Interview with Zhiji Tamia Liu： How to achieve sustainable involution？

Speaking of the latest hot new cars in the car circle, Zhiji LS7 must be one of them. The price of this car is in the range of 300,000-500,000. Compared with the ideal L7, Tucki G9 and Weilai ES7 of the same class, you will find that Zhiji LS7 has many advantages in configuration, space, price and driving control, which can be said to be the "new king" of domestic high-end intelligent pure electric SUV.

Thanks to its excellent product value, at present, the blind order of Zhiji LS7 has exceeded 12,000. "The order situation of Zhiji once again exceeded our expectations. official website and app were under great pressure in a short time, and there was a situation in which the webpage was stuck, which showed that users were very concerned about LS7." Tamia Liu, co-CEO of Zhiji, said.

So, what new height did Zhiji LS7 roll out the intelligent pure electric SUV? What kind of interpretation does Zhiji Automobile bring to the "involution" of today’s industry? In the dialogue with Tamia Liu, we found the answer.

We should not only be a "king of volume", but also be a "king of understanding"

Although in the eyes of many people, Zhiji LS7 is a new generation of high-end intelligent pure electric SUV, Tamia Liu has different views on it.

He believes: "Crazy price cuts, crazy involution, and all kinds of mixed products are madly grabbing the market, which is unhealthy competition. Because smart electric vehicles are a clear track, but the cognitive threshold is relatively high, a large number of brands and products flock in, and the market is mixed, which is not conducive to the development of the industry. "

Indeed, in China’s new energy market, not only the new car-making forces like "Wei Xiaoli" lay out high-end fields, but also the high-end brands created by traditional car companies like Zhiji, Lantu and Aouita challenge the new forces.

In order to seize the market, there are ways to win the attention by reducing prices or in disguised form. There are also the best SUVs within 500,000, 1 million, or even within 500 to gain attention through the stacking of various configurations and parameters.

Some consumers are caught in the "sweet trap" because of the "involution" propaganda of manufacturers. In the later car experience, it was found that it was not as good as the manufacturer advertised.

For example, a manufacturer advertised that its SUV products used the same magic chassis as Mercedes-Benz Maibakh GLS, but the actual experience found that the driving quality was not as "magical" as advertised by the manufacturer, and even the owner was "dry-exploded" when he met the air suspension when he passed the speed bump.

Why is this happening? Because it is also suspended, the top models of luxury brands use double-cavity or even three-cavity suspension, and they are also suppliers of international brands. However, many new domestic forces use single-cavity suspension and adopt domestic suppliers. At the same time, coupled with the gap in chassis adjustment technology, the effects of the two are naturally different. However, in the publicity, consumers only saw the marketing words of "Magic Chassis of the same paragraph as Mercedes-Benz Maibakh GLS".

In this regard, Tamia Liu believes that "having" does not mean being good, and "having everything" does not mean being "the best in everything". "A car that seems to be fully equipped is probably not a top car."

Therefore, in the product building of Zhiji LS7, Tamia Liu introduced Zhiji’s different attitude of "involution"-Zhiji wants "directional volume", "professional volume" and "extreme volume" instead of "blind volume".

First, the "extreme" volume.

Tamia Liu said, "Zhizhi has a professional insistence on using the best things to bring the best experience to users." This is the ultimate volume, and everything should be the best for users.

So, what is the best? Let’s take LS7 as an example.

First of all, on the chassis, Zhiji LS7 has an all-star chassis configuration. For example, the air suspension system, Zhiji LS7 adopts the continental air suspension system of the same series as Maserati Levante, and cooperates with the Damptronic I electromagnetic dynamic damping adjustment system of Germany Besten, which can continuously adjust the damping force of the shock absorber in milliseconds according to different road conditions and adapt to different driving scenarios.

It is worth mentioning that Zhiji LS7 adopts a new generation of patented closed air suspension system of Continental Group. Compared with the open structure, the adjustment speed of the closed suspension is 40% faster, the noise is more than 10dB lower than that of the open structure, the integration is higher, and the energy consumption of the motor is lower. At the same time, the continuous working performance of the closed suspension will not be attenuated, and it is not afraid of the thin air pressure on the plateau. It can always maintain full-performance work in any environment and has higher reliability.

