On August 26, Zhao Changjiang, the Executive Director and Executive Vice President of ZHIJIE Automobile, took to Weibo to boldly declare that the ZHIJIE RX has no rivals. He further asserted that not opting for an L3-equipped vehicle at this juncture would be akin to missing out on purchasing a 5G phone in its heyday.

Zhao Changjiang elaborated that the ZHIJIE RX was never designed to be pitted against any other model, especially not against emerging domestic brands. He underscored that ZHIJIE's vision, from the product's inception, has been to craft a genuinely intelligent 'premium vehicle' through technological innovation. The aim is to create 'a car that people yearn to drive and adore driving,' offering users an exceptionally high sense of value.

The ZHIJIE RX is positioned as a mid-to-large-sized all-electric SUV, with pre-sales commencing on August 20. This vehicle makes its debut featuring Huawei ZHIQING's cutting-edge high-performance electric drive and is outfitted with the latest Huawei TULING technology. Its body boasts a torsional rigidity exceeding 50,000 N·m/deg, while the rear-wheel-drive CLTC efficiency soars above 93%.

In terms of pricing, the pre-sale range spans from RMB 299,800 to RMB 399,800 across four variants: the Max Long Range version kicks off at RMB 299,800; the Ultra Long Range version starts at RMB 359,800; the Ultra All-Wheel Drive version is priced from RMB 379,800; and the Ultra+ version begins at RMB 399,800.

Notably, the entry-level Max version is equipped with a shared-path in-cabin LiDAR, whereas the other three Ultra versions come standard with a four-LiDAR L3 autonomous driving setup. This implies that the base price for a model featuring L3 autonomous driving is RMB 60,000 higher than that of the Max version.

Zhao Changjiang revealed that the ZHIJIE RX currently stands as the most formidable and cost-effective L3 model in its category. Among the small deposit orders received, over 90% are for versions equipped with the L3 autonomous driving architecture. This underscores the market's keen interest and anticipation for L3 autonomous driving, although the true litmus test lies in the conversion of small deposits into firm orders.

According to industry standards, the conversion rate from small deposits to firm orders typically experiences a substantial drop. When it comes time to place a firm order, consumers tend to revert to rationality, meticulously evaluating whether the additional RMB 60,000 for a four-LiDAR L3 architecture is justified. Whether the ZHIJIE RX can defy this trend will become evident upon its autumn delivery.

Should the ZHIJIE RX successfully carve out a niche in the market above the RMB 300,000 price bracket, its示范 effect will far surpass its sales figures. It would signify that L3 autonomous driving has genuinely transitioned from a technological race to large-scale commercialization.