You can remember that the highest peak in the world is Mount Everest, but do you know the second highest peak in the world? Most people can’t remember, so Great Wall lost the market. Of course, from strategy to decision-making, there are many reasons for the Great Wall to temporarily fall behind, and the main problems are still at the level of strategy and marketing.
1. North Qiaofeng South Murong, Great Wall found the wrong competitor
Li Ruifeng, CGO (Chief Growth Officer) of Great Wall Motors, compared Great Wall and BYD to “North Qiaofeng and South Murong” at the H6 conference. Because Great Wall Motors is in the north, it naturally becomes “North Qiaofeng”, while BYD’s headquarters in Shenzhen naturally becomes South Murong. The two seem to be equally famous, but friends who have read novels or TV series know that Nan Murong is not Qiao Feng’s opponent at all, and the end is miserable. There is a bit of demeaning here.
In fact, the relationship between BYD and Great Wall is a healthy competition, love and kill each other. BYD donated the trademark “Wei” of its own registered dynasty series to Great Wall for free, because the name of the high-end brand under Great Wall is “Wei”, WEY. Great Wall Motor also reciprocated by giving back the trademark of “Landing Ship” registered by it to BYD, which complemented BYD Marine’s series of warship brands. This pattern has been highly praised by the majority of riders and has been passed down as a momentary talk.
Now, BYD has gained momentum, and the momentum is obviously unstoppable. The sales volume exceeded 200,000, and it entered Japan, Germany, Norway, and Australia… The technological advantages have been transformed into scale effects, and the R&D costs and procurement costs have been diluted, and the cost advantage is very obvious. Great Wall revealed in an internal conference call that BYD’s price is even lower than Great Wall’s ex-factory cost .
The problem is here, since you can’t beat it, why not go around? Do you want to benchmark against BYD everywhere?
There is no need for a second BYD in the market, nor will a second BYD appear . Most people who choose BYD focus on cost performance, and they are more pragmatic and rational. Now that BYD’s brand advantage in the field of new energy has been established, if you want to compete with it, unless you can create a more cost-effective car. The Great Wall is not good at cost control. Even if it is the second, it can only live in the shadow of the first forever.
As early as when BYD’s monthly sales were only 30,000, I predicted that in the future, the domestic auto market will be one super strong, and one super is BYD. It has been realized at present, and among the strong ones, Geely is included. , Chery, Changan, Hongqi, GAC, among them also have a place in the Great Wall.
BYD’s advantages in the field of new energy are too obvious. It can even be said that this wave of new energy was created by BYD! After so many years of accumulation, BYD began to study electricity and plug-in hybrids when the world was competing with thermal efficiency. Technological advantages aside, how many years has the strategic vision ahead of the Great Wall? In the new energy market, BYD’s momentum cannot be stopped. You have to compete with the new king who has ascended the throne. If you fail, you will have nothing.
At the earliest, when BYD released the first generation of Tang, Great Wall followed with the WEY P8, which was inserted into the mix. Mocha DHT-PHEV is also staring at Tang DM-i and DM-p, but the performance is not comparable, and the price has no advantage. Only 358 were sold in September. The H6 plug-in mixed version was launched, obviously going to Song PLUS DM-i, and said “North Qiaofeng, South Murong” at the press conference, but in terms of sales, who is Qiao Feng and who is Murong? ?
To be honest, the Mocha DHT-PHEV is definitely a good car. It is better than the Tang DM-p (the low-end Mocha benchmark is the DM-i) in terms of materials, vehicle and assisted driving. However, in terms of power, fuel consumption, space and three electric power, BYD still has more advantages. In addition, BYD’s reputation and brand value in the field of new energy have widened the gap between the two. Most consumers with a budget of 300,000 know BYD Tang, but how many of them know Mocha DHT-PHEV?
Compared with the Song family, H6 new energy is also a bright moment. Definitely a good car, and definitely buy it. It’s just that Great Wall’s competitor is BYD. Compared with the first one, the second one is good enough, but consumers only buy one car at a time , right?
This phenomenon is actually very common. For example, Geely Emgrand Thor Hi·p, the price/performance ratio is comparable to Qin PLUS DM-i, but what about sales? The monthly sales of 5,000 vehicles are not bad, but in the case of similar product strength, it is only one-seventh of Qin’s. In fact, even BYD’s own products have the same example. Destroyer 05 is the Qin PLUS DM-i with a new shell, and even many details have been optimized, and the configuration is more reasonable. But because it was released later, only more than 9,000 units were sold in September, and the results were not bad, but they were not of the same order as Qin.
