Tech Giants: Starting from Bankrupt Companies

160: Chapter 160: Spring Overture. Red Flag H8January 5, 2018, 1:30 PM, outside Hall 1 of the Shenzhen International Convention and Exhibition Center, it was packed.

This wasn’t an ordinary car launch. Media vehicles from all over the country were parked outside, sporting license plates from Beijing, Shanghai, Guangdong, Sichuan, and elsewhere. Scalpers wove through the crowd, hawking inner-venue invitations that had been bid up to 5,000 yuan each.

Because today, Red Flag had to answer a question: When all of Spark Power’s new materials, new batteries, and new intelligent systems were put into a car, what would a Chinese car become?

At 2:00 PM sharp, the venue lights dimmed.

It wasn’t a traditional countdown. Instead, a massive transparent cube slowly rose in the center of the stage. Inside, three cars covered in red cloth sat silently. Light hit the red cloth, and the outline of the car bodies was vaguely visible.

Music began—not an impassioned symphony, but an original piece blending the guqin with electronic sound effects. The plucking of the strings was like flowing water; the electronic beat was like a heartbeat.

A spotlight illuminated the aisle on the side of the stage. Zhou Qingyu walked out.

The 40-year-old president of Hongqi Automobile wasn’t wearing a suit, but a dark gray turtleneck paired with black casual trousers and a pair of white sneakers. This outfit made him look less like a car company boss and more like a product manager from Silicon Valley.

He walked to the center of the stage. He didn’t take a microphone, but his voice was clearly transmitted to every corner through a hidden microphone:

Last October, we released the Hongqi H9. Many people asked: Must Red Flag always make administrative sedans? Must we always serve those in the back seat? Today, I want to answer this question with three cars.

He walked toward the first cube and placed his hand on the edge of the red cloth: The first car is for young families who pursue quality.

The red cloth fell.

Under the lights, a silver-gray sedan slowly rotated. It wasn’t as solemn as traditional Red Flag cars; its lines were fluid and dynamic. The front air intake grille still retained Red Flag’s family design, but it was more refined and modern.

Hongqi H8, Enjoy Travel · Fashion Edition. Zhou Qingyu opened the door and sat inside. The camera gave a close-up of the interior—dual 12.3-inch connected screens, light-colored leather seats, panoramic sunroof, simple yet not simplistic.

2.0T high-power engine, matched with an 8AT transmission, zero-to-hundred acceleration in 7.2 seconds, top speed 235 km/h, WLTC comprehensive fuel consumption 7.1 L/100km. He pulled up the parameters. But this is not the point.

The big screen switched, showing a perspective animation of the car body skeleton. The color of the skeleton changed from traditional dark gray to silver-white—that was the signature color of Spark Materials.

Intelligent configuration: dual 12.3-inch connected screens, Red Flag Smart Driving 3.0 system, supporting high-speed NOA, fully automatic parking, 5G-V2X vehicle-road cooperation. The H8’s white body uses the second-generation high-strength steel composite material provided by Xinghuo. Compared to traditional steel, the weight is reduced by 18%, but the torsional rigidity is increased by 25%. Zhou Qingyu got out of the car and patted the roof. What does this mean? It means better fuel economy, greater safety, and a quieter ride.

Zhou Qingyu opened the door and sat in. The camera gave a close-up of the interior. Light gray leather seats, walnut trim, 256-color ambient lighting; luxury shone through the simplicity.

Guidance price: 299,800 yuan. He announced the price.

Applause rang out from the audience, but it wasn’t enthusiastic—this price was competitive in the B-segment market, but not a surprise.

Zhou Qingyu smiled slightly: However, the first 10,000 owners will be upgraded for free to the hybrid extended-range system provided by Spark Power. After the upgrade, the comprehensive range... He paused. 1,000 kilometers.

The whole venue was in an uproar.

1,000 kilometers! This meant you didn’t need to refuel from Beijing to Shanghai, and you didn’t need to charge from Guangzhou to Wuhan. For family users, this meant filling up once a month was enough.

How much does the upgrade cost? A reporter shouted from the audience.

Market price is 38,000 yuan. Zhou Qingyu replied, But for the first 10,000, it’s free. This is Red Flag’s gratitude to the first batch of owners, and also a test of the market by Xinghuo.

Applause thundered. This time it was truly enthusiastic.

Zhou Qingyu walked toward the second cube.

The second car is for you who pursue diversity.

The red cloth fell. This time, there were three cars side-by-side—the same silhouette, but different details. On the left was dark blue, in the middle was silver, and on the right was white.

Hongqi X1 series SUV, one car, three types of power, three types of life.

