Smart and Sustainable Electric Mobility
The new company, 100%TechCo, is scheduled to be operational in early 2024 and will have more than 2,000 procurement and R&D staff in the future.
(Image credit: Volkswagen China)
German auto giant Volkswagen is increasing its investment in China to stay relevant in the world's most competitive electric vehicle market.
Volkswagen is investing around 1 billion euros ($1.1 billion) in a new company with the project name "100%TechCo"in Hefei, Anhui province in eastern China, according to a press release from the company yesterday.
The new company will focus on the development, innovation and procurement of smart connected electric vehicles, with functions including vehicle and component development, and is expected to reduce the development times of new products and technologies by about 30 percent, the release said.
The new company, which is scheduled to be operational in early 2024, will comprise more than 2,000 employees from procurement and R&D, with Marcus Hafkemeyer, Chief Technology Officer of Volkswagen Group China, as CEO.
The establishment of 100%TechCo is a milestone in Volkswagen's "in China for China" strategy, the automaker said.
The new company will integrate advanced technologies from local suppliers at an early stage of product development, enabling model offerings to be more responsive to Chinese customer needs, it said.
The 100%TechCo will also help bring Volkswagen's joint ventures in China -- SAIC Volkswagen, FAW Volkswagen and VW Anhui -- into closer synergy with their R&D programs and optimize profitability, according to the release.
At the Shanghai auto show, which began yesterday, Volkswagen Group brands brought 20 electric models, including the ID.7, which made its world debut.
By 2030, Volkswagen will have more than 30 all-electric models across its brands, it said.
(1 $= EUR 0.9113)
VW joins China auto price war, offers up to $5,820 discount on ID. series EVs
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The Polestar 4 went on sale in China on the first day of the Shanghai auto show with a starting price range of RMB 349,800 to 533,800, significantly higher than the Tesla Model Y.
(Image credit: Polestar)
Polestar 4, the new model from Polestar, the premium electric vehicle maker owned by Geely and Volvo Cars, went on sale in China with a starting price range that is higher than Tesla's Model Y.
Polestar launched the Polestar 4 yesterday on the first day of the Shanghai auto show, with a starting price range of RMB 349,800 ($50,870) to 533,800.
The car is available in six versions, including three single-motor versions with starting prices of RMB 349,800, 387,800 and 417,800 respectively, and three dual-motor versions with starting prices of RMB 453,800, 483,800 and 533,800 respectively.
This price range is significantly higher than that of the Model Y, currently the best-selling electric SUV in China, which is offered in three versions at RMB 261,900, 311,900, and 361,900.
The Polestar 4's single-motor rear-drive versions are powered by permanent magnet synchronous motors with a maximum power of 200 kW and a maximum torque of 343 Nm, accelerating from 0 to 100 km/h in 7.4 seconds.
Its dual-motor versions have two permanent magnet synchronous motors both with a maximum power of 200 kW at the front and rear, for a combined total of 400 kW, and accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in 3.8 seconds.
For comparison, the entry-level rear-wheel-drive Tesla Model Y accelerates from 0-100 km/h in 6.9 seconds, the dual-motor all-wheel drive Model Y Long Range in 5.0 seconds, and the dual-motor all-wheel drive Model Y Performance in 3.7 seconds.
The Polestar 4 is available in two battery packs, with capacities of 88 kWh and 102 kWh, the former being used in the two least expensive versions and the latter in the other four versions.
The Polestar 4 has a CLTC range of 612 km to 709 km.
Polestar was founded in 2017 by Volvo and Geely, and the first product, the Polestar 1, was only available in limited numbers and has been discontinued.
The Polestar 2, which will be officially delivered in 2020, is the brand's first real production model on sale and will only be produced at the plant in Taizhou, Zhejiang province, in eastern China.
Polestar made the Polestar 3 SUV's global debut on October 12, 2022, when it announced its two versions with starting prices in China of RMB 880,000 and RMB 1,030,000, respectively.
On March 17, Polestar officially unveiled the Polestar 3 in China at a price that is nearly RMB 200,000 lower than the model's international debut last year.
