Monthly Archive: April 2023
Audi A8 Replacement Coming Next Year As Brand’s Most Powerful Car Ever: Report
Voyah’s first electric sedan launched with starting price of $46,980
Voyah Zhuiguang's starting price of RMB 322,900 is higher than the Rising F7's RMB 209,900 and lower than the NIO ET7's RMB 458,000.
(Image credit: CnEVPost)
Voyah, Dongfeng Motor's new energy vehicle (NEV) brand, made its first sedan model available to tap into the increasingly crowded mid-to-large-size electric sedan market.
Voyah officially launched the Zhuiguang (literally, chasing the light) on the first day of the Shanghai auto show on April 18, offering three versions with starting prices of RMB 322,900 ($46,980), RMB 352,900 and RMB 432,900, respectively.
That is higher than the starting price of RMB 209,900 for Rising Auto's F7 sedan, which went on sale late last month, and lower than RMB 458,000 for the NIO ET7.
The Voyah Zhuiguang is 5,088 mm long, 1,970 mm wide, with a height of 1,515 mm and 1,505 mm in two specifications, and a wheelbase of 3,000 mm.
The Rising F7 measures 5,000 mm in length, 19,53 mm in width and 1,494 mm in height, with a wheelbase of 3,000 mm. The NIO ET7 measures 5,101 mm in length, 1,987 mm in width and 1,509 mm in height, with a wheelbase of 3,060 mm.
The Voyah Zhuiguang is equipped with a dual-motor four-wheel drive system with a maximum power of 160 kW for the front motor and 215 kW for the rear motor.
Its powertrain has a total power of 375 kW and a maximum torque of 730 Nm, enabling the vehicle to accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in 3.8 seconds.
The two less expensive versions of the car are equipped with a semi-solid-state battery with a capacity of 82 kWh, while the long-range version is equipped with a ternary lithium battery with a capacity of 109 kWh.
It is worth noting that the semi-solid-state battery does not give the model a significantly longer range: the 82 kWh version has a CLTC range of 580 km, while the 109 kWh version has a range of 730 km.
On fast charge, the Voyah Zhuiguang can achieve a range of 230 km in 10 minutes.
Voyah is the brand launched by Dongfeng Motor in late 2020, with the first model, the Voyah FREE, going on sale in China in June 2021, available in extended-range technology and in all-electric versions.
On May 7, 2022, Voyah's second model, the Dreamer MPV, was launched and deliveries began on July 16.
Voyah delivered 3,027 vehicles in March, up 116.21 percent year-on-year and up 173.44 percent from February, according to figures it announced earlier this month.
The brand delivered 5,682 vehicles in the first quarter, up 53.86 percent year-on-year.
($1 = RMB 6.8731)
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Changan’s NEV brand Shenlan aims for 200,000 sales this year
Shenlan's goals for 2023 include selling 200,000 vehicles and making both the SL03 and S7 hot sellers, the brand's CEO said.
(Image credit: CnEVPost)
Shenlan, Changan Automobile's new energy vehicle (NEV) brand, aims to sell 200,000 vehicles this year, becoming the latest to reveal aggressive plans.
Shenlan's goals for 2023 include selling 200,000 vehicles and making both the SL03 and S7 hot-sellers, the brand's CEO Deng Chenghao said in an interview with Auto Home, according to the text of the interview released yesterday.
The Shenlan brand, which was officially launched by Changan on April 13 last year, unveiled the Shenlan SL03 electric sedan on July 25, another strong competitor to the Tesla Model 3.
The brand unveiled its first SUV, the Shenlan S7, a similar model to the Tesla Model Y crossover, on March 5, with pricing information yet to be announced.
(Image credit: CnEVPost)
Shenlan began deliveries of the SL03 in late August 2022 and has accumulated nearly 50,000 deliveries through the end of March this year, including 8,568 units in March.
Deng did not disclose how Shenlan will meet its goal of selling 200,000 vehicles this year, and the brand offered up to 42,000 yuan ($6,090) in purchase discounts during last month's price war in the Chinese auto industry. The offer was valid from March 10 to March 31 and was limited to 10,000 units.
The price war was a short-term behavior, automakers ultimately need to compete with product competitiveness, technology, brand, channels, and service capabilities, Deng said in the interview.
"I think the whole industry will be sustainable only if there is a value war," he said.
Deng believes that the current trend of electrification in China's auto industry is very clear, and that the penetration rate of electric vehicles (EVs) will exceed 50 percent in the next three years, with EVs becoming absolutely mainstream.
