The emergence of the Deep Blue SL03 surprised everyone. In early April, the two review editors of the First Electric Editorial Department accidentally found the car on the streets of Chongqing. After taking a look, they took a set of spy photos and sent them out, which triggered a warm response from the whole network. At that time, there was a feeling that after years of silence, Changan New Energy finally made a big move.
From July 10th to 11th, we test-drove the pure electric version and the extended-range version of the Deep Blue SL03 in Chongqing. We were deeply impressed by the excellent handling, solid chassis, precise steering, quite mature exterior interior, and balanced smart cabin smart driving configuration. What was especially amazing was that during the test drive of the extended-range version, the two people switched on, just to hear when the range extender would start, and both failed – not only did they not hear the sound at all, but they did not feel the vibration at all – so much so that we ended up wondering if the range extender was installed and went to check the exhaust pipe for heat waves.
This is definitely one of the most surprising and explosive products so far in 2022, and it is no less exciting than the Wuling Hongguang MINI EV and Ideal ONE in 2020.
Unbelievable. How did the group of people in this mountain city who have been taciturn for a long time create such a car? Was it luck by mistake, or did you think it through and make it from the beginning?
The conversation at noon on July 11 began in such a state of mind. In the time of a meal, the answer is self-evident. At that time, the specific time for listing and releasing the configuration and price has not yet been determined, only until the end of the month. In order to live up to the trust of Deng Chenghao and his team, we waited patiently, waiting for a suitable time to tell readers the stories that happened behind Deep Blue SL03.
In fact, we want to tell the reader is: Changan out of a good product manager. And this should be considered lucky Chongqing.
Deng Chenghao:In 17 years, Changan Automobile talked about a "Shangri-La Plan". Many people in the industry felt that Changan was painting big cakes and did not really do it. In 17 to 20 years, we sold very few electric vehicles. In 2021, we sold 100,000 units. In fact, everyone was very skeptical.
Pang Yicheng:In fact, you are serious about it, but you just didn’t say it?
Deng Chenghao:In fact, before the release of the "Shangri-La Plan", I was working on this platform in May 2017. I was in charge of the planning of the entire technical direction. The first time I planned this platform was called EPA1. In my technical planning, I believed that it was impossible to change the future tram with oil trucks, which was not competitive.
Pang Yicheng:You were the chief engineer at the time, right?
Deng Chenghao:No, I am the technical director and I am responsible for technical planning.
I said that in order to arrange the engine well, the front suspension of the oil car is very long. The front suspension of the oil car you see is very long, in fact, the wheelbase is not that big. But in the era of trams, batteries are the highest cost, accounting for about 50%. It is impossible to not use the most expensive things to make the best layout, and to achieve the best competitiveness in this market.
In 2017, the group agreed to set up a research project, and there were three new platforms in my technical plan, which were the three new pure electric special platforms mentioned in the Shangri-La plan. I worked hard in 17 years, and in 18 years, I really started to invest in this platform. It was estimated that I would have to invest a lot of money, and everyone was still torn.
Pang Yicheng:Torn what?
Deng Chenghao:How much was the investment in torn? At that time, we calculated that the investment in the platform alone must be 2 billion yuan, and the production line is not mentioned, only the R & D investment and the supplier’s investment. Previously, Changan was one platform for one car, but now it needs to build a new platform, and it is still a tram. Can you find some people to do it together instead of doing it yourself? Wait.
Although we have torn the R & D model, the technical route has never been torn.In this process, we did something that is very correct now, and it is also something that affects the product’s genes. This is to determine the platform genes for post-drive. We are very tough on this point.
Pang Yicheng:Tell me about this first, why?
Deng Chenghao:Of course, I do performance, I do technology, and I know what the meaning of rear drive is. I think rear drive in the era of the gasoline car is extremely expensive. You see the BMW 3, for rear drive, rear seat space is sacrificed. Some four-seaters are actually forced to choose four-seaters brought by rear drive.
