Smart and Sustainable Electric Mobility
The Nio ET5 with BaaS now costs less than the Tesla Model 3 RWD. And the recently launched ES6 NT2 is cheaper than all of its rivals.
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Start a week with our recent chat with GAC's Chief Designer, as he shares insights on his journey and the future of car design. Must-read for everyone interested in automotive innovation.
The post Zhang Fan, GAC’s Chief Designer: Discussing the Evolution of Chinese Car Design over 30 Years appeared first on CarNewsChina.com.
In the Qiji Energy solution, a single battery block has a capacity of 171 kWh and heavy-duty trucks can choose to use 1-3 blocks.
Chinese power battery giant CATL has unveiled a battery swap solution for heavy-duty trucks, following the release of a similar solution for passenger cars early last year.
CATL unveiled the Qiji Energy solution, consisting of battery swap stations, battery blocks and a cloud platform, at an online launch event today.
The battery swap stations for heavy trucks use adaptive tuning technology and cover the full wheelbase of heavy trucks.
The battery blocks, or electric blocks, are powered by CATL's third-generation lithium iron phosphate batteries with no heat dispersion technology and a cycle life of over 15,000 cycles.
Similar to EVOGO's Choco-SEB (swapping electric block), which it released last year, the solution for heavy trucks supports flexible use of the number of batteries in the vehicle.
With a single electric block capacity of 171 kWh, heavy trucks can choose to use 1-3 blocks, and the entire battery replacement process takes only a few minutes.
The cloud platform helps drivers make battery swap service appointments, plan driving routes and allows CATL to manage assets.
In a vehicle-battery separation model, a heavy truck can save between RMB 30,000 (US$4,200) and RMB 60,000 in annual costs, CATL said.
On January 18, 2022, CATL officially announced EVOGO, the battery swap brand for passenger cars, primarily for the shared mobility market.
EVOGO offers a battery swap solution consisting of battery blocks, fast battery swap stations, and an app.
The battery block, called Choco-SEB by CATL, is a mass-produced battery developed specifically for shared mobility, allowing consumers to select one or more batteries to match their mileage needs.
The battery block can be adapted to 80 percent of the world's models already on the market and those developed on all-electric platforms that will be available in the next three years, CATL said at the time.
On June 6, CATL said EVOGO's battery swap service became available in Fuzhou, the capital of Fujian province, with the first three battery swap stations already in operation. Prior to that, the service was already available in Xiamen, Hefei and Guiyang.
($1 = RMB 7.1424)
CATL unveils module to bracket battery technology for heavy trucks
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The police are currently investigating the perpetrators and motives, and preliminarily inferred that the four cases were committed by the same gang.
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Xpeng G6 is an EV to compete with the Tesla Model Y. It will be officially released at the end of June and delivered in July.
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"I believe we can get production up and running in China as early as next year, potentially adding capacity of 75,000 Fisker Oceans annually," Fisker CEO said.
(Image credit: Fisker)
Fisker (NYSE: FSR) plans to open a delivery center in China this year, becoming the next US electric vehicle (EV) startup to target the Chinese market after Lucid Motors (NASDAQ: LCID).
Fisker plans to open a delivery center in China in 2023 and start delivering the Fisker Ocean SUV in the first quarter of 2024, the company said in a June 9 press release.
Fisker's leadership team recently visited China and met with officials and business leaders in Shanghai to discuss cooperation and opportunities in the region, according to the release.
The conversations focused on the automotive supply chain, logistics, warehousing and future production development, Fisker said. The company opened its China office in 2022, according to the release.
"We expect China to be an important growth market for EVs in the future and believe our vehicles will be very appealing. That is why we established an office there and intend to open a delivery center this year," said Henrik Fisker, Fisker's chairman and CEO.
"I believe we can get production up and running in China as early as next year, potentially adding capacity of 75,000 Fisker Oceans annually," he added.
