AutoBeta(AutoBeta.net)07/17 Report--

Car blogger @ Yu Dawei posted a group photo of Xiaopeng Motor Chairman he Xiaopeng, NIO Automobile Chairman Li Bin and ideal Motor Chairman Li Xiang on Weibo on July 15. Li wants to retweet Weibo with the caption: how nice.

It is understood that this group photo was taken at the "China Automobile T10 Special Summit". In addition to he Xiaopeng, Li Bin and Li Xiang, Wang Chuanfu and Yu Chengdong also attended the summit. He Xiaopeng, Li Bin and Li Xiang were able to attend the summit and affirmed the status of "Wei Xiaoli" in China's auto industry.

In June 2020, he Xiaopeng shared a photo with Li Bin and Li Xiang sitting on their shoulders on a sofa in his personal circle of friends, with the caption "three bitterness, thinking hard for change." It is undeniable that as members of the first batch of new car-building forces, he Xiaopeng, Li Bin and Li Xiang have indeed experienced a lot, striving forward in the controversial market and going through the most difficult dark moments together, and the relationship between the three founders. Also more of a flavor of sympathy.

Three years later, "Wei Xiaoli" has a huge car system, and the products of the three brands have changed from a niche market to a gradually recognized brand. However, with the intensification of the pressure of market competition, "differentiation" has become the main theme of "Wei Xiaoli", with the ideal song advancing by leaps and bounds on the one hand and the bitter struggle of NIO and Xiaopeng on the other.

The gap in the performance of the three car companies in the end market has also led to subtle changes and even a smell of gunpowder in the relationship between the three founders.

On June 9, NIO reported a net loss of 4.74 billion yuan and a gross profit margin of 1.5% for the first quarter of 2023. In the earnings call that night, Li Bin kept giving "chicken blood" to investors, while Li Xiang sent out Weibo at 08:26: "the gross profit margin of the product is much lower than expected, and the gross profit margin fluctuates greatly, not because of the enterprise's pricing conscience. but the need to improve the operation and management of the enterprise, as well as continue to expand the scale." However, in order to avoid suspicion, Li added at the end of the article, "only for the whole industry, not for any enterprise, do not be paranoid about persecution!" At this time, the NIO financial report conference call is still in progress.

Earlier, on May 24, Xilai held the launch of the new ES6, and Li Bin spent more than an hour introducing the new replacement model. However, less than half an hour after the new ES6 was announced for sale, Li posted on Weibo: "the ideal L7 will achieve 20, 000 vehicles per month in October this year, setting a small goal for the team in advance." On the same day, he Xiaopeng was not involved in the fight, but his first MPV was named X9 on Weibo, and ideal will also release its first MPV at the end of the year. Both MPV models are pure electric models, which means Xiaopeng and ideal will be squeezed into the same subdivision track.

The fundamental reason why Wei Xiaoli was able to coexist before 2021 is that there is no overlap between products. Xiaopeng mainly focuses on the market of less than 300000 yuan, including P7, P5, and G3; Ulay mainly focuses on the pure electricity market of more than 300000 yuan, and high-end service and power exchange become its label; the ideal is to find another way to start with the mix of incremental programs. mainly hit the household market of more than 300000 yuan.

However, all this will quietly change in 2022. In September 2022, Xiaopeng G9 officially went on sale, with a price of 309900 yuan. A week later, ideal L8/L7 was released and listed at the same time, with prices starting from 359800 yuan and 339800 yuan respectively. So far, "Wei Xiaoli" three enterprises have a layout in the 300000-yuan market, ostensibly to seize the market of the traditional luxury brand BBA, but in fact the three enterprises are competing with each other.

Once the "Wei Xiaoli" was the same brother to the outside world, but also the family in which the product matrix deliberately staggered to prohibit each other, but now there is little innuendo, pinch and fight between the three new forces.

On July 11, the ideal car announced its weekly sales. According to the data, in the 28th week of 2023, the weekly sales of ideal cars was 7900, still ranking first among the new power brands in the Chinese market. NIO ranked second with 3100, while Xiaopeng ranked eighth with 1200.

After the weekly sales list of ideal cars, Xiaopeng executives publicly responded and questioned the falsification of its data. Huang Honglin, general manager of Xiaopeng product marketing, posted two ranking pictures on moments, the first of which is the weekly sales ranking officially released by ideal car. Huang Honglin said: the above information about Xiaopeng is false, and it is not too late to have a good meal. It also said, "there is no need for us to show off our muscles by bluffing. Cars are an industry where long-term doctrine wins and opportunism is dead. our love is to do a good job in products, quality and supply, and to deliver high-quality products to users." Subsequently, Liu Yilin, senior director of Xiaopeng's self-driving products, posted a screenshot of Huang Honglin's moments on Weibo, with the caption: "Lang Lang is full of wonders."

The competition of "Wei Xiaoli" is an inevitable process.

Wang Chuanfu, chairman of BYD, said at the 2022 shareholders' meeting that competition is the quintessence of the market economy. If there is competition, there will be innovation and prosperity. Without pressure, there will be no motivation. Only better products, better technology and more innovative experience can survive in the knockout stage.

Zhu Huarong, chairman of Changan Automobile, said at the 2022 performance communication meeting that China's auto market is undergoing a reshuffle, with both opportunities and challenges. He believes that only the head enterprises with good products, strong technology, large scale and fast output can survive and develop in the fierce market competition.

In the first half of the year, ideal car ranked first among the new car-building forces in China with a delivery volume of 139100, while Xiaopeng was at the bottom, delivering only 41400 vehicles. NIO was followed by 54600.

In the secondary market, the latest stock price of ideal Motor is $37.0, with a total market capitalization of $38.565 billion; Xiaopeng Motor is $14.02, with a total market capitalization of $12.106 billion; Ulay is $10.55, with a total market capitalization of $18.681 billion

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