Lu Fang: Promoting Chinese auto brands to go global through innovative technology and high-quality services
2024-08-07
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Foreword: Lantu’s four years of courageous progress have made it a model of the national team’s new strength.
Four years ago, the Lantu brand entered the fiercely competitive automobile market with dreams and courage. At that time, some people may have doubted it, and some may have waited and watched, but Lantu relied on its firm belief and unremitting efforts to keep moving forward and wrote its own legendary chapter with its strength.
In the past four years, Lantu has experienced ups and downs and also gained glory. This is just the starting point of Lantu Auto's journey. The road ahead is still long and challenges will come one after another. Facing the future, courage and persistence are the best response of Lantu.
On the occasion of the fourth anniversary of Lantu Motors, Gui Junsong, editor-in-chief of China Automobile News, and Lu Fang, CEO of Lantu Motors, had an in-depth exchange to discuss Lantu Motors' growth experience and endogenous driving force, as well as Lantu Motors' unique role, strategic direction, market competition strategy and future plans in building a strong automobile nation, demonstrating Lantu Motors' responsibility and commitment in promoting the high-quality development of China's automobile industry.
Interview host: Gui Junsong, editor-in-chief of China Automotive News (left)
Interview guest: Lantu Auto CEO Lu Fang (right)
01
Seize the historical opportunity and contribute to building a strong automobile nation
Gui Junsong: The Third Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee has drawn a grand blueprint for China's modernization and put forward many strategic measures. I believe that the realization of China's modernization cannot be achieved without the support of a strong Chinese automobile industry, especially the new intelligent and networked automobile industry. In this context, what historical opportunities do you think Lantu Auto faces?
Lu Fang: Ten years ago, General Secretary Xi Jinping made the important judgment that "the development of new energy vehicles is the only way for my country to move from a large automobile country to a powerful automobile country", which pointed out the direction for the high-quality transformation and development of China's automobile industry. In the era of traditional automobiles, the influence of Chinese automobile brands was indeed insufficient, and users often preferred well-known brands when buying cars, which made it difficult for many Chinese car companies to enter the user selection circle. However, the rise of new energy vehicles has provided Chinese automobile brands with an opportunity to "change lanes and overtake". By combining new energy vehicles with the Internet and intelligent technologies, we have successfully created a new species of new energy intelligent networked vehicles. This not only enhances the technical strength of Chinese automobiles, but also lays a solid foundation for the brand upward development of Chinese automobiles.
In the past 10 years, China's new energy intelligent connected vehicle industry has made remarkable achievements, not only mastering key technologies, but also forming a certain brand influence. The goal of promoting Chinese-style modernization proposed at the Third Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee further highlights the importance of developing new energy vehicles. With the advancement of comprehensive and in-depth reform and the development of new quality productivity, China's automobile industry will usher in greater development opportunities. As a national team, Lantu Motors will seize this historical opportunity to promote Chinese automobile brands to the world through innovative technologies and high-quality services.
Gui Junsong: You mentioned that Lantu is an internal startup of Dongfeng Motor Group. Can you talk about the relationship between Lantu and Dongfeng Group, and Lantu’s unique position in Dongfeng Group’s transformation and development strategy?
Lu Fang: Lantu Auto is an important achievement of Dongfeng Group's internal entrepreneurship. The establishment of Lantu is an important measure for Dongfeng Group to respond to the national new energy vehicle development strategy. In Dongfeng Group's strategic layout, Lantu undertakes two important tasks: one is to create high-end new energy passenger car products and lead the Dongfeng brand upward; the other is to explore and innovate systems and mechanisms to form the best operating practices for independent brands.
Lantu Auto not only inherits Dongfeng Group's profound technical accumulation and car-making background, but also inherits the spirit of hard work, reform and innovation that Dongfeng Group has been building for 55 years. At the beginning of its establishment, Dongfeng Group set clear development goals for Lantu and provided all-round support. This not only includes technical support, supply chain guarantee and other aspects, but more importantly, the spirit and culture of Dongfeng Group have had a profound impact on Lantu employees, inspiring everyone's spirit of struggle and sense of innovation.
Dongfeng Motor Headquarters
02
"Innovation drives, leading the future" by creating high-end Lantu to promote the development of China's automobile industry
Gui Junsong: Lantu Auto is positioned as a high-end smart new energy brand. What are the considerations behind this? In the current market environment, how can Lantu ensure the successful implementation of this positioning?
Lu Fang: Lantu Auto is positioned as a high-end smart new energy brand based on many considerations. First, new energy vehicle technology requires high standards. In order to achieve the task assigned to us by Dongfeng Group to lead the brand upward, we must position our products in the high-end market. Second, Chinese auto brands must also make a difference in the high-end market if they want to achieve high added value and high premiums. By building a high-end brand, we can enhance the brand image and brand value, and then promote the upgrading of the entire Chinese auto industry.
