Q: How many vehicle platform names appear in this story that sounds like "A Space Odyssey in 2020" but is actually very chaotic?
The answer is seven: super matrix, infinite equation, ark, vastness, Mars, tank, lemon. Of course, if you are still interested in breaking up, it should not be a problem to take two or three extra classes.
All belong to their own brands without exception. Moreover, most of them have appeared in the last six months.
The upsurge of pushing the platform seems to be sweeping the independent camp in all directions.
At the Guangzhou Auto Show that opened last week, BYD released? Qin Plus gave a retrospective introduction to his brand-new DM-i platform.
Guangzhou Automobile released a brand-new automobile product Empow55, and established its own portal website for Aian brand. During this period, I naturally don't forget to review the knowledge points of GPMA platform and GEP2.0 pure electric platform for the outside world. ?
BAIC ARCFOX, which aims to take the high-end route, announced in a high-profile way that it will open its BE2 1 platform jointly built with Magna to the whole industry. Even Weilai, who didn't catch up before, has been spoiled recently, saying that she is making every effort to build the second-generation technology platform NT2.0, and the first automobile product based on it will be unveiled soon.
Before the Guangzhou Auto Show started, Changan, which was proud of the spring breeze this year, just released the Ark architecture that gave birth to UNI series products.
SAIC of iMAX The launch of 8 brings a brand-new SIGMA platform. At the recent Beijing Auto Show, the industry has just experienced the baptism of the vast architecture of Geely Sea and the M3X Mars architecture of Xingtu.
Previously, Chengdu Auto Show witnessed the birth of Geely CMA Super Matrix and FAW Pentium FMA Infinite Equation Architecture. However, the traffic during that time was still called Great Wall Lemon and Tank Platform.
It seems that there are not many independent car companies that haven't played the platform card.
It is not difficult to imagine that during this time, independent tycoons meet and say hello at activities or venues, and it is inevitable to ask, "Is your home a platform?" If you haven't pushed it yet, the natural pressure is great. When you go back, you will have to clean the things at the bottom of the wardrobe. Whatever the match, say the name first and say hello.
Therefore, if there is no accident, the "platform fever" of independent brands can last at least until next year's Shanghai Auto Show.
However, from knowing only Geely CMA six months ago to now having a platform with its own brand, it is inevitable that people will be suspicious and even smell the taste of "joining in the fun".
I am developing a platform from scratch, which will take at least three years. Perhaps, a few years ago, witnessing the superb performance of Volkswagen MQB and Toyota TNGA, independent brands made up their minds and tried their best just to bring salt to domestic cars on the platform one day?
This possibility is not ruled out. Especially several leaders in the independent camp have such strength and vision. But more importantly, even if you shout "it took X years and X billion to build" a hundred times in the draft, I'm afraid it's hard to win people's trust. A few years ago, when everyone was grabbing SUVs, it was clear who could make the most cost-effective products in the fastest way. Not many people have the mind, money and leisure to develop this platform.
Moreover, the platform, or the architecture that car companies like to talk about, is not a "super god" in itself.
Speaking of it, the initial motivation of platformization is not "noble", which is nothing more than covering multiple products with one mold to achieve the purpose of reducing costs, shortening R&D and production cycle. Later modular production took this to the extreme, making cars like building blocks.
Volkswagen MQB is undoubtedly one of the best, and it has also laid a preliminary understanding of the platform/architecture for Chinese people. The jaw-dropping extensibility makes it possible to build a high-end personality from a series of foundations, such as Audi TT.
Later, Toyota TNGA even went beyond the scope of the platform, which is equivalent to transforming Toyota's old architecture, system and operation mode with products as the main line, and finding the optimal solution between performance and cost.
The great success of MQB and TNGA has somewhat touched the independent brands that are still slash and burn. But the platform is more about the accumulation of years of experience and technical resources of the giants. It's not a secret skill that can be learned overnight. It's urgent.
Because of Volvo, Geely took the lead in launching the CMA platform, which not only achieved the success of Lectra, the upswing of Geely brand, but also gave birth to Polaris 2 and Volvo XC40? Electrified products such as recharging, which can be regarded as the benchmark of independent platforms, have recently been upgraded to "super matrix", which deserves its name.
As for why other brands broke out in concentration and pushed the platform one after another, on the one hand, it may be inspired by the pioneers. On the other hand, after seeing the polarization in the camp, no one wants to be left behind. In the fierce competition, the platform can be regarded as a weight for self-promotion.