Interestingly, local media outlet Jiemian reported on June 7 that Zhu Jiang, who previously served as an executive at NIO (NYSE: NIO), Ford (NYSE: F) and Jidu Auto, the car-making arm of Baidu (NASDAQ: BIDU), has joined Lucid to head up its China operations.
Lucid is starting to prepare for its entry into the Chinese market, Zhu told the outlet.
China is the world's largest EV market, with the segment seeing explosive growth over the past two to three years.
Global EV sales are largely driven by China, with 56 percent of total EV sales in the first quarter coming from the Chinese market, market research firm Counterpoint Research said in a June 8 report.
In China, the premium and affordable luxury segment is growing faster than the general segment, Daniel Foa, Fisker's China board member, said at the company's annual shareholders meeting on June 6.
Fisker fits right into that segment with its unique history, features and design, Foa said.
The company recently announced that deliveries of its first production model, the Fisker Ocean all-electric SUV, will begin in the US on June 23. It starts at $37,499 for the Sport interior trim level.
Notably, Chinese power battery giant CATL is a supplier to Fisker.
On November 2, 2021, Fisker announced it signed an agreement with CATL, which will supply batteries for the Ocean SUV.
CATL will provide Fisker with more than 5 GWh of initial capacity per year from 2023 to 2025, according to a previous statement.
Lucid prepares for China entry, hires ex-NIO, Ford exec Zhu Jiang
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Nearly 20 percent of Zeekr 001 and Zeekr 009 owners have opted to buy an additional Zeekr X, Zeekr said.
(Image credit: Zeekr)
Zeekr, Geely's premium electric vehicle (EV) brand, has begun deliveries of the Zeekr X, its third production vehicle, which was officially launched two months ago.
Zeekr delivered the Zeekr X to its first owners in 25 cities in China today, according to a press release.
Zeekr was officially launched as an independent company in March 2021 with two other models, the Zeekr 001 hatchback and the Zeekr 009 MPV, currently on sale.
The company delivered 8,678 vehicles in May, up 7.12 percent from 8,101 vehicles in April and its fourth sequential increase.
By the end of May, Zeekr's cumulative deliveries since inception stood at 109,961 vehicles, data monitored by CnEVPost show.
Zeekr launched the Zeekr X on April 12, and the model is produced at one of Geely's plants in Chengdu, Sichuan province in southwestern China, rather than the Ningbo plant in Zhejiang province where the Zeekr 001 and Zeekr 009 are produced.
The Zeekr X is available in three versions, one starting at RMB 189,800 ($26,580) and the other two at RMB 209,800.
The Zeekr X has been available for pre-order since launch, and the model is targeting 40,000 deliveries this year. Zeekr is aiming to double its overall deliveries this year from last year to about 140,000 units.
Nearly 20 percent of Zeekr 001 and Zeekr 009 owners have chosen to purchase an additional Zeekr X to meet the travel needs of different family members, the company said today.
The average order amount for the Zeekr 001 was RMB 336,000 and for the Zeekr 009 RMB 527,000, it said when it announced May delivery figures on June 1.
The Zeekr X is available in both a four-seat version and a five-seat version, and the company said today that 70 percent of consumers are now opting for the four-seat version.
($1 = RMB 7.1417)
Zeekr launches Zeekr X SUV to gain further share from market dominated by German luxury automakers
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The deal accounts for over half of the more than $10 billion in investments signed on the first day of the Arab-China business conference in Riyadh on Sunday.
(Image credit: CnEVPost)
Chinese electric vehicle (EV) maker Human Horizons is planning to enter more countries despite the weak performance of its premium HiPhi brand in its home market.
Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Investment has signed a $5.6 billion deal with Human Horizons to cooperate in developing, manufacturing and selling cars, Reuters said in a report today, citing a statement from Saudi Arabia's state news agency.
The agreement accounts for more than half of the more than $10 billion in investments signed on the first day of the Arab-China business conference in Riyadh on Sunday, the report noted.