As the primary adopters of EVs shift from tastemakers to the average consumer, the product definition, research and development of vehicles will need to be able to address consumer anxiety and meet demand, he said.
Consumer anxiety is not about the amount of infrastructure or the range of EVs, but about the time it takes to replenish energy, according to Deng.
There is still a long way to go in terms of technology to get charging times from 0.5-1 hour to 5-10 minutes, he said, adding that this anxiety will be there for another 5-10 years.
($1= RMB 6.8930)
NIO keeps goal of doubling sales this year despite price war causing greater challenges
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The Evergreen Nissan Leaf
This Earth Day, Invest In A Heat Pump Water Heater & Do The Equivalent Of Planting A Tree (Or Forest)
Date set for next Beijing auto show as Shanghai auto show just started
The 17th Beijing auto show will be held from April 25 to May 4, 2024, after the biennial event was canceled last time due to Covid concerns.
(Screenshot of Auto China website.)
While the Shanghai auto show has just started, the next Beijing auto show is on its way.
The 17th Beijing International Automotive Exhibition (Auto China 2024) will be held from April 25 to May 4, 2024, marking the event's return after a four-year hiatus, according to an announcement made today by the event's organizers.
The auto show will be held at the China International Exhibition Center Shunyi New Venue in Beijing. Meanwhile, the parts show at the China International Exhibition Center Chaoyang Hall will be held from April 25-27.
The Beijing auto show, or Auto China, has been held in Beijing every two years since 1990.
The 17th Beijing auto show was originally scheduled for April 21 - April 30, 2022, but was canceled due to Covid concerns.
Prior to that, the 16th Beijing auto show was postponed to September 26 - October 5, 2020, due to Covid.
The theme of the 2024 Beijing auto show is "New Era, New Auto," the event's organizers said, adding, "We invite the global automotive and related industries to participate in the 2024 Beijing auto show."
Notably, the biennial Shanghai auto show began only three days ago, on April 18, and will run through April 27.
The show attracted more than 1,000 exhibitors with a total exhibition area of more than 360,000 square meters, opening 13 indoor halls at the National Exhibition and Convention Center in Shanghai, with passenger cars occupying nine of them.
NIO (NYSE: NIO) officially launched the 2023 ET7 and unveiled the new ES6 at the show, XPeng's (NYSE: XPEV) new SUV G6 was unveiled, and BYD (OTCMKTS: BYDDY) also unveiled several new models.
(A picture taken by CnEVPost at the Shanghai auto show, which started on April 18, shows the NIO booth.)
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Svolt Energy’s Dragon Armor Battery makes real-life debut at Shanghai auto show
In a 4C fast-charging solution, the Dragon Armor Battery has 32 percent higher pack capacity compared to the 46 series high nickel cylindrical battery, according to Svolt Energy.
(Image credit: Svolt Energy)
Svolt Energy, which was spun off from Great Wall Motor, gave its Dragon Armor Battery its real-life debut at the ongoing Shanghai auto show, after unveiling the battery late last year.
The battery maker showcased the Dragon Armor Battery at the Shanghai auto show -- which began April 18 and runs through April 27 -- with a video of a previous thermal runaway test on display.
In the test, heating triggered a thermal runaway of a cell in the middle of the pack, but no open fire was seen throughout the pack, Svolt Energy said in an April 19 post on its WeChat account.
The single cell runaway did not spread to adjacent cells, achieving the ultimate power battery safety, the article said.
Compared to the 46-series high nickel large cylindrical battery, the Dragon Armor Battery has 5 percent higher capacity on a 2C fast-charging solution, according to Svolt Energy.
On the 4C fast-charging solution, the Dragon Armor Battery has a 32 percent higher pack capacity compared to 46-series high nickel cylindrical batteries, the company said.
In addition, the highly integrated design of the Dragon Armor Battery reduces size and weight, effectively lowering battery costs, according to Svolt Energy.
The battery is compatible with a wide range of chemistries and can be carried in the A00-D class models, it said.
The strong compatibility shortens the development cycle of new models for car companies, and the versatility of the battery pack further reduces procurement costs, according to the company.
Since the announcement, Dragon Armor batteries have received multiple intent orders from customers, Svolt Energy said, without disclosing customer names.
Svolt Energy unveiled the Dragon Armor Battery at its third Battery Day event on December 15 in Changzhou, Jiangsu province, where it is headquartered.
Like BYD's Blade Battery and CATL's Qilin Battery, Svolt Energy's Dragon Armor is an innovation in battery pack structure that does not involve battery chemistry.
