Among them, Mercedes-Benz, as the "inventor of automobiles", announced that the brand has entered a new era of development in an all-round way with a high-profile lineup of "people" and "cars" at the Shanghai Auto Show.
Accelerating transformation, "automobile inventor" opens a new chapter in the era of smart electricity.
Although Mercedes-Benz is not a "subversive" or a "trendsetter" in the current wave of switching between oil and electricity, it accurately grasps the core context of the era of smart electricity and makes the "century-old shop" always keep pace with the times.
First of all, it must embrace electrification in an all-round way. At this year's auto show, Mercedes-Benz brought 1' s world debut, 5 China debuts and 7 heavy new cars, 7 of which are new energy vehicles, covering 4 core brands.
According to the official introduction, the brand-new Mercedes-Maibakh EQS pure electric SUV was launched in the world, and it continued to write a new electric chapter of Maibakh's centennial chapter with cutting-edge technology and perfect style. —— The EQG concept car, the first pure electric vehicle of G-class off-road vehicle, was launched in China, giving hard-core off-road vehicles hard-core electric energy and demonstrating the pioneering spirit of off-road totem. As the first domestic SUV built by Mercedes -EQ brand based on EVA pure electric platform, the new EQE pure electric SUV ushered in the first show in China, aiming to set a new benchmark for luxury, comfort, safety and technology for market segments. As the brand's second mass-produced high-performance pure electric vehicle, the new Mercedes -AMG pure electric EQE 53 4MATIC+ was unveiled, which once again awakened the electric energy of "extraordinary driving".
Kang Song Lin, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Mercedes-Benz Group Co., Ltd. Llenius) said, "China is the largest market for Mercedes-Benz and one of the most important markets for Mercedes-Maibakh brand. With the world launch of the new Mercedes-Maibakh EQS pure electric SUV, the China launch of the new EQE pure electric SUV and EQG concept car, and the appearance of the new Mercedes -AMG pure electric EQE 53 4MATIC+, Mercedes-Benz has now achieved full brand electrification. "
Regarding the electrification transformation, Shuidi Automobile thinks it is necessary to emphasize that the so-called speed is not an absolute factor to judge the future prospects of automobile enterprises. Especially for the traditional giants with deep accumulation, the transformation cannot be achieved overnight. Compared with blind obedience, it is wise to judge the situation step by step.
In fact, the pace of transformation of Mercedes-Benz has been faster than that of similar friends and businessmen, and the timing is just right. As early as 20 19, Mercedes-Benz put forward "Vision 2039", which includes: realizing carbon neutrality in the whole life cycle of passenger cars by 2039 at the latest, covering all links in the whole value chain such as production, products and supply chain. According to the strategic plan of the enterprise, the sales target of Mercedes-Benz pure electric vehicles this year is to double; By 2025, its sales of new energy vehicles will account for 50%.
To this end, Mercedes-Benz has continuously increased R&D and introduced new cars. This year, the R&D expenditure of enterprises is expected to be slightly higher than last year. Investment in real estate, factories and equipment will also increase substantially, mainly MMA pure electric platform.
China will undoubtedly play a key role in realizing the electrification transformation of Mercedes-Benz. Hubertus Troska, a member of the board of directors of Mercedes-Benz Group Co., Ltd. and head of business in Greater China, told Shuidi Automobile that the company has built the richest lineup of luxury new energy products in the China market. "Our products are very attractive in terms of pure electric vehicles and plug-in hybrid vehicles. At present, the long-wheelbase E-Class plug-in hybrid vehicle is the best-selling vehicle in this market segment. In addition, we also have a variety of plug-in hybrid vehicles, including S-class cars, C-class cars and GLE SUV. In terms of pure electric vehicles, we have also launched a wealth of products in the China market. In the future, Mercedes-Benz will focus on new energy vehicles in China market. "
In his view, at present, in the new energy vehicle market in China, the proportion of new energy vehicles below 300,000 yuan is the largest, and the market segment above 500,000 yuan is still in the early stage of development, and there is still a lot of room for growth. "We are full of expectations for the future development of the high-end luxury new energy market, and we will grow with this market with an attractive lineup of pure electric vehicles."
Deeply localized, Kang and 40 senior executives gathered in Shanghai.
