Category: Industry News

Regulatory filing: VW ID.7 coming to China

The ID.7 is 4,956 mm long and is powered by an electric motor with a peak power of 150 kW.

The new model of Volkswagen's ID family, the ID.7, may not be far from its launch in China, as it enters a regulatory catalog.

China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology today announced the latest batch of models that will soon be allowed to be sold, and the ID.7 from FAW-Volkswagen is included.

The Chinese public can submit feedback between April 12 and April 18. Entry into the catalog is the last major regulatory process for a model to be allowed to be sold in China.

The ID.7 has a length, width and height of 4,956 mm, 1,862 mm and 1,537 mm, respectively, and a wheelbase of 2,965 mm, according to the filing page.

In powertrain, the model is available in only one version, with a 150-kW peak power motor and a top speed of 155 km/h.

It has a ternary lithium battery pack and the manufacturer is a joint venture between FAW and .

In late January, Volkswagen announced that the ID.7, the sixth model in the ID series, will make its world debut in the second quarter.

The ID.7 will be a premium model and Volkswagen's second global model based on the MEB platform, following the ID.4.

On April 5, VW announced that testing of the ID.7 is almost complete and the model will be officially launched on April 17.

"The new ID.7 will enhance the upper mid-size class in Europe, China and North America," Volkswagen said in an April 5 press release.

Volkswagen's ID series of electric vehicles in China are produced by its two main joint ventures.

FAW-Volkswagen's ID. series models on sale are the ID.4 Crozz and ID.6 Crozz, two SUVs with suggested retail prices starting at RMB 217,900 ($31,660) and RMB 258,900, respectively.

SAIC Volkswagen's ID. series models are the ID.4 X and ID.6 X, with suggested retail prices starting at RMB 195,888 and RMB 259,888, respectively.

In addition to the two models in the ID. series, SAIC Volkswagen also offers the compact ID.3 model with a suggested retail price starting at RMB 162,888.

A month ago, as the price war in China's auto industry intensified, FAW-Volkswagen offered discounts of up to RMB 40,000 on ID. family models, bringing the starting price of the SUV series to as low as RMB 174,900.

($1 = RMB 6.8823)

VW joins China auto price war, offers up to $5,820 discount on ID. series EVs

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Polestar 4 to make global debut at Shanghai auto show on Apr 18

Polestar said the Polestar 4 will have the aerodynamics of a coupe and the space of an SUV.

(Image credit: Polestar)

Another new model from Polestar is coming, as the official debut of the Polestar 3 in China is just less than a month ago.

The all-electric high-performance SUV Polestar 4 will make its global debut on April 18, the first day of the Shanghai auto show, the premium electric vehicle maker owned by and Volvo Cars announced on April 11.

The upcoming biennial Shanghai auto show will be held from April 18-27, with press days from April 18-19, professional visitor days from April 20-21, and general public access from April 22-27.

Polestar's booth at the Shanghai auto show is located in Hall 6.2, and the company will hold a press conference on April 18 from 9:20 to 9:40.

The Polestar 4 will be the latest addition to Polestar's product family and will have the aerodynamics of a coupe and the space of an SUV, the company said.

The model is not a refinement of Polestar's existing SUV, but a newly built coupe SUV, said Thomas Ingenlath, CEO of the EV maker.

The Polestar 4 is derived from Polestar's Precept concept design ideas and will have new technology, the company said.

Polestar did not reveal any more information about the Polestar 4. It will present the Polestar 3 at the Shanghai auto show as well as the 2024 Polestar 2.

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 considered the brand's first real production model on sale, although the model has not been well received in China.

On October 12, 2022, the Polestar 3 SUV made its global debut, when Polestar announced two versions with starting prices in China of RMB 880,000 ($127,770) and RMB 1,030,000, respectively.

On March 17, Polestar officially unveiled the Polestar 3 in China, with a price reduction of nearly RMB 200,000 from the model's international debut last year.

($1 = RMB 6.8873)

Polestar 3 officially unveiled in China, price cut by about $29,080 from previous

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Regulatory filing: MG’s electric roadster Cyberster not far from launch in China

MG's electric roadster Cyberster is not far from being available in China after the model made its debut at the Shanghai auto show two years ago.

