Rebirth 99 to become a car giant

Car engine technology has evolved by 2011 and can basically be said to be very mature.

The performance that can be continuously improved in various aspects is actually relatively limited.

For example, Nanshan Engine's most classic 1.5T engine has not undergone major changes since its launch.

And its performance, even in the past few years, is very good among all engines of the same level.

As the engine with the largest installed capacity in China, the excellent performance of the Nanshan 1.5T engine has naturally attracted a lot of hatred.

In this case, some manufacturers must have ideas.

Volkswagen, which did not perform very well last year, couldn't help but start to mess with the porcelain Nanshan engine.

And this time they chose a very strange point of contact. I have engine start-stop technology, but you don't.

I have this technology that can save about 10% of fuel. If you are reluctant to use this technology, it means it is not advanced enough.

"Mr. Cao, now automatic engine start-stop technology has begun to be equipped on new models of many joint venture car companies."

"Their sales also promote this as a selling point."

"Although this technology is not a new technology, it is not only now being installed on new Volkswagen models."

"But it has only come into public view on a large scale in the past few days."

Rao Yongxiang, Zeng Tingting, Cheng Tao and Dai Hanbiao came to Cao Yang's office to hold a meeting on the issue of Volkswagen's automatic engine start-stop technology and the porcelain Nanshan engine.

With the technology of Nanshan Group, it is not that difficult to add automatic start-stop function.

But Cao Yang obviously had no such plan.

“As for the most useless, most wanted to turn off, and most annoying feature on a car, apart from automatic start and stop, I don’t think there is any other configuration that can bear this title. This honor must be automatic start and stop. Genus."

"Under such circumstances, Volkswagen actually dares to use this configuration to make an argument. Is your brain wet?"

Cao Yang felt speechless.

The first thing many consumers in later generations do when getting in a car is to turn off start-stop.

Look at it, how ironic it is, it starts and stops when it starts.

Some wish they could unplug the start-stop battery cable and get it over with so that they don't bother me again.

Cao Yang himself was once such a consumer, wishing that the automatic start-stop function would be turned off permanently.

"The car's automatic start-stop function is actually designed to meet environmental protection requirements, not to increase the car's functions."

"When waiting for a red light, by pressing the brakes, the engine will automatically shut down and reduce the idling speed of the engine to reduce fuel consumption."

"According to Bosch's tests, automatic start and stop can reduce fuel consumption by about 8-15% on average."

"But consumer demand for this feature is actually really low."

Zeng Tingting was naturally on Cao Yang's side at this time, saying that the sales field had no requirements for this function.

"Various car companies continue to introduce automatic start-stop technology to meet the ever-stricter fuel consumption and emission requirements. It is not essentially to save fuel."

"If consumers hate it so much, I actually think there is no need to spend money on development."

"To build such a system, the battery, starter motor, and gearbox all need to be modified to a certain extent. The overall cost increase needs to be around 2,000 yuan."

"With this cost, it is better to directly add a driving recorder to consumers."

Dai Hanbiao also stood up and expressed his views.

"Volkswagen's sales last year should have been unsatisfactory, and its growth rate in the first quarter of this year could not keep up with the market."

"This should have a lot to do with the continuous rise of independent brands."

"Half of the sales of independent brand car companies such as Chery and Geely use 1.5T engines."

"In this case, if it can ruin the reputation of our 1.5T engine and even directly affect sales, it will definitely be good for Volkswagen."

"Domestic joint venture car companies should now be under similar pressure."

"If Volkswagen succeeds, other auto giants are likely to take other measures to step on us."

"In this case, I feel it is necessary to fight back resolutely."

Zeng Tingting's attitude is also very clear.

Anyone who dares to take action against the Nanshan Group must cut off this claw resolutely.

Once you step in, it will be endless.

"This function is indeed a bit useless. It is purely a product to deal with policies and regulations, and is not really for saving fuel."

"If you want to really save fuel and make it a hybrid, whether it's an FHEV or a PHEV, the fuel-saving effect will be much greater than this."

"Except for a few car companies whose engines have really high fuel consumption, most of the time consumers don't judge cars based on fuel consumption."

Rao Yongxiang understood Cao Yang's opinions and naturally expressed his own opinions from a similar standpoint.

Soon, a consensus was reached within the Nanshan Group.