"The domestic air spring is also very good, but it can’t meet the requirements of the high-end intelligent pure electric SUV, which is also the order of magnitude. Therefore, we would rather spend twice the price to choose the continental air spring. " Tamia Liu said: "As a 400,000-class high-end luxury SUV that pays attention to driving control, we must be responsible for the products and not fool users. This is the bottom line of values."

"For example, the cost of air springs in mainland Germany is twice that in China; For example, there are many levels of electromagnetic suspension. Those who really play the track and control know what Beishideng stands for, and those who really understand it naturally understand. " Tamia Liu affirmed that in terms of materials, Zhiji is absolutely willing to give up the cost.

In addition, in terms of braking system, Zhiji LS7 is equipped with the first four-piston fixed brake calipers of Brembo, Italy, and a high-performance large-size scribed ventilation disc (365mm in front and 376mm in back), which further improves the braking efficiency and heat dissipation effect. In addition, Zhiji LS7 is also equipped with the integrated Onebox braking system in Germany (which is also one of the most advanced electronic brake-by-wire systems at present), giving it strong braking capability.

According to the data given by Zhiji, the response time of 100Bar braking force generated by stepping on the foot is 150ms, and that of non-OneBox braking system is about 250ms, which shortens the time by 40%. The actual experience shows that the braking performance of Zhiji LS7 is really good, which also gives the driver the confidence to step on the switch deeply. At the same time, we can also see that Zhiji LS7 is specialized in driving experience.

In addition to the top-mounted chassis hardware, the front windshield of Zhiji LS7 adopts a rare three-layer silver plating process in the industry, and is made of the same glass material as the domestic large aircraft C919. At the same time, the whole vehicle has adopted 11 double-layer laminated sound insulation glass. According to Zhiji’s introduction, its NVH measured results are about 6dB ahead of the industry, and the maximum ear pressure is reduced by 50%. The dual lidar +Orin chip scheme in intelligent driving and the 8155 chip in intelligent cockpit are all top-level hardware configurations at present.

From the above configurations, we can all feel that the configuration of Zhiji LS7 is not only available, but also uses the top products in the industry, which is the embodiment of Zhiji’s "extreme volume".

As Liu Tao said: "Zhiji wants to be a high-end brand. We must never fool users with shoddy products. We will never sacrifice the user experience. This is the bottom line of Zhiji’s values." "Only using the best things will bring the best experience to users."

Second, the "professional" volume.

What is a "professional" volume? Tamia Liu’s explanation is: "In response to market competition, this volume will be rolled. However, the volume must have the underlying thinking and do something different. This is a professional volume. "

To put it simply, it is to provide users with the configurations they really need, not those configurations that look beautiful but are actually chicken ribs.

For example, regarding air suspension and four-wheel steering, Tamia Liu said that there are many brands who follow suit and think that high-class cars must be equipped with air springs, which can be said to be a kind of "ignorance".

Tamia Liu thinks: "The value of air spring in cars is relatively small, but it will reduce the feeling of driving control. And Zhiji L7 is a car, and the core label is driving control, so we chose four-wheel steering instead of air spring. "However, on the SUV of Zhiji LS7, we can see the configuration of air suspension to further improve the passability and comfort of SUV, which is the embodiment of confidant LS7 professional volume.

For example, the glove box was cancelled in the passenger position of Zhiji LS7, so that the seat can be stuffed in after folding. This practice can be said to be very bold and innovative. In this regard, Tamia Liu said: "Innovation is a balance, and the key to balance is trade-off. On the one hand, the thinking of folding the seat and canceling the glove box stems from the demands of users, on the other hand, it is the core of the overall product concept. "

"When we can really fold the seats in the concept car completely, the whole space will be completely magically redefined. The benefits of this matter far outweigh the loss of a glove box. " In Tamia Liu’s view, canceling the armrest box can bring more comfortable riding experience in the back row, which is far more valuable and meaningful than the storage function of the armrest box.

