Just 559,800 RMB!
The Ideal MEGA has just been officially launched.
MEGA continues the tradition of Ideal's popular strategy, introducing only one model—the MEGA Max, with deliveries starting in 10 days.
The starting price of 560,000 RMB positions it as the highest-end and highest-priced model since the establishment of the Ideal brand.
On the day before its release, Li Xiang revealed on Weibo that the number of pre-orders for the MEGA, priced at 5,000 RMB each, far exceeded the performance of the Ideal L9 during the same period in 2022. In the first 72 hours after the Ideal L9 was launched that year, over 30,000 users had paid the 5,000 RMB pre-order fee.
In Li Xiang's eyes, this pure electric MPV priced at over half a million RMB has become an undisputed "hot commodity". But it doesn't stop there; Ideal's goal is to become the top seller in the 500,000 RMB and above price range.
Since its debut at the Guangzhou Auto Show last year, the MEGA has garnered unprecedented attention and hype. Now it's time to face the market's judgment.
Spending the price of a car to buy a house.
The appearance of the Ideal MEGA has been controversial since its debut, mainly because the design is too "non-mainstream".
"Can we stop making it a clone of the Alphard, and stop competing to see who looks more like the illegitimate child of an Alphard."
Li Xiang's original intention was to design a pure electric MPV that could "touch the soul".
So, we have the "highway bullet train" - the MEGA. The new car adopts a completely new design language, with the only family-style design retained being the star ring light that runs through the front face of Ideal models. The overall shape resembles a "bullet head" of a high-speed train, with a drag coefficient of 0.215Cd.
In terms of interior design, the official unveiling of Ideal MEGA was only made public a few days before the launch event. Overall, the interior of Ideal MEGA remains largely consistent with the Ideal L-series, featuring a unified dual-screen design composed of a central touchscreen and a passenger-side entertainment screen.
The multifunctional steering wheel also mirrors that of the L-series, with the elimination of the instrument panel and the addition of large-sized AR-HUD (Augmented Reality Head-Up Display) and a Touch Bar touchscreen. However, Ideal MEGA introduces a dual-layered center console, with dual horizontal air vents on either side.
As an MPV, especially catering to families, comfort and ample space are essential. The ideal dimensions for the Ideal MEGA are 5350/1965/1850mm, with a wheelbase of 3300mm, positioning it as a large MPV.
Moreover, the Ideal MEGA stands out as the electric passenger vehicle with the most spacious interior currently on the market. Its second-row seating space surpasses that of the long-wheelbase version of the BMW 7 Series, while its third-row seating space exceeds that of the long-wheelbase version of the BMW 5 Series.
The 5.3-meter-long vehicle with a 3.3-meter wheelbase offers ample interior space, adopting a 2+2+3 seven-seat layout. It's noted that IDEAL initially considered a 2+3+3 eight-seat configuration, but it was ultimately shelved as the "eight-seat version wasn't perfect enough to meet the product value requirements," as decided by Li Xiang.
MEGA's second row features twin VIP independent seats, wrapped in perforated Nappa leather, equipped with comfortable headrests, integrated dual side armrests with 50W wireless phone charging, and electric leg rests. It supports 95° reclining adjustment, 500mm forward/backward electric adjustment, heating/ventilation/SPA-grade 16-point massage, and more.
Moreover, the interior offers versatile space, such as the ability to fold down the second-row seats and add a mattress, turning the interior into a bedroom. If the second-row seats are moved to the back, the first and second rows can be connected, transforming it into a study, a game room, or a home theater.
In Li Xiang's words, buying the IDEAL MEGA is like spending the price of a car to buy a set of rooms, with a full set of home theaters and appliances thrown in as a bonus.
(User: We still need one more bathroom.)
In terms of entertainment facilities, the ideal second-row overhead screen, small tray tables, and onboard refrigerator are all present without any absence.
Addressing the often criticized third row in MPVs, the MEGA also comes equipped with soft pillows and supports seat heating. Moreover, the third-row seats can fold the backrest forward to expand space or fold completely forward to stow away. With the third-row seats folded and flipped, the depth of the cargo compartment can increase from 680mm to 1066mm.
Charging for 12 minutes gives you a range of 500 kilometers.
MPVs have always faced different travel scenarios compared to other household cars, such as business receptions and long-distance road trips. Their market share is far less than that of sedans and SUVs. The market share of pure electric MPVs is even smaller.
Last year, the best-selling MPV in the domestic market, the Tengshi D9, relied on its plug-in hybrid version for sales. Therefore, for pure electric models, range and charging capabilities are paramount. Previously, Ideal solved the long-distance recharging problem by extending the range, but now it has come up with another solution.
Ideal has developed an 800V high-voltage electric platform and 5C ultra-fast charging technology for the MEGA, making it the fastest-charging electric vehicle globally, even for a large MPV.
The 5C ultra-fast charging refers to a charging rate that is five times the capacity of the battery. According to Ideal officials, in terms of lifespan, utilizing a 5C charging method with 5C cells extends the cycle life by over 50% compared to the mainstream lithium-ion cells charged at 2C.
Starting from the Ideal MEGA, which debuted with the jointly developed Kirin 5C battery by Ideal and CATL, all electric vehicle models released by Ideal this year will come standard with the 5C ultra-fast charging technology.
The Ideal MEGA features the Kirin 5C battery, the first pure electric vehicle model to achieve a peak fast charging rate of 5C under the Kirin architecture. With an energy density of 170Wh/kg, the 102.7kWh battery pack provides a maximum range of 710km and a peak charging power exceeding 520kW.
