On November 15, the 22nd Guangzhou International Auto Show opened. The auto market has entered a phase of stock competition. Chinese new energy vehicles, focused on electrification and intelligence, drive high-quality development in the industry. This year’s auto show continues with the theme “New Technology, New Life.” It serves as a barometer for the development of the Chinese auto market. The event collaborates with the global auto industry to usher in a new era. The show features 78 global debuts, including 6 from multinational companies. A total of 1,171 vehicles are on display, with 512 being new energy vehicles. Together, they showcase new technologies and innovations for the new era. Executives shared their views. Liu Zhaoming, head of marketing at GAC Honda, stated that Honda’s long-termism encompasses many aspects. In product development, long-termism does not just seek speed. The fundamentals will continue to be upheld. The following is a transcript of the interview.
Sina Auto: Welcome to the 2024 Guangzhou Auto Show live stream. We are honored to invite Mr. Liu Chaoming, head of marketing at GAC Honda Automobile Sales Co., Ltd. Please greet the audience. Liu Chaoming: Good afternoon, Sina Weibo users. I am Liu Chaoming from GAC Honda. Sina Auto: Today, GAC Honda introduced “Defining New Electric Driving Fun.” What core technologies and products support this? Liu Chaoming: Today we launched the new pure electric brand, Ye P, along with the new Ye P7. GAC Honda’s core brand focus is the ultimate pursuit of driving pleasure. A car’s driving fun tests the company’s ability to calibrate power, suspension, steering, and chassis. We also announced the new generation pure electric dedicated W platform. It features high rigidity, low center of gravity, and lightweight characteristics. It offers single-motor rear-wheel drive and dual-motor all-wheel drive, with a peak torque of 745 Nm. The Ye P7, built on the W platform, achieves a torsional rigidity of 40,000 Nm/degree for stability. Its weight distribution reaches a 50:50 golden ratio, earning the 2024 “CCP China’s Top Ten Body” award. We incorporated subframe damping and 3D gyroscope-controlled vibration reduction technologies. To ensure high quality, we sourced from top suppliers like Bosch, Panasonic, Huawei, CATL, and iFLYTEK. The Ye P7, under the W platform, features a 90-degree ternary lithium battery, a 200 kW rear motor, and a 150 kW front motor. It accelerates from 80 to 120 km/h in just 3 seconds and from 0 to 100 km/h in under 4.6 seconds. Its chassis uses a front double-wishbone and rear five-link structure, large diameter stabilizing suspension, and an ADS adaptive damping system. This low center of gravity, lightweight chassis, combined with the highest peak torque in its class, maximizes driving pleasure. If time permits, the host can also personally test our product.
I just heard your introduction about this car. I really want to test it. The front double wishbone and rear five-link suspension are configurations not often mentioned. Many electric vehicle companies focus on technology. For us, pursuing traditional foundations in cars is rare and valuable. Last year, GAC Honda advocated for long-termism. Now, more voices in the industry call for this approach. How does GAC Honda embody long-termism? Liu Chaoming: Long-termism covers many aspects. I want to focus on products. We aim for lean product development and manufacturing. We want to develop both fuel and new energy products comprehensively. We have always focused on fuel power, including pure fuel and hybrid models. Recently, we held the new hybrid alliance extreme challenge. The fourth-generation i-MMD product achieved zero performance degradation in all scenarios. Our hybrid products maintain performance in any situation. The electric new products we mentioned will also provide users with an exciting pure electric experience. In terms of intelligence, the Accord will globally debut Honda SENSING 360+ this year. We hope technology enhances driving safety. For the intelligent cockpit, we have created an entertainment-focused smart cockpit. Regarding quality, all our products, whether fuel or pure electric, undergo rigorous quality testing. We ensure quality throughout the entire chain, from procurement to production and sales. This year, several of our products achieved the highest resale value in their segments. Long-termism at the product level does not mean only pursuing speed. We must stick to the basics. We mentioned “staying true” at the launch. We cannot lose or abandon foundational elements. Sina Auto: This reflects our original intention in car manufacturing. At today’s launch, we saw the YP7 attract significant attention from the audience. We want to ask about the model. In the heated competition of the new energy market, what strategic significance does GAC Honda’s YP brand have? What is the positioning of the first model, the YP7? What is its core competitiveness? When will it launch? Liu Chaoming: Today, we introduced the YP7. Our new electric vehicle emphasizes driving pleasure in the electric era. It positions itself as a high-end pure electric SUV. The electric market in China has developed for many years. The market has many electric cars, but we believe it lacks a fun-to-drive electric vehicle. We also discussed product quality. This product uses a newly developed next-generation intelligent and efficient dedicated platform, the W architecture. With this architecture, we aim to provide users with functional value, emotional value, and asset value. The production version of the YP7 debuted today. We will launch this product in the first half of next year. Sina Auto: In tomorrow’s discussion, GAC Honda will launch the sixth Extreme Challenge. This year’s challenge differs from previous ones. It focuses on endurance and zero degradation. What is the original intention behind this? How does GAC Honda ensure the competitiveness of its hybrid vehicles? Liu Chaoming: This year’s sixth Hybrid Alliance Challenge focuses on more than just range and fuel efficiency. We need to test the product’s performance in various scenarios, including high altitude, extreme temperatures, and cold conditions. We aim to assess the comprehensive performance of all products under the Hybrid Alliance. Our i-MMD, primarily electric-driven, shows stable quality across different road conditions and climates. Performance remains consistent despite changes in scene parameters. This test targets zero performance degradation in high altitude and low temperature environments. The results show the Accord’s plug-in hybrid and the Insight’s hybrid achieving impressive times of 7.59 seconds and 7.61 seconds, respectively. In these extreme conditions, performance nearly matches that of flatland areas. This extreme challenge demonstrates that our products handle altitude, temperature variations, and any scenario with ease. Sina Auto: We know GAC Honda just held the 2024 Zao Meng Festival. What highlights did this year feature? Liu Chaoming: We successfully hosted the Zao Meng Festival for the fifth time. It marked a significant evolution in comprehensive manufacturing. Over 20,000 participants attended, showcasing GAC Honda’s smart technology. This year, we introduced NFC check-ins and AI interactions in manufacturing. We provided an unprecedented scale of smart technology experiences for both new and returning owners, as well as online participants. GAC Honda will continue to empower quality driving pleasure and brand culture with long-term value. It aims to upgrade the Zao Meng Festival through technological innovation. The goal is to create a more cohesive fan culture and a unique atmosphere for GAC Honda.
Sina Auto: Thank you, Minister Liu, for introducing our interview. This conversation stands out in my day of interviews. You described the pure driving experience. Your insights changed fans’ traditional views. Liu Chaoming: This is our core principle. Sina Auto: This differs from new electric vehicle brands. Thank you, Minister Liu.