The Dragon Armor Battery system with lithium iron phosphate cells has improved volumetric pack efficiency to 76 percent and can have a range of more than 800 kilometers, the company said at the time.
Dragon Armor batteries with high-manganese iron-nickel cells can achieve a range of more than 900 kilometers, while such batteries with ternary cells can exceed 1,000 kilometers, Svolt Energy said.
The battery is expected to be on production models in 2023, including an SUV and a coupe in production in October 2023, Svolt Energy Chairman and CEO Yang Hongxin said at the Battery Day event.
Svolt Energy installed 0.43 GWh of batteries in China in March, ranking No. 9 with a 1.53 percent share, according to data released this month by the China Automotive Battery Innovation Alliance (CABIA).
Svolt Energy unveils Dragon Armor Battery capable of giving EVs up to 1,000 km of range
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Triple Electric Road Train Trial
NIO App sees major changes to vehicle configurator, here are latest model wait times
NIO App's vehicle configurator now available for only 5 models, and the ET7 wait time is back on display.
(Screenshot on April 21.)
The vehicle configurator on NIO's (NYSE: NIO) Chinese mobile app sees significant changes, following the company's launch of the new ES6 and the 2023 ET7 at the Shanghai auto show.
NIO's website currently showcases seven models -- the new ES8, ES7, new ES6, EC7, EC6, ET7, and ET5.
All models are new based on the NT 2.0 platform, except for the EC6, which is an older model based on the NT 1.0 platform.
In the vehicle configurator of NIO App, only 5 models are available -- the new ES8, ES7, EC7, ET7, ET5, while the configurators of the new ES6 and the NT 1.0 EC6 are not available.
On the first day of the Shanghai auto show on April 18, NIO launched the new ET7 and unveiled the new ES6.
The 2023 ET7 is already taking order lock-ins, with deliveries starting in mid-May. The new ES6 started to take pre-orders, but the official launch and delivery will be late May, William Li, NIO founder, chairman and CEO, said at the time in a brief launch event.
Previously, the NIO website and app are showing eight models, including the ES8, ES6 and EC6 based on the NT 1.0 platform, and the new ES8, ES7, EC7, ET7 and ET5 based on the NT 2.0 platform.
The all-new ES8 currently shows an expected delivery date of June, in line with the previous one. The model was unveiled at the NIO Day event on December 24 last year and has not yet started taking order lock-ins.
The ES7 currently has a wait time of 3-5 weeks, consistent with the previous information. The model was launched on June 15, 2022, and deliveries began on August 28.
The EC7 currently has a wait time of about 4 weeks. The model was unveiled at last year's NIO Day event on December 24 and began allowing consumers to lock in their orders on April 6.
Deliveries of custom vehicles for the EC7 will begin in mid-May, NIO said on April 6.
Wait time for the ET7 is back on display and currently stand at about 4 weeks. On March 13, the NIO App stopped displaying expected delivery times for the ET7.
On April 18, NIO launched the 2023 ET7 at the Shanghai auto show, and began accepting order lock-ins. Deliveries of the model are expected to begin in mid-May, Li said at the time.
The ET5 currently has a wait time of about 2 weeks, in line with the previous one.
In the first half of this year, NIO will introduce more new products to accelerate the pace from product launch to delivery, the company's management said in a call with analysts after announcing fourth-quarter earnings early last month.
The company will also begin deliveries of its fifth new model this year in July, which would be a month later than originally planned, Li said on the call.
NIO's supply chain and manufacturing teams were actively preparing for the new model switchover and production ramp-up to ensure capacity and supply meet the increased demand for new products, the company said at the time.
The company's main model delivered in the first quarter was the ET5, which is a lower-margin model, so the pressure on gross margin in the first quarter was relatively high, Li said.
(Vehicle configurator in the NIO App. Screenshot on April 21.)
