Fisker’s second all-electric model was originally touted as a sub-$30,000 car.
Category: eV
VW Annual Meeting No Piece Of Cake, Execs Take Heat Over China, EV Pace
Human rights activists threw a cake at VW Group's chairman, accusing VW of using forced labor at its plant in China's Xinjiang region.
NIO asks its community for advice on pricing of new ES6
One possibility is that NIO may price the new ES6 at under RMB 368,000 and attribute the decision to the calls of its community.
(Image credit: CnEVPost)
NIO (NYSE: NIO) is asking its community in China for advice on the pricing of the new ES6, as the SUV gets closer to its official launch.
Many NIO App users have received a push message from NIO containing a questionnaire asking them to vote on what they think is a fair price for the new ES6, according to information shared by several auto bloggers on Weibo today.
NIO offered six options in the questionnaire: below RMB 368,000 ($53,020), RMB 368,000, RMB 378,000, RMB 388,000, RMB 398,000, and above RMB 398,000.
The all-new ES6 will be launched soon, and the model has received a lot of attention since its unveiling at the Shanghai auto show, NIO wrote in the questionnaire.
"Before we officially release the price, we would like to hear from our user friends about the price of the new ES6," NIO said.
The questionnaire is due by 18:00 Beijing time on May 13.
William Li, founder, chairman and CEO of NIO, launched the 2023 ET7 sedan and gave the debut of a revamped version of the ES6 SUV based on the NT 2.0 platform at a brief launch event on the first day of the Shanghai auto show on April 18.
Li did not announce the new ES6's exact specifications or pricing at the time, saying only that the model's official launch would be in late May.
For reference, the older ES6 based on the NT 1.0 platform was previously offered in three versions -- Sport, Performance and Signature -- with starting prices of RMB 386,000, 426,000 and 496,000 respectively.
For NIO, the new ES6 will be a model of strategic importance, as it will be the least expensive of NIO's SUVs. The company's latest move underscores the high hopes it has for the model's sales prospects.
From January to August 2022, 32,877 units of the ES6 were delivered, contributing 46 percent of NIO's total deliveries of 71,556 units for the period, according to figures monitored by CnEVPost from the company and the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA).
It's worth noting that soliciting input for the pricing of new models is a rarity in the Chinese auto industry. For rational consumers, no one wants to see a high price for a product they want to buy.
NIO may have its own considerations with this move, and CnEVPost's speculation is that the company may price the new ES6 below RMB 368,000 and attribute the decision to the calls from its community.
The new ES6 is now generally seen as coming with strong features and competitive pricing, which have already sparked discontent among some owners who previously bought the ES7 SUV.
Last month, many ES7 owners formed WeChat groups to collectively express their discontent that the upcoming new ES6 means NIO has betrayed them.
NIO has yet to announce a launch date for the new ES6, although rumors last week suggested that the model would be officially launched on May 24.
($1 = RMB 6.9404)
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China NEV sales down 2.6% MoM to 636,000 in April, CAAM data show
Irrational promotions in China's auto market since March have led to consumer wait-and-see, so auto consumption is still in a slow recovery process, the CAAM said.
China's new energy vehicle (NEV) sales in April were 636,000 units, up 112.71 percent year-on-year, but down 2.6 percent from March, according to data released today by the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers (CAAM).
The CAAM's data are wholesale sales for automakers, where NEVs include battery electric vehicles (BEVs), plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) and fuel cell vehicles.
China sold 471,000 BEVs in April, up 103.7 percent year-on-year but down 3.9 percent from March.
PHEV sales were 165,000 units, up 144.5 percent year-on-year. Sales of fuel cell vehicles were 300 units, up 222.3 percent year-on-year.
All vehicle sales in China were 2.159 million units in April, up 82.7 percent year-on-year but down 11.9 percent from March.
This means that China's NEVs had a penetration rate of 29.5 percent in April, up from 26.6 percent in March.