The correct strategy of Great Wall should be to form a dislocation competition with BYD. At present, BYD is seeking to improve its brand, and the average price of bicycles is getting higher and higher, which will inevitably leave a lot of market vacancies. For example, a 100,000-class small plug-in SUV, such as a 150,000-class plug-in B-class sedan. It is not a wise choice to challenge Tang and Song who have a fan base and a first-mover advantage head-on.
2. The ship was in trouble and turned around, and the Great Wall failed to get out of its comfort zone
The Great Wall has been sitting comfortably on the H6 for too long. Although there are technical reserves in the field of new energy, the research and development direction is more inclined to fuel vehicles. For example, the 3.0T V6 engine, such as the self-developed vertical 9AT, including the 9-speed wet dual-clutch, all demonstrate its technical heritage. It’s just that Great Wall’s strategic research is biased. It may not have thought that the wind of new energy is so violent that it missed the first move.
Speaking of this, I have to mention BYD again. Wang Chuanfu’s strategic vision is really unmatched by ordinary people. It is completely reasonable for others to grab the first move. On the other hand, the Great Wall has a vague technical route, and it is still blooming in many places, making many bets, and even investing a lot in the field of hydrogen energy. This is definitely a strategic mistake. Wei Jianjun failed to give the Great Wall a clear direction, so in the face of various technical routes, the Great Wall hesitated and could only spread the eggs into different baskets.
BYD’s new generation of Tangdu has switched to 1.5T, which achieves the same acceleration of zero-hundred-hundred-4.3 seconds, so how much practical significance does the Great Wall’s 3.0T have? It can indeed continue to provide power, and the rear acceleration and continuous acceleration capabilities are not comparable to motors, but they are destined to be niche. When the major car companies have successively announced that they will stop the research and development of internal combustion engines, is Great Wall’s R&D investment open to question?
Whether it is a vertical 9AT or a 9-speed wet dual-clutch, it has pushed the gearbox technology to a new level. However, in the field of new energy, the gearbox of this kind of fuel vehicle has no future. Not to mention the Great Wall, even ZF and BorgWarner are seeking transformation, and Great Wall has spent a huge amount of money in this regard.
It is true that the Great Wall has also deployed new energy sources, but Honeycomb Energy and BYD’s Fudi Power are not of the same order of magnitude. Great Wall’s own H6 new energy, the middle and low configuration uses its own honeycomb energy, while the top configuration is purchased from Guoxuan Hi-Tech. What is the difference between the two? The top configuration supports fast charging, while the battery of Honeycomb Energy does not support fast charging.
As for BYD, the research and development direction is very clear. Wang Chuanfu predicted the trend of the automobile market in the next ten years. Hydrogen energy is just a joke. Fuel vehicles will be eliminated.
Third, plagiarism pays tribute and reduces the force
I once wrote an article: The Great Wall Bright Tape , to criticize the plagiarism of the Great Wall. Don’t talk about paying tribute, and don’t say that it’s all four wheels. Anyone with a discerning eye will know that it’s plagiarism.
The Tank 800 unveiled at the Shanghai Auto Show is dubbed Baoding Cullinan. The 3.0TV6 engine developed by itself and the vertical 9AT developed by itself have to be borrowed from others in appearance. Tank 500, which is also teased as Baoding Lu Xun, although it is a bit far-fetched, but the shadow of Lu Xun can indeed be seen.
Tank 800
Rolls Royce Cullinan
If this is just a coincidence, then Euler’s Lightning Cat and Porsche Panamera are almost carved out of the same mold. Perhaps it can be said that the design director of Ora Lightning Cat, Emondelta, once worked for Porsche and followed the previous design concept, which seems to make sense. But what about punk cats? Isn’t that a Beetle?
The retro trendy car, later named “Dream Realization”, looks like the Chrysler 300C, the Ora Black Cat that has been discontinued, and the concept car Urban EV released by Honda at the 2019 Frankfurt Motor Show. It seems to be twins…
Perhaps, the Great Wall can avoid legal risks, after all, the shape patent also has a protection period. However, the eyes of the masses are sharp, and some models are far-fetched for reference, which is actually plagiarism! You could say it’s a tribute – but you’re the Great Wall! Representing the Great Wall of China totem, to pay tribute to others?
Quoting a paragraph from a previous article: Great Wall is a proper first-line in terms of technical heritage and brand reputation. It should have become the pride of our domestic brands, but I paid tribute with this pride that should belong to myself. other people! We have passed the stage of imitation and learning. In terms of design, we should reflect our own cultural self-confidence and our own brand genes! To respect others, it is better to respect yourself!
