Shockingly, a counterfeit factory has produced a 3-nanometer chip.

Chapter 237 ESP's Supplies Cut Off

Meanwhile, at the headquarters of Jili on the other side.

"Sure?"

"Dean, I've checked, and their cars have indeed obtained a market license."

The large-scale testing that began in the third quarter of last year has also concluded.

"With such a short testing period, aren't they afraid of problems with the car?"

Dean Wang was also somewhat puzzled, after all, the test time was far too short and did not meet the testing standards for a car at all. Although they had increased their efforts, there might be hidden dangers in the details.

Regardless, this is their chance. They poached so many engineers, causing several of their projects to come to a standstill. This time, they have to pay back.

…………

Liu Fang was in a meeting with the publicity department when she received the call.

With a month to go before the Transsion Auto launch event, Li Qing and his team have already started generating buzz online.

Various rhythms, parameter guesses, and price predictions flooded the market.

The hottest topic has to be solar-powered car roofs.

After all, competitors have already proven that this is a useless configuration, a complete waste of money, and there are already various mocking videos online.

However, Transsion announced that it will use its own self-developed photovoltaic charging dome, which will increase the photovoltaic conversion efficiency to 28.2%, twice that of products on the market.

The trending topics online are all filled with skepticism.

"The core patents for the photovoltaic version are all held by foreign giants. What tricks can Transsion come up with?"

"It's only been a short time since the recording was completed. I guess it's just another PowerPoint presentation. There'll be no follow-up after the press conference."

"I admit that making phones is fine if you're genuinely interested, but as for cars, forget it! Who would dare buy a car made by a phone manufacturer?"

Most people are skeptical of solar panels. It's said that China is the world's largest producer of solar panels, but the core patents in this industry are firmly held by foreign giants.

This results in a strong industrial base, but weak core patents...

There were many voices of doubt online, which did not surprise Liu Fang and Li Qing.

It's normal for a new brand to face skepticism when it wants to manufacture cars.

Once the car actually comes out, these people will naturally shut up.

Then, just as they were preparing their promotional plan, the phone rang.

"Mr. Liu, I regret to inform you that due to production capacity issues, the ESP system cannot be delivered on schedule and will be postponed indefinitely."

Liu Fang's smile froze on her face.

ESP, Electronic Stability Program.

ESP is a core component of automotive active safety; without it, a car cannot be sold.

This isn't a production issue; it's a bottleneck.

Especially in this situation, they need to be notified that someone is up to something again...

"What's the reason?"

Although she was very angry, Liu Fang's voice remained steady.

"I'm sorry, our production capacity is insufficient, and we are prioritizing our existing customers. Your company's order is temporarily not in the pipeline."

"You're kidding me!"

After hanging up the phone, Liu Fang immediately asked her secretary to prepare a car and head to the doctor's headquarters.

The headquarters of Dr. China is located in Hongqiao, Shanghai.

When Liu Fang arrived, the receptionist told her that the president was in a meeting and asked her to wait.

This wait lasted for two hours.

Liu Fang sat on the sofa in the reception area, going through all the possibilities in her mind.

If there is a shortage of production capacity, the PhD would notify us in advance, not just when delivery is imminent.

Moreover, given their track record, if there's a genuine shortage of production capacity, they will definitely raise prices. Besides, Transsion's order was placed six months ago, and the deposit has already been paid, so there's no reason for the doctor to cancel the order at the last minute.

Unless... someone puts pressure on us.

Two hours later, the president finally appeared.

Hans Müller, a German, spent eight years in China and speaks fluent Chinese.

"Mr. Liu, I'm sorry to have kept you waiting."

Hans Müller was all smiles, but Liu Fang could tell that the smile was fake.

"Mr. Muller, I need an explanation regarding ESP."

Hans Müller's expression immediately changed, and he sighed.

"Mr. Liu, it really is a production issue. The impact of the Japanese earthquake hasn't completely subsided, and the global supply chain is experiencing shortages."

We prioritize orders from existing customers; orders from new customers will be processed later.

"Chen Ying placed the order six months ago and has already paid the deposit. We are a new customer, not a temporary customer."

Hans Müller also felt a headache coming on; those car companies really knew how to give him work.

Liu Yidao truly lives up to his reputation; he's just too difficult to deal with...

"Mr. Liu, there are some things I can't say."

But I suggest you look for other suppliers; ask Denso in mainland China.

Liu Fang stared at him for a few seconds.

"Mr. Muller, is someone putting pressure on us behind the scenes?"

Müller did not answer, but his expression said it all.

As she was leaving, Liu Fang gave another cold laugh.

Since giving them opportunities proved ineffective, we have no choice but to activate Plan B ahead of schedule.

…………

Three days later, Liu Fang received the investigation results.

Six domestic automakers jointly pressured Bosch, demanding that they be given priority in supplying them. These six automakers are all competitors that Transsion had previously poached.

Three of them have already taken the lead and launched corresponding photovoltaic models and pure electric models...

This is a blatant act of revenge.

"They're scared." Liu Fang slammed the report on the table. "Or rather, they're deliberately retaliating for our previous actions. These people are really petty."

He then looked at his assistant beside him: "Are there any other suppliers in China?"

"Yes, but the technology is far from adequate." The assistant immediately investigated the corresponding alternatives.

Wando, Jingxi Heavy Industry, and Asia Pacific Shares.

These companies all have ESP systems, but their performance is 1-2 generations behind Bosch's. They can be installed and used, but the user experience will be greatly reduced, they are difficult to tune, and they will also be targeted by other manufacturers.

After all, it's a product from a second-rate manufacturer. It's not only difficult to tune, but it also has a bad reputation!

She thought for a moment, "Let's check if there are any startups in China that make ESP. It doesn't matter if the technology is a bit lacking, the key is that they can supply the products."

The assistant thought for a moment and then said a name.

Huachuang Chassis Control System Co., Ltd.

The company is located in Suzhou and has only been established for two years. The team members are all PhD graduates.

The product has been developed, but we lack mass production experience. We have approached several OEMs, but they have all rejected us due to our limited production capacity and technical limitations.

Liu Fang picked up the phone and called the founder of Huachuang.

The other person's name is Chen Hao, 40 years old, a graduate of Kyoto University. He worked as a doctor for 10 years, and two years ago, he chose to resign and start his own business because he had no hope of promotion.

The former high spirits are gone, replaced by weariness.

"Mr. Liu, if the company wants to buy, we certainly welcome it."

But you are the fifth company to use the airport service. The previous companies didn't follow up after we finished talking to them, saying that our technology wasn't mature enough.

"We are different," Liu Fang said. "We have orders, funds, and a complete vehicle platform. As long as your product is usable, we will take it."

Cheng Hao was surprised. He was about to give up on starting his business, but his competitor gave him an opportunity instead?

"Mr. Liu, to be honest with you, our performance is about 80% of Bosch ESP9.0. It can be used in vehicles, but it is not as stable as Bosch under extreme conditions. Moreover, our production capacity is limited, and we can only supply 5000 sets per month."

If you pay in full upfront, I can reserve production capacity for you with priority.

"Full payment."

A burst of laughter came from the other end of the phone. "President Chen, what I mean is... I want to acquire your company as a whole."