The unexpected counterattack of “elderly scooters” during the epidemic

Economic Observer Network reporter Tong Fengliang? In early April, in front of Reading Automobile’s headquarters building in Weifang, Shandong, the company was preparing for its first large-scale event in 2020. For this event, Reading announced film and television star Huang Xiaoming as its spokesperson, and is preparing to invest more than 200 million yuan to launch this year's marketing. When talking about the excitement, nearly a hundred Reading car dealers in the audience applauded in unison. Outside the office building, there are nine BMWs, two of which are BMW 7 Series with a price of more than one million. These luxury cars will be awarded to Reading Automobile's 2019 sales champions.

Reading Automobile is a low-speed electric vehicle company and the largest low-speed electric vehicle company in the country. Low-speed electric vehicles are more simply and directly known as "elderly scooters" in society. Whether it is picking up children from school or going on a sunset tour, Reading electric vehicles have successfully won the elderly market that China's mainstream car companies look down upon with their price advantages, and have become the only remaining king in this market. By 2019, after strong competitors such as Zhidou and Yujie have withdrawn from the market, Reading has occupied more than 30% of the entire low-speed electric vehicle market.

Is Invincible so lonely? It seems to be, even more unexpected. In March this year, due to the impact of the epidemic, when many car companies only recovered 60 to 70% of their sales, Reading had already reached the sales level of the same period last year. "The flow of people has not reached last year's level, but the sales volume has basically achieved the target." In a Reading Auto Sales Store in Weifang City, an investor surnamed Wang told a reporter from the Economic Observer Network.

Next to this Reading car sales store, the 4S store of Nezha Automobile, a new car manufacturer, has just closed down and been replaced by Chery New Energy. "They do not pose a threat to us." said the above-mentioned investor. At present, traditional mainstream car companies such as Chery, BAIC, Wuling and other automakers have also produced some A00-level electric vehicles. These micro electric vehicles have novel shapes, but they do not overlap much with the low-speed electric vehicle market. "In fact, the micro electric vehicles produced by high-speed vehicles are used more as personalized vehicles, and their costs are not low. For example, Chery Ant uses an all-aluminum body, which is very expensive." A senior executive from Reading Auto said the reporter said.

But the low-speed electric vehicle market in Reading is not a personalized market, but a mass market. High-speed car companies like to use the phrase "there is always a XX that cannot be avoided in life" to describe the charm of their products, or declare domineeringly that "every man has a XX dream in his heart." However, in vast rural areas, low-speed electric vehicles may be the option that more people have no way around. "The price of the car is cheap, charging is free, the car is small and easy to park, and it is good for buying groceries and picking up children." Outside a community in Tongzhou, Beijing, the reporter accidentally met an old man who had just picked up an electric car. , he explained his reason for buying a car this way.

"The colder the weather, the more cars we will sell. The month before and after the start of school must be the peak sales season." A sales consultant in Weifang said. Unlike automobile companies that spent a lot of money on live broadcasts in the first three months of this year, more down-to-earth companies like Reading did not choose to attack online. "Different products require different strategies. As far as our customer base is concerned, it is more important for us to promote them locally." In the sales store in Reading, only two or three people are retained for sales, while most of the rest are sold online. Target promotion. "In fact, low-speed electric vehicle dealers earn hard-earned money."

The above-mentioned investor pointed to the street outside the store and said: "Going down this road, almost every street is filled with people selling cars. , but there were very few stores that made money last year, and we were one of them. "In the history of Reading Auto, there was once a "god salesman". This salesman who was nearly 60 years old was truly an "older salesman", but he was one of them. Set a record of selling more than 800 units by one person. Like high-speed cars, circle communication and recommendations are the most important brand communication.

Although Invincible is lonely, Reading still doesn't have much fame. And now, low-speed electric vehicles like Redding have begun their journey “out of the circle”. "It's not just the elderly. In fact, middle-aged people and even some young people in fourth- and fifth-tier cities and rural areas have bought this car." In a Reading car sales store in Weifang, a salesperson pointed to a blue car. The colored sample car told reporters, "Cars of this color are very popular among girls."

Although low-speed electric vehicles are still facing problems such as being unable to get license plates and travel control, this type of The adverse development of vehicles during the epidemic has once again proved their vitality and indispensability in the hearts of many small town citizens. For China's new energy vehicles, it is of practical significance to face up to and carefully study the barbaric development of this "irregular army".

This article comes from the author of Autohome Chejiahao and does not represent the views and positions of Autohome.