Fourth, cost control, the Great Wall needs to be more grounded
Is Haval a high-end brand? Obviously not, WEY is it? Weipai is a high-end brand defined by Great Wall itself. There is nothing to say about the materials used. It can indeed reflect high-end and luxury. However, we have to admit that there is still a big gap between the brand power and recognition from the so-called high-end luxury. .
I have also talked before, and there is not much room for living in direct competition with BYD. Of course, the best choice is to avoid its edge. BYD’s brand is going up, and what Great Wall should do is to be more down-to-earth, sink the brand, and build a wider mass base.
Like the H6 new energy, like the Song PLUS DM-i, it is divided into two versions: 55km battery life and 110km battery life, and the price is relatively close. The product power alone is not weak, the 2-speed DHT is more advanced than the DM-i’s single-speed, and the 1.5T power is better. But don’t forget, there is also a Song Pro DM-i on BYD’s side, which is more cost-effective, and you can buy a 110km battery life version for 155,800.
What Great Wall should do is to compete in dislocation, for example, like Wuling, to create a 100,000-level hybrid and a 120,000-level plug-in hybrid. Cancel the L2-level assisted driving, the car and the machine are in line with the joint venture brand, and it is OK to have a useful mobile phone mapping function. What about the fabric seats, plastic steering wheel? Remote air conditioners are only available in the top configuration, and you can compress where you can reduce costs. You need to be not luxurious, but cheaper than BYD.
Going a step further, what about adding programs? Previously, Great Wall CEO Li Ruifeng bombarded Yu Chengdong’s program extension – indeed, program extension is a backward technology, two grades behind Great Wall’s Lemon DHT! But there is one thing, the advantage of the program extension is that several DHTs can’t compare, that is, the cost is low.
I also sprayed the program, but I sprayed the ideal, the question world, why spray? It’s because they are expensive! I also use the extended program, but I highly respect the extended range version of Changan Deep Blue SL03 and Nezha S. The reason is very simple, because it is cheap! There is no best technology, only suitable technology. Great Wall DHT is indeed advanced and more suitable for high-end, but the cost of program extension is low, which has advantages over fuel vehicles and is more suitable for economical models.
The Great Wall is the Great Wall on the ground, not a castle in the air. Only by laying a solid foundation can high-end brands have a mass base. Under the impact of the tide of new energy, the Great Wall needs to re-find its position.
5. The biggest shortcoming is also the last chance
In terms of sales, Great Wall suffers a lot because it doesn’t make sedans or MPVs. Haval and high-end WEY are both pure SUV brands. Great Wall has also made sedans before, C30, C50, etc., including the MPV model V80, but it has been discontinued for many years. Ora does have sedans, but they are mainly small cars, and the labels are also female, which is a little more niche. The Great Wall is equivalent to comparing the sales of SUVs with the total sales of sedans and MPV+SUVs of other brands. One leg is definitely not as stable as two legs.
It’s a shortcoming, but also an opportunity. Cars occupy half of the market, and the Great Wall card has not been played yet. It is still the concept of dislocation competition, finds its own position in the gap between BYD’s Qin and Han, and quickly occupies the market. For example, Changan Dark Blue SL03 and Nezha S, reduce costs with extended programs. The Qinhe Destroyer 05, which starts at 120,000 yuan, is too difficult to shake, but the Han DM-i, which costs more than 200,000 yuan, is not so cost-effective, including that BYD currently does not have a family B-class car that can travel, and the price and sports attributes of the seal It obviously gave the dark blue SL03 a chance.
Written at the end: The Great Wall brand is of great significance to our Chinese people. In the early days of domestic cars, it did hold the SUV market for us, resisted the invasion of joint venture brands, and at least saved half of the country for us. It is also aggressive, and the green and quiet engines in the diesel field, 2.0T and 1.5T engines are also at the top level so far. The vertical 9AT and 9DCT have broken the rumor that the gearbox of domestic cars is backward. In the non-load-bearing body, it has accumulated quite sufficient experience and technical reserves.
However, it also has its own problems, such as the chip door of ORA good cat and the plagiarism door of various new models, all of which are sorry for the Great Wall brand. I am a BYD fan myself, but I sincerely hope that Great Wall will get better and better. It is not a good thing for consumers to have a single family, and the sales volume of Great Wall should not be like this in terms of its products and technical background. Doing a good job in product positioning, finding your own market position, and putting more effort into marketing is what Great Wall should do now.