Production of NEVs in China was 640,000 units in April, up 110 percent year-on-year, but down 5 percent from 674,000 units in March.
Production of all vehicles in China was 2.133 million units in April, up 76.8 percent year-on-year and 17.5 percent lower than in March.
China's auto production and sales saw a significant year-on-year increase in April, but this was mainly due to a low base in the same month last year, the CAAM noted.
Irrational promotions in the Chinese auto market since March have led to consumer wait-and-see, so auto consumption is still in a slow recovery process, the CAAM said.
In addition, production and sales in China's auto industry fell in April compared to March amid adverse factors including a slower-than-expected recovery in the commercial vehicle industry, according to the CAAM.
With the current downward pressure on China's economy increasing and aggregate demand still insufficient, the stable operation of the auto industry needs the support of effective policies, the CAAM said.
In April, exports of vehicles from China were 376,000 units, up 170 percent from a year earlier up and 3.3 percent from March.
Among them, the export volume of NEVs was 100,000 units, up 840 percent year-on-year, down 28.6 percent from March.
In January-April, China's auto sales were 8.235 million units, up 7.1 percent from a year earlier.
NEVs sold 2.222 million units in January-April, up 42.8 percent year-on-year, with a market share of 27 percent.
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Renault To Rival VW With Sub-$25,000 EV From 2027
The entry-level model will take inspiration from Japanese kei cars.
Wuling Hongguang Mini EV costs 2,850 USD with a battery subscription
Wuling Hongguang Mini EV's price slashed by 1,875 USD in China, thanks to the battery subscription service.
The post Wuling Hongguang Mini EV costs 2,850 USD with a battery subscription appeared first on CarNewsChina.com.
Gotion becomes VW’s designated battery supplier for markets outside of China
The purchase order involves LFP Unified Cell products with the same design style and specifications as those for the Chinese market for Volkswagen's full range of NEVs.
(Image credit: CnEVPost)
Gotion High-tech, a Chinese power battery manufacturer, has become a supplier to Volkswagen for the German automaker's overseas markets, furthering the partnership between the two.
Gotion's wholly-owned subsidiary Hefei Gotion High-tech Power Energy Co Ltd recently received a procurement letter from Volkswagen, making the company a designated supplier for the automaker's overseas markets, according to a stock exchange announcement on May 10.
This is the latest collaboration between Gotion and Volkswagen, which is its important backer, after becoming the designated production point for Volkswagen's NCM and LFP products in China in early 2022.
The purchase order relates to LFP Unified Cell products, which will be used in Volkswagen's models in markets outside of China.
These cells use the same design style and specifications as the Chinese market and are intended for use in Volkswagen's full range of NEVs, according to the announcement.
Volkswagen and Gotion have had a long-standing relationship, with a strategic cooperation framework agreement reached in July 2021 in which Gotion developed the first generation of Unified Cells for Volkswagen's regular production models in China.
In December 2021, Volkswagen China increased its stake in Gotion to 26.47 percent, making it the largest shareholder of the Chinese battery maker.
Unified Cells can significantly reduce costs by adopting a unified design standard and are expected to cover 80 percent of Volkswagen's models in the future, according to Gotion's press release.
In early 2022, Gotion was awarded the official production point for Volkswagen China's NCM and LFP Unified Cells. In February this year, the company won the Volkswagen Cell Test Lab qualification.
In addition, construction of a high-nickel NCM material project built by Volkswagen's private placement has begun in Lujiang, Hefei, and is expected to go into production this year, Gotion said in the press release.
The 20GWh Volkswagen Unified Cell project in Xinzhan, Hefei, has almost completed the main workshop and supporting buildings and is expected to start production in the second half of this year, Gotion said.
Gotion is one of the largest power battery makers, with 2.9 GWh installed in the first quarter, ranking 8th globally with a 2.2 percent share, according to data released earlier this month by South Korean market research firm SNE Research.
