On April 20th, Zhou Hongyi announced his intention to sell his Maybach S600 to switch to a domestically produced new energy vehicle. His announcement video quickly garnered attention from netizens and domestic manufacturers, with some even directly recommending the King Long large passenger van due to its spacious interior.
In his latest video, Zhou Hongyi expressed gratitude to netizens and automotive enthusiasts, explicitly rejecting the King Long van and admitting to being a bit overwhelmed by choices. He then proceeded to earnestly consider and unveil his 6 criteria for selecting a car.
He asserted that he still doesn't have a driver's license and has never driven a car. Not only is he not an experienced driver, but he's not even a driver at all. Therefore, his requirements for a car primarily focus on the rear seats:
Sufficient Space: Zhou chose the Maybach primarily because it's an extended version of the Mercedes-Benz S600, offering ample space and comfortable rear seating.
Safety is Paramount: Safety is the ultimate luxury. He's concerned about the materials used in the vehicle's construction, its ability to absorb energy during collisions, the strength of the A-pillar, the integrity of the cabin in case of a rollover, the risk of battery fires, and the ability to open doors promptly after a collision.
Intelligent Cockpit: With an intelligent cockpit, new energy vehicles gain a soul. Being able to communicate effectively with the car, access various functions, Zhou hopes for a large-scale conceptual model that transforms the previously rudimentary dialogue into a genuinely fluent intelligent assistant capable of understanding human thoughts.
Autonomous Driving: He particularly emphasizes the AEB (Automatic Emergency Braking) aspect of autonomous driving. He wants to ensure that the car can automatically stop or maneuver around obstacles when necessary.
Privacy: Zhou often conducts meetings and makes calls in the rear seats, including shooting many videos from the back. Therefore, he requires a private working environment.
Zhou also mentioned that he once suggested to Li Xiang (the founder of NIO) to install a partition between the front and rear rows of the Ideal MEGA, but Li Xiang directly rejected the idea, stating that the MEGA is designed for families, not as a high-end business vehicle.
In conclusion, Zhou Hongyi states that any car meeting the above criteria can be recommended, whether it's an MPV or an SUV. He also adds that he's a bit hesitant about choosing between extended-range and pure electric vehicles. He leans towards extended-range due to the lack of range anxiety - just add some fuel and go. However, pure electric cars are also becoming increasingly popular, even a trend, so he's unsure which way to go.
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