Saudi Arabia has been pushing for increased investment in non-oil sectors as part of its diversification agenda. Part of its plan is to develop domestic EV manufacturing, the report said.
Human Horizons unveiled the HiPhi X, the first model of the HiPhi brand, in October 2020, and deliveries of the model began in China in May 2021.
The HiPhi X starts at RMB 570,000 ($79,820) for the six-seat version and up to RMB 800,000 for the four-seat version.
In August 2022, Human Horizons officially launched its second model under the HiPhi brand, the HiPhi Z. The model is available in five-seat and four-seat versions with starting prices of RMB 610,000 and 630,000 respectively, and deliveries began at the end of January this year.
In February, HiPhi's third model, the HiPhi Y, appeared on one of the Chinese industry regulator's filing list. The model has not yet been officially launched, although late last month a HiPhi executive hinted that the model's starting price is expected to be RMB 369,000.
Sales of HiPhi models have been weak in China, never making into the monthly sales rankings published by the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA).
On March 31, Reuters quoted a Human Horizons executive as saying the company would launch the HiPhi brand in select European markets later this year.
($1 = 7.1411 RMB)
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There were rumors over the weekend that Tesla FSD would be running in Shanghai on a pilot basis, but this was denied.
(Image credit: CnEVPost)
Rumors over the weekend that Tesla's FSD (Full Self-Driving) will start a pilot run in Shanghai have been denied.
"The information is not true," local media outlet Cailian said in a brief report today, citing a response from Tesla China about the rumors.
On May 12, a Shanghai official said the city would further deepen its cooperation with Tesla and promote the electric vehicle (EV) maker's self-driving and robotics businesses in Shanghai.
Shanghai will work with Tesla to build a technology industry cluster with core technology advantages for the global market, Chen Kele, deputy director of the intelligent manufacturing promotion division at Shanghai Municipal Commission of Economy and Informatization, said at the time.
Chen did not directly mention Tesla's FSD at the time, although it was the first hint of support from Chinese officials for Tesla's software.
Before that, local media outlet Caixin said in an April 3 report that Tesla was about to begin widespread testing of FSD in China.
All Tesla vehicles currently come with the free Basic Autopilot (BAP) software. In addition, Tesla also offers Enhanced Autopilot (EAP), FSD software as an option.
EAP and FSD cost $6,000 and $15,000 in the US, and RMB 32,000 ($4,480) and RMB 64,000 in China, respectively.
On June 9, CITIC Securities analyst Lian Yixi's team said that the trend of Tesla FSD entering China is becoming clearer, which is expected to accelerate the intelligent process of local EVs.
However, this is still facing two major problems from becoming a reality -- data collection qualification and supercomputing centers, according to the team.
Also on June 9, Tesla CEO Elon Musk said on Weibo, the Chinese equivalent of Twitter, that the company would be happy to license Autopilot/FSD or other Tesla technology.
This is the first mention of FSD on Musk's Weibo account since 2021, although the account appears to be managed by Tesla's team in Beijing. The Tesla CEO visited China earlier this month and met with several top Chinese officials.
($1 = RMB 7.1452)
Analysts list 2 major issues Tesla must address before bringing FSD to China
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The NIO ET5 Touring offers more trunk space while improving the high driver's seat that the regular ET5 was complained about. The key now is the price.
(Image credit: CnEVPost)
NIO (NYSE: NIO) will hold a launch event for the ET5 Touring starting at 19:00 Beijing time on June 15, and the model is already allowing visitors to experience it in its stores before then.
As of June 10, the ET5 Touring show cars are available at 248 NIO stores in 48 cities across China. In Shanghai, where NIO's global headquarters is located, the model is already available at 10 NIO Houses and 15 NIO Spaces.
I went to one of the NIO Houses in Shanghai's Pudong New Area on Sunday, June 11 at around 9 am to check out the model and left at around 10 am.