The arrival of the electric vehicle (EV) era has led to many models that feel fresh in China, and an electric roadster from MG is the latest one.

China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology released the latest batch of models that will soon be allowed to be sold in a catalog for public comment on April 11, and MG's Cyberster was included.

Entry into the catalog is the last major regulatory process for a model to be allowed to be sold in China. The public can submit feedback between April 12 and April 18.

MG has filed three versions for the Cyberster, including two single-motor versions as well as a dual-motor version.

The MG Cyberster is a two-seater with a length of 4,535 mm, a width of 1,913 mm, a height of 1,329 mm and a wheelbase of 2,690 mm.

Both single-motor versions are equipped with rear-mounted permanent magnet synchronous motors, the lower version with 231 kW peak power and the other with 250 kW peak power, both supporting a top speed of 193 km/h.

The dual-motor version is equipped with two permanent magnet synchronous motors with peak power of 150 kW and 250 kW, respectively, and supports a top speed of 200 km/h.

The MG Cyberster is powered by ternary lithium-ion batteries from a joint venture between SAIC and .

It is worth noting that the MG Cyberster was first unveiled two years ago on the first day of the Shanghai auto show -- April 19, 2021 -- based on the MG cyber cube platform.

MG conducted a crowdfunding campaign for the roadster at the time, and then confirmed that the model would be mass-produced after the crowdfunding amount reached RMB 50 million.

The official release date and price information for the model are currently unknown.

MG, short for Morris Garages, is a vehicle brand owned by Shanghai-based SAIC Motor Corporation.

Neta unveils two-door electric sports car Neta GT, deliveries expected in H1

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China’s NEV sales up 24% MoM to 653,000 in Mar, CAAM data show

The CAAM proposes that China's central and local governments continue to introduce policies to promote auto consumption, given the current weak market expectations.

China's NEV sales up 24% MoM to 653,000 in Mar, CAAM data show-CnEVPost

China's new energy vehicle (NEV) sales in March were 653,000 units, up 34.8 percent year-on-year and up 24.4 percent from February, according to data released today by the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers (CAAM).

The CAAM released data on wholesale sales by automakers, where NEVs include battery electric vehicles (BEVs), plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHEVs) and fuel cell vehicles.

China saw BEV sales of 490,000 units in March, up 23.8 percent year-on-year. PHEV sales were 163,000 units, up 84.3 percent year-on-year. Sales of fuel cell vehicles were 50 units, up 27 percent year-on-year.

China's NEV sales up 24% MoM to 653,000 in Mar, CAAM data show-CnEVPost

Sales of all vehicles in China were 2.451 million units in March, up 9.7 percent year-on-year and up 24 percent from February.

China's NEV sales up 24% MoM to 653,000 in Mar, CAAM data show-CnEVPost

This means that China's NEVs had a penetration rate of 26.6 percent in March, the same as in February.

China's NEV sales up 24% MoM to 653,000 in Mar, CAAM data show-CnEVPost

Production of NEVs in China was 674,000 units in March, up 44.8 percent year-on-year and up 22.1 percent from February.

Production of all vehicles in China was 2,584,000 units in March, up 15.3 percent year-on-year and 27.2 percent from February.

With purchase tax incentives for internal combustion engine vehicles and purchase subsidies for NEVs both expiring at the end of last year, coupled with price cuts since the beginning of the year, China's auto industry faced significant pressure in the first quarter, the CAAM said.

The CAAM proposes that China's central and local governments continue to introduce policies to promote auto consumption, given the current weak market expectations.

In March, exports of vehicles from China were 364,000 units, up 110 percent from a year earlier and up 10.6 percent from February.

Among them, the export volume of NEVs was 78,000 units, up 390 percent year-on-year but down 10.3 percent from February.

In January-March, China's vehicle sales were 6.076 million units, down 6.7 percent from a year earlier, according to the CAAM.

NEVs sold 1.586 million units in January-March, up 26.2 percent year-on-year, with a market share of 26.1 percent.

China's Mar passenger NEV retail up 23.6% MoM to 543,000, CPCA data show

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China’s Mar passenger NEV retail up 23.6% MoM to 543,000, CPCA data show

In retail, China's NEV penetration rate was 34.2 percent in March, up 6 percentage points from 28.2 percent in March 2022 and up from 31.6 percent in February.

