The Bidli Group wants to become a completely new player on the Czech car market. If she succeeds, it will be a piece of hussarism. So far, she has not the slightest experience with car sales, she grew up on financial advice for those interested in housing.
–
The owner and executive director of Bidli, Jiří Lejnar, started his career at the Modrá pyramida building society, his current holding company was born under the original name RSH Realitní společnost in 2010. From loan intermediation and real estate consulting, RSH has gradually expanded to include its own development, construction, interior supply, installation of solar power plants and energy sales.
–
In 2018, it adopted a new name and brand Bidli, and this year it established a subsidiary Bidli Auto, with which it enters the car market with Chinese Dongfeng cars.
–
Jiří Lejnar and Bidli
He started as a financial advisor at the Blue Pyramid, and for several years managed the network of its Hypocenters.
–
In 2010, he founded RSH Realitní společnost (in 2018, the RSH group changed its name to Bidli holding). In cooperation with Modrá pyramida and KB, it provides financial advice and mediation services.
–
In the following years, RSH, later Bidli, expanded to include a construction company, its own development, panel production, a company for the supply of interiors and design proposals or the sale of energy. It has also integrated the Chytrý Honza advisory network into its structures.
–
In real estate, Bidli focuses mainly on the construction and sale of houses, mostly prefabricated or wooden buildings. It has around 40 branches and over 600 people work for them.
–
Last year, the company started supplying solar and battery systems, this year it enters the car market.
–
Founder of Bidli holding Jiří Lejnar.
—–
So far, Bidli is presenting its first four imported dongfenges in Vestec near Prague. In the first phase, it will offer three SUV models: the Fengon 5 coupe and the family seven-seater Glory 580 (price 700 and 600 thousand crowns with VAT, both for petrol) and the Seres 3 electric city car (over 900 thousand crowns).
–
Although Chinese cars on the European market still have a touch of curiosity, Bidli’s management has no doubt that there will be interest in them in the Czech Republic.
–
Hundreds of cars a year
The company wants to sell about 500 cars in the first year, but would like to double sales every year. “So far, we plan to import some one hundred to two hundred cars every roughly three months,” says Jiří Lejnar in an interview for SZ Byznys.
–
The starting hundred dongfenges should arrive for Bidli at the turn of October and November. “We have the first batch sold out in advance and we are now preparing for the next one,” said Lejnar.
–
According to Lejnar, the main motive for expanding the activity to include car sales is the belief that this is a logical connection to Bidli’s entry into the energy sector.
–
“We strive to provide a comprehensive product related to housing,” says owner Bidli. That is why the company gradually added its own construction activities, supplies of domestic power plants and batteries, and sales of electricity and gas to real estate brokerage and financial consulting. According to boss Bidli, it is actually close to selling cars. Especially when it comes to electric cars.
–
Lejnar himself has been running on electricity for about a year and is convinced that electric cars will find more and more fans in the Czech Republic.
–
City electric vehicle Seres 3 L4.
Why China, why Dongfeng?
From the beginning, Bidli did not expect to offer Chinese cars. “We tried to negotiate with a number of European carmakers. We suggested: come and supply us with your electric cars, which you promote. But gradually we got the impression that electromobility in European carmakers is something they do just to have it in their portfolio. Not something they really want to create the business for in the future, “says Lejnar. In the end, Bidli ended up with deliveries from China, which emphasizes the development of digital, solar and battery technologies and is a leading global player in the production of electric cars.
–
According to Lejnar, the belief that the label “Made in China” automatically means lower quality is a relic.
–
“A lot of people when they see something Chinese automatically see the Vietnamese market of the 90’s with low-quality goods. But today is completely different. In many fields, such as photovoltaics or hardware, China is, I would say, the market leader. They have a number of their own car manufacturers and, in addition, many cars of European or American brands are produced there, ”says Lejnar. According to him, a European customer will get used to Chinese cars in a few years, just as he got used to producing Korean cars three decades ago.
–
Bidli has chosen a specific supplier from Dongfeng Motor Corporation as one of the largest Chinese manufacturers, which also uses a specific type of LFP battery (lithium-iron-phosphate batteries) in electric cars.