The actual experience is also true, because without the constraint of the armrest box, the zero-gravity seat of Zhiji LS7 can unlock the "lying mode". The angle of the zero-gravity seat in the rear row can be adjusted to a large lying angle of 155 at most, and the passenger can completely lie flat when the passenger is fully folded into a footstool. Long-distance driving is more comfortable for passengers.

Moreover, Zhiji LS7 did not lose the storage space in the car because there was no armrest box. Because the central armrest of Zhiji LS7, the mysterious space under the rear seat and the second floor of the trunk, including the storage box at the bottom of the screen, are used. In Tamia Liu’s words: "This completely exceeds the value of a glove box."

Therefore, Zhiji’s professional volume is the local volume of the volume, so that users can really feel the practicality of the configuration, rather than paying for some flashy configuration.

Third, the "oriented" volume.

"Zhiji’s brand positioning is a luxury electric car, and we must match it. Use our major to provide users with’ oriented volume where experience is king’ ". Tamia Liu said, Zhiji positioning high-end brand, the configuration must be top-matching, but the premise is that in the provision of configuration, Zhiji should proceed from the user’s perspective and fully verify the actual usage scenarios of users.

Tamia Liu takes the involution of current computing power as an example. "Is 4 pieces of Orin good?" In Tamia Liu’s view, simple computing power can’t solve the pain point of user experience.

"Computing power will make people who don’t understand feel very powerful, but behind it is power consumption; Moreover, if the communication between boards is not solved well, it will bring great challenges to data and software and bring more pain points to the user experience. Therefore, the real solution is to properly orient the volume and focus on the user experience. " Tamia Liu thinks.

In fact, this is reflected in many aspects of Zhiji LS7. For example, the electric door equipped by Zhiji LS7. According to Tamia Liu, "Zhiji LS7′ s main driving electric door has been verified by 1000 scenes, and it can adjust the opening angle in indoor parking lots, outdoor parking lots and scenes with cats, dogs and other animals outside the vehicle."

Another example is the half-width steering wheel of Zhiji LS7, which is matched with the lifting huge scene screen and the ice-sensitive front dome of Star Fall Star Waterfall, which not only makes the cockpit more scientific and technological, but also brings excellent vision. More importantly, if consumers don’t like the half-width steering wheel of Zhiji LS7, Zhiji can also choose the traditional round steering wheel for free.

To sum up, Zhiji is not blindly piling up the configuration, but starting from the user’s experience, bringing users a more extreme and professional car experience. It can be seen that Zhiji is not only a "king of volume", but also a "king of understanding", and truly understands the needs of users. This is also a new force created by Zhiji as a traditional brand, which shows different car-making concepts or involution attitudes.

The essence of involution is a profound PK.

Talking about this, some people may question: the configuration level of Zhiji LS7 is so high, and it is supplied by first-line international brands. Everything is the best, so the cost must be not low. Tamia Liu also gave us a detailed answer to this question.

First of all, it is the support of scale effect.

In Tamia Liu’s view, the automobile industry is a scale effect. It is also a strong demand of the market if the quantity is quickly made to a suitable scale and the price control ability is increased.

Take LS7′ s oversized front dome glass as an example. Tamia Liu said that its cost is indeed more expensive than ordinary glass, but if it is scaled up, the cost will soon come down. Another example is the screen. Because of the previous cooperation experience with Zhiji, suppliers have more confidence in Zhiji. They actively provide screen solutions with higher definition, higher color resolution and better interactive experience, but the cost is lower than before.

However, Tamia Liu also admitted to us that the cost of LS7 is definitely not low, but it also shows that Zhiji is a real conscience. As Liu Tao said: "What we hope is that users can directly perceive the value content of high-end configuration by experiencing Zhiji LS7, and know the brand of Zhiji that is hard to get back once experienced and used."

Secondly, Zhizhi is not "blind".

