African Entrepreneurship Record-Chapter 613 - 291 Attempt
After the automobile had been operating in the square for a while, Ernst’s family began test-driving this new mode of transportation.
The personnel responsible for vehicle operation, dressed in a suit, jogged to the car door, gracefully opened it, and then invited Constantine to enter the rear compartment.
"Your Majesty the King, please sit steady!"
Constantine took a careful look around. The interior of the compartment was rather cramped, far less spacious than a carriage. The seats took up a lot of space, made of hard leather sofas, but they were quite comfortable to lean on. 𝗳𝗿𝐞𝕖𝘄𝗲𝕓𝗻𝚘𝚟𝕖𝐥.𝚌𝕠𝕞
However, the temperature inside the cabin was not very friendly, so the sunroof was opened for ventilation.
This model had been researched by Heixinggen Energy Power Company for almost ten years, so it was already highly refined upon its release, including the power system.
The first car invented by Karl in the past had a speed of only twelve kilometers per hour, whereas the average speed of a carriage was sixteen kilometers per hour. The product of Heixinggen Energy Power Company’s decade of refinement, especially the royal supply version, had a maximum speed of thirty kilometers per hour, more than doubling the previous speed.
The constructed technological barriers also ensured that Heixinggen Energy Power Company maintained its position as the world’s number one for a long time.
As the car started, Constantine felt the extraordinary nature of the vehicle, its maximum speed of thirty kilometers per hour was more than double that of a carriage. Moreover, it could run continuously until the fuel ran out. Of course, for safety reasons, the general speed was maintained at twenty kilometers per hour, which was already quite fast.
The cool breeze coming through the windows and sunroof also made the interior of the car cooler. The hollow tires combined with the smooth road made the car run very steadily.
After Constantine, others also began to try out this new mode of transportation, with Grand Duke Ferdinand being the most excited and Princess Charlotte as well. The couple requested the driver to accelerate to the maximum, attempting to experience the thrill of speeding.
Finally, Karina was with Ernst. Since Karina was in pregnancy, to prevent any accidents, Ernst instructed the driver to reduce the speed to ten kilometers per hour.
"Will this kind of vehicle replace carriages in the future?" Karina asked.
"Of course, but it will require long-term development. Currently, the production cost is too high, making it unaffordable for ordinary people, except the great nobles and industrialists," Ernst replied.
In fact, the automobile promoted by the German Three Kingdoms was not the earliest prototype. The first true "automobile" was indeed powered by a steam engine. In 1804, a French army engineer named Gurney built the first steam-engine powered car. So from 1804 to 1880, steam cars deserved their name, but no one bought them as a means of showcasing status.
Before fuel-powered cars, it was the golden age of steam cars. However, due to the shortcomings of steam engines, such as difficulties in boiling water in harsh cold weather and stalling, as well as the difficulty in braking, steam cars were gradually phased out, or rather these steam cars could not be promoted.
The cars in East Africa, more accurately named fuel-powered cars, were not a problem. Just like power banks are essentially batteries, but calling them mobile power supplies is not wrong.
Ernst continued, "Karina, although this car is quite comfortable, and its appearance is nice, in reality, only the royal families of the Three Kingdoms each own one, and the vehicle being introduced to the market is quite rudimentary. Of course, as long as the price is right, full-service options can also be enjoyed."
As someone from the future, the royal automotive products pushed by Ernst were almost indistinguishable from the cars of the previous life, at least in appearance.
However, to develop the automobile as an industry, market capacity must be considered. The royal special car of the Three Kingdoms was like a rocket in the 21st century in terms of the development level of this era. In the 21st century, there are people who can afford rockets, but their numbers are very small.
The current cars were no different, even the outdated steam cars were the same. So, in order to develop the automobile industry in East Africa, car prices must be reduced to be more market-compatible.
And the simplest way is to reduce features. Currently, Heixinggen Energy Power Company plans to introduce cars with a maximum speed of fifteen kilometers per hour, which is the limit that many top engines on the market can achieve.
Like squeezing toothpaste, Heixinggen Energy Power Company, as the pioneer and giant in the internal combustion engine field, had more superior technology in hand. Even the engine of the royal special version car was not the most advanced.
Because the first and foremost consideration for royal vehicles was safety, the engine was also based on stability as the highest standard, similar to military products’ requirements.
Besides reducing speed, the commercial cars launched by Heixinggen Energy Power Company also needed to reduce features in components, decorations, and comfort.
The commercial model aimed at the mass market might only be a notch above the first car Karl invented in the past life.
Even the lowest equipped model was still an open-top three-wheeled car. Even so, only the wealthy class could afford to own one, and they could customize higher configuration vehicles according to their own economic capabilities.
East Africa or rather the Heixinggen Consortium could leverage its technological advantage to hold significant positions in low, middle, and high industry segments, potentially holding a monopoly.
As for switching lanes to bypass Heixinggen Consortium’s technology barriers, it was basically impossible, or threatening East Africa with the market was also not possible because Ernst’s layout of the automobile industry was simultaneously conducted in the German-Austro Three Kingdoms.
This avoided the awkwardness previously encountered by Japan’s hydrogen energy cars, which would not happen in East Africa. The German and Austro-Hungarian Empires were world-class powers, and East Africa was also considered a powerful nation, thus protecting the German automotive industry’s interest. This was also the reason Ernst dragged Germany and Austria-Hungary into the water.
Although other countries could pirate the automobile industry, even though their profits wouldn’t match the Heixinggen Consortium, it was not impossible to produce them. However, the high-end market would definitely be monopolized by the Heixinggen Consortium for a long time.
The automobile industry, as a promising emerging industry, was a high-end commodity at its onset, with the Heixinggen Consortium holding the essence of the essence.
This situation can be referenced like this: in the past life, owning a car in Africa was not for ordinary people, while in America, people were thinking about which car brand to choose.
Karina understood the meaning in Ernst’s words. She said, "So, this car is like the transoceanic international telephone you made before, it can’t be widely promoted?"
The transoceanic telephone made by Ernst, at huge expense for directing Africa from mainland Europe, had not yet recouped its costs, let alone being promoted.
However, cars were different, so Ernst said, "The cost of manufacturing a car, no matter how expensive, is still limited, unless using real gold and silver to build the body and parts. But the automobile industry has a broad future, and I believe it won’t be easily replaced in the future, so your worry has some valid points. However, it won’t reach that extent."
Fuel-powered cars were still enduring until the 21st century, and it’s now the 19th century, so the automobile industry has at least a century and a half of prosperity. Even before Ernst’s time travel, so-called new energy vehicle development was just mediocre. For example, in many oil-rich countries, new energy vehicles found it hard to replace fuel cars, like in Canada, Russia, the Middle East, etc.
New energy vehicles required abundant electricity to sustain, and charging was not as convenient as refueling. Taking many African countries as examples, electricity was not yet widespread, let alone electric cars.