Zhou Qingyu first walked to the dark blue car: Fuel version, 2.0T+8AT, four-wheel drive optional. Guidance price: starting from 199,800 yuan.

The big screen displayed the parameters:

Hongqi X1 Fuel Version

Guidance price: starting from 199,800 yuan

Power: 2.0T turbocharged engine, maximum power 180kW, peak torque 350N·m, matched with 8AT transmission

Drive: Front-wheel drive / real-time four-wheel drive optional

Performance: Zero-to-hundred acceleration in 7.8 seconds, top speed 210km/h, WLTC comprehensive fuel consumption 7.5 L/100km

Body: 4650×1880×1650mm, wheelbase 2750mm

Core highlights: Standard Xinghuo economical composite material across the series, body weight reduced by 15%, safety increased by 35%

He walked to the silver car: Hybrid extended-range version, for you who want to balance poetry and the distance. Pure electric range of 180 kilometers, comprehensive range of 1,000 kilometers. Guidance price: starting from 249,800 yuan.

Power system: 1.5T high-efficiency range extender + front-drive motor, motor power 150kW, torque 310N·m

Battery: 40kWh lithium iron phosphate battery, pure electric range 180km

Comprehensive range: 1,000km (CLTC standard)

Fuel consumption with depleted battery: 5.2 L/100km

Charging: Supports DC fast charging, 30% - 80% in 30 minutes

Finally, the white car: Pure electric version, for you who embrace the future. Equipped with Spark Power’s latest solid-state battery pack, energy density 280Wh/kg, range 650 kilometers, supports 30-minute fast charging. Guidance price: 299,800 yuan.

Battery system: 90kWh solid-state battery pack, energy density 283Wh/kg

Range: 650km (CLTC standard)

Motor: Front and rear dual-motor four-wheel drive, comprehensive power 300kW, comprehensive torque

Performance: Zero-to-hundred acceleration in 4.9 seconds, top speed 200km/h

Charging: 800V high-voltage platform, 10% - 80% in 30 minutes

Intelligence: L2.5 level assisted driving, supporting urban NOA

Every time a parameter was announced, there was a commotion in the audience. When words like 4.9 seconds to break 100, 650 km range, and 800V high voltage appeared, the expressions of the executives in the joint-venture brand area had already changed.

Every time a price was announced, there was a commotion. Not because it was expensive, but because—it was too good a value.

The price of the fuel version hit the joint-venture compact SUV market; the hybrid version’s price hit the BYD Song; the pure electric version’s price hit the Tesla Model Y.

But Zhou Qingyu hadn’t finished yet. He pulled up comparative data:

X1 pure electric version, power consumption of 13.5 kWh per 100 kilometers. Based on a residential electricity price of 0.6 yuan, the cost per kilometer is 8 cents. While a certain German SUV in the same class has a fuel consumption of 8 liters per 100 kilometers, at a fuel price of 7 yuan, the cost per kilometer is 56 cents.

The X1’s body also uses Xinghuo new materials. We conducted an experiment.

The big screen played a video: Two X1s, one using traditional steel and one using Spark Materials, underwent a side-impact collision test at 50 km/h. In the one with traditional steel, the B-pillar was obviously bent, and the door could not be opened. In the one with Spark Materials, the B-pillar was only slightly deformed, and the door opened normally.

Safety increased by 50%, Zhou Qingyu said. This is not laboratory data; it is the official test result of the China Automotive Technology and Research Center. Zhou Qingyu’s voice was heavy. In China, more than 60,000 people die in traffic accidents every year. If we can increase safety by 30% or 50%, we can save thousands of lives. This is the greatest significance of technology.

In the audience, an editor-in-chief of an automotive media outlet whispered to a colleague: Red Flag is trying to flip the table. With this configuration and this price, how can joint-venture brands play?

The colleague smiled bitterly: The key is that they have Xinghuo, so costs can be kept down. Look at that body material; for traditional car companies to achieve the same lightweighting, the cost would be at least 30% higher.

Zhou Qingyu walked to the last cube. This time he didn’t unveil it immediately, but looked at the audience:

The two cars just now, the H8 and X1, were to let Chinese families drive better cars. But China has 1.4 billion people, and not every family can afford 200,000 or 300,000 to buy a car. So, the third car—

He pulled off the red cloth with force.

Under the lights, a microcar slowly rotated. It was very small, only just over 3 meters long, and its rounded shape looked like a pebble. But the design was very exquisite—floating roof, hidden door handles, through-type taillights.

The whole venue was quiet for a second, and then a bigger wave of sound erupted.

Because this car was too cute, and too... cheap. Although the price hadn’t been announced yet, just looking at the size, you knew it wouldn’t be expensive.