As we mentioned earlier, Zhiji is not a "blind roll", but an extreme roll, a directional roll, and a professional roll. It is not blindly piling up configurations for users, but based on user experience, providing users with configurations that are really useful and deeply felt.

As Tamia Liu said, "It is important to choose the right high-tech new technology for this product, which will also increase the price controllability."

Finally, it comes from the strong system advantages of SAIC.

Tamia Liu said that Zhiji Automobile has a strong domestic high-end supply chain system relying on the system advantages of SAIC. For example, Huayu Vision, the best car light company in the world; Yanfeng, the world’s largest supplier of interior solutions, and Natiefu transmission shaft (with a market share of over 50% in China) are important industry endorsements for building the strong product strength of Zhiji LS7.

In this regard, Tamia Liu confidently said: "With the empowerment of SAIC, Zhiji can get the best things at the most suitable cost."

To some extent, the internal details of the enterprise determine the height of the product involution, and with a strong supplier system, Zhiji Automobile can enable users to obtain higher product value than competing products at the same level at a more sincere price.

However, as a smart person empowered by SAIC, Ali and Zhangjiang, its advantages in background and system strength are not just suppliers.

1. Production capacity.Tamia Liu said that the high probability of production capacity is the most confident thing for Chi Ji. SAIC produces and sells 67 million vehicles a year, and its supply chain capability is among the best in the world. Including Huayu Automobile and many lighthouse factories, all gave the green light to Zhiji Automobile and gave the best resources to Zhiji.

2. Marketing.At present, the blind order of Zhiji LS7 exceeds expectations, and the sales consultant of the terminal is immediately tight. Tamia Liu revealed to us that from December 20th to February 10th, the number of transformations was several times higher than that of last year through promotion and live broadcast.

In addition, in the configuration of the user research team, Zhiji Automobile has reached a rare 400 people in the industry.

3. Sales channels."Zhiji will accelerate the construction of channels in the future." According to Tamia Liu, Zhiji has about 120 experience and delivery centers. Because the channel has great inertia, once the market fluctuates and the sales volume does not match the channel, there will be great pressure, so Zhiji was somewhat conservative in the channel before.

According to the plan, the target of Zhiji is 240 by the end of this year, and Zhiji is confident to open 180 to 190 before June 30, and a large number of second-tier cities will be covered.

4. Team organization.Tamia Liu said that at present, the product team and management team at the headquarters have also made very strict arrangements and deployments. Once a city’s staffing reaches its peak or users can’t be received, the headquarters team will fly there immediately, so that they can know more about the products and receive them more professionally.

5. Product planning.In addition to the current Zhiji L7 and Zhiji LS7, Tamia Liu revealed to us that in the second half of the year, Zhiji will also launch a brand-new medium-sized SUV to benchmark Model Y..

As for other more compact models, Zhiji also has corresponding plans. According to Tamia Liu, the third car and the fourth car mainly target Model Y and Model 3；; The fifth car is more about thinking about the future and the solution.

With the launch of L7 and LS7, and the arrival of the third model in the second half of the year, Zhiji also has higher goals in 2023. Tamia Liu introduced that in 2023, Zhiji Automobile hopes to achieve sales of 45,000 vehicles.

But regarding the sales volume, Tamia Liu thinks that as a new brand, although sales volume is important, it is not so important compared with the early product value. With the gradual enrichment of Zhiji automobile model array, the growth of sales volume is also a matter of course. "In the long run, Zhiji hopes to achieve a sales scale of 200,000-300,000 vehicles in 2025."

For this goal, Tamia Liu thinks it is not difficult. In his view, Zhiji is still in a developing stage, and the empowerment advantages of SAIC, Ali and Zhangjiang have not been fully reflected in the case that only one product entered the market last year. At the same time, the potential energy accumulated by enterprises in users will also become an important kinetic energy for brand development in the next 3-5 years.

In other words, under the impetus of system strength and user reputation, Zhiji has great explosive power. The blind order of Zhiji LS7 exceeding 12,000 vehicles also proves that Zhiji will be a dark horse with potential.