Retail sales of new energy passenger vehicles (passenger NEVs) in China were 543,000 units in March, up 21.9 percent year-on-year and up 23.6 percent from February, according to data released by the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA) on April 10.

This is lower than the CPCA's preliminary figure of 549,000 units released on April 6, and lower than the 560,000 units it estimated in its March 25 report.

Battery electric vehicles (BEVs) continued to dominate, with 383,000 retail sales in March, accounting for 70.5 percent of all NEV retail sales. This represents a 6.4 percent year-on-year increase and a 30.1 percent increase from February.

Plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHEVs) accounted for 160,000 retail sales in March, contributing 29.5 percent of NEV retail sales, up 87.6 percent year-on-year and up 10.4 percent from February.

Retail sales of all passenger vehicles in China were 1,587,000 units in March, up 0.3 percent year-on-year and up 14.3 percent from February, according to the CPCA.

In terms of retail sales, China's NEV penetration rate was 34.2 percent in March, up 6 percentage points from 28.2 percent in March 2022 and up from 31.6 percent in February.

The penetration rate of NEVs was 54.7 percent for local brands, 33.6 percent for luxury brands and 4.2 percent for mainstream joint venture brands.

Wholesale sales of new energy passenger vehicles in China were 617,000 units in March, up 35.2 percent year-on-year and up 24.5 percent from February.

This represents a 31 percent penetration of NEVs at wholesale in March, up 6 percentage points from the 25.1 percent penetration in March 2022 and up from 30.6 percent in February.

Chinese domestic brands saw a NEV penetration of 46.4 percent at wholesale in March, compared to 36 percent for luxury brands and 3.7 percent for mainstream joint venture brands.

China exported 70,000 passenger NEVs in March, with BEVs accounting for 94.3 percent of the total.

SAIC passenger car unit exported 23,654 units, BYD 13,312 units and China 12,206 units in March.

The recent drop in the price of lithium carbonate has helped manufacturers launch more cost-effective NEV models, the CPCA said.

But at the same time, the recent price cuts by some NEV companies may trigger a wait-and-see mood among consumers, the CPCA said.

Tesla delivers 76,663 vehicles in China in Mar, exports 12,206 from Shanghai plant

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China’s Mar NEV retail sales at 549,000 units, preliminary CPCA data show

This was up 27 percent from February, but below the CPCA's estimate of around 560,000 units announced in late March.

Retail sales of new energy passenger vehicles (passenger NEVs) in China were 549,000 units in March, up 5 percent year-on-year and up 27 percent from February, preliminary figures released today by the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA) show.

Notably, the CPCA's estimate released on March 24 showed that retail sales of passenger NEVs in China in March were expected to be around 560,000 units.

The lower figure released today means that the NEV market performed weaker in the last week of March than the CPCA had expected.

In the first quarter, retail sales of passenger NEVs in China were 1.139 million units, up 15 percent from a year earlier, the CPCA said today.

Wholesale sales of passenger NEVs in China rose 32 percent to 599,000 units in March, up 21 percent from the previous month.

In the first quarter, wholesale sales of passenger NEVs in China were 1.483 million units, up 24 percent from a year earlier.

Retail sales of all passenger vehicles in China were 1.596 million units in March, flat from a year ago and up 17 percent from last February, according to the CPCA.

This means that the penetration of passenger NEVs at retail in March was 34.4 percent, up 2.8 percentage points from 31.6 percent in February.

In the first quarter, retail sales of all passenger vehicles in China were 4.275 million units, down 13 percent year-on-year.

Wholesale sales of passenger vehicles in China were 1.955 million units in March, up 7 percent year-on-year and up 22 percent from February.

In the first quarter, China's passenger car wholesale sales were 5.021 million units, down 8 percent year-on-year.

With a large number of car companies stepping up their promotions in March, demand for cars was concentrated, putting pressure on the normal order of the market, the CPCA said.

From the performance of the first four weeks of March, the conversion rate of customer traffic is not high, consumers were in a wait-and-see mood, and the overall demand was weak, the CPCA said.