In order to ensure the successful implementation of high-end positioning, Lantu Motors has taken many measures. In terms of products, we focus on improving the comprehensive experience of vehicles, including intelligence, driving performance, riding comfort and other aspects. We hope to bring users a car experience that exceeds their expectations through technological innovation and quality improvement. In terms of services, we have established a direct sales system to communicate directly with users and understand their needs and feedback. At the same time, we also use big data to analyze user needs and quickly iterate product functions and service content.
In addition, Lantu Motors also focuses on the construction of brand culture. We hope to spread brand concepts and values through brand activities, social media and other channels to enhance users' sense of identity and belonging to the brand. Through the implementation of these measures, we believe that Lantu Motors can succeed in the high-end new energy market.
Gui Junsong: In the field of new energy vehicles, technological innovation is crucial. What specific measures and achievements has Lantu Motors made in this regard?
Lu Fang: In the field of new energy vehicles, technological innovation is the core driving force. Since its establishment, Lantu Motors has attached great importance to technological innovation and has achieved many important results.
First, we have done a lot of research and development work in new energy technologies. For example, we have developed the multi-power, highly modularized ESSA native electric architecture, and advanced technologies such as Lanhai Power that covers three routes: pure electric, plug-in hybrid, and extended range. These technologies not only improve the performance and intelligence level of vehicles, but also reduce the R&D and manufacturing costs of new models.
We have also made significant progress in intelligent network technology. We have developed a centralized electronic and electrical Tianyuan architecture to decouple software and hardware, thereby realizing the service-oriented software. Based on the Tianyuan architecture, we have built a developer ecosystem and invited users to participate in the development and testing of vehicle functions. This open and cooperative approach not only stimulates users' enthusiasm for innovation, but also speeds up product iteration and market response.
In addition, we also attach great importance to intellectual property protection. We have applied for a large number of patents and obtained a number of authorizations. These patents not only protect our technological achievements and innovations, but also win us an advantageous position in market competition.
Three models of Lantu Motors
Gui Junsong: What are Lantu Auto's product strategy plans? Will it launch more new models in the future to meet market demand?
Lu Fang: Lantu Auto has a clear plan and layout in its product strategy. We hope to cover different market segments and meet the diverse needs of users by launching multiple new models.
In the SUV market, we have launched our first model, the VOYAH FREE, which has received a good market response. This year, we also launched the VOYAH FREE 318. In the future, we will continue to optimize our SUV product line and launch more new models to meet the needs of different users. In the MPV market, we have launched the VOYAH Dreamer, which has achieved initial success. In the future, we will further expand the MPV market and enhance product competitiveness. In the sedan market, we launched the VOYAH Chasing Light, which has achieved high-end branding in the segmented market.
In addition, we are actively developing other models to improve our product line layout. We hope to continuously enhance our brand influence and market share through these new models. At the same time, we will also continuously adjust our product strategy based on market feedback and user needs to ensure the market competitiveness and user satisfaction of our products.
03
"Share Lantu with the world" - Lantu is China's Lantu, and it will also become the world's Lantu
Gui Junsong: Nowadays, "going global" is one of the important strategic directions for many Chinese auto brands, and the same is true for Lantu. Lantu has also put forward a slogan "Share Lantu with the world". Can you explain to us why it is called "Share Lantu"? What plans and measures does Lantu Auto have in "going global"?
2023 VOYAHUT User Night
Lu Fang: We have a user activity for Lantu called "Share Lantu with like-minded people". From the perspective of co-creation and sharing, we transplanted this concept into the slogan of "going overseas", so we have "Share Lantu with the world". What we want to express here is "Lantu is China's Lantu and also the world's Lantu". We hope that Lantu can go overseas and that consumers around the world can use China's new energy vehicles.
"Going global" is one of the important strategic directions of Lantu Motors. The first stop of Lantu's "going global" is Europe. Currently, it has entered Norway, Finland, Denmark, the Netherlands, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Italy, Spain and other countries. In the future, it will also complete the strategic layout in Central Asia, the Middle East and other markets.
At the Beijing Auto Show, Lantu Auto attracted attention from overseas users
To achieve this goal, we have developed detailed "going overseas" plans and initiatives. First, we will establish an operations center in Europe to conduct multi-dimensional operations around sales, services, user ecology, etc., and deeply participate in the construction of the local automotive ecosystem. In the future, we will carry out global channel layout and localized business model development, promote the integration of overseas businesses into the local industrial chain and value chain, and build a full value chain of Lantu.
Lantu Motors in Norway
At the same time, we focus on the dissemination and promotion of brand culture. We hope to spread the brand concept and values of VOYAH Auto through overseas consumers, and through the medium of automobiles, enhance the international users' sense of identity and belonging to the VOYAH brand, and enhance the international users' understanding of Chinese automobiles and even Chinese culture. In the future, VOYAH Auto will enter more international markets and win more honors and respect for Chinese automobile brands.