Charging for just 12 minutes can extend the range by 500 kilometers, with an energy consumption of only 15.9 kWh/100km under CLTC conditions.
With the challenge of charging efficiency resolved, NIO is gearing up for massive infrastructure development. According to the plan, by the end of this year, NIO will have built over two thousand high-speed and urban supercharging stations. For NIO, these supercharging stations serve as the equivalent of range extenders for purely electric vehicles.
According to NIO's statements, this advancement could propel electric vehicle charging speeds into the 5G era, facilitating the widespread replacement of fuel-powered vehicles.
In terms of power, the Ideal MEGA employs a dual-motor four-wheel drive system, with maximum power of 155 kW and 245 kW for the front and rear motors respectively, yielding a total power of up to 400 kW (544 horsepower), and a maximum torque of 542 N·m. Despite being an MPV, the MEGA achieves a 0-100 km/h acceleration time of 5.5 seconds.
For driving dynamics, Ideal has developed the Magic Carpet Air Suspension Max for the MEGA, utilizing a front double wishbone and rear H-arm multi-link independent suspension system, and comes standard with dual-chamber air suspension and CDC continuously variable damping shock absorbers.
The official claims that MEGA's air suspension system has the ability to continuously evolve, with a height adjustment range of 70 millimeters. It features multiple modes, such as "loading mode" for transporting goods and "escape mode" for special road conditions, automatically raising the body by 40 millimeters.
In terms of intelligence, the Ideal MEGA is armed to the teeth. It's equipped with two NVIDIA Orin-X intelligent driving chips, 1 128-line LiDAR, and 11 cameras. Coupled with the support of BEV architecture and algorithms, MEGA can continuously learn from human drivers how to handle complex traffic situations.
Furthermore, in the first half of this year, Ideal will release the OTA 5.2 version. The full-scene intelligent driving will be upgraded again in OTA 5.2, scheduled for release in the first half of this year, enabling autonomous passage through high-speed toll booths with ETC.
The car now features the Mind GPT large model, powered by the high-performance Qualcomm 8295P flagship chip, boasting a computing power of 60 TOPS. Ideal cars will be even smarter, capable of forming their own cognition, not only understanding what you say but also grasping the implications.
They can even issue commands like "Master, turn left" or "Master, turn right" to MEGA for steering, essentially providing a "buy a car, get a driver" experience.
One more thing:
Starting from the naming of car models Air, Pro, Max, the Ideals have been increasingly reminiscent of Apple. Today's launch event is no exception, intentionally dubbing the MEGA's launch event as the "2024 Spring Launch Event." As we all know, Apple holds new product launch events twice a year: in spring and fall.
So, since it's a spring launch event, more than just the MEGA was unveiled. Ideals have also announced the 2024 models of Ideals L7, L8, and L9.
The 2024 models of the L series will feature a 52.4 kWh extended-range battery, standard on the Ideals L9 and L7/8 MAX versions, and will upgrade to the L series' standard Magic Carpet air suspension. Additionally, all models will come standard with nine safety airbags, including the addition of dual-chamber far-end safety airbags.
Specifically, the prices for the 2024 Ideals L7 are as follows: Air model at 319,800 CNY, Pro model at 349,800 CNY, and Max model at 379,800 CNY.
The 2024 model of the Ideal L8 Air edition is priced at ¥339,800, the Pro model at ¥369,800, and the Max at ¥399,800.
For the 2024 Ideal L9 Pro, the price is ¥429,800, while the Max variant is priced at ¥459,800.
Orders for the 2024 L Series have begun and deliveries will officially commence on March 3rd.
Lastly, Ideal teased a new technology - Smart U-turn Assist, which can reduce the turning diameter during low-speed U-turns by 0.5-1 meter, achieving effects similar to those of a mid-size SUV. This feature is currently in the final stages of development and testing and will be pushed to all Ideal L Series and MEGA owners via OTA update in the third quarter of this year.
Who needs rear-wheel steering anymore?
In conclusion:
MEGA is the first model of Ideal's pure electric strategy, from conception to pre-orders and then to market release, it has been full of controversy.
These controversies stem from both the product itself and Ideal Auto's CEO, Li Xiang.
The day before the launch event, Li Xiang took to social media to invite everyone to pay attention, stating that he would share the secrets of turning high-end electric cars into market hits.
In this promotional Weibo post, Li Xiang specifically mentioned that MEGA's current pre-order count of 5,000 units far exceeds that of the Ideal L9 during the same period in 2022, and he urged suppliers and partners, "Production capacity must keep up, don't be misled by the assumption that high-end electric vehicles have no sales."
The remarks unmistakably exude full confidence in MEGA while indirectly affirming the market's anticipation for this new vehicle.
Simultaneously, Li Xiang also shared MEGA's teaser promotional video on his social media, with a caption that reads: "A video worth watching. If Jobs were here, Apple's car would probably be something like this."
Whether it's the bold declaration of turning high-end electric cars into hot commodities, rallying suppliers to keep up with production capacity, or subtly pointing fingers at Apple, Li Xiang's remarks are undoubtedly hyping up MEGA, as it shoulders the heavy task of opening up the pure electric vehicle market for Ideal.
Coupled with Li Xiang's frequent posts on Weibo, such as "get rid of the design department, I'll jump off the building myself," and "highway trains," among other topics, MEGA has already generated waves of anticipation before its launch, leaving everyone eagerly waiting.
So, the question arises: Can Ideal MEGA replicate the success of Ideal ONE and L9 in dominating the high-end pure electric MPV market?