This time the engine automatic start-stop technology crashed, we must resolutely fight back.

Then Nanshan Group will not conduct any development on automatic start-stop technology.

While Nanshan Group was meeting to discuss this matter, Volkswagen was also discussing this matter internally.

"Strauss, the marketing plan you proposed this time has been very effective."

After hearing the results reported by the marketing department, Vondel was in a very good mood and couldn't help but praise Strauss directly.

In the past two years, Volkswagen has been very passive in China's publicity situation.

More and more independent brands are still holding on tightly and will surpass the North and South Volkswagen at any time.

How could Vondel bear this?

Therefore, Volkswagen China has also convened many meetings to discuss how to achieve some breakthroughs in the marketing field.

Strauss proposed a plan to become the leader in the porcelain industry.

In his view, the rise of Xingchen Automobile in the first place was the result of repeated failures.

Now this trick can also be used by Volkswagen.

After much selection, they chose automatic engine start-stop technology as the first test point.

To this end, they also mobilized several advertising companies and mobilized many trolls to make this news a hot search.

"I can see that Chinese consumers are the best guides."

"No matter whether a technology is good or not, as long as you continue to promote its goodness, everyone will think it is good."

"That's what engine start-stop technology is. It's essentially a controversial technology."

"Some consumers feel that after using this technology, there will be noise and vibration, which will affect the driving experience."

“Some people also feel that it is uneven and has obvious gaps, making it uncomfortable for long periods of time.”

"But no matter what, with one more function, Chinese consumers will selectively think that your engine is more powerful."

Strauss was smiling and in a good mood.

Audi's sales in China are now surpassed not only by Xingchen Motors, but also by Jaguar Land Rover and BMW.

Even Mercedes-Benz is following closely behind and is about to surpass Audi at any time.

This made Strauss feel a lot of pressure.

After all, Audi has been the number one in China's luxury car market for many years.

"China's market is indeed very different from Germany's. It seems that we need to develop more localized marketing plans in the future."

"Here, as long as something becomes popular, it can often have unexpected effects."

Strauss has suffered a lot in recent years, so naturally he will summarize his views.

The result he concluded was to find more gimmicks to increase Volkswagen's exposure.

"You're right. Our marketing team needs to be a little bolder in the future."

"For example, this time we boldly bumped the porcelain Nanshan engine, and the effect was very good."

“It not only improves our reputation, but also disparages all OEMs that use Nanshan engines.”

As soon as Fondel said this, his secretary pushed open the door of the conference room. He seemed hesitant to speak, and finally walked over to Fondel.

Then he put his computer screen in front of him and said: "Mr. Cao of Nanshan Group posted a paragraph on Weibo, which very bluntly belittled the automatic engine start and stop technology."

Although the Weibo on the secretary's screen must be in Chinese, Fondel has been in China for so many years and there is no problem with his Chinese proficiency.

“The most useless, most wanted to turn off, and most annoying feature on a car has to be the automatic engine start-stop technology; but some OEMs still regard this technology as a promotional point, which is really speechless. "

Seeing these words in front of him, Fondel's face suddenly darkened.

Because after this passage, Cao Yang actually @called Volkswagen.

This is equivalent to naming Volkswagen by name.

He just asked someone to touch the Nanshan engine, and Cao Yang just started to criticize him on Weibo like this?

Aren’t Chinese people very reserved?

Why has it become like this now?

"Fondel, this Cao Yang has more than 20 million fans on Weibo."

"If you just post it like this, it will probably become a hot search in a while."

Strauss also poked his head over at this time, with a serious look on his face.

I haven't been happy for long before retribution comes?

Didn't this come too soon?

"It's already trending."

The secretary said something next to him, which was like a knife stabbed into Strauss's chest.

"Let me see the comments below."

Fondel did not speak, but directly picked up the mouse and scrolled down.

"Completely agree with Mr. Cao's point of view."

"Perhaps we will never find a configuration that is more annoying than automatic start-stop."

"Especially when there is a traffic jam in the city, if you press the brake and press the gas, the engine will turn on for a while, turn off for a while, turn on, turn off, turn off, turn on."

"Not to mention whether restarting like this will damage the engine, nor will frequent starts increase fuel consumption."

"The resulting vibration alone is enough to make people upset. As the engine rotates and jumps there, I just want to close my eyes; people with a weak heart can't stand it."

