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Over two years, "Star Wish" proved: Chinese brands can make A0-class small cars the fastest globally; next, they need to prove: whether this batch of cars can turn "speed" into "longevity" in users' hands.
Author | Chen Weidong
Hangzhou on November 6, the opening of the 5th "Hi We" Geely Galaxy Global User Conference.
This was originally Geely's annual owner gathering. This year coincided with the 40th Anniversary of Founding. Stars, red envelope rain, and a choir appeared one after another on stage, and the atmosphere was always lively.
Chen Geng, head of the Geely Galaxy small car project, also made a joke on stage, calling himself the "Million Manager". He said that although he had not become a billion-yuan president, he had unlocked this identity through Star Wish, and the audience was full of laughter.
The laughter subsided, the big screen lit up. A checkup report appeared: A Star Wish belonging to a user, 310km Dream Edition, driven less than 2 years ran 220,000 km.
At this conference, Star Wish also announced another figure: 24 months on the market, the fastest single new energy model to break 1 million sales globally.
Selling 1 million units in 24 months, and one car driving 220,000 km, were placed at the same launch conference. The former talks about speed, the latter asks about durability — how long can a 100,000 RMB level small car really last?
Small Cars in this Price Range are Dividing into Two Camps
The A0-class pure electric market is the fiercest battlefield in this round of price wars.
New products crowd into the market, the price bottom keeps dropping, most hit products' paths are highly similar: pry open the market with an extremely low price, rapidly gain volume with short video traffic, reach sales peak in the first two to three months after launch, then with competitor price cuts and fading heat, sales decline step by step, product lifecycle often only one to two years.
In this logic, small car is always a transitional term — buy it because cheap, replace it because also cheap.
At the same time, another route is forming. It does not compete on price, but puts durability, chassis, battery safety these need 5 years to show indicators in priority position.
Industry habit attributes this difference to car-making attitude or quality conscience. This explanation holds, but not deep enough.
Real division lies in cost structure: Durability verification is an expense that must be paid in a lump sum, 5 years later see return expenses. Whole vehicle durability road test, chassis long mileage calibration, battery degradation model, will not appear on config list, nor exchange for any instant good reviews, will only directly thin current profit. Low price route models are not unwilling to do it, but after this expense lands, current report immediately looks bad.
Therefore, durability more like a scale problem, not just conscience problem.
Star Wish able to walk another path, precisely because it is already million level. A complete verification system spread to every car, almost does not constitute cost; while annual sales 100,000 level models use same set standard, car price immediately difficult to maintain. Scale here not only used to suppress supplier quotes, also used to amortize standards. This layer of capability Chinese car companies not unfamiliar, just past preferred admit first half.
This million number, also not result of traffic stacking. 24 months, 1 million units, average less than one minute sell one car. More important is it no drop: 2025 take domestic all category sales champion, 2026 first half cumulative sales 249,418 units, year-on-year growth 21%, October single month break 70,000 units, no brand limit, no energy limit, no level limit.
Overseas markets synchronously advance. Star Wish entered global 30+ countries and regions, ranked this year first half China new energy hatchback export TOP 2, and sequentially take Thailand, Egypt, Mexico, Australia etc market segment sales champion.
Among them there is one layer easy overlooked structural opportunity. Global small car market long term by Japanese Kei and European A0 hatchback guard, electrification transformation after, main manufacturer resources concentrate on mid-to-high end platforms, entry small cars instead update slowest, supply appear obvious gap.
Chinese brands enter this market, supplement a category by local manufacturers phased laid down product. It can in multiple markets take segment sales champion, reason also lies in this — encounter is gap, not red ocean.
But should also see matter other half: Star Wish million sales, how many come from durability capability persuasion, how many come from price band dividend?
60,000 to 100,000 RMB range, is exactly these years new energy penetration rate rise fastest pool. Location right, product just no big mistake, sales naturally come. Two reasons interweave, easily be narrated as simple brand story.
This route true starting point, is launch initial category standard one reset: After rear drive, independent suspension, CATL battery cells, liquid cooling temperature control still belong high-end model tag era, Star Wish make them whole series standard config.
Chen Geng on stage for this not讳言. He said, Star Wish hot after, more and more friendly merchants start replicate this train of thought — front drive change rear drive, beam suspension change independent suspension, add frunk. "I very happy, because Star Wish appear after, more and more brands start seriously do small cars."
This word sound like self-satisfaction, is industry rare true words. A category to go up, only one home do well no meaning, must someone raise threshold, rest people must follow. He himself add one sentence: Only first rules stand, road can walk more wide.
But imitation mostly stop at hardware list. Visible config can chase, calibration system, durability verification and battery management logic, from no speed success.
After 220,000 km, What Remains for the Car
Cost will not disappear, will only transfer.
Low price models put cost priority invest in large screen and appearance kit this kind one eye visible place, compress durability verification, chassis calibration and battery degradation test input. Saved part, finally by user 5th to 8th year, by battery degradation, chassis abnormal sound and second-hand depreciation way installment pay. This is a no write into contract implicit expense, also A0 class market least transparent piece.
Chen Geng give a relatively simple explanation: A car need accompany user 8 years, 10 years even longer, therefore from develop first day, they focus not just new car performance, but whole usage cycle safety, reliability and comfort.
In a celebrate occasion talk about an old car battery health, seem somewhat inappropriate. But this 220,000 km car, exactly is this sentence footnote: Range achievement rate 99.7%, battery health 91.19% (National Standard for 200,000 km requirement is 70%), Moose test 78.1 km/h, six battery extreme test whole process no fire, no explosion.
