The news that Lv Wenbin was suddenly appointed as the General Manager of Great Wall Motors' Euler brand in the last month of the first half of the year surprised industry insiders. Since the outbreak of the chip gate in 2021, it has been four years, and Euler, who played the role of "dragging the oil bottle" in Great Wall Motors' production and sales reports, has reached a point where he has to change. Seven years to replace seven generals, the seven-year itch, everything needs to be overturned and restarted. The new car abandons the naming of the Cat series. Whether the Ora 5 can achieve the success of Lv Wenbin, and whether Lv Wenbin can use this new car to lead the brand back to the peak, the date for revealing the answer is getting closer and closer.

As a former "internet celebrity brand", Euler's sales were once ahead of its competitors, making it unparalleled in the new energy car market. The subsequent decline was all due to the 'big crash' in 2021.

Around November 2021, there was a sudden chip gate incident in Euler, which had a significant impact and even CCTV Finance began to report on it. When promoting the product, it was claimed that the Ora Cat was equipped with Qualcomm's eight core car chip, but it was eventually found to be untrue. The reason why it was reported by CCTV Finance is twofold: firstly, it is suspected of false advertising, and secondly, it is not an isolated case. Under the manipulation of General Manager Euler at that time, the response was met with condemnation and the compensation given to the car owner was unreasonable, triggering a second public opinion.

In 2021, Euler's annual sales reached 135028 units, a year-on-year increase of 140%; In 2022, the annual sales volume was 103996 units, a year-on-year decrease of 22.98%. The high-speed growth that was originally smooth sailing came to an abrupt end due to the outbreak of the chip gate incident. In 2024, only 63272 units were sold, and the annual sales volume of Ora, which fell below 100000 units, was pushed into ICU. Euler, who had been playing too much, became honest overnight in terms of marketing after the chip gate, from competing among the flowers to being lost in the crowd, just in the blink of an eye. Subsequently, some models of Ora began to be discontinued, and the biggest change after Lv Wenbin took office this year was that the new car abandoned the naming of the Cat series and directly named the Ora 5. In fact, the Euler 5 was originally called Euler Cat, and the reason why it was finally named Euler 5 before its release may be related to previous events. The seven-year itch, if you start over from scratch, there is still a glimmer of hope.

In June, Wei Jianjun personally appointed Lv Wenbin as the new general manager of Euler. According to rumors, after activating the tanks and Wei brand, Wei Jianjun's next target was Euler, indicating that the burden on Lv Wenbin's shoulders is not light. Although he does not have a high degree, as a technical expert, Lv Wenbin is different from his predecessors with marketing backgrounds such as Ning Shuyong and Yu Fei. At the same time, there have been many doubts in the industry about whether Lv Wenbin, who lacks a strong resume, can revitalize Euler.

The key to dispelling doubts for Lv Wenbin is whether Euler 5 can win a full house after its official launch. For this new car, the current doubt is that the models equipped with 45.3 kWh and 58.3 kWh batteries can achieve pure electric range of 480 kilometers and 580 kilometers respectively, while the same level Yuan PLUS, with 49.92 kWh and 60.48 kWh, can only achieve pure electric range of 430 kilometers and 530 kilometers respectively; At the same time, it also far exceeds the Milky Way E5.

It is still unknown whether the Ora 5 is superior in three electric technology to the two hottest competitors in the current market in terms of energy consumption. It should be noted that as the first heavyweight model of brand innovation, the Ora 5 has no room for buffering. On the other hand, pricing will determine the success or failure of Euler 5. Under the guidance of Wei Jianjun, Great Wall Motors has not compromised on the official guide price. Although the positioning of the Ora is biased towards the low-end, some models of the Ora 5 will be equipped with LiDAR, which indicates that there will be some differences in overall positioning and strategy compared to the Yuan PLUS and Galaxy E5. In terms of pricing, it is highly likely that it will not be lower than its competitors.

There are no unsold goods, only unsold prices. Relying on low prices to gain sales cannot be considered success. Previously, Wei Jianjun publicly proposed to oppose internal competition and pursue long-term value. Whether Lv Wenbin can not use low prices to blow up the Euler 5 will be a great test. If successful, it means mutual achievement.

Since Lv Wenbin took office, the decline of Ora has gradually improved, but the cumulative sales from January to October were 35334 units, a year-on-year decline of 32.99%. The magnitude of this decline is probably beyond the rescue of even an Ora 5. The fierce competition in the 100000 yuan market can be seen from the tactics between BYD and Geely. Speaking of which, what has sparked controversy is the appearance of the Ora 5, which still has a similar style to a certain brand. Four years have passed, and now everyone's perspective is different. Without the cat, it still looks the same. How did Lv Wenbin seize the opportunity this time?