In the era of the oil car, the engine was too large to be placed in the back. It had to be placed in the front compartment to dissipate heat. To make the rear drive, it must have a transmission system that had waste space and waste oil. In the era of the tram, the motor was too small to put anywhere, and it was very easy to put the rear axle. In the era of the oil car, consumers wanted the rear drive, but they couldn’t afford the rear drive. Because of the high cost, its input-output ratio was very uneconomical, so consumers just bought the front drive.
In the tram era, there is basically no increase in investment. The rear drive system of a tram is only 1,000 yuan more expensive than the front drive system of a tram, and the rear drive suspension system is more expensive.Can 1,000 yuan bring a rear drive? Why not do it?
Pang Yicheng:You were determined to be a back driver at that time. In addition to advanced technology, was it particularly attractive to you to control this matter?
Deng Chenghao:Handling, customer experience, and its cost-effectiveness. So we decided on the EPA1 platform at that time. The first drive must be rear drive. You can have four-wheel drive, but there is absolutely no single front drive.
Based on the design of the rear drive, the first power project outside the platform started internally was the development of a new electric drive system on the rear axle. The technical route we prepared was a highly integrated all-in-one electric drive system on the rear axle, which was debated many times within the company.
Pang Yicheng:I’m afraid you can’t figure it out, right?
Deng Chenghao:I firmly made it. Technically, we have repeated PK within the electric drive team. If the electric drive needs to be put behind the drive, it means that the external space is very small, but if it needs to be integrated, it means that the volume needs to be increased. This is a dilemma. I mentioned the extreme boundary requirements to the team. I said that if we want to make 6 seats in the future, the last row should not be as uncomfortable as sitting in a sedan chair, and the trunk space should not be affected.
Pang Yicheng:You’re just asking them to make this thing smaller and shorter?
Deng Chenghao:The most difficult indicator is to be short and flatten the all-in-one. To this end, in 2017 we launched the all-in-one electric drive project, which is very successful today, unprecedented, and the team is very, very awesome.
Pang Yicheng:Who is the technical leader of this project?
Deng Chenghao:One of the deputy general managers of power development, surnamed Du, used to be a hybrid with me. At that time, we set (target power) at 160 kilowatts, and finally made 194 kilowatts.
Pang Yicheng:Amazing.
Deng Chenghao: The first one on the platform is set to the rear drive, the second one is set to multi-in-one, and the third is the chassis, which is the foundation.I said that the rear drive was done, and the adjustment of the chassis was still in the traditional adjustment method, but that didn’t work. I was choosing what direction at that time.
The first gene: sports, otherwise the rear drive is meaningless, so the genes of the chassis must be the genes of sports.
The second gene: the Changan brand is determined, and we are targeting family cars. Comfort is very important. What we want is that I feel comfortable when I go out alone, but my parents, wife and children are still very comfortable, taking into account sports and comfort.
After about 19 years, the Model 3 had already begun to rise and was set as the benchmark.
Pang Yicheng:No wonder, it does look like it, and the size is similar.
Deng Chenghao:The choice of genes is clear to balance sportiness and comfort. The car you drive today is very good in the balance of sportiness and comfort. The sportiness is on par with the Model 3 as a whole, but the overall adjustment of the Model 3 is hard, and the comfort of the Dark Blue 03 is also very good. This car emphasizes comfort. It filters shock absorption throughout the adjustment, and the softness of the chassis is done well, including the seats. In fact, comfort is composed of the combined effect of the chassis and seats.
Deep Blue 03 has been in development for three years now, and the platform has been in development for five years. When Deep Blue 03 reached the second half of 1919, we were analyzing the market. At that time, the market was a dumbbell structure with two large ends and a small middle. And our Deep Blue is targeting the medium-sized car and compact + market. If it is just a pure electric vehicle, I feel that it is difficult to create a hit, so I made a suggestion to the company.
Pang Yicheng:Add a range extender?
Deng Chenghao:We now have the rear drive gene, all-round rear drive, the front cabin is empty, you can use it to put a suitcase, and it can be expanded to four-wheel drive. I said is it possible to put a range extender in to extend the mileage? At that time, our research found that electric vehicles have 6 major pain points, short range, slow charging, battery safety, low value retention and a series of problems. The pain point is all the battery, and the cool point is all the electric drive. Just like a football game, the battery and electric drive play at the same time. The electric drive plays well, but the battery plays badly, and it always holds back. To make up for the shortcomings of the battery, you can use the range extender to make up for it. But this technology has a lot of concerns.