Changes in wait times for NIO models
Date | Model | Prev | Change | Latest |
---|---|---|---|---|
04/21/23 | ET7 (NT 2.0) | NA | NA | About 4 weeks |
04/21/23 | EC7 (NT 2.0) | Mid May | NA | About 4 weeks |
04/17/23 | ES7 (NT 2.0) | About 2 weeks | ↑ | 3-5 weeks |
04/14/23 | ES6 (NT 1.0) | About 2 weeks | NA | Stop showing |
04/10/23 | ET5 (NT 2.0) | About 3 weeks | ↓ | About 2 weeks |
04/10/23 | ES7 (NT 2.0) | About 3 weeks | ↓ | About 2 weeks |
03/28/23 | ET5 (NT 2.0) | 3-4 weeks | ↓ | About 3 weeks |
03/28/23 | ES7 (NT 2.0) | 4-6 weeks | ↓ | About 3 weeks |
03/14/23 | ET5 (NT 2.0) | 2-3 weeks | ↑ | 3-4 weeks |
03/14/23 | ES7 (NT 2.0) | About 3 weeks | ↑ | 4-6 weeks |
03/13/23 | ET7 (NT 2.0) | About 3 weeks | NA | Stop showing |
02/14/23 | ES7 (NT 2.0) | 3-4 weeks | ↓ | About 3 weeks |
02/14/23 | ET7 (NT 2.0) | 3-4 weeks | ↓ | About 3 weeks |
02/14/23 | ET5 (NT 2.0) | About 3 weeks | ↓ | 2-3 weeks |
02/6/23 | ET5 (NT 2.0) | 3-4 weeks | ↓ | About 3 weeks |
01/28/23 | ES7 (NT 2.0) | 2-3 weeks | ↑ | 3-4 weeks |
01/28/23 | ET7 (NT 2.0) | 2-3 weeks | ↑ | 3-4 weeks |
01/28/23 | ET5 (NT 2.0) | 7-9 weeks | ↓ | 3-4 weeks |
01/11/23 | ET5 (NT 2.0) | 8-10 weeks | ↓ | 7-9 weeks |
01/5/23 | ET5 (NT 2.0) | 9-11 weeks | ↓ | 8-10 weeks |
12/29/22 | ET5 (NT 2.0) | 10-12 weeks | ↓ | 9-11 weeks |
12/22/22 | ET5 (NT 2.0) | 12-14 weeks | ↓ | 10-12 weeks |
12/20/22 | ES7 (NT 2.0) | 4-6 weeks | ↓ | 2-3 weeks |
12/13/22 | ET5 (NT 2.0) | 13-15 weeks | ↓ | 12-14 weeks |
12/13/22 | ET7 (NT 2.0) | About 2 weeks | ↑ | 2-3 weeks |
12/13/22 | EC6 (NT 1.0) | About 2 weeks | NA | Stop showing |
12/2/22 | ET5 (NT 2.0) | 21-23 weeks | ↓ | 13-15 weeks |
11/25/22 | ES7 (NT 2.0) | 7-9 weeks | ↓ | 4-6 weeks |
11/25/22 | ET7 (NT 2.0) | 3-5 weeks | ↓ | About 2 weeks |
11/23/22 | ES8 (NT 1.0) | About 2 weeks | NA | Stop showing |
11/16/22 | ET7 (NT 2.0) | 4-6 weeks | ↓ | 3-5 weeks |
11/10/22 | ES8 (NT 1.0) | 2-3 weeks | ↓ | About 2 weeks |
11/10/22 | ES6 (NT 1.0) | 2-3 weeks | ↓ | About 2 weeks |
11/10/22 | EC6 (NT 1.0) | 2-3 weeks | ↓ | About 2 weeks |
11/3/22 | ES7 (NT 2.0) | 11-13 weeks | ↓ | 7-9 weeks |
11/3/22 | ET7 (NT 2.0) | 6-8 weeks | ↓ | 4-6 weeks |
11/3/22 | ES8 (NT 1.0) | 2-4 weeks | ↓ | 2-3 weeks |
11/3/22 | ES6 (NT 1.0) | 2-4 weeks | ↓ | 2-3 weeks |
11/3/22 | EC6 (NT 1.0) | 2-4 weeks | ↓ | 2-3 weeks |
10/31/22 | ES7 (NT 2.0) | 12-14 weeks | ↓ | 11-13 weeks |
10/31/22 | ES8 (NT 1.0) | 3-5 weeks | ↓ | 2-4 weeks |
10/31/22 | ES6 (NT 1.0) | 3-5 weeks | ↓ | 2-4 weeks |
10/31/22 | EC6 (NT 1.0) | 3-5 weeks | ↓ | 2-4 weeks |
10/21/22 | ES7 (NT 2.0) | 13-15 weeks | ↓ | 12-14 weeks |
10/21/22 | ET7 (NT 2.0) | 11-13 weeks | ↓ | 6-8 weeks |
10/21/22 | ET5 (NT 2.0) | 21-23 weeks | NA | Stop showing |
10/21/22 | ES8 (NT 1.0) | 4-6 weeks | ↓ | 3-5 weeks |
10/21/22 | ES6 (NT 1.0) | 4-6 weeks | ↓ | 3-5 weeks |
10/21/22 | EC6 (NT 1.0) | 4-6 weeks | ↓ | 3-5 weeks |
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