The Frenzy of the Pure Electric Market Has Nothing to Do With "Premium Pure Electric Small Cars"?

"Value for money" is the key to great sales, but few brands achieve it.

In July, even during the so-called off-season, the retail penetration rate of new energy vehicles still surged to 54%.

Among these, the pure electric sector's impressive growth undoubtedly provided the greatest driving force. Compared to the same period last year, it increased by 24.5%. From January to July, it increased by 35.2%.

Far beyond what many people had imagined.

Following the trend, looking at the sales rankings of specific models, it is clear that apart from the Xiaomi SU7, Tesla Model Y, and AITO M8, the rest are all so-called "pure electric small cars." If the scope is further expanded, there will be even more competitors of the same type making it onto the list.

This precisely explains why the pure electric vehicle sector is experiencing a boom this year.

It is no exaggeration to say that as long as you are that type of product, priced low enough, and without significant shortcomings in configuration, you can achieve a fairly decent performance. However, in the vast Chinese car market, there are also negative examples, which is the focus of today's article—the premium pure electric small cars.

Compared to the lively and bustling atmosphere among fellow junior disciples, most of them appear rather lukewarm. For example, the Lynk & Co Z20; for example, the Zeekr X; for example, the Smart #1; and also the highly anticipated electric MINI COOPER... Even the best performers have failed to break through monthly sales of 2,000 units.

The underlying reason ultimately lies in blaming the limited capacity.

In other words, most domestic consumers have an inherent preference for larger vehicles. Even if they choose to buy a smaller car, it is essentially for the convenience and cost-effectiveness of transportation.

In contrast, the main subject of today’s article, due to its relatively high price and compact size, with all buffs fully stacked, happens to be awkwardly stuck in the middle, resulting in indeed limited end-user demand.

As the saying goes, "It's not that premium electric mini cars aren't good enough, it's just that the survival environment is too harsh." Often, despite efforts, there is still not much effect.

In the past July, two outstanding models emerged, prompting new reflections. Firstly, there is the Equation Leopard Titanium 3, with a total of 8,513 new cars sold.

Perhaps, in the eyes of many readers, it does not meet the criteria for inclusion. However, from my perspective, with a car length of 4.6 meters and the top model's price approaching 200,000 yuan, it is undoubtedly a premium small electric car in this era where high-end models in the same class often exceed 5 meters.

Not long ago, there was an exchange with Leopard CEO Xiong Tianbo at BYD headquarters.

Regarding Ti 3, she candidly shared, "Over the past year, our brand positioning has shifted, which led to the launch of this product. In fact, from the moment it was introduced, we never asked the group for any resources; we just worked on it behind closed doors. We were quite surprised that the sales feedback was so good, and most of the units sold were mid-to-high-end models."

Indeed, purely based on the figures, almost the entire industry wasn't optimistic about Titanium 3 at the time of its initial public offering, and even felt it had the aura of "cannon fodder." However, the outcome proved that this judgment was clearly mistaken.

So, why did the Ti 3 firmly prove the skeptics wrong? The answer lies in making users feel "value for money." Never underestimate these simple two words—most high-quality pure electric small cars have failed to achieve this.

The exterior design of the Titanium 3 Hardcore, its superior interior quality, abundant power performance, along with rare features like an electric front trunk, and the brand image of Formula Leopard itself, all contribute positively to its appeal.

Finally, matching a sincere terminal price, its popularity is not surprising. For the entire Equation Leopard, it is precisely because of the timely assistance of Titanium 3, which can be described as a "timely rain," that it can take a breather in the fiercely competitive Chinese car market.

Coincidentally, I would like to introduce another outstanding role model — NIO Firefly.

As the only product under the new brand of this emerging force, this high-quality pure electric car, which debuted at NIO Day last year, is actually facing a hellishly difficult start.

"Everyone calls it ugly, everyone makes jokes about it, and everyone hopes it will be remade."