Monthly Archive: June 2023

Wuling mulls post-delivery fuel-engine option for Baojun Yep

Wuling is considering offering a range-extender option for the Baojun Yep, which would provide the mini EV with the ability to get an extra 80 kilometers of range by refueling.

(Image credit: Baojun)

SAIC-GM-Wuling is considering a range-extender option for the Baojun Yep mini electric vehicle (EV), which went on sale only last month, highlighting a new approach to trying to address range anxiety among EV consumers.

Baojun will not offer an official extended-range electric vehicle (EREV) version of the Yep, but will consider offering a post-delivery range-extender option for the model, Zhou Xing, vice president of SAIC Wuling's brand division, said on Weibo yesterday.

"Because of the call from everyone, the team is looking into the possibility of putting a small generator in the engine compartment," Zhou wrote.

The option, which could cost about 2,000 yuan ($280), could hold four liters of gasoline and thus provide an additional 80 kilometers of range, according to a supplier proposal, he said.

The option is similar to a power bank for a cell phone and would additionally allow the vehicle to support external discharge capability, according to Zhou.

Zhou asked his followers on Weibo if they really wanted the option and if so, they would speed up the rollout process.

Consumers expecting the option can still buy the Baojun Yep now, as it can be installed after delivery, Zhou said.

It's not clear if Wuling's planned option complies with China's vehicle modification regulations.

SAIC-GM-Wuling officially launched the Baojun Yep on May 25, offering it in two versions with starting prices of RMB 79,800 and RMB 89,800, respectively.

Both versions of the model have a battery pack capacity of 28.1 kWh and a combined CLTC range of 303 km.

Baojun's idea to offer a range-extender option for the Yep underscores the appeal of plug-in hybrid or quasi-plug-in hybrid models at a time of transition to electrification in the Chinese automotive industry.

Among Chinese EV startups, (NASDAQ: LI) is known for its EREVs, which delivered a record 28,277 vehicles in May.

For comparison, (NYSE: NIO) and (NYSE: XPEV), which only offers battery electric vehicles (BEVs), have had weak deliveries over the past few months, delivering 6,155 and 7,506 units in May, respectively.

Their peer Leapmotor has abandoned its insistence on offering only BEVs, attracted by the larger market space.

On February 1, Leapmotor unveiled its first EREV model -- an EREV variant of its flagship SUV, the C11. The Leapmotor C11 EREV went on sale on March 1 and deliveries began in mid-March.

In May, Leapmotor delivered 12,058 vehicles, the fourth consecutive month of growth and well above the 1,139 units delivered in January.

($1 = RMB 7.1061)

Leapmotor delivers 12,058 units in May, higher-priced C-series dominate-CnEVPost

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BYD Tops April EV Sales Table in Singapore

BYD topped the EV sales charts in Singapore in April. 121 BYDs were sold in April in Singapore, and it looks like BYD sales are accelerating rapidly in Singapore, as BYD sold as almost as many units in April as it did in the first quarter of the year! In Q1, 124 BYDs were sold […]

BMW recalls 99 EVs in China for risk of power output interruption

The recall involves the locally produced i3 and iX3, as well as the imported i4, i7 and iX EVs.

BMW recalls 99 EVs in China for risk of power output interruption-CnEVPost

(Image credit: CnEVPost)

BMW has carried out another electric vehicle (EV) recall in China, albeit in small numbers.

The German luxury carmaker is recalling a total of 99 EVs in China from June 2, involving locally produced i3 and iX3, as well as imported i4, i7 and iX, according to a Friday announcement on China's State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) website.

Specifically, this includes 42 China-made i3 EVs with production dates from May 3, 2022 to April 12, 2023, and 47 China-made iX3 EVs with production dates from September 22, 2021 to March 2, 2023.

The recall of these EVs is being conducted by BMW Brilliance, BMW's joint venture in China.

The recall of imported vehicles includes five i4 EVs with production dates from December 15, 2021 to October 6, 2022, one imported i7 EV with production date on September 20, 2022, and four imported iX EVs with production dates from February 4, 2022 to September 27, 2022.

The recall of these imported EVs is being conducted by BMW China Automotive Trading Ltd.

The cable bridge of the high-voltage battery monitoring electronics cell supervision circuits (CSC) in the vehicles covered by the recall is not properly locked into place, and in extreme cases, the CSC is unable to effectively monitor the high-voltage battery, the announcement said.

In the event of such a situation, the CSC will perform fail-safe measures to stop the power output of the high-voltage battery, resulting in a possible power interruption in the moving vehicle, according to the announcement.

BMW Brilliance and BMW China will replace the high-voltage battery monitoring electronics for the vehicles free of charge to eliminate the safety hazard.

BMW last recalled EVs in China on March 29, when one locally produced i3 and 136 imported i4 EVs were involved.

BMW Brilliance retail sales in China rose 8.4 percent to 217,636 vehicles in January-April, ranking ninth with a 3.7 percent share, according to China Passenger Car Association (CPCA) rankings last month.

BMW's EV sales did not make it into any of the CPCA's rankings.

BMW recalls over 90,000 EVs in China due to software issues

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Opinion: Charging Remains Biggest U.S. Hurdle To EV Adoption

Although electric vehicles have taken huge steps toward mainstream adoption over the past few years, at least one major barrier remains. As Tesla and others work to expand their charging networks, consumers may still struggle to go electric until public charging becomes more extensive — and reliable. A new article from The Atlantic posits that […]

NIO ES7 and ET7 wait times get slightly longer

Wait times for both the ES7 and ET7 have gone from about 3 weeks to 3-4 weeks.

(Image credit: CnEVPost)

Wait times for two NIO (NYSE: NIO) models have gotten slightly longer, the latest check by CnEVPost shows.

The current wait time for the NIO ES7 is 3-4 weeks, slightly higher than the about 3 weeks as shown previously, according to the NIO App.

NIO launched the ES7 on June 15, 2022, the company's second model based on the NT 2.0 platform after the ET7, and the first SUV on that second-generation platform.

The first delivery of the NIO ES7 was on August 28, 2022. NIO does not disclose ES7's deliveries when it announces monthly delivery figures.

The last change in the model's wait time was on June 1, from about four weeks to about three weeks.

The latest wait time for the NIO ET7 is also 3-4 weeks, slightly higher than the previous wait time of about 3 weeks.

The last change in the sedan's wait time was on April 28, from about 4 weeks to about 3 weeks.

On the first day of the Shanghai auto show on April 18, NIO launched the 2023 ET7 at the same prices as the previous version. Deliveries of the new ET7 began on May 19.

Except for the ES7 and ET7, the expected delivery dates for NIO's other models remain unchanged today.

Deliveries of the new ES8 are expected to start in June, the wait time for the new ES6 is still not shown, the EC7 is about 5 weeks and the ET5 is about 3 weeks, information from the NIO App monitored by CnEVPost shows.

NIO delivered 6,155 vehicles in May, down 7.55 percent from April and down 12.37 percent year-on-year, according to data released on June 1.

NIO plans to launch a new model based on the NT 2.0, the ET5 Touring, a midsize electric wagon that will begin deliveries to customers in June, the company said in announcing the May deliveries.

(Screenshots on June 5.)

Data table: Latest wait times for NIO models

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