Tech Giants: Starting from Bankrupt Companies

240: Chapter 240 Starry Sky S2 ”Smart Home Space”The second vehicle is the starfire s2, a mid-size SUV version.

Its design language shares a common lineage with the S1, but it is taller and places more emphasis on a sense of space. The most unique feature is the roof: the rear half is a panoramic sunroof, while the front half is a ”smart sunroof” with adjustable light transmittance—it can turn transparent, translucent, completely black, or even display patterns.

”The S2 focuses on the family,” Su Chen said. ”But our understanding is: what a family needs isn’t a bigger car, but a mobile space that understands you better.”

He demonstrated ”Family Mode.”

Voice command: ”Hello Starfire, I’m taking my family camping.”

Vehicle response: ”Switched to Camping Mode for you. Nearby campsites are being planned, and a recommended gear list has been generated. Would you like to turn on seat massage?”

”Turn it on.”

The massage function was activated for all four seats in the vehicle simultaneously.

”Adjust the air conditioning to 22 degrees, external circulation.”

The air conditioning adjusted automatically.

”Play music suitable for children.”

The car audio system began playing lighthearted nursery rhymes.

But this was only the basics.

Su Chen showcased the ”In-Car Scenario Modes” of the S2:

Meeting Mode: The front seats rotate 180 degrees to form a face-to-face layout with the rear seats; the windows are adjusted to privacy mode; the central control screen switches to a meeting whiteboard.

Cinema Mode: The front seats are reclined to form connected seating with the rear; the front windshield is adjusted to shading mode; the roof sunroof turns into a projection screen; the surround sound system is activated.

Nap Mode: Seats recline to 160 degrees; air conditioning adjusts to a comfortable temperature; white noise plays; windows lock automatically.

Child Mode: Rear entertainment screens are locked to educational content; air conditioning fan speed is automatically reduced; vehicle acceleration is limited to within 0.3g.

”These aren’t pre-programmed, fixed modes,” Su Chen emphasized. ”Our AI assistant ’Star Voice’ can understand natural language and autonomously combine functions. For example, if you say ’I’m a bit tired, I want to listen to some soft music and rest,’ it will automatically activate Nap Mode + music playback.”

Then came the main event: vehicle networking and swarm intelligence.

Five starfire s2s drove onto the stage, forming a convoy.

”Our V2X (Vehicle-to-Everything) technology allows vehicles to share information in real-time.” Su Chen pulled up a simulation interface. ”For example, if the lead car detects an accident ahead, it will immediately send a warning to the cars behind. Once they receive it, the trailing cars can change lanes to avoid it in advance, without needing to wait until they see the accident scene.”

Live demonstration: The lead car simulated ”detecting a road obstacle,” and instantly, the central control screens of the four cars behind popped up warnings simultaneously, providing suggested routes.

Even more impressive, the five cars could form a ”collaborative driving” mode: the lead car navigates, and the following cars automatically follow, maintaining a safe distance and synchronizing acceleration and deceleration.

”This can significantly improve highway traffic efficiency and reduce congestion,” Su Chen said. ”Moreover, if a car in the convoy has broken sensors, it can borrow perception data from other vehicles—it’s equivalent to having ’shared senses’.”

Finally, there was the battery and range.

Su Chen opened the front trunk of the S2—since there was no engine, the front compartment was entirely storage space. Then he lifted the floor panel, revealing a flat battery pack.

”Semi-solid-state battery, 110 kilowatt-hours, 1300 kilometers of CLTC range,” he said. ”But what we want to talk about is another data point: full lifecycle capacity retention.”

The large screen displayed test data:

After 1000 charge-discharge cycles, capacity retention: 92%

After 2000 cycles: 85%

After 3000 cycles: 78%

For comparison, the current mainstream ternary lithium batteries typically have a capacity retention rate of around 80% after 1000 cycles.

”This means,” Su Chen said, ”that for a starfire s2, even if you charge it every day and drive it for eight years, the battery degradation is only about 20%. And after eight years, the battery’s recycling value remains very high—because we can use it in a tiered manner, such as for energy storage power stations.”

Price announcement: Starting from 380,000 yuan.

Likewise, it is cheaper than the Tesla Model Y (starting from 390,000), but has 500 kilometers more range and comes with L4 autonomous driving.

NIO founder Li Bin was backstage at this moment.

When he saw the price and configuration of the starfire s2, he took a deep breath, then said to his co-founder Qin Lihong beside him: ”Our ET7 (starting from 450,000, 1000 kilometers of range) is still priced too high.”