Getting rid of the hat of reverse development and setting up the banner of independent research and development is a compulsory course for independent brands. Under the influence of MQB, TNGA and CMA, building a platform from scratch, one nail at a time, has just become evidence of independent research and development capabilities and public awareness in the industry.
By comparing the two, it is not difficult to understand why independent brands are so eager for the platform, and even it is not difficult to understand why they want to go beyond the standard format of "letters+numbers". It is not surprising that the platform naming language.
After all, the quality of the platform is very important, but it is also important to use the platform to establish a signboard of independent research and development. Whether the platform is good or not, it always needs to be verified by several products in a period of time. Many independent brands are worried that there may not even be a chance to be verified without their own research and development signs.
In addition, don't forget electrification and intelligence.
Since electrification, "oil to electricity" and "first-class electric platform" have gradually gone hand in hand. The former is regarded by more and more people as a stopgap measure, while the latter is the owner of electric vehicles. In particular, the popular story of the public spending huge sums of money to build the exclusive MEB platform for electric vehicles is widely circulated, which naturally strengthens the cognition that the original platform must be built first to build electric vehicles.
The new force making cars used to charge ahead. Some non-frontline new forces especially like to use the concept of primary electric platform to gain eyeballs. Although many of them have only been established for two or three years, they must be called platforms. Bojun Automobile, which has been suddenly spiked, even said at the brand launch conference of 20 19 that it had independently developed three pure electric platforms, which made laymen tremble with fear and made insiders laugh.
It must be said that the reckless actions of new forces in the past few years have damaged the seriousness of the platform concept to a considerable extent, and may also have planted the seeds of reckless treatment of the platform today to a certain extent.
As for intelligence, needless to say, it is not difficult to understand what labels car companies want to label their platforms by looking at the names full of science fiction and futurism, such as Infinite Equation, Ark, Mars and Vast.
Looking through the technical descriptions of major platforms, most of them are full of words such as FOTA, reserved X sensor interface, L4-L5 compatible autopilot, openness, software definition and so on. It is difficult to distinguish between virtual and real.
For car companies, it is very important to start intelligent inspection through the platform first. As for when to cash it, there is plenty of time anyway.
There is no intention to deny the intellectual ambition of independent brands.
After all, no matter whether it is an industrial hotspot or a political correctness, they are not allowed to have no ambition in intelligence.
But names like FMA Infinite Equation and M3X Mars Architecture sound promising. Intelligence is the main platform, but the electronic and electrical architecture is still in the old distributed stage, which makes people wonder how much gold intelligence has.
What if you just integrate one layer? 1' s L2 assisted driving solution is embedded in the automobile system in cooperation with British American Tobacco. It seems unnecessary to spend so much time moving out of a platform with such a dazzling name.
Isn't this the psychological epitome of independent brands pursuing platforms?
Even if we return to reality and don't talk about the future, it will take some time for the industry to leave the stage of platform prosperity.
No amount of complicated concepts and unrealistic ideas can change the fact that the platform is still a way to improve efficiency and reduce costs. This means that it is worth considering to build a platform in a systematic way after reaching a certain volume and a certain product line width.
Before this, even if the internal problems have been handled in a platform, it is not worth making a big book, and it is not worth using the banner of the platform.
Look at Tesla. Both old and new forces like to say that they never mention any platform and do not prevent others from creating subversive explosions. Moreover, isn't Tesla unconditionally raising the platform and giving birth to the model? 3 and model? Y's foundation, packaged as a platform, has a cool and sci-fi name, and it is estimated that everyone will accept it according to the order.
Of course, there are also differences in ways of thinking. Tesla's aim is to standardize hardware and upgrade software, and update the product experience through software upgrade. It does not pursue a broad product line at all, and naturally it will not take the rapid extension and renovation of the product line as a magic weapon like traditional car companies. This way of thinking can be said to be anti-platform in a sense.
Here, we have to remind those car companies that are still shouting "intelligence" and "software definition" while pursuing the platform. Stop messing around. In the end, they just fought each other without knowing it.
So in the final analysis, the most important job of car companies is to do a good job of products. It is good for the platform to help, but there is no need to force it.
The skill of a good chef is reflected in serving good dishes, not tossing recipes every day.
This article comes from car home, the author of the car manufacturer, and does not represent car home's position.