Pang Yicheng:Do you think this is a backward technology?
Deng Chenghao:In August 19, Yang Dayong came to work as a new energy supervisor, and Mr. Yang was very supportive of doing this (upper range extension). Deep Blue 03 established two versions of pure electricity and range extension, and hydrogen fuel was only available at the end of 19 years.
Many people say that range extension is a backward technology. In fact, consumers now have a deep understanding of range extension. In 19 years, it was not ideal, and we were just crabs. I said that if you are worried about being backward, I will replace the fuel tank with a hydrogen cylinder, I will replace the engine with a stack, and I will get a hydrogen fuel, okay? The last three power sources are doing very well, so this is where pure electric, range extension and hydrogen fuel come from (laughs).
Pang Yicheng:Was there any cost consideration at that time?
Deng Chenghao:In the early days, the cost difference between pure electricity and range extension was not significant.When we calculated in 19 or 20 years, the difference between 500 kilometers of pure electricity and range extension was only 3,000 yuan, but there was an extra tax on the end of the range extension enterprise, which was about 1.5-3%, basically two or three thousand yuan. So the cost difference is not big.
Later, the cost difference between pure electricity and range extension was widened due to the increase in battery costs. Now the difference is about 8,000 or 9,000 yuan, and there will be a slight gap.
For example, the power performance of the extended range was a little weaker than that of pure electricity. Zero hundred acceleration could not reach 5.9 seconds of the current pure electric version, but it could also reach more than seven seconds.
Pang Yicheng:That’s better than a gas car.
Deng Chenghao:Yes, compared to the oil truck, it is still a seckill.In fact, our early PK targets were Accord and Civic.We also studied a few other products at that time.
Electrification in China has actually pulled the brand up, or consumers’ recognition of domestic products is also getting higher and higher. The electrification wave is the most suitable for brand growth, so now a number of independent brands have launched new brands based on electrification, which are much higher than the original.
In the era of gasoline trucks, you can’t get a joint venture brand with your own brand. But in the era of trams, we went earlier than foreigners, with better technology, and we have a leading opportunity. Deep Blue 03 aims at the joint venture market, to hit your price, and it is deeply intertwined with it. What are your advantages over it?
The first major advantage is the impact of electrification. Most of the joint ventures are still selling oil trucks, which is not in line with the historical trend.
Second, the digital experience is completely spike, leapfrog. You go to drive a Japanese car, you look at its intelligent properties.
Third, the decision-making efficiency is higher. Our grasp of technology and the efficiency of enterprise decision-making are unparalleled by joint venture brands.
At that time, I and the team agreed on three words.The first word is called accounting, and hydrogen fuel is called forward-looking occupation in the technology circle,We want to demonstrate that we are the best at home.
The second is to grab, and it will definitely grab the market of more than 200,000 digital electric vehicles. To put it bluntly, it is the market for products like Model 3 and Seal. I have the same experience as you, but I am more price competitive than you.
The third is to transfer to a joint venture fuel vehicle. To increase the range is to harvest the first-line joint venture market. The first-line joint venture is now selling for 145,000 yuan, plus a purchase tax of 167,000 yuan. I say we have a great opportunity to reduce the dimension.
Pang Yicheng:And if you go by the smallest particle, it’s a Civic, right?
Deng Chenghao:Yes, the bullseye we were aiming for was the Civic.
Pang Yicheng:It seems that this is not accidental. During the test drive yesterday, I felt that this car was designed for Model 3 and Civic, and there was a big question mark at that time: Did the author think so?
Deng Chenghao:Haha, that’s exactly what I think. This product is still very troublesome to this day. There are more than 2,000 of us here, and we have been working on dark blue series products for the past three years. I often drive to the mountains at 11 or 12 o’clock in the evening. Because I do technology, I like to be quiet and go around the mountain in the middle of the night. At this time, I can calm down and feel the state of the car best.
