When consumers today shop for electric vehicles, do they no longer have a habit of going straight to Tesla? It is not that its powertrain, battery, and supercharging network have suddenly become inadequate.
But before placing an order, everyone compares several models first, going through smart driving, seats, interior, and price one by one. This is what people call the market gradually returning to rationality.
Recently, a set of sales figures has been flooding car owners' social media feeds. Domestic retail sales fell by more than 60% year-on-year. Many people saw this data and jumped to the conclusion: Tesla can't sell anymore.
But there is one easily overlooked point. The Shanghai Gigafactory has always had to balance domestic and overseas orders. Production scheduling is dynamic, and when priority is given to exports, the number of available cars allocated to the domestic market decreases, which naturally suppresses retail figures. This kind of rhythm change already appeared last year and is nothing new.
Even after ignoring the short-term effects of capacity allocation, changes still exist in reality. Previously, in the pure electric vehicle market priced around 200,000 to 300,000 yuan, Tesla had almost no competitors. Now a large number of new cars have concentrated their entry into the market, and the level of internal competition has become very obvious. Other brands have pushed cabin comfort and localized smart driving features to the extreme. The advantages Tesla once held are being caught up with bit by bit.
There is also another easily overlooked diversion factor. Tesla used cars are attracting people who originally planned to buy new cars. They share the same 400V architecture, and the basic driving experience is not much different. But the price is very friendly, and for friends with tighter budgets, it is easy to switch to buying a nearly new car.
The slow pace of updates for its main models is also an unavoidable weakness. Without major updates for a long time, the sense of freshness keeps declining. The halo of resale value is no longer so dazzling and no longer draws attention the way it used to. Many domestic cars have also caught up to international levels in resale value.
I have driven a Tesla for five years, with mileage exceeding 100,000 kilometers. I have always agreed with its advantages in energy consumption, chassis tuning, and the nationwide supercharging network. But strengths are still strengths, and weaknesses can only be left as they are. There is still a big gap in cabin design details, localized functions, and comparison with domestic brands.
Interestingly, in the process of the market returning to rationality, this is not a bad thing for consumers. The brand filter has failed, and all car companies must bring out solid strength to compete. There is no need to rely on marketing hype to decide whether a product is good or bad; the user's experience is the most genuine evaluation.
But if Tesla wants to stabilize its position in the domestic market, the pressure is very great. To attract and retain car owners, it must meet the needs of domestic consumers. The pace of iteration and detailed experience all need to be improved.
A set of sales data does not equal a final verdict of victory or defeat. It is more like a mirror, reflecting the changes in the entire new energy vehicle track after mapping them out. If you plan to buy an electric car soon, would you reconsider Tesla because of the sales decline?
Comments