–
“They have a much longer life than conventional lithium-ion batteries. It also doesn’t burn, which is important because there is a lot of talk about fires in connection with electromobility, ”explains Chief Bidli. “In addition, we were looking for a carmaker that does something that is directly compatible with the European market. So that it does not look at first glance like an Asian car, but a car for Europeans, “he adds. Another advantage of Dongfeng, he said, was that it produced both conventional combustion cars and electric cars, although, according to Lejnar, “they promise to gradually reduce the production of internal combustion engines within some three or five years.”
–
The Fengon 5 coupe runs on petrol.
Vestec flagship
Today, Bidli has over 40 branches in the country and wants to offer cars both through its own representatives and through contractual partners. The largest showroom where he wants to present his cars will be in Vestec.
–
“It will be our flagship. We plan to synchronize the branches that are suitable for this, directly with the sale of cars. But in each region, we will look for a specific business partner who will help us with both car sales and service. We know that service is the thing that we must not underestimate the most. We will also keep a warehouse in the Czech Republic so that we can deliver any part that is needed within 24 hours, ”he assures.
–
So far, Bidli is registering more interest in gasoline SUVs, which make up about two-thirds of the first sales wave, while electric cars only one-third. However, according to Lejnar, the ratio may turn around with the expanding offer of electric cars.
–
“Now we are waiting for the Seres 5 model, which will have a range of about 600 kilometers, in the exclusive version even up to 1,000 kilometers on a single charge,” he says. Bidli is said to have a number of pre-orders for the car, the price of which is not yet known. “I think that in about a year the interest in petrol and electricity will equalize, that it will be half and half. And the share of electric cars will become more and more intense than petrol cars, “he says.
–
Seven-seater model Glory 580, also for petrol.
Solariums-storage-electric car
According to Lejnar, among Czechs, generally skeptical of both electric cars and renewable energy sources, interest in “green” technologies is growing.
–
Bidli is a specialist in the real estate market, mainly in the construction of family houses. And most clients in this area today, according to Lejnar, are interested in home photovoltaics. Although the most common types of roof installations will increase the purchase price of a five million house by an average of half a million, they are still selling well. According to Lejnar, solar investments (with the use of subsidies) are already returning within six to seven years.
–
According to Chief Bidli, this trend will intensify as electricity becomes more expensive and at the same time the prices of solar installations fall. “I am convinced that it will be increasingly advantageous to have photovoltaics on the roof and charge an electric car from it,” he says.
–
Skepticism about China?
Dongfeng is just one of the few Chinese carmakers to start expanding into the European market, with electric cars being the main hammer. According to the executive head of the Association for Electromobility, Lukáš Hataš, the penetration of Chinese cars into Europe, despite the high costs of their transport and customs duties, is proof that mass production can significantly reduce the price of electric cars. According to him, it is not advisable to underestimate the Chinese.
–
“Whether it’s the Tesla Model Y, manufactured in Shanghai or the aforementioned Dongfeng, the design and quality are at a very high level and in many ways surpass established European brands, which so far pave the way for mass battery electromobility with luxury cars,” says Hatas. “Dongfeng is definitely not a car for everyone, but the price can appeal to undecided interested parties,” he adds.
–
Among Czech experts in the automotive market, however, skepticism prevails over Bidli’s new activity. Partner of the consulting company EY Petr Knap for diary E15 expressed doubts as to whether Bidli – a real estate company with no experience in the field – appreciated the complexity of the automotive industry. Alza or Auto Jarov would give companies a better chance when trying to launch the Chinese on the market.
–
According to Michal Razim from PwC, Chinese automotive production is and will be rather marginal in Europe for a long time to come, and thus does not represent more serious competition for local manufacturers.
–
In an interview for SZ Byznys last week, Martin Jahn from the Board of Directors of Škoda Auto drew attention to previous repeated attempts by Chinese carmakers to enter the European market. “They tried it 20 years ago, it was not successful. We will see how they will do now, “he says. On the other hand, Jahn admitted that mainly Chinese electric cars made a big step forward.
–
“They actually skipped one development generation. In China, there is a great focus on electric cars. However, I think that Škoda cars or Volkswagen cars will meet the needs, tastes and tastes of European customers more than Chinese ones, “added the Škoda manager.
—