Pang Yicheng:I have two small questions. First, why is your range extender naturally aspirated and not turbocharged?
Deng Chenghao:Japan does hybrid power, why choose natural suction? My point of view, single-motor hybrid power, Germany likes to use T to match, for example, Volkswagen, add a large motor to every 1.5T engine.
No matter whether it is Honda series-parallel or Toyota power shunt, these technical routes tend to use hybrid dedicated cycle engines, such as Atkinson, rather than turbocharging, because the combination of two motors + one engine and three powers, the instantaneous power mainly depends on the motor and battery, and does not require the blessing of turbocharging. It is best to use natural suction, which is smooth and can improve the overall efficiency.
Pang Yicheng:You mean better fuel economy?
Deng Chenghao:This is the first reason why we choose to do 1.5 liters of naturally aspirated, using deep Atkinson cycles and ultra-high compression ratios, that is, the compression rate of deep compression is very high.
The second big reason is that I had a dream when I was doing range extensions, wanting users to drive with only one feeling, and that was pure electric.
Pang Yicheng:Got it, you don’t want users to feel that kind of pause or shock.
Deng Chenghao:Yes, it is pure electric when it is driven, and it looks pure electric. At that time, I asked for the shape of the range extension to be exactly the same as pure electric. The front cabin of the dark blue 03 needs to be equipped with an engine. If you want to do turbocharging, the temperature near the turbine is very high, and its heat dissipation requirements will be very large, so it cannot achieve the shape of pure electric.
Pang Yicheng:Is the air intake grille the same as pure electricity?
Deng Chenghao:The same, the world’s first range extension and pure electric modeling have the same front face shape, no one.I want to make users feel that there are great benefits: I bought an electric car, which is purely electric and feels futuristic, but there is no mileage anxiety, the driving experience is excellent, and I can’t feel the range extender working. The sound is very pure.
Pang Yicheng:Is it not a cost consideration?
Deng Chenghao:No, it’s for experience. Recently, many colleagues have bought a closed test car and are driving it themselves. It feels completely different from a fuel car. Not only is the driving smoothness not like a fuel car, but the sound is not like a fuel car, and the vibration of the vehicle is not like a fuel car.
Pang Yicheng:Your power loss and fuel consumption are also four o’clock?
Deng Chenghao:If it is WLTC, it is 5.0L, and CLTC is about 4.5.
My car is 300 kilograms heavier than Qin. Qin is about 1.5 tons, and I have 1.8 tons. Overall, it is relatively solid, and the fuel consumption is relatively satisfactory.
Pang Yicheng:Second small question, why don’t you use both fork arms for your front overhang?
Deng Chenghao:It’s a bit of a challenge if I use two forks, because I have a very short front overhang.
Pang Yicheng:The two fork arms will take up some internal space, and your range extender may not fit?
Deng Chenghao:Yes, we ended up with the McPherson suspension. The McPherson is also an independent suspension. We did a very careful adjustment and the effect is very good. It took a lot of effort. The driving performance of this car is obvious to all. I am very, very confident that there is no one in the whole market!
Pang Yicheng:Can the pure electric version be used with double fork arms?
Deng Chenghao:It can be used, but it is not good to platform it.
Pang Yicheng:How to set the production and sales target for this product?
Deng Chenghao:For the target of Deep Blue 03, I have prepared 35 ladders, that is, 35 cars an hour, 700 cars in 20 hours a day, and 26 days in a month, 26 × 700, which is the production capacity I have prepared.
Pang Yicheng:That’s 18,000 units per month. Is the capacity ready now?
Deng Chenghao:I’m ready. The supply chain and batteries are fine, and there is a small problem with the chip, but the problem of the chip is mainly affected by the guarantee of the chip industry. I am familiar with the chip. We have been preparing for more than a year for the guarantee of the chip of Deep Blue 03, and the problem should be manageable.
Pang Yicheng:If nothing else, the monthly production capacity will reach 18,000 units by Q4, or has it been reached now?
Deng Chenghao: My goal is to exceed 10,000 units in September, 15,000 units in November, and 178,000 units in December.