"At the same time, automatic start and stop will also produce a noise, which will make people feel extremely noisy. It is like you are watching TV at home, and a mosquito flies and sways in front of you from time to time. If you don't shoot it to death, will you feel better?"

"I agree with the point above. Sometimes when you drive a girl, whether it's your partner, your colleague, or your wife's best friend, the engine will be on and off for a while, which will ruin the scenery and make you look very stingy. It’s like we care about these few gas dollars. For this small amount of money, we have to turn off the start-stop."

"Why does such a rubbish configuration appear? Consumers don't like it and no one can see it. Why do you have the nerve to come out and diss it?"

"The important thing is that the overall fuel consumption of car companies has been reduced, energy conservation and emission reduction have been achieved, and the points in the assessment are getting higher and higher. As for the driving experience of consumers, it does not matter. It does not matter whether it is easy to use or not, as long as it can save some fuel. That's enough. For the car companies, the purpose has been achieved. Who cares whether it is easy to use or not? It doesn't matter."

"In the summer, when you drive automatic start-stop and stop at a traffic light intersection, the engine stops, the compressor stops working, and the air conditioner is gone. There is no shade around, and the driver is exposed to the sun. Isn't this looking for trouble? "

"In heavy rain, you need to pay more attention. If the car stalls in a ditch and then starts automatically, it will be in trouble."

"I have to complain here. Volkswagen's automatic start-stop will shut down as soon as you park the car. It is very inconvenient to use."

"Buick is relatively good in this regard. Only deep braking will trigger automatic start and stop. Normally, shallow braking will not trigger automatic start and stop. Volkswagen still recommends imitating this."

"When you are stuck in a traffic jam, you usually drive forward slowly. If the automatic start-stop is turned on at this time, you will have to start it every two steps, which is quite annoying."

…

Various comments almost all support Cao Yang's views.

This made Vondel's face become increasingly ugly.

Why do today’s netizens change so quickly?

Obviously before, Volkswagen's rhythm was that automatic start and stop was a new generation of advanced technology in engines. How come it has become like rubbish now?

"Fondel, Weibo is a company under the Nanshan Group. The public opinion there must be influenced by the Nanshan Group. I think these comments are probably arranged by them."

Strauss must have been very unhappy that his results were gone so quickly.

Of course, what he said is definitely not 100% wrong.

Some of the comments under Cao Yang’s Weibo must be trolls organized by Zeng Tingting.

This trick is already used by many companies, and there is nothing new.

However, the scale of the navy is limited after all. No company can support tens of thousands or hundreds of thousands of navy.

After setting the pace, it relies on the spread and fermentation of netizens to finally become a hot search.

"Automatic start-stop technology is particularly suitable for urban road conditions. When waiting for a red light, the engine is temporarily shut down, which can save fuel consumption caused by idling."

"When the vehicle starts again after stopping for a short time, the starting resistance is small because the engine is at normal operating temperature."

“And when starting, the engine flywheel is started with the help of the starter. At this time, the fuel consumption of starting is only equivalent to the fuel consumption of idling for 0.7 seconds, so in theory, parking for more than 0.7 seconds will save fuel. "

“Can’t those netizens see these advantages?”

Fondel complained angrily.

Although Volkswagen's behavior this time was deliberately tampering with the Nanshan engine, they dared to use the automatic start-stop technology to tamper with it, naturally because this technology has its own benefits.

If it was really useless, it would be impossible for so many car companies to choose to use it.

"I immediately arranged for people to post these comments on Cao Yang's Weibo. I don't believe that no one can realize the benefits of automatic start and stop."

Strauss felt that he could not sit still and wait for death.

Nanshan Group has a navy, but doesn’t Volkswagen have one?

Isn’t it just a comment?

I can too!

Following the conversation between Strauss and Vondel, Weibo immediately became more lively.

Regarding whether the automatic start-stop configuration is good or bad, two extreme opinions quickly formed.

Some people think it can save fuel and be environmentally friendly.

So many car companies in Europe and the United States have used it in overseas models. China has increased its usage rate, which is a sign of progress.

Others think this configuration is garbage!

Frequent starts and stops when tailgating or stuck in traffic can be frustrating.

Traffic jams are a troublesome thing in the first place, but the frustration of stopping and going makes traffic jams even more troublesome.

Comfort is more important than fuel consumption saved.

