Experimental Model, the Spark of New Energy

At Jiuzhou Automobile Factory, a crowd gathered in an open area of the plant, pointing and discussing the new vehicle at the center.

It was a compact, simply styled small vehicle, blue all over.

With large rectangular headlights, fender-mounted turn signals, and tiny 145/70R12 tires, it looked surprisingly balanced and attractive.

Its three-door, four-seat hatchback layout made the whole vehicle appear especially compact.

Though it was still far removed from a real automobile, its body structure and manufacturing processes had all been produced using standard automotive production methods.

Other than lacking an engine and transmission, it was a genuine car!

Of course, compared to other small vehicles such as the Volkswagen Polo and Honda Fit, this Mini model still fell far, far short.

But compared with ordinary two-wheeled electric scooters, or the Old Man Happy vehicles and electric tricycles that were only just beginning to emerge, it was overwhelmingly superior.

That was right. This was Jiuzhou Automobile's second product, modeled after the Wuling Hongguang Mini.

It was an experimental prototype that Zhou Fengyan had painstakingly built over more than twenty days of tireless work.

With the company's prototype complete, managers from departments large and small, and even the security guards, had gathered around the new vehicle in curiosity.

They circled the body, occasionally reaching out to touch it, inspecting the vehicle with interest while discussing it with those beside them.

"To be honest, it's better than I expected. At least it really looks like a car, and the quality seems decent too."

"The exterior looks pretty good. It's still a far cry from an ordinary sedan, but it can be considered a vehicle."

"Can it really be called a car? It doesn't have an engine or transmission, only some batteries and an electric motor."

"Of course it counts. If it can drive on the road and carry people, then it's definitely a car. I just wonder whether the interior will be as reliable as the exterior looks."

"It's so small. I wonder what it feels like to drive. I have to try it later!"

The crowd watched eagerly. This was the second automobile Jiuzhou had produced in all these years—or perhaps it could not truly be called an automobile.

Automobiles generally referred to vehicles powered by gasoline, while this vehicle drew its energy from lead-acid batteries installed beneath the body. The batteries stabilized the vehicle's center of gravity as ballast while also providing power, so calling it an electric vehicle or new-energy vehicle was more appropriate.

Meanwhile, accompanied by Zhou Fengyan, Xu Yifan was also inspecting the company's second vehicle.

"Don't make this part beneath the door curved. Change it into a rectangular indentation. It'll give it a stronger sense of design."

"Use as many rectangular lines as possible on the front bumper. This part should be flat."

"..."

As he inspected the vehicle, Xu Yifan pointed out issues with the prototype to Zhou Fengyan. Afraid that the other man would not understand, he even took out a notebook and sketched in it, recording every problematic area.

He aimed to replicate the Wuling Hongguang Mini one-to-one in every aspect apart from the three-electric system, from the exterior to the interior!

Although experimental production had followed the drawings Xu Yifan provided, there were some details he could not possibly recreate entirely from memory.

Now, with the prototype in front of him, he could recall many more details from seeing the actual vehicle.

Xu Yifan could not have been more familiar with this car. It was a new-energy vehicle that had once dominated automobile sales rankings, cheap and sufficiently capable.

To a certain extent, it was also a vehicle that changed many people's perceptions of new-energy cars, one of the models that fired the first shot in the new-energy revolution.

Not only was its price extremely affordable, but its running costs were low. For most families, there was no need to worry about fuel consumption. It truly allowed people to drive whenever they wanted, greatly improving their quality of life.

It was compact and nimble in the city, easy to park, and as long as there was somewhere to charge it, it was far more appealing than many gasoline cars.

Under Zhou Fengyan's admiring gaze, Xu Yifan spent half the day in front of the prototype, inspecting and modifying every inch of it until he had found all the problems with this Mini model.

Now that the problems had been identified, Zhou Fengyan only needed to make some adjustments before they could begin mass production.

Fortunately, this was not a real automobile. If it had been, they would have needed at least another year or two from the project's approval to its launch and sale.

Applying for a new vehicle model, road testing, durability testing, safety testing, engine matching and calibration, chassis matching and calibration—after all those inspections and adjustments, a small factory like Jiuzhou Automobile could not afford to wait.

It was nearly noon. Xu Yifan crawled out from beneath the vehicle, stretched his body, and then spoke to Zhou Fengyan beside him.

"Alright, those are roughly all the issues."

Zhou Fengyan immediately replied, "I'll have people fix all of them within three days."

"Good. We'll take another look then. If there are no problems, we'll contact the supporting manufacturers and order the vehicle components."

As a small factory, they naturally could not have their own supporting manufacturers. Parts they could not produce themselves had to be ordered from large component suppliers.

Then there would be mold making, trial production, testing the durability of every component, and so on. It would probably take another month or two.

This was also an important reason why a large vehicle manufacturer could drive the economy of an entire region.

Custom molds and components required a major investment. Xu Yifan estimated that he could only rely on his father with all his strength.

Automobiles were not something just any company could handle. Without the system and without enormous funds behind them, a huge investment would most likely amount to nothing.

And even if they managed to manufacture a product, if it lacked advantages that could move consumers, poor sales would still lead only to bankruptcy.

After all, cars were major purchases. Most families would use one for many years, so they worried about quality, whether it would have too many problems, whether it might leave them stranded on the road, and so on.

That was also why joint-venture automobile factories had held such an important place in the hearts of Chinese consumers for so long.

Many families were extremely cautious when buying a car. They would rather rely on past experience and choose products from established major automakers.

Even if they cost more than domestic vehicles and had worse interiors, stability and durability came first when buying a car.

Deep-rooted impressions were hard to erase. Most families did not dare spend a large sum of money trusting domestic brands.

But how could domestic vehicles develop without a stage of imitation, without products gradually improving step by step?

If they were like mobile phones—relatively affordable and accessible to more people—domestic vehicles would earn their reputation earlier in the future.

That was also an important reason why the Wuling Hongguang Mini left such a bold mark on the history of new-energy vehicles.

It could even be said to have ignited the spark of new energy's rise!

At a low price, it let more people recognize the advantages of new-energy vehicles and cultivated consumer confidence in them.

When people had a need to buy a car, it made them consider new-energy vehicles as an option.

It brought more new-energy vehicles to the public's attention, allowing higher-end new-energy vehicles to be accepted as well.

Of course, the Wuling Mini was only the beginning of new energy's rise. Automakers such as BYD used their technology to stabilize this enormous market.

That was also why Xu Yifan had chosen this vehicle to manufacture: to light the spark first.

Starting with low-priced new-energy Old Man Happy vehicles, they would gradually make more people accept electric cars and cultivate the market.

Otherwise, if they launched with luxury cars costing hundreds of thousands, who besides families rich enough to treat cars as toys would buy an electric vehicle made by an automaker they had never even heard of?

Since they wanted to ignite a spark, the product's quality had to be solid. Otherwise, it would not be lighting a spark at all, but pouring a bucket of cold water over it.