Here are the CPCA's weekly retail sales data for the Chinese passenger vehicle market in March, as announced today:

Average daily retail sales of passenger vehicles in the first week of March were 31,000 units, down 16 percent year-on-year and down 14 percent from the same period in February.

Average daily sales for the second week of March were 37,000 units, down 18 percent year-on-year and down 8 percent from the same period in February.

Average daily sales for the third week of March were 41,000 units, up 10 percent year-on-year and up 7 percent from the same period in February.

Average daily sales for the fourth week of March were 46,000 units, up 18 percent year-on-year but down 35 percent from the same period in February.

Sales for the fifth week of March were reported at 115,000 units, up 3 percent year-on-year and up 63 percent from the same period in February.

China NEV insurance registrations for week ending April 2: BYD 46,218, Tesla 14,275, NIO 2,730

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Price wars fail to boost China’s auto consumption

With consumers in a wait-and-see mood, orders and transaction rates did not increase significantly, and auto demand recovered less than expected, the CADA said.

Price wars fail to boost China's auto consumption-CnEVPost

Many automakers in China launched rare price wars in March to try to boost sales. But these moves do not seem to have achieved the results they wanted.

In March, following significant promotions by automakers in Hubei province, dozens of provinces and cities, including Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai and Zhejiang, offered deals that gave dealership store traffic a quick boost, the China Automobile Dealers Association (CADA) said in an April 3 report.

However, orders and transaction rates did not increase significantly as consumers were in a wait-and-see mood, and auto consumer demand did not recover as expected, the CADA said.

The Vehicle Inventory Alert Index for China's auto market was 62.4 percent in March, down 1.2 percentage points from a year ago but up 4.3 percentage points from February, according to the CADA report.

The index's break-even value is 50 percent, and a reading above that benchmark means the auto distribution industry is in contraction territory, according to the report.

China's switch to the 6b emissions standard was not the main reason for the wave of price cuts, the CADA said, adding that most dealers said their inventories of 6a-based vehicles are not high and could be cleared by the end of June.

However, there are still a large number of 6b-based vehicles that do not meet RDE (real-world driving emission) standards, and with lower-than-expected sales in the first quarter, these vehicles face challenges in completing inventory clearance by the end of June, the CADA said.

In March, vehicle prices were volatile and customer wait-and-see sentiment was strong, resulting in lower orders and turnover rates and a decline in dealer profitability, according to the report.

More than 60 percent of dealers said they met less than 80 percent of their sales targets in the first quarter. Of those, 20.5 percent of dealers achieved 70-80 percent of their sales targets and 46.0 percent achieved less than 70 percent, the CADA said.

Separately, the CADA said in another report on April 3 that the March auto consumption index was 72.5, down from 74.6 percent in February.

March auto sales did not meet expectations, and dealers predict that without major policy changes in April, auto sales will be essentially unchanged from March, the CADA said.

In March, the demand sub-index of the auto consumption index was 68.2, down from 73.3 in February, the CADA said, adding that this signals a decline in demand for cars in April.

Price wars fail to boost China's auto consumption-CnEVPost

China's Mar passenger NEV wholesale sales up 20% MoM to 600,000, CPCA estimates show

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Buick to launch Electra E5 electric SUV in China on Apr 13

The Electra E5, Buick's first electric model based on the Ultium platform, is a 5-seat SUV measuring 4,892 mm in length.

(Image credit: Buick)

General Motors' Buick brand will launch its first electric model based on the Ultium platform in China next week, in what could be one of the most anticipated EV offerings from a foreign brand here.

Buick will launch the Electra E5, a large five-seat all-electric SUV, in China on April 13 and will be offered in standard, long-range and Avenir four-wheel-drive versions, SAIC-GM, GM's joint venture in China, announced today.

The Electra E5 features the Pure Design concept, the new generation Virtual Cockpit System (VCS), and Buick eConnect network connectivity technology, SAIC-GM said.

The model will feature exclusive battery cells with a CLTC range of up to 620 km and can consume as little as 13.5 kWh per 100 km.

Its Avenir 4WD version will feature the Ultium 8-in-1 electric drive system with a permanent magnet synchronous motor in the front and an induction asynchronous motor in the rear.