Pang Yicheng:That’s pretty much what we anticipated.
Deng Chenghao:My goal is to achieve at least 1781 monthly volumes of this product. There are still two things that consumers have not yet seen through.
The first is configuration. Consumers don’t know what configuration we have.
The second is the price of the configuration. We have released a pre-sale price range, not talking about the configuration, and the pre-sale price is not the listing price. Listing price and listing configuration, this topic is very important.
Pang Yicheng:Listing price, we guess, is it possible to reach more than 160,000 start?
Deng Chenghao:It’s not decided yet.
Pang Yicheng:Channel You are going to be a direct-operated store, right?
Deng Chenghao:Direct sales, using the model of investor investment, mainly borrowing the original dealer resources of our group, opened 100 stores on July 15th.
Pang Yicheng:The storefront is their investment, but they don’t need to eat the inventory?
Deng Chenghao:No, the inventory is in my hands. There are 100 on July 15th and more than 500 across the country on August 15th.
Pang Yicheng:How many cities can be paved?
Deng Chenghao:The key cities of the first, second and third tiers are all covered. The focus is on 95 cities with a high share of new energy. Because we have extended the range, a lot of cities outside 95 cities have also been invested, totaling more than 200 cities.
Pang Yicheng:Are these bosses willing to invest in it?
Deng Chenghao:Very willing to transfer the best position and the best sales ability.
Pang Yicheng:Renovate his original store?
Deng Chenghao:Changed.
Zhang Hao:I have a question, is there some platform reservation for smart driving? We see two places on the fender, which seem to be reserved for the camera?
Deng Chenghao:The first batch is IACC, and we will release more and higher-level intelligent driving services after December 31st. It can be selected when it goes on sale, but it cannot be delivered now because its hardware cannot be pre-embedded. There will be two new functions at that time. On the basis of the current IACC, add intelligent lane change assistance on high-speed roads, road selection and on-ramp assistance.
The first increase is to increase the ability to judge left and right on the basis of only forward and backward judgments.
The second addition is parking, which allows for smart parking across floors.
Pang Yicheng:Parking across floors using Huawei’s system?
Deng Chenghao:It’s our own. Our research found that in fact, consumers really use city-assisted driving scenes less. High-frequency scenes are on highways, and there is parking. Cross-floor memory parking is more practical for consumers. It can remember, just like your own home. If he walks once or twice, he will remember the parking space. This function will not be available until the end of the year.
Zhang Hao:The reserved position on the fender, is there a camera when it is delivered?
Deng Chenghao:No, we will let users choose (optional package) in this listing, but the delivery time is relatively late.
Pang Yicheng:After the configuration and price are officially released, how many orders are you going to accept?
Deng Chenghao: My goal is to receive at least 50,000 units in the first month.
Pang Yicheng:According to your current booking situation, how about the user portrait?
Deng Chenghao:This time, 95% of them were between the ages of 20 and 35, and they were mainly highly educated. But it may be related to our communication, but it has not spread yet. The tens of thousands of users who book now are basically the first and second lines, which means that the circle has not expanded yet, and it will take some time.
Pang Yicheng:So the median age is about 27, 28?
Deng Chenghao:Almost, about 30 years old, 20 to 25 years old, there are still more than ten percent, and now the newly graduated college students have good spending power.
Pang Yicheng:Extended range and pure electric, which version will be more popular?
Deng Chenghao:At first, I wanted to increase the range by 60%, 40% pure electricity,The production capacity prepared now is about half to half.
Pang Yicheng:I don’t think it is possible to match half to half, and the range increase will definitely be more. The first car of a young person must have two characteristics, the first is Sa, and the second is not to have mileage anxiety.We believe it should be 8:2, the absolute advantage of range extension.
Deng Chenghao:China’s past policies have resulted in a lack of supply in the PHEV market, and so far the supply has been completely insufficient.
Now, the largest group of 20 million consumers in the gasoline truck market is coming, and they still have potential range and charging anxiety to this day. As the initial consumer enthusiasm passes, by the time the calm consumer enters the market later, his thinking will change and shift.
