After struggling to start the car with an emergency power supply for a few days, Ora, the car owned by Guangzhou car owner AJing, broke down.

However, when preparing to send the car for repair, AJing discovered that not only had the 4S dealership where he originally picked up the car gone out of business, but there were only two sales outlets left in Guangzhou, and one of them did not have service station capabilities.

AJing bought his Ora in 2019, model Ora R1, which was later renamed Ora Black Cat. At the time, Ora, a pure electric sub-brand under Great Wall Motor, had been launched for less than a year. Nevertheless, with its advantages in range, aesthetics, driving experience, and most importantly, its price point starting at just over 60,000 yuan, Ora dominated the domestic new energy vehicle sales charts for an extended period from 2020 to 2021, bringing the brand to its peak.

However, peaking right out of the gate often means a subsequent decline.

After reaching a peak sales volume of over 135,000 units in 2021, Ora's market performance continued to weaken, with sales falling nearly 35% from the peak to 88,000 units in 2023. Since 2024, according to Great Wall Motor's September production and sales report, Ora's sales in the first three quarters have continued to decline, with a year-on-year drop of 46.26%.

Moreover, to reduce costs and increase efficiency, Ora officially announced recently that it would gradually cease operations of the Ora ORA App, integrating functions such as remote vehicle control, maintenance and repair bookings, and member points into the Great Wall Motor App. However, as the functions of the Great Wall Motor App are not yet fully developed, causing inconvenience for car owners, this has sparked dissatisfaction among a large number of Ora owners.

With cars not selling well, dealerships are also struggling. According to statistics from Yuanmeihui on Ora's official website, as of October 16, there were fewer than 280 Ora sales outlets nationwide, with no outlets left in Gansu Province. For reference, when the brand was first launched, Ora officially stated that it had received over 350 applications for dealership construction from various provinces and cities nationwide, and achieved no fewer than 300 franchised stores in 2019.

Regarding the latest dealership size and operations, Yuanmeihui contacted Great Wall Motor's Public Relations Department on October 16, and they replied that there had been recent internal adjustments and that they would need to confirm the responsible person before responding to relevant questions.

01

Straight-man mindset

Why did Ora "get up early but arrive late"? This starts with Dong Yudong, the CEO of the brand who claims to "understand women best".

Dong Yudong is Ora's third CEO, who defined the brand as "a car brand that loves women more" in 2021, witnessing its peak that year and enduring the storm of the "chip gate" incident involving Ora Good Cat, which was accused of bait and switch. Although Dong Yudong was briefly replaced by Wei Jianjun's protégé Wen Fei at the end of 2022, he returned to take up the mantle again six months later.

Additionally, according to Tianyancha App information, Dong Yudong has also served as the legal representative and executive director of Salon Motor Co., Ltd. and Shanghai Salon Zhixing Industrial Co., Ltd. Salon is Great Wall Motor's high-end pure electric sub-brand, but three years after its launch, no mass-produced vehicles have been introduced.

It's hard to imagine Dong Yudong, known for his engineering prowess, later proclaiming his dedication to building cars for women. With a senior engineer title, Dong Yudong has worked at Great Wall Motor for nearly 20 years, contributing to models such as the Haval H6, Haval H7L, and Haval 大狗.

So, what exactly does it mean to "love women more"? Judging from the results, Dong Yudong values names and appearances. After the brand's repositioning in 2021, all Ora models were named after "cat people." While early models like Black Cat, White Cat, and Good Cat had reasonable and catchy names, later models like Lightning Cat and Ballet Cat seemed forced.

In terms of appearance, Dong Yudong's strategy was more straightforward. Since 2021, Ora has introduced two new models - Lightning Cat and Ballet Cat - with the former "paying homage" to the Porsche Panamera and the latter to the Volkswagen Beetle. Opinions on their effectiveness vary.

Of course, beyond the cat-themed names and aesthetics, Ora's new models include some product definitions targeted at female car owners, but not many, and they appear opportunistic. For example, Ballet Cat, advertised as a "female-exclusive ride," has specially customized features like "Ride the Waves" and "Gentleman Mode," which essentially automate functions like air conditioning, wipers, and seat heating based on rainy or cold weather conditions, with limited value.

In terms of appealing to female car owners, Ora could learn from Xiaomi. While Xiaomi SU7 doesn't shout slogans like "loves women more," its thoughtful details like sun protection for car windows and refrigerated storage for cosmetics have earned it a 40% to 50% female ownership rate, as stated by Xiaomi CEO Lei Jun. In other words, since deliveries began this year, Xiaomi may have already gained 40,000 to 50,000 female car owners.

In contrast, Ora's various cat models, with the 4-year-old Good Cat struggling to maintain monthly sales of 3,000 to 5,000 units, and the Lightning Cat and Ballet Cat consistently selling in the triple digits, with recent months dipping below 200 units.

Establishing a female-focused brand for three years has failed to compete with entrants less than a year old. Is it a lack of female spending power? Apparently not. The problem lies in Ora and Dong Yudong's insufficient exploration of female car owners' needs and their continued reliance on a "straight-man mindset" in car-making.

02

Expanding overseas

Perhaps building a brand focused on women was always a challenge for Great Wall Motor.

From Haval to WEY to Tank to Great Wall Pickup, the "tough guy" style is deeply ingrained in Great Wall Motor's DNA. While Ora Black Cat's popularity may have stemmed partly from its aesthetics and size appealing to women, going "all in" on the female market seems to have put the cart before the horse.

It's worth noting that in key overseas markets like Thailand, Ora has refrained from shouting "loves women more." Instead, Good Cat (ORA OGGD CAT) promotes the theme of "Empower Your Moment," emphasizing "enjoying the moment and letting Good Cat empower every instant of your life."

Rather than continuing to struggle in an unfamiliar market due to overpromising, Ora should recognize its strengths and return to its roots.

Among Ora's recent moves, expanding overseas is one of the most proactive and promising initiatives.

According to Yuanmeihui's analysis, Ora is already available in Germany, the UK, Sweden, Thailand, Australia, Brazil, Mexico, and other countries and regions, with Good Cat completing localized production in Thailand in January this year. Leveraging its electric and intelligent capabilities gained from the highly competitive Chinese new energy vehicle market, Ora is poised to achieve significant sales and profits in overseas markets.

'Next year, we expect our sales ratio to be roughly 3 to 2, with the goal of eventually reaching 50-50. Overseas markets are less competitive than the domestic market. Our products sell for over 200,000 yuan in Thailand and Europe, and even more in Brazil,' Dong Yudong told media outlets including Autohome at the 2024 Chengdu Auto Show. The higher profit margins from overseas sales can be used to support the domestic market, 'which is beneficial for funding ongoing R&D iterations,' he added.

In the pure electric sector, Great Wall Motor has two strategies: Ora for the mainstream market and Salon for the high-end market. With Salon's demise, Ora has become Great Wall Motor's sole pure electric offering.

Now standing at a crossroads, Ora must make a swift and correct decision: forge ahead on the current path or adjust its direction and start anew.

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