In the past two years, 250,000-yuan new energy SUVs have easily fallen into a kind of homogeneity.

Refrigerators, color TVs, and large sofas are becoming more and more common, and 800V and high-end assisted driving have gradually changed from the selling points of a few models to an increasingly standardized configuration list.

So an interesting question arises:

When everyone has these things, how can one car rely on to widen the gap?

On November 5, the Zhiji LS8 NEO pure electric product was officially launched, with an equity price starting from 239,800 yuan.

The answer given by this car is somewhat "returning to nature".

This time Zhiji did not just emphasize a certain new function, but directly set the promotional slogan into eight words: build cars seriously, build cars with good technology.

At first glance, this doesn’t seem like the sexiest expression of the new energy era.

But in today's market environment, it is worth considering.

In the past few years, China's new energy vehicles have quickly completed a round of equipment parity: seats, speakers, and refrigerators that only cost hundreds of thousands of yuan for luxury cars have been decentralized to the 200,000 yuan level; high-voltage fast charging, large-model cockpits, and high-end assisted driving have become increasingly difficult to become the unique story of a car company.

The industry begins to enter the next stage.

Consumers will eventually ask some very simple questions again: how does this car drive, whether the safety redundancy is sufficient, whether the battery and three batteries are reliable, whether it is comfortable to sit on, and whether it will be outdated in a few years.

What LS8 NEO wants to fight for is actually these things.

As the configuration becomes more and more similar, the chassis begins to re-determine the character of a car.

The core difference of LS8 NEO still comes from the chassis.

All new cars are equipped with a fully wired Skink chassis and are equipped with two-way 24° rear-wheel steering. According to official data, the minimum turning radius of this large SUV can reach 4.85 meters.

Steer-by-wire has further changed the logic of traditional mechanical steering systems.

There is a mechanical connection between the steering wheel and the front wheels of traditional cars, and the steering ratio is naturally limited by the mechanical structure; steering by wire converts the driver's steering intention into an electronic signal, which is then handed over to the actuator to complete the action.

This means that a big car does not necessarily have to feel "big."

When turning around at low speeds, the steering wheel can be made lighter and faster; when driving at high speeds, the steering can be made more stable.

In the past few years, the automotive industry has spent a lot of time discussing cockpit screens, chip computing power, and smart driving models. However, as high-end assisted driving continues to develop, an increasingly realistic problem is facing car companies:

Whether the car "can think" is only the first step. In the end, it still depends on whether it "can do it."

The perception system is responsible for seeing obstacles, and the model is responsible for deciding how to avoid them, but it is the chassis that actually performs steering, driving and braking actions.

This is where a drive-by-wire chassis really matters.

The IM SynVector full-range vector torque collaborative control equipped on LS8 NEO can coordinate the vehicle's drive and steering systems. The official control response time is 20 milliseconds.

For ordinary consumers, probably no one will remember the number "20 milliseconds".

But what users can feel is whether a large car over 5 meters is flexible enough when turning around, whether it is stable enough when changing lanes at high speed, and whether it can pull the body back faster in an emergency.

This is also the brand label that Zhiji has been trying to establish over the years.

From rear-wheel steering, to Skink digital chassis, to fully wired chassis, Zhiji has actually been betting on a judgment: when the cockpit and smart driving gradually converge, the chassis will once again become a watershed for car brands.

It's just that in the past, these technologies were more packaged into parameters.

When it comes to LS8 NEO, what Zhiji needs to do is to turn them into something that consumers can feel after a test drive.

Sanden has the same logic.

The entire LS8 NEO series uses CATL batteries, is available in 93kWh and 103kWh versions, and is equipped with a global 800V platform.

Official data shows that the vehicle's CLTC has a minimum power consumption of 15.2kWh per 100 kilometers, a maximum energy recharge of 529 kilometers in 15 minutes, and a power retention rate of 95% in a -20°C environment.

The real solution behind these data is no longer as simple as "is the battery life long enough?"

With the development of new energy vehicles today, users' requirements for pure electric vehicles are shifting from anxiety about battery life to energy replenishment efficiency, low-temperature performance, battery life and long-term reliability.

This is actually another meaning behind the slogan "Build Cars Seriously":

When some explicit configurations are no longer scarce, the real test for car companies is the underlying capabilities that are difficult for consumers to understand at a glance in the showroom, but will continue to be felt in the next few years.

What Zhiji really wants to prove is whether technology can be turned into sales

Of course, the problem with LS8 NEO is also very clear.

Zhiji has no shortage of technical stories.

In the past few years, it can even be regarded as one of the companies most enthusiastic about chassis technology among Chinese new energy brands.

The problem is that there has always been a long distance between technological leadership and market leadership.

This is also the most typical contradiction in Zhiji.

Many consumers know that its technology is good, and they also know that SAIC has invested a lot behind it, but when they actually enter the car purchase process, users are faced with new energy products launched by Ideal, Wenjie, NIO, Xpeng, and more and more traditional car companies.

At this stage, parameter leads themselves do not automatically convert into orders.

Therefore, LS8 NEO made a very realistic choice: to complete the non-technical parts as much as possible.

The main driver is equipped with 4D mechanical massage seats in all series, the passenger driver is equipped with a 15.6-inch entertainment screen, and the second row uses natural latex seats, and provides electric leg rests and massage functions.

B&O audio and 12.3L double-door heating and cooling refrigerators are also included in the configuration list.

In terms of space, it focuses on large five-seater, and also provides a six-seater version; in the five-seater state, officials say the trunk can accommodate 15 20-inch suitcases, and also provides a 168L front trunk and 38 storage spaces.

This still looks like it's in the "heap configuration".

But the difference is that Chiji no longer regards these things as the whole story.

In today's 250,000-yuan market, rich configuration is the ticket, not the decisive point.

What really determines whether a car can sell well is whether it has a clear enough reason for consumers to remember it among a bunch of similar products.

For LS8 NEO, this reason ultimately comes back to the “car” itself.

The price starting from 239,800 yuan puts it into the most competitive market.

There is no shortage of large space, luxurious cabin, and smart driving here.

What Zhiji really needs to prove is a more complex set of propositions:

Leifeng.com (public account: Leifeng.com) believes that when everyone is talking about intelligence, luxury, and family, can a car that is easier to drive, more stable, and more like a "good car" become a reason for consumers to pay for it again.

If the answer is yes, then the significance of LS8 NEO is not just that Zhiji has launched a new car.

It also means that after new energy vehicles have gone through a round of configuration, the industry may be returning to the most basic competition of automobiles -

Who can really build a car well?

Original articles from Leifeng.com, unauthorized reproduction is prohibited. See the reprint instructions for details.

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