($1 = RMB 6.8760)
Polestar 3 officially unveiled in China, price cut by about $29,080 from previous
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CATL is collaborating on the development of Condensed Battery for civilian electric aircrafts, and the battery for EVs will have mass production capability this year.
Chinese power battery giant CATL has unveiled its new battery technology, Condensed Battery, which is expected to be used in electric aircrafts and drive faster change in the electric vehicle industry.
CATL's Condensed Battery will feature high safety and high energy density, with single cells having an energy density of up to 500 Wh/kg, the company's chief scientist Wu Kai said today at the Shanghai auto show.
CATL has built a micron-scale adaptive mesh structure that regulates inter-chain interaction forces for changes in the electrochemical reactions of ultra-high energy density chemistries, according to Wu.
The battery also introduces a series of innovations in isolation films as well as innovative processes, including a high-energy cathode and a new type of anode, he said.
CATL is currently working on a collaborative development of a civilian electric aircraft project and is implementing aerospace-grade standards in the process to meet aerospace-grade safety and quality requirements, he said.
The Condensed Battery will also be available for use in electric vehicles and will have mass production capability within this year, Wu said.
CATL initially said at the Chongqing auto show in late June last year that the company was developing Condensed Battery, in addition to solid-state and semi-solid-state batteries.
On August 28, 2022, Wu said at a new energy vehicle industry conference that Condensed Battery has features including high safety, high reliability, and good cycle life.
As some background, 500 Wh/kg energy density is the highest we've seen to date for any power cell claimed to be able to be mass-produced.
Current mainstream lithium-ion battery cells have energy densities of just over 200 Wh/kg, and NIO's (NYSE: NIO) 150 kWh semi-solid-state battery, which is expected to be available in a few months, is 360 Wh/kg.
Higher energy density means greater R&D challenges and thus higher costs.
NIO's 150-kWh pack costs about as much as an ET5 sedan, the company's co-founder and president Qin Lihong said on February 11 at a face-to-face user event in Changzhou, Jiangsu province.
Chery to be 1st automaker to adopt CATL's sodium-ion batteries
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With a range of up to 405 km, the BYD Seagull is expected to be one of the vehicle choices for many families for short trips.
(Image credit: BYD)
BYD (OTCMKTS: BYDDY) has started pre-sale for a mini electric vehicle that promises to be one of the vehicle choices for many families on short trips.
BYD unveiled the Seagull, the latest addition to its Ocean series, and started its pre-sales on the first day of the Shanghai auto show on April 18.
The vehicle is available in three versions with starting prices of RMB 78,800 ($11,460), 83,800 and 95,800 respectively.
It is worth noting that these are not the final prices of the model, and BYD's previous practice was to have final prices slightly lower than the pre-sale prices.
The BYD Seagull is an A0-class electric vehicle based on the e-Platform 3.0 with a length, width and height of 3,780 mm, 1,715 mm and 1,540 mm, respectively, and a wheelbase of 2,500 mm.
For comparison, the SAIC-GM-Wuling Binguo has a length, width and height of 3,950 mm, 1,708 mm and 1,580 mm, with a wheelbase of 2,560 mm. Its Hongguang Mini EV has a length, width and height of 2,920 mm, 1,493 mm and 1,621 mm, with a wheelbase of 1,940 mm.
The starting price of the Binguo is RMB 59,800 and the Honguo Mini EV starts at RMB 32,800.
The BYD Seagull is powered by a permanent magnet synchronous motor with a maximum power of 55 kW and peak torque of 135 Nm, accelerating from 0 to 50 km/h in 4.9 seconds.
The car is available in two range versions, with the lower-priced two models having a CLTC range of 305 km and the highest-priced version having a range of 405 km.
The BYD Seagull uses BYD's blade batteries with pack capacities of 30.08 kWh and 38.88 kWh respectively.
The car supports fast charging, taking 30 minutes to charge from 30 percent to 80 percent.
Previous rumors suggested that the model would have a version with sodium-ion batteries, but this does not appear to be a reality.
(1 $= RMB 6.8760)
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