The most important thing is that the starting speed is obviously different from others, and it is very likely that you will be cut in line again. This is very unpleasant and will probably happen again and again.

Even when turning, if the brake is applied hard, it will stall directly.

These will give people a very bad experience.

In addition, although automatic start-stop vehicles will be equipped with special high-capacity batteries, they can still easily cause battery power loss and affect battery life.

Unless everyone uses lithium iron phosphate batteries like Xingchen Motors.

What's even more troublesome is when wading into water. Once the engine wades into water, water can easily flow back from the exhaust pipe to the engine, causing the engine to fail to start.

In severe cases, the engine will be scrapped directly.

If it is started again at this time, the insurance company will not reimburse.

These are very difficult things to accept.

That is to say, the OEM added this equipment abruptly in order to produce better fuel consumption test data under special requirements.

It's not based on consumer demand at all.

If you really have the money to add equipment, why not add four-door automatic locking, one-touch lifting and lowering of four-door glass, tire pressure monitoring, heated rearview mirrors and other low-cost but practical configurations.

"Mr. Cao, it's time for Volkswagen to fight."

"Under your Weibo, a group of people suddenly appeared and said that the automatic start and stop technology is good."

Zeng Tingting is monitoring Volkswagen's reaction at all times, and will report to Cao Yang as soon as possible when something happens.

However, although Volkswagen's counterattack came relatively quickly, she was not panicked at all.

After all, this is all expected.

"Consumers who have used it should have a say in whether automatic start and stop is good or not."

"We can ask Autohome to conduct a survey so that everyone can vote."

"And in order to prevent people from saying that this vote may be cheated, one IP can only vote once."

“At that time, we will use data to speak and see how consumers view this issue.”

Cao Yang is not in a hurry. He has personally experienced whether automatic start and stop is good.

Almost all of his colleagues around him at that time, the first thing they did after starting the engine was to turn off the automatic start-stop.

This is definitely not an exception!

Such disgusting equipment has always been left in the Chinese market, and the really useful equipment is always available there.

They exist in the American market and the German market, but they don’t exist in China.

This approach needs to be changed properly!

Otherwise, those international automobile giants think that Chinese consumers are stupid and have too much money, so they spend more money to buy worse cars.

We also treat them differently when it comes to recalls.

"This method can be used, but I think it's better to do some science on the Internet about the reason why automatic starts and stops have increased in recent years?"

"Those car companies' engine fuel consumption levels are not as good as ours, so they can only add automatic start and stop to make the data look good when tested by official agencies."

"In fact, the fuel consumption they label is difficult for consumers to drive."

Zeng Tingting felt that the response was a bit too weak for a simple survey.

At that time, the situation may fall into a stalemate.

This is obviously not a particularly acceptable thing for Zeng Tingting.

If others take the initiative to knock on the door, Nanshan Group must call back.

And you have to win, you have to fight beautifully, and you have to show momentum!

"Okay, if they want to play, then play with them."

Cao Yang tapped his index finger on the table, thinking quickly about how to teach Volkswagen a lesson.

Let them not even think about touching the Porcelain Nanshan Group in the future.

It also lets other car companies see that it is impossible for Pengci Nanshan Group to climb up by stepping on the shoulders of Nanshan Group.

Don't have such dangerous ideas, otherwise you will be doomed to steal the chicken but lose the rice.

"Xiao Zeng, go do some research and see what Volkswagen models in China have received the most complaints from consumers in the past two years."

"Let's see if we can do something good here."

"It's not our style to be defensive all the time."

"Offense is the best defense. This time we are going to hurt Volkswagen and drive down the sales of Volkswagen in the north and south."

"I estimate that various independent brands have just tried the dividends of encircling and suppressing Korean car companies, and they should be very interested in following us to continue to encircle and suppress Volkswagen."

When Cao Yang said this, Zeng Tingting immediately became excited.

She has long wanted to have a more serious battle with Volkswagen.

Let this leading car company, which has dominated the Chinese automobile market for many years, also experience what is called Waterloo.

Let them know that this is China, and it is not something they can do whatever they want.

"Mr. Cao, I'm going to talk to Autohome right away. They should have a lot of data for reference."

"I will report to you alone tomorrow!"

After Zeng Tingting finished speaking, she couldn't wait to leave the conference room.

Her three-meter-long sword can't wait to drink blood!