As Kang and Tang Shikai said, the second core thread in the era of smart power is "accelerating the localization of China market"-because China is not only the largest and fastest-growing new energy vehicle market in the world, but also the source of smart power technology innovation.
At this auto show, not only Kang personally visited Shanghai, but also more than 40 senior executives from Mercedes-Benz headquarters came to China, hoping to learn about the changes and innovation capabilities of the China market. Tang Shikai even revealed that Kang himself would stay in China for about three weeks.
In addition, from the leadership of Mercedes-Benz in China, we can easily see that enterprises attach importance to and respect the China market. Tang Shikai worked in China for 10 years. As a member of the group's board of directors, he directly promoted the China market business. Not long ago, Duan Jianjun was appointed as the president and CEO of Beijing Mercedes-Benz Sales & Service Co., Ltd. In this regard, Tang Shikai bluntly said, "I believe that China talents have a better understanding of China's customers and cultural background and can better lead the China team to operate the sales network."
In addition to decision-making, Mercedes-Benz is also accelerating the localization of the China market in research and development. Tang Shikai introduced the company's local R&D layout to Shuidi Automobile, which can be summarized as four aspects: First, by the end of this year, the number of Mercedes-Benz R&D engineers in China will reach 2,000, nearly double that in 2020; Second, China's R&D team will have more decision-making power and apply their innovations to China's local models; Third, Mercedes-Benz will also feed back China's innovation into global products; Fourth, China enterprises are working closely with high-tech companies, start-ups and other partners to bring technology to China customers faster and better through research in the fields of intelligent interconnection and autonomous driving.
In the new car brought by Mercedes-Benz, users have been able to really feel that Mercedes-Benz's "deep localization" is not a slogan. For example, the new EQE pure electric SUV has added 65,438+00 exclusive configurations including rear electrically adjustable front passenger seats and comfortable rear headrest to the China market to enhance luxury and comfort; On the new Mercedes-Benz long-wheelbase GLC SUV, it is also equipped with more than 20 domestic exclusive configurations; At the same time, there is a new generation of MBUX intelligent human-computer interaction system, which meets the needs of China users for intelligent experience with the functions of "zero-level interface", deep integration of customized navigation in Gaode, and comprehensive upgrade of "mind-reading voice assistant".
Do something different and define electric luxury in Mercedes-Benz way.
The Shanghai Auto Show in 2023 is also regarded as a microcosm of the domestic auto market-behind the excitement is an unprecedented industry involution, which hides the confusion and anxiety of many enterprises about the future. Mercedes-Benz is one of the few brands that can be "immune".
Shuidi Automobile believes that its "determination" stems from rich experience and clear understanding of brand positioning under the precipitation of time; On the other hand, it also stems from self-confidence in its own technical strength and market position.
When asked about the price war in the first quarter, Tang Shikai said: "We have noticed that the competition is very fierce. But for Mercedes-Benz, we don't want to participate in the price war. We are full of confidence in our brands, products and models. "
In terms of hard core strength, whether it is traditional internal combustion engine, pure electric platform, or cutting-edge technologies such as intelligent cockpit operating system and intelligent driving, Mercedes-Benz has profound accumulation and world-leading advantages. And according to the group plan, Mercedes-Benz will focus on the high-end luxury strategy and adhere to the brand tonality formed in the past 100 years.
"Defining electric luxury in the way of Mercedes-Benz" may be one of the mysteries of Mercedes-Benz's enduring charm.
The data shows that in 2022, despite various unfavorable factors, Mercedes-Benz still achieved good results in terms of revenue and profit Shuang Sheng; China accounts for 37% of global sales, surpassing the United States and Europe combined. During the same period, the sales volume of China automobile market decreased by 3%, while that of luxury car market decreased by 2%. However, the sales volume of Mercedes-Benz in China remained the same as that of last year, maintaining a steady development trend.
In the first quarter of 2023, even if the market was seriously involved, Mercedes-Benz not only did not participate in the price war, but also maintained a double-digit growth momentum in the high-end luxury matrix including Mercedes -AMG, Mercedes-Benz-Maibakh, G-class cars and new energy vehicles.
Facts have proved that real leaders will not blindly follow and know what to look for. Mercedes-Benz is "beyond Mercedes-Benz".
The writer of this article comes from Shuidi Automobile Hao. The copyright belongs to the author. Please contact the author for any form of reprint. The content only represents the author's point of view and has nothing to do with the car reform.