking the Audi e-tron launch conference as an example, Audi put its focus and more space on three key words: a century of gene safety and luxury. The main product is “century gene”, “safety brand”, five-star NCAP crash safety rating, 540,000 kilometers vibration test twice the national standard, and 137 battery safety tests that are stricter than the national standard. There was no endorsement from semiconductor giants such as Qualcomm and Nvidia at the release site. This is very Audi, of course it is also very traditional. Do you think Audi lacks friends? Behind it is a deeper profit model dilemma. This also means that it is difficult for Audi to generate additional profits in software in the future. The current frequent OTAs, version iterations, and software upgrades of new powers, the contact with users are lifelong, and the charges are continuously output. The Audi e-tron is more like a one-off deal. This is still very traditional. Tradition is not terrible, and it is not necessarily wrong. The problem is that this will affect pricing. Pricing will in turn affect the market and ultimately sales. Take a look at Tesla’s data. According to estimates, Tesla can generate nearly tens of billions of yuan (US$1.4 billion) in annual revenue by relying on software alone. Tesla’s FSD (Fully Autonomous Driving) and upgrade system are all additional fees, and the “software subscription” will be launched as scheduled. NIO’s BaaS (battery rental) and software subscriptions both generate profits every day. For Xiaopeng, all users who have purchased the Zhizun version, Xiaopeng Motors will provide XPILOT3.0 software upgrade services. The standard price is 36,000 yuan. If the user completes the lifetime service purchase at one time when paying for the car, it only costs 20,000 yuan. Obviously, a one-off sale limits the profit margin of a luxury electric. In the era of smart electric vehicles, the profit model of car companies is obviously not only hardware, but also manufacturing. It uses later service and software upgrades to pry open users’ money pockets. This is a trend and is irreversible. For example, the separation of the Weilai car shop, the power exchange mode, and the Tesla upgrade system. Don’t look at the money now is just a trickle. One day in the future, it will become a vast ocean. Audi, on the other hand, does not stack software, nor does it follow the trend to engage in a smart arms race. I want to make money once, can the Audi e-tron be priced high? Write at the end In the era of fuel vehicles, luxury brands removed the BBA in the Chinese market, and then Porsche. Today, the world has changed. Tesla, NIO, Xiaopeng, ideals have stabilized their head camp brands, Lantu, Zhiji, Gaohe, Salon Zhixing, and Jihu are on the road. Dozens of high-end smart brands that want to grab the BBA are swarming, which The benchmark is not BBA. Some insiders ridiculed that the BMW iX3’s official landing was only two months ago, and if this continues, the Audi e-tron is not far from the official landing.
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