Pang Yicheng:In the 15 to 200,000 range, this is the most competitive product we have seen so far. In the past, neither pure electricity nor range extension has been successful in this market. In the past, it was a blank, and major changes may occur this year.
I checked yesterday that the volume of the Civic has dropped. The highest in 2020 was 26,000 a month. The market fluctuates a lot this year, sometimes 8,000 a month, and sometimes more than 10,000 a month. We judge that after your product is released, if there are no mistakes in marketing, the actual volume should have a chance to break 10,000. The Civic market has a good chance of being taken away by you. Maybe you can also get a little from Accord and Camry.
Deng Chenghao:After looking at the competitive relationship data, including Han, P7, and C01, in fact, they all grabbed Accord, then Camry, and CRV.
Pang Yicheng:Among all B-class cars, the current strongest is the Camry, which is very stable. It grew by 26% year-on-year from January to June this year, and the only single product rose. When is your second SUV ready to come out?
Deng Chenghao:First half of next year.
Pang Yicheng:Then the second half of the year is that big car?
Deng Chenghao:The year is 2024.
Pang Yicheng:Is the SUV on the same platform as this one, or is it a dual route?
Deng Chenghao:Right. The dual route is an accurate option, and even the extended range on the track is very cool, which is something that the oil car dare not imagine.
Pang Yicheng:If you put a double fork arm on the electric high-end board, will it make the chassis more resilient?
Deng Chenghao:We are also working on sustaining this platform to try to explore its limits. At the same time, I have always wanted to develop a track mode, where the ESP is turned on, not turned off, and then adjust its limits.
At the end of last year, the track mode was developed in the challenge arrangement, but it was too late in the winter at the end of last year. With the ESP in effect, the vehicle as a whole is relying on safety. Finally, you find that turning off the ESP is purely relying on the chassis. Its attitude control is very good, and it is easy to throw, which means that the hardware safety boundary of this car is very stable.
Because most people are afraid to turn off the ESP, when the ESP is turned on, it is our continued pursuit to let consumers experience the best aspects of driving control.
Zhang Hao:But this point is actually very difficult for ordinary users to get, yesterday we tried the feeling, this car is very similar to the venue modified car, if you drive very intensely, you can feel the ability of the chassis is quite OK.
Deng Chenghao:There is a group of people in the Model 3 consumer crowd who buy and play, and that group of people gives your brand a strong driving force.
Pang Yicheng:We were also talking about this issue yesterday, saying whether it is possible for Changan to keep a fleet. Before this product, Changan did not have such prominent driving control products, right?
Deng Chenghao:Our company leader took this product and opened it, saying that this product is completely different from an oil truck.
Pang Yicheng:Regarding the future of pure electricity and range extension, please ask for your opinion.
Deng Chenghao:Our second rear-drive car is an SUV, which is also a pure electric range extension dual power.
If you want to do it smaller in the future, focus on pure electricity to create a small steel cannon that young people like. If you do it bigger, you will mainly increase the range.My point is that the bigger it is, the more it should be extended.
Nowadays, some people engage in large SUVs of 600 or 700 kilometers that require a 120-degree battery pack. I think there is something wrong with this logic. In the short term, the so-called next-generation technology will not be available until 2030.
Pang Yicheng:Do you think there will be no fundamental change in battery pack density before 2025?
Deng Chenghao:There will be some improvement, but it is difficult to make a fundamental leap. Even before 2030, I don’t think solid-state batteries will be fully commercialized.
In addition, some people feel that the battery would have been at a high level under the current process, and I think the cost will also return to the downward channel.
Because the upstream expansion of production capacity is much faster than we thought, demand is rising, and supply is also rising. It turned out that supply could not keep up with demand, so the upstream raised prices desperately. But when supply catches up with demand, the cost of battery packs will gradually decrease.
When I took over as CEO of Deep Blue last September, the battery was six or seven cents, and now it is one or two. This crazy situation will soon pass.
Remarks: This article is based on the recording of the conversation on July 11. After review by the interviewee, there are deletions. First Electric Zhang Hao and Guo Meng also contributed to this article.