The store is located in a large shopping district and the office hour start time was 10:00 am. Even though I visited before then, the store staff allowed me to enter.
NIO is one of the strongest local car companies in terms of abilities to build beautiful models, and the ET5 Touring is clearly another well-designed one.
(Image credit: CnEVPost)
It's worth noting that photos of a car give a very different feeling than seeing it in person, and this applies to all models of all brands.
The gray ET5 Touring in the NIO House I visited has very natural body lines. In fact, a non-offensive exterior design is already the basis for a car that is acceptable to most people.
I don't want to discuss too much about its appearance, but you can get a general impression through the pictures in this article.
It should be noted that just a few years ago, for the average Chinese consumer, family cars consisted only of sedans and SUVs, and derivatives of sedans were not considered. You also hardly ever saw a gasoline-powered touring or shooting brake model on the streets of Shanghai.
(Image credit: CnEVPost)
Geely's premium electric vehicle subsidiary Zeekr is the first of the local brands to try to tap into the sedan derivative market, announcing the all-electric Zeekr 001 shooting brake on April 15, 2021, with deliveries starting in October 2021.
The Zeekr 001 is Zeekr's first model, and it is a brave move to target an unproven market. The model delivered 11,337 units last December, bringing full-year 2022 deliveries to 71,941 vehicles.
The ET5 Touring, a derivative of the regular ET5 sedan, is equipped with the same powerful assisted driving hardware as NIO's other NT 2.0 platform-based models, including a roof-mounted LiDAR, and four NVIDIA Orin SoCs capable of delivering a total of more than 1,000 TOPS of performance.
One of the biggest attractions of the ET5 Touring compared to the regular ET5 is the larger trunk space. Such models give consumers the same driving experience as a sedan while gaining load capacity close to that of an SUV.
(Image credit: CnEVPost)
The ET5 Touring is not yet available for test drives, and NIO will officially launch the model on June 15, with test drives available on that day.
For the regular ET5, many owners have complained about the high seating position in the driver's seat, which may be a deterrent for some potential customers to choose this model.
I got into the driver's seat of the regular ET5 at that NIO House and found that this issue was indeed apparent, especially when compared to my own Tesla Model 3 Long Rang, a 2020 purchase.
The regular ET5 feels very much like the driver is sitting in an SUV, even with the seat position cranked all the way down. For the Model 3, on the other hand, the appropriate seating position for me is with the seat height cranked to the middle gear.
NIO has obviously learned this lesson from the regular ET5, and the ET5 Touring driver's seat has a significantly lower seating position. The feeling of sitting in the ET5 Touring driver's seat is almost the same as when I drove my own Model 3.
(Image credit: CnEVPost)
The ET5 sedan seems to have been experiencing demand issues after China's purchase subsidies for new energy vehicles (NEVs) expired at the end of last year, and the price will be critical for the ET5 Touring to make the ET5 family shine again.
Earlier today, NIO announced an RMB 30,000 ($4,200) price cut for the entire new model lineup, effective immediately, but the previously free battery swap service several times a month has become a paid option.
Under the latest pricing system, the starting price of the ET5, including the battery, is reduced to RMB 298,000. If consumers choose to lease the battery using the BaaS (battery as a service) option, the starting price of the vehicle is RMB 228,000.
For the ET5 Touring, many expect that its starting price in China, including the battery, will likely be RMB 10,000 to 20,000 higher than the regular ET5.
In addition to targeting the new sedan derivative market in China, NIO also hopes to sell the ET5 Touring in Europe, where such models have a higher acceptance.
A few hours after the ET5 Touring's China launch, NIO will hold a European launch event on June 16 at 1:00 am Beijing time (June 15 at 1:00 pm US Eastern time) to launch the ET5 Touring, as well as the EL6, known as the ES6 in China.
BREAKING: NIO cuts starting prices by $4,200 for all models and makes battery swap benefits optional
($1 = RMB 7.1415)
(Image credit: CnEVPost)
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