Chapter 600 Attempt
After the car had been running in the square for a while, Ernst's family members went to test drive this new means of transportation.
The person in charge of vehicle operation was dressed in a suit and tie. He trotted to the door, opened it smoothly, and then invited Constantine to enter the rear compartment.
"Your Majesty, please sit down!"
Constantine looked around carefully and found that the space inside the carriage was quite narrow, far less than that of a horse-drawn carriage. The seats took up a lot of space. The seats were made of hard leather sofas, which were quite comfortable to lean on.
However, the temperature in the car is not very friendly, so the sunroof is opened for ventilation.
Heixingen Energy Power Company has spent almost ten years researching this type of vehicle, so it was very complete when it was launched, including the power system.
The first car invented by Karl in his previous life had a speed of only 12 kilometers per hour, while the speed of a horse-drawn carriage was generally 16 kilometers per hour. The product that the Hexingen Energy Power Company has been working on for ten years, especially the royal special version, can reach a maximum speed of 30 kilometers per hour, more than double.
The technical barriers built therein can also ensure that Heixingen Energy Power Company can maintain its position as the world's number one for a long time.
As the car started, Constantine felt the extraordinary nature of this vehicle. Its maximum speed of 30 kilometers per hour was more than twice that of a horse-drawn carriage, and it could continue running until the fuel ran out. Of course, for safety reasons, the general speed was maintained at 20 kilometers per hour, but it was already quite fast.
The cool breeze coming through the windows and sunroof also makes the interior of the car cooler. The hollow tires and smooth road surface make the car run very steadily.
After Constantine, others also began to try this new means of transportation. Archduke Ferdinand was the most excited, as was Princess Charlotte. The couple asked the driver to step on the accelerator to the maximum to try the thrill of racing.
In the end, Karina was with Ernst. Karina was pregnant now, so in order to prevent accidents, Ernst asked the driver to reduce the speed to ten kilometers per hour.
"Will this type of vehicle replace horse-drawn carriages in the future?" asked Karina.
"Of course, it just takes a long time to develop. The current production cost is too high. Except for the great nobles and big capitalists, ordinary people simply can't afford it." Ernst replied.
In fact, the cars promoted by the three German countries were not the earliest prototypes. The real "car" was indeed powered by a steam engine. In 1804, French army engineer Cournot built the first car powered by a steam engine. So from 1804 to 1880, steam cars were worthy of the name, but no one would buy this kind of transportation to show off.
Before the emergence of fuel vehicles was the golden age of steam cars, but due to the defects of steam engines, such as the difficulty in boiling water and shutting down the engine in severe cold weather, as well as the difficulty in braking the car itself, steam cars were gradually eliminated, or it can be said that this type of steam car could not be promoted at all.
The cars in East Africa are more accurately called fuel-powered cars, but this is not a problem. Just like power banks are essentially batteries, but it is not wrong to call them mobile power sources.
Ernst continued, "Karina, don't be fooled by the fact that this car is comfortable to sit in and looks good. In fact, only the royal families of the three kingdoms each own one. The finished car that is actually launched on the market is actually quite simple. Of course, as long as the price is right, you can also enjoy full configuration services."
As a person of later generations, the finished royal car promoted by Ernst was basically the same as the cars of previous lives, at least in appearance.
However, if we want to develop automobiles as an industry, we must consider the market's ability to bear it. Just like the royal special cars of the Three Kingdoms, in terms of the development level of this era, they are similar to rockets in the 21st century. There are people who can afford rockets in the 21st century, but their number is very small.
The same is true for today's cars, even the outdated steam cars. Therefore, if East Africa wants to develop the automobile industry, it must lower the price of cars and make them compatible with the market.
The simplest way is to reduce the configuration. Currently, Heixingen Energy Power Company plans to launch a car with a maximum speed of 15 kilometers per hour, which is the limit that many top engines on the market can reach.
Just like squeezing toothpaste, Hexingen Energy Power Company, as a pioneer and giant in the field of internal combustion engines, has more powerful technology. Even the engine of the royal special edition car is not the most advanced.
Because the first factor that needs to be considered for royal vehicles is safety, the engine also has stability as the highest standard, which is similar to the requirements for military products.
In addition to reducing speed, the commercial vehicles launched by Heixingen Energy Power Company will also reduce components, decoration, comfort and other aspects.
The final commercial vehicle for the mass market is probably only one level better than the first car invented by Kaci in his previous life.
In this way, the lowest-equipped model is still a convertible three-wheeled car, and even so, only the wealthy can afford it, and they can also customize higher-equipped vehicles according to their own financial strength.
The East African or Black Xingen Group can rely on its technological advantages to occupy an important position in low, medium and high-end industries, and it can even be said to be a monopoly position.
As for changing lanes and bypassing the technological barriers of the Hexingen Group, it is basically impossible, and it is also impossible to threaten East Africa with the market, because Ernst's layout of the automotive industry is being carried out simultaneously in Germany, Austria and East Africa.
In this way, the embarrassment of Japan's hydrogen-powered vehicles in the past will not appear in East Africa. Germany and Austria are the world's top powers, and East Africa is also considered a low-ranking power, so it can protect the German automobile industry. This is also the reason why Germany and Austria got involved.
Moreover, other countries can also pirate the automobile industry. Although the profits are not as great as those of the Hei Xinggen Group, it is not impossible to produce the products. However, the high-end market will definitely be monopolized by the Hei Xinggen Group for a long time.
As an emerging industry with broad prospects, the automobile industry first produces high-end products, and the Heixinggen Group is equivalent to mastering the essence of the essence.
This situation can be referred to as follows: in the past, Africans who could own a car were not ordinary people, while Americans were thinking about what car brand to choose.
Karina understood what Ernst meant. She said, "So this car is just like the transatlantic international phone you made before. There is no way to promote it on a large scale?"
In order to command Africa from Europe, Ernst spent a huge amount of money to develop a transoceanic telephone, but he has not yet recovered the cost, let alone promoted it.
However, cars are different after all, so Ernst said: "No matter how expensive a car is, it is limited unless real money is used to build the body and parts. The automotive industry has broad prospects, and I believe it will not be easily replaced in the future, so your concerns are reasonable, but not to that extent."
Fuel vehicles will remain popular until the 21st century, and it is only the 19th century, so the automobile industry will have at least one and a half centuries of prosperity. Even before Ernst traveled through time, the development of so-called new energy vehicles was just so-so. For example, in many countries rich in oil resources, it is difficult for new energy vehicles to replace fuel vehicles, such as Canada, Russia, the Middle East, etc.
New energy vehicles require abundant electricity to support them, and charging is not as convenient as refueling. Take many African countries as an example, electricity is not widely available, let alone electric vehicles.
(End of this chapter)
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