Recently, news of Smart Edge "snatching" Xiaomi's SU7 orders has surged on hot search. According to reports, car owners who have paid a deposit to reserve the Xiaomi SU7 will receive a subsidy of 5000 yuan if they place an order for any configuration of the Smart Edge S7 and pay the balance.
Sales at Huawei's HarmonyOS Smart Travel store confirmed this to Caixin, stating that only the reservation page needs to be shown to enjoy the subsidy.
Caixin reporters also learned from NIO store sales that NIO will also provide a 5000 yuan subsidy for owners who have reserved a Xiaomi SU7 and are transferring orders.
In addition to HarmonyOS Smart Travel, sales at stores such as Ideal and Xiaopeng said that prices for models have been adjusted accordingly, with significant discounts.
Data shows that in the first half of April, the retail penetration rate of new energy passenger vehicles surpassed that of traditional fuel-powered passenger vehicles for the first time. With the Beijing Auto Show approaching, the price war among car companies will enter a white-hot stage.
Smart Edge, NIO subsidies, Xiaopeng follows suit
Caixin reporters interviewed offline stores of Huawei's HarmonyOS Smart Travel, and sales confirmed the subsidy for Xiaomi SU7 reservation holders: "You just need to show us the (Xiaomi SU7) deposit payment page, and then place an order for the Smart Edge S7. We can apply for a special subsidy for you."
The salesperson also said: "This subsidy policy can overlap with other promotional activities for the Smart Edge S7. Regardless of whether consumers purchase the Xiaomi SU7, they will be eligible for a 5000 yuan deduction when paying the balance for the Smart Edge S7."
It is reported that since the launch of the Xiaomi SU7, various major stores of Huawei have introduced this temporary policy, which will continue until the end of May.
Recently, Xiaomi Group Chairman Lei Jun tweeted that the production capacity and delivery speed of Xiaomi SU7 are rapidly increasing. The standard version and Max have been delivered ahead of schedule, and Xiaomi's production capacity and delivery plan will be detailed at the Beijing Auto Show.
Lei Jun also stated, "If you are in a hurry to buy a car, domestic new energy vehicles are all good options, such as Zhiji S7, NIO ET5, Xiaopeng P7 series, etc. Everyone can consider purchasing them."
The official account of Zhijie Motors thanked Lei Jun for recommending the Zhijie S7, which has now begun large-scale deliveries. Meanwhile, Xiaopeng Motors also expressed gratitude to Lei Jun for recommending the Xiaojia Pure Electric Pengyi Coupe, the new benchmark Xiaopeng P7i, offering a pre-order discount of up to 65,000 yuan.
A reporter from Cailian News visited offline stores mentioned by Lei Jun, including NIO and Xiaopeng. A salesperson at the NIO store stated that the prices of the NIO ET5/ET5T are similar to the top configuration of the Xiaomi SU7, as both are benchmark models.
The salesperson told the reporter, "We also offer corresponding subsidies for customers who pre-order the Xiaomi SU7. As long as you place an order, we will provide a subsidy of 5,000 yuan."
A salesperson at Xiaopeng Motors' offline store told a reporter from Cailian News, "Xiaopeng Motors has introduced corresponding subsidies, with price reductions for each model reaching tens of thousands of yuan."
It's been reported that XPeng Motors has officially announced a total of 500 million yuan in car purchase subsidies until May 5, covering four models: the XPeng G9, G6, P7i, and the 2024 model of XPeng P5.
After this subsidy, the starting price of the XPeng G9 will be 243,900 yuan; the entire G6 series will have a temporary reduction of 20,000 yuan; the maximum discount for the P7i will be 65,000 yuan, temporarily reduced to a maximum of 50,000 yuan, with a price as low as 203,900 yuan; each P5 will be reduced to 141,900 yuan.
Ideal Auto's offline stores, when asked by a reporter from Caijing News, stated, "We are not participating in this subsidy activity. Ideal's models are mostly family (SUV) models, which do not overlap with the target users of Xiaomi SU7. They mainly target models in the Wanjie series."
He further added that Ideal had just announced (on April 22) a price reduction. The Ideal L7, L8, L9, and MEGA will adopt a new pricing system. Both new and already ordered but undelivered users can enjoy the new prices. "Direct price reduction is Ideal's greatest sincerity, isn't it more affordable than subsidies?" he said.
Ideal Auto officially announced on April 22 that the 2024 models of Ideal L7, L8, L9, and MEGA will be reduced in price. The L7 series will be reduced by 18,000 to 20,000 yuan, and the MEGA will be reduced from 559,800 yuan to 529,800 yuan, a reduction of 30,000 yuan.
With the Beijing Auto Show approaching, the "price war" among car companies is heating up.
According to recent data released by the China Automobile Dealers Association's Automobile Market Research Branch, in the first half of April, the retail penetration rate of new energy passenger vehicles reached 50.39%, exceeding traditional fuel passenger vehicles for the first time.
Although the penetration rate of new energy vehicles continues to rise, the price war among domestic new energy vehicle brands is intensifying, showing signs of escalation.
On April 21, Tesla China announced that all Tesla Model 3, Y, S, and X series products in mainland China will be reduced by 14,000 yuan. The starting price of the Model 3 will be reduced to 231,900 yuan, and the starting price of the Model Y will be reduced to 249,900 yuan. After this price reduction, the price difference between the Tesla Model 3 and the Xiaomi SU7 standard version will be further narrowed to 16,000 yuan.
According to incomplete statistics, including the aforementioned XPeng Motors, Ideal Auto, and other brands, since April, more than 38 car companies, with a total of 126 models, have reduced prices or adjusted promotions, including 84 traditional fuel models and 42 new energy models.
The Beijing Auto Show is about to open, with hundreds of new and redesigned models set to debut. Among them, BYD will unveil several new models, including a family sedan priced at around 100,000 yuan, as well as luxury supercars priced at around one million yuan.
On the eve of the Beijing Auto Show, Huawei's HarmonyOS Smart Selection will launch a new HarmonyOS M5, the first model co-developed by Huawei and BAIC, with the S9 expected to make its debut at the Beijing Auto Show.
In addition, new brands such as ZhiDao, NIO, Jike, Ji Yue, and Lantu will also launch new models during the 2024 Beijing Auto Show. XPeng will introduce a new brand targeting the 100,000 to 150,000 yuan market.
Cui Dongshu, Secretary-General of the China Passenger Car Association, believes that this year is a crucial year for new energy vehicle companies to establish themselves. Competition is expected to be intense. The price war this year will likely involve a combination of price reductions, promotions, and positioning adjustments, with new energy vehicle manufacturers offering more benefits to stabilize product prices.
