On November 17th, Ideal MEGA, the first pure electric MPV model under Ideal Motors, made its debut at the Guangzhou Auto Show and simultaneously opened bookings, with a price of no more than 600000 yuan.
The goal of Ideal MEGA is to become the sales champion of over 500000 models, regardless of energy or body form. In an interview with media outlets such as Interface News, Liu Jie, Vice President of Ideal Automobile Business, stated that the market segment has a sales volume of around 60000 vehicles, and the share of an excellent product is at least 10%. Failure to meet this standard may not be an excellent product.
From past experience, it is not easy for new power brands to leverage the high-end market. According to Tong Jiren's automotive review data, in the past three years, the market share of 400000 to 500000 yuan has been concentrated in the hands of joint venture brands, with Mercedes Benz, BMW, and Audi holding a combined market share of over 75%.
In the era of gasoline powered vehicles, luxury brands other than Mercedes Benz, BMW, and Audi must form a misplaced competition in brand image, product performance, and price positioning in order to gain a foothold in the high-end market. Independent brands do not even have the opportunity to compete at the licensing table.
The arrival of new energy and intelligence has broken the situation, and a new force in car manufacturing with technological advantages has emerged. In the first five months of this year, the market share of Ideal and NIO has surpassed second tier luxury brands such as Lexus and Jaguar Land Rover. In October, the delivery volume of ideal cars exceeded 40000, and the monthly sales of SUV segments above 300000 have surpassed the three major luxury brands in Germany.
The positioning of Ideal MEGA this time is further explored, and it is a choice made by the management based on the trend of high-end car market transformation under the new energy wave. Liu Jie stated that the penetration rate of new energy in the automotive market with a value of over 500000 yuan is only 11%, and this sub sector holds enormous opportunities. We believe that the trend of replacing fuel vehicles with new energy is irreversible, and the high-end automotive market is waiting for better products to emerge.
In fact, Ideal is not the only independent brand that performs mathematical calculations on the high-end automotive market. Ding Lei, the founder and chairman of Gaohe Automobile, has publicly stated that the number of car products worth over 500000 yuan in the Chinese market is approximately 1.2 million, and if 30% of them are converted into electric vehicles, the absolute value is already close to 400000.
There are currently few cars to choose from at a price range of 500000 yuan, and if 10% of people buy Hi Hi X, their monthly sales will exceed 2000
MEGA has impacted the market of over 500000 yuan this time. In response to the energy replenishment anxiety in the MPV long-distance vehicle scenario, Ideal has already started to layout 5C overcharging stations. However, Liu Jie also admitted that MEGA is a new product from 0 to 1, and whether its model can achieve 100% accuracy still requires continuous training, adjustment, and review.
Looking at the overall automotive market next year, Liu Jie stated that new energy will continue to grow rapidly, and the penetration rate of new energy vehicles in the market of over 200000 yuan is expected to exceed 50%. By the end of next year, everyone may suddenly realize that in the automotive market with over 200000 yuan, the sales of new energy vehicles will surpass those of gasoline vehicles for the first time
Multiple new car manufacturers are accelerating their efforts, and the ideal extended range models next year will enter the market of 200000 to 300000 yuan. The price of the NIO sub brand Alps is also locked in this range, and the first model of Xiaomi Motors is expected to be below 300000 yuan.
The market penetration rate of new things exceeding half often brings significant changes to the overall market mentality, and Liu Jie predicts that the automotive market will have a concentration effect of leading brands. In other words, whether this stage can stand out among numerous brands and enter the top tier is crucial, otherwise it will be forgotten by consumers.
When the competition in the existing market intensifies, the competition for consumer mental resources becomes the key to brand competition. Liu Jie holds a conservative attitude towards the total market volume, stating that "short-term GDP fluctuations have little impact on car purchases, but may cause fluctuations in consumers' choices between different price ranges to reduce unnecessary expenses
In recent months, the ideal market share of over 200000 yuan has remained above 15%. Looking ahead to next year, Ideal Automobile plans to complete the comprehensive layout of its extended range series products from over 200000 to 500000, and accelerate the landing of pure electric series products. At the same time, Ideal Automobile insists on a 20% gross profit margin as an important business requirement.