Hongqi E-MINI. Zhou Qingyu opened the door—yes, it was a split-door design, with the rear door opening backward to facilitate getting in and out.

He sat in, and his 1.8-meter height didn’t look crowded in the car. 3050 mm car length, four-seat layout. The rear seats can be completely folded down, with 650 liters of storage space—enough to fit two 28-inch suitcases plus a stroller.

He pulled up the interior shot: a simple center console with only a floating screen and a few physical buttons. But the materials were very solid—soft wrapping, exquisite stitching.

Base version, 7-inch screen, reversing image, driver’s airbag, manual air conditioning. Guidance price: 59,800 yuan.

Mid-range version, 10.25-inch screen, CarPlay, voice control, automatic air conditioning. 69,800 yuan.

High-end version, dual 10.25-inch connected screens, remote car control, seat heating, panoramic sunroof, passenger airbag. 79,800 yuan.

Every time a price was announced, the sound from the audience increased by a notch. When the number 79,800 appeared, the whole audience stood up and applauded.

Because everyone understood what this price meant—in China, there are hundreds of millions of families whose car-buying budget is within 80,000 yuan. In the past, this price range could only buy crude microcars or second-hand joint-venture cars.

But now, Red Flag gave a choice: a brand-new, safe, intelligent electric car with a cost of 6 cents per kilometer.

Zhou Qingyu finally announced a piece of data: The E-MINI’s power consumption per 100 kilometers is only 9.5 kWh. According to the residential electricity price, the cost per kilometer is less than 6 cents. This means that if you commute 30 kilometers every day, the monthly electricity bill... 54 yuan.

He paused: Cheaper than taking the subway.

The big screen started playing a short film of user scenarios:

In the early morning, a young office worker drove the E-MINI through the congested city, charging at a charging pile reserved by mobile phone downstairs at the company;

In the afternoon, a mother drove the E-MINI to pick up her child, and the child fell asleep in the safety seat in the back row;

In the evening, a retired couple drove the E-MINI to the supermarket to buy groceries, and the back row was folded down and filled with purchased items;

Late at night, a designated driver drove his own E-MINI to drop off a guest and recharged for ten minutes at a fast-charging station on the street...

Finally, the screen froze on a line of text:

Let technology benefit everyone.

Before the end of the press conference, Zhou Qingyu announced the last piece of news:

Red Flag will build three new production bases in Chengdu, Wuhan, and Changchun, with a planned annual capacity of 500,000 vehicles. Among them, the goal for the E-MINI is: within three years, become the number one selling micro electric car in China.

He didn’t say impact the number one, but directly said become number one.

At 8 PM that night, the Red Flag official website booking channel opened.

The server was squeezed to the limit within 30 seconds. The technical team urgently expanded capacity, and it returned to normal an hour later.

Then, the numbers started to jump crazily:

Late night orders exceeded 50,000.

10 PM: E-MINI orders exceeded 100,000.

12 midnight: E-MINI orders exceeded 200,000.

At the same time, X1 series orders exceeded 100,000, and H8 orders exceeded 50,000.

This meant that in just four hours, Red Flag had received 350,000 orders, with a total value of over 50 billion yuan.

On this night, the entire Chinese automotive industry was sleepless.

Joint-venture brands held meetings overnight to study Red Flag’s pricing strategy and product parameters.

Domestic brands were both excited and anxious—excited that Chinese cars finally had the strength to crush joint ventures, and anxious about whether they could keep up.

And in Shenzhen, in the Spark Power factory, the production line was already fully started. Workers worked in three shifts, preparing battery packs, electric drive systems, and intelligent cockpits for the massive orders that were about to come.

Su Chen watched the real-time data stream in his office and finally smiled.

He picked up the phone and called Zhou Qingyu:

Mr. Zhou, congratulations. But the real challenge is just beginning—350,000 orders, you need to deliver them within 3 months. Can Red Flag’s production capacity keep up?

On the other end of the phone, Zhou Qingyu’s voice was full of confidence: Mr. Su, however many Xinghuo batteries there are, Red Flag wants them all. As long as the three-electric system capacity can keep up, Red Flag guarantees on-time delivery.

Both of them laughed at the same time.

Outside the window in Shenzhen, there were thousands of lights.

Among them, how many families were placing an order for a Red Flag in front of their computers?

And how many families would have more convenient, more economical, and safer travel because of this car?

Su Chen didn’t know the answer.

But he knew that starting from tonight, the rules of the game in the Chinese automotive market had changed.

And the light of Xinghuo was shining into the lives of hundreds of millions of ordinary people through cars with approachable prices.

This was the ultimate meaning of technology—not high-and-mighty parameters, but progress within reach.

The night was deep, but the dawn of a new era was coming.