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Watch How Tesla Tests Its Cars In Extreme Heat
A new official video shows how engineers push the EVs to their limits in temperatures over 122 degrees.
SAIC-GM-Wuling takes page from NIO’s book to make its Mini EV even more affordable
SAIC-GM-Wuling is allowing consumers to pay only for the vehicle body and rent the battery when they buy the Mini EV, lowering the purchase threshold to RMB 19,800 ($2,860).
(Image credit: SAIC-GM-Wuling)
SAIC-GM-Wuling is taking a page from NIO's book by allowing consumers to buy only the vehicle body and rent the battery when they buy its hot-selling Hongguang Mini EV, even though the model doesn't support a simple battery swap like NIO models.
The automaker offers this purchase option for five versions of the Hongguang Mini EV, with the lowest-priced version costing consumers an initial payment of just RMB 19,800 ($2,860) and a monthly battery rental of RMB 198 for five years thereafter.
Under the regular purchase option, this version of the Hongguang Mini EV is priced at RMB 32,800.
Of the other four higher-priced versions, two of them have a vehicle body price of RMB 29,800 and the other two are RMB 33,800, with battery leasing prices ranging from RMB 198 to RMB 558.
Hongguang Mini EV price under battery rental
| Model | Hongguang Mini EV Qingsong | Hongguang Mini EV Macaron Shishang | Hongguang Mini EV Macaron Zhenxiang | Gameboy Wanle | Gameboy Wanle |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Range | 120 km | 120 km | 170 km | 200 km | 300 km |
| Retail Price (RMB) | 32,800 | 43,800 | 49,800 | 55,800 | 67,800 |
| Vehicle Body Price (RMB) | 19,800 | 29,800 | 29,800 | 33,800 | 33,800 |
| Battery Rental (RMB) | 198 | 198 | 298 | 358 | 558 |
| Battery Rental Term | 5 years | 5 years | 5 years | 5 years | 5 years |
| Final Payment (RMB) | 1,980 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
This is similar to the battery rental service BaaS (battery as a service) offered by NIO, except that NIO owners who choose to purchase a car based on BaaS do not get ownership of the battery unless they pay a one-time fee to buy it out.
The cheapest NIO model is currently the ET5 sedan, which costs RMB 328,000. For consumers who choose to purchase based on the BaaS plan, the price will start at RMB 258,000 and the monthly battery rental fee will start at RMB 980.
NIO initially did not allow battery buyouts for BaaS-based car owners, but launched the service in April 2022.
Under NIO's plan announced at the time, vehicle owners will be allowed to terminate their BaaS lease agreement if they decide to back out.
These users will be able to get a brand new battery at the NIO service center, and in the case of a standard range battery pack, they will have to pay RMB 70,000 for the pack and a service fee of RMB 3,000.
If it is a long-range battery pack, then the cost includes RMB 128,000 for the battery and RMB 3,000 for the service fee.
SAIC-GM-Wuling is a joint venture between SAIC Group, General Motors and Liuzhou Wuling Automobile, headquartered in Liuzhou, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, southwest China.
It sells vehicles based on the GSEV (Global Small Electric Vehicle) architecture in China, including the Mini EV, KiWi EV, Nano EV and Air EV. In addition to these pure electric models, SAIC-GM-Wuling also sells fuel-powered SUVs, MPVs and vans.
It is one of the largest NEV makers in China, but sales in the first four months were down from a year ago.
From January to April, SAIC-GM-Wuling sold 111,604 NEVs, down 15.9 percent from 132,658 units in the same period last year, according to data released yesterday by the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA).
That makes SAIC-GM-Wuling the only one of the top five manufacturers of NEV sales in China to see a decline in sales of such models.
($1 = RMB 6.9338)
Full CPCA rankings: Top-selling models and automakers in China in Apr
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How Do We Decarbonize the U.S. Housing Stock?
Teams interested in developing solutions for decarbonizing existing U.S. housing are invited to apply to a new Building America Program request for proposals by May 31, 2023.
