On April 24th, in the soaring Chinese automotive market, what is BAIC rolling out? On the eve of the Beijing Auto Show, BAIC Group, which has been quiet in the public opinion arena for many years, made a series of big moves. At a technology salon themed "Craftsmanship as the Core, Technology Leading the Way," BAIC elaborated on its advocacy of "technology empowering quality and equality in car manufacturing" for a full 2 hours, with a high level of "black technology" content.
"Brainiac" engineers are getting busy
What does "craftsmanship and technology create quality cars" mean? How can the concept of making quality and safe cars, albeit not very cleverly, be understood by users? What is the correct path to "breaking the roll"? BAIC's Deputy General Manager, Liu Yu, believes that "the core should lie in understanding consumer needs and defining the core benefits of the product."
Liu Yu, Deputy General Manager of BAIC Group
"As an OEM, as a main manufacturer, its essence should lie in the ability to define products, interpret consumers' real needs, and realize the organization's technology in commodities. This is our understanding of the soul of car manufacturing."
"Application, selection, matching, and reorganization of definitions are our core. Therefore, we have gathered all engineering and technical personnel together, with nearly 5000 people in the research institute. At the same time, we have established our own internal organization called the Product Creation Department in two OEM companies. I hope they can create commodities instead of products. We want to conduct a large number of consumer tests rather than surveys."
In this regard, Liu Yu shared an interesting case: a company making Bluetooth speakers asked for opinions during user research on which color, red, black, or yellow, was better. Everyone said yellow was better, as young people's music should be bold, and colors should be bright. However, when everyone was leaving, they could choose to take home a surveyed object - the soon-to-be-launched speaker as a souvenir. The result was - everyone chose black.
The story itself may have a dark humor, but it reflects a serious topic: what is the real insight into user needs and effective product definition. Successful insight into needs and product definition can be said to be the true secret for some new-generation car manufacturing companies to stand out; only by truly understanding the real needs of users can one truly possess the soul of car manufacturing and the market discourse power.
"Starting from user needs, helping users solve problems, and creating value for users. In every visible and invisible aspect of a car, we show the utmost sincerity, put in solid effort, and ensure quality." This is the essence of BAIC's craftsmanship and technology in creating high-quality vehicles.
The long-termism and down-to-earth approach to car manufacturing are the solid foundation for BAIC to ensure quality. As of now, BAIC has applied for approximately 35,000 patents, ranking at the forefront of the industry in terms of patents. Core technologies such as new energy vehicles and hydrogen energy have won the first prize in China's automotive industry technological progress six times. BAIC holds over 4,000 enterprise technical standards, has participated in the compilation of more than 300 national and industry standards, and is a "leader" in setting industry technical standards. BAIC has top international testing centers in the fields of new energy vehicles and intelligent connected vehicles, with trial production and testing resources at the forefront of the industry. In 2024, BAIC's R&D investment reached 13.21 billion yuan, with an R&D team of over 8,000 people. By 2030, the cumulative R&D investment will exceed 100 billion yuan.
The value of technology lies in quality equality
Wang Lei, Director of BAIC Research Institute, elaborated on the "equality of quality" in the minds of R&D engineers from the three aspects of "smarter, more energy-efficient, and safer."
Wang Lei, Director of the Research Institute of Beiqi
"Smarter" - Beiqi is one of the first companies in the industry to implement AI large models in vehicles. Products like the Ji Hu Koala and Alpha T5 possess abilities such as self-awareness, active learning, and unlimited dialogue. The Ji Hu Alpha S prototype has achieved the "strongest on the surface" L3 level of intelligent driving, making it one of the first models in the industry to feature urban NOA functionality. Recently, Beiqi also became one of the first domestic companies to obtain a public road test license for L3 level autonomous driving. The eye-catching demonstration of the BJ60 performing a U-turn on the spot at the salon showcases Beiqi's core technology in intelligent chassis.
"More energy-efficient" - Beiqi's technical reserves in the field of new energy offer more possibilities, enabling vehicles to "consume less and run farther and faster." Wang Lei uses the example of the industry-discussed "high-speed motor" to illustrate this. Beiqi boasts the most comprehensive range of motor types in China, capable of developing motors with the highest speeds in the industry. In the fifth-generation motor, the single motor assembly maintains a speed of 22,000 revolutions per minute, while increasing power density. This achieves a 7-second acceleration per 100 kilometers and reduces energy consumption by over 10%, allowing consumers to truly feel the cost reduction brought about by technological advancements. For instance, Beiqi is the first to equip vehicles priced below 200,000 with an 800V high-voltage supercharging battery system, making supercharging accessible to the average consumer.
"In the industry, safety is the greatest luxury. Beiqi believes that safety is the bottom line of car manufacturing. Working diligently in unseen areas may never be noticed, but it is truly important." This is how Wang Lei interprets "safer." Beiqi products are built to exceed industry collision safety standards, with the new energy steel-aluminum hybrid body increasing energy absorption efficiency by 35% in collisions. The all-new BJ40's "integral cage body + embedded anti-roll bar" technology is unique globally, the Ji Hu's body torsional stiffness exceeding 60,000 Nm is akin to a "road tank," and the Aurora battery maintains a record of zero spontaneous combustion deliveries. Beiqi is also the first in the industry to propose the development concept of a healthy cabin, being the only company in the industry to have won the China Automotive Industry Science and Technology Progress Award for in-car breathing health.
Focusing on 7 core areas, 19 independent products debut at the auto show
According to the plan, Beiqi aims to achieve technological iteration and upgrade by 2025, breakthroughs in key areas by 2028, and core technological breakthroughs by 2030, positioning itself at the forefront of the world. Its focus on 7 core areas will concentrate on intelligent driving, intelligent cabins, electronic control, electric drive, hybrid, batteries, key technologies for off-road vehicles, and more, striving to drive the evolution and breakthroughs in technological innovation.
Before the Beijing Auto Show, BAIC Group has been emphasizing its focus on technology, announcing a research and development investment exceeding 100 billion yuan by 2030. This move aligns with the new chairman's vision of "technological empowerment" since taking office.