Rear mounted rear drive, front MacPherson plus rear multi-link, Lotus tuning, again add Shen Dun Battery and BMS 3.0. These content not appear config list, but determine a car 3rd year, 5th year remain how much value.
Chen Geng also said a sentence more like product person words: Hope user buy Star Wish time feel worth it, drive good many years after, still lucky initial choice. First half belong marketing, second half belong product.
More worth notice is user structure change. More and more families no longer view A0 class as second car supplement car, but as only one main car. Once it need undertake pick drop children and weekend family outing, user care not screen size, but 3 years after battery remain how much, chassis will will float.
Here is one need face doubt: Durability exactly worth how much money?
China second-hand car market to battery health pricing not sensitive. A use 5 years electric car, residual value mainly by year and mileage decide, health is 91% or 85%, car merchant give price difference often only few thousand yuan. Durability corresponding economic return, not yet market effectively priced.
So, "Long-term reliability" exactly is for user create value, or for brand create narrative?
Closer to fact judgment is, both have. User may not calculate clear this account, but "No need worry" itself is value — it not need convert into residual value, just need in certain highway service area late night, let person not repeatedly stare remaining range.
Also has an industry less willing speak truth fact: Car more durable, replace car cycle longer. And past 20 years, industry relied just "3 year 1 replace" rhythm. A truly do long-term reliability brand, short term equal active give up part repurchase business, only rely another set account balance: Higher user retention, stronger reputation recommendation, more stable second-hand price, again back support new car pricing.
This account can calculate balance, is value route hardest part, also it and marketing slogan most essential difference.
Reliability Makes People Trust, Likeness Makes People Buy
Durability solve "Why trust", but solve not "Why like".
A0 class another problem is homogenization. Price range close, range close, cabin logic similar, user decision finally only left price compare. Most competitors annual update no more than change car color, micro config adjust, frame no move, hard leave own label.
Million node above, Star Wish launch STAR Limited Series: STAR Ace walk sports route, with exclusive sports kit and Worry-Free Green, Pepsi Orange, Shining Silver three car colors; STAR Chill walk relaxed route, Cream and Salt Rice car paint match Morning Light Rice interior. Two cars both carry class unique tapping electric frunk and have 50+ kinds expressions EVA car robot, support OTA continuous update.
Long term relationship maintenance cost far higher than one transaction, but it decide 5 years after, this owner whether still willing recommend this car. And in A0 class market, most effective communication channel exactly is recommendation.
This point user already demonstrated. Jiangsu Yugou Town a named Old Han car owner, drive electric car round trip 1000+ km do business, village people originally not believe, until see him enter service area up toilet drink tea, electricity just full. Afterwards one car, two car follow buy, now this village already has 17 Star Wishes, Old Han is first car.
Further down, is "Our Star Wish" Public Welfare Project. From launch start with car owner bound: First two seasons in Daliang Mountains build basketball court, in Qiannan build football field; Third season turn aesthetic education, for Yunnan Pu'er Ximeng Masan Village children donate build music classroom, and invite them to Hangzhou with Lang Lang on same stage, Lang Lang also on site opened a master class.
Most car companies public welfare belong one-way investment, activity end immediately end. This project difference is, starting point is car owner wish, landing also has car owner participate. It let buy a small car this thing, more layer public meaning.
After 1 Million Units, Harder Opening
Put Star Wish back Galaxy map among, it is heaviest weight.
Same day, Geely Automobile Group CEO Gan Jiayue give another coordinate: November 6 exactly Geely Founding 40th Anniversary, and 40 years coordinate already changed — from make people can afford good car, to make everyone smart boutique car.
Asked why Galaxy can continuously produce hits, Gan Jiayue answer simple to near ordinary: User need what we provide what, user care what, we just make what to extreme.
This sentence listen correct nonsense, but put annual sales 1 million brand body, execution extremely hard. Because user needs mutually contradictory: Easy drive, good look, easy park, internal space also need big enough; Quality and safety not leave gap, intelligence also need keep leading.
Galaxy from 2023 February launch, already global fastest reach 2 million units new energy brand, this year attack 3 million units. At same time Geely also clarify strategy shift: Reduce brand new model investment, concentrate resource build star products. Star Wish single month 70,000 units volume, already close a medium car company whole system sales. According to Gan Jiayue calculation, average 55 seconds, world more one Star Wish owner.
But route struggle far not end, real challenge also not sales level.
Price is clear. Choose value route, mean higher R&D, calibration and verification cost, gross margin naturally bear pressure. Price war one day not stop, it must one day persuade user pay "invisible long-term reliability"; and opponent anytime can use one round price cut, price sensitive group separate flow.
Time not yet give answer. 220,000 km just a sample, future 5 to 8 years, million cars will successively enter high mileage cycle, massive real data is final judge. Competitors can copy rear drive and frunk, durability system only use time to swap.
Cognition leap more difficult. Overseas multiple segment market sales champion, prove product can adapt different market, but product power not equal brand power. From "A good drive Chinese small car" to "Global user active choose mainstream brand", middle separate a whole generation brand memory.
Two years time, Star Wish prove one thing: Chinese brands can make an A0 class small car do global fastest. Next need prove another thing: This batch cars whether in user hands, can "speed" turn into "longevity".
For whole track, is same question — New energy small car exactly only can be cheap short-term commuting tools, or can become have complete lifecycle value, can sell to global mainstream model?
This conference last, is Lang Lang piano solo; Further back, Little Sparrow children and car owner representative together sing song finish. Answer not those songs inside, still 5 years after. [Copyright Notice] This article is "Auto Man" original, publisher all, no reprint authorization or partial copy, violators accountable.