”But our battery swapping system and service...” Qin Lihong said.

”That can only support a premium of 50,000, not 100,000,” Li Bin shook his head. ”Immediately launch the facelift plan for the ET5; the range must be increased to at least 1200 kilometers, and the price must be brought under 350,000. Otherwise, we will be in a very difficult position next year.”

”But the cost of semi-solid-state batteries...”

”Go find Spark to procure them,” Li Bin said decisively. ”Spark batteries have already opened up external supply. If that doesn’t work, we will increase investment in self-research. This hurdle must be cleared.”

On stage, Su Chen had finished the Starfire launch.

He stood between two cars, and the large screen behind him began playing a montage video: from the mines in Siberia, to Spark Group’s battery factory, to Red Flag’s assembly line, and then to the Starfire smart cockpit.

The video finally froze on a line of text:

”From mines to cars, from hardware to software, from manufacturing to intelligence—this is Spark Group’s automotive empire.”

The applause lasted for a full three minutes.

When the applause gradually subsided, Su Chen said one last thing:

”Many people ask me, why does Spark Group want to do the entire industrial chain? Why not focus on a single segment, like Tesla?”

He paused, looking at the audience below, and also at the whole world behind the lens.

”Because China’s automotive industry has already passed the stage of ’trading market for technology’.”

”Now, we have entered a new era of ’technology defines the market’.”

”And in this era, any weakness in the industrial chain could become a tool for others to choke us.”

His voice became firm:

”So we must control everything starting from the mines, self-research batteries, electric motors, and electronic controls, and develop our own operating systems and autonomous driving algorithms.”

”This is not for monopoly, but for autonomy.”

”Not for closure, but to have more confidence when opening up.”

The last sentence:

”Starfire and Red Flag, all the vehicle models released today will be sold in major global markets.”

”What we are bringing is not just products, but a new possibility: when Eastern wisdom meets the century-old automotive industry, what kind of future will collide?”

”The answer is right before your eyes.”

He bowed slightly.

The whole audience stood up again, thunderous applause, lasting for a long time.

The first hour after the launch conference

Shenzhen Convention and Exhibition Center scene:

The Red Flag booth was packed, and the queue for test drives of the three new cars was already booked three days out.

The Starfire booth was even more exaggerated; the audience wanting to experience L4 autonomous driving formed a hundred-meter-long queue.

Emergency meetings of automotive executives:

Mercedes-Benz Global Board: Stuttgart headquarters, the video conference lasted until local dawn. Resolution: Accelerate localized R&D for the EQ series, launch a ”special edition” for the Chinese market next year, and lower prices by 15%.

BMW Group: Munich, the product planning department was fully recalled. Re-evaluate the pricing and configuration of all electric vehicle models under development, requiring them to benchmark against Red Flag.

Audi: Ingolstadt, suspended the launch plan for the e-tron series in Europe, waiting for re-pricing.

Toyota: Tokyo, President Akio Toyoda personally convened a meeting, deciding to raise the priority of the pure electric strategy to the highest level. The solid-state battery vehicle models originally planned for 2030 were brought forward to 2025, and semi-solid-state battery models would be launched in 2019.

General Motors: Detroit, CEO Mary Barra ordered: ”At all costs, get the licensing for Spark Group’s semi-solid-state battery technology; if that doesn’t work, poach their people.”

Capital market:

After the Chinese A-share market opened, the automotive sector surged across the board:

Spark Group (affiliated listed company) hit the daily limit

Lithium battery sector average increase of 8%

Rare earth permanent magnet sector increase of 12%

US stock pre-market (China evening):

Tesla fell 7% pre-market

General Motors fell 3%

Ford fell 4%

European stock market (China afternoon):

Volkswagen fell 5%

Daimler (Mercedes-Benz parent company) fell 6%

BMW Group fell 4.5%

Social media:

The top ten trending searches on the Chinese microblogging platform, six were related to Spark Group:

#Red Flag H7 1800km Range#

#Starfire S1 Autonomous Driving Live Demo#

#Spark Group Semi-solid-state Battery Bullet Hole Test#

#Red Flag P1 Pickup Starts at 350,000#

#How BBA Responds#

#Tesla Stock Price Falls#

Overseas social media:

Twitter trends: #Starfire, #Hongqi, #L4Autonomous

The video of the Red Flag and Starfire launch on YouTube, 5 million views in three hours, over 100,000 comments.