The Avenir version uses a battery pack with a capacity of 80 kWh, offering strong performance and range, SAIC said.

China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology released a list of models that will be allowed to be sold in China for public comment last November 16, and the Buick Electra was included.

The Electra E5, which entered the catalog at the time, has a single electric motor with 180 kW of peak power and a top speed of 180 km per hour.

The Buick Electra E5 measures 4,892 mm in length, 1,905 mm in width and 1,655 mm in height, and has a wheelbase of 2,954 mm, the filing data show.

Its power battery is a ternary lithium battery, and the supplier is a joint venture between Chinese power battery giant and SAIC.

The battery pack has a capacity of 68.4 kWh and will give the vehicle a CLTC range of 545 km.

Last December 19, Buick began warming up for the Electra E5, saying the model would be launched soon.

On December 28, Buick saw the first pilot vehicles of the Electra E5 roll off the line at the Ultium plant in Wuhan, Hubei province, central China.

Regulatory filing: Buick Electra all-electric SUV not far from launch in China

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China’s Mar passenger NEV wholesale sales up 20% MoM to 600,000, CPCA estimates show

In the first quarter, wholesale sales of new energy passenger vehicles in China are expected to be 1.48 million, up 25 percent year-on-year, the CPCA said.

China's March wholesale sales of new energy passenger vehicles (passenger NEVs) are expected to be 600,000 units, up 20 percent from February and up 30 percent year-on-year, the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA) said in a report today.

In February, the 10 manufacturers that sold more than 10,000 NEVs at wholesale contributed 83 percent of all wholesale sales, the CPCA said.

These companies are expected to sell 477,000 units in March, and the normal structure would put China's March wholesale sales of passenger NEVs above 570,000 units, the CPCA said.

Considering that some small and medium-sized companies' NEV sales improved significantly from February, the passenger car market in March could be optimistic, the CPCA said.

In the first quarter, wholesale sales of passenger NEVs in China are expected to be 1.48 million, up 25 percent year-on-year, the CPCA said.

China's passenger NEV sales fell sharply in January, as subsidies for the purchase of NEVs were withdrawn, as well as under the influence of the Chinese New Year holiday. The market gradually rebounded in February.

In March, China's passenger NEV market maintained a rebound despite disruptions from gasoline vehicle promotions, the CPCA said.

With recent lithium carbonate price reductions evident, some manufacturers actively allowed production and sales to slow down in the first quarter to reduce costs, the CPCA noted.

At one point in late November last year, battery-grade lithium carbonate was quoted at RMB 590,000 ($85,790) per ton in China, about 14 times the average RMB 41,000 per ton price in June 2020.

Since then, lithium carbonate offers have continued to move downward, without seeing a single day of gains this year.

Battery-grade lithium carbonate prices in China today fell RMB 8,500 per ton, or 3.66 percent, to RMB 224,000 per ton, according to Mysteel data monitored by CnEVPost.

Industrial-grade lithium carbonate fell RMB 6,000 per ton, or 3.08 percent, to RMB 189,000 per ton today.

($1 = RMB 6.8774)

Tesla sells 88,869 China-made vehicles in Mar, CPCA data show

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Hengchi 5 gets assisted driving capability days after Evergrande NEV warns of production halt risk

The H-Pilot assisted driving system is available for the first time for the Hengchi 5, giving the vehicle the ability to perform full-speed adaptive cruise control and lane keeping.

Hengchi 5 gets assisted driving capability days after Evergrande NEV warns of production halt risk-CnEVPost

Evergrande New Energy Vehicle Group (Evergrande NEV), the EV division of China Evergrande Group, brought an important software update to its first production model, even though it made an announcement two weeks ago that there was a risk of discontinuing production.

The Hengchi 5 received an OTA upgrade on April 3, with the H-Pilot assisted driving system available for the first time, Evergrande NEV said in articles on its social media accounts yesterday.

With the update, Hengchi 5 will see 12 controller (ECU) optimizations, 14 new features, and 25 functional optimizations.

With H-Pilot support, the Hengchi 5 will be able to achieve full-speed adaptive cruise control and lane-keeping on city streets as well as highways.

Hengchi 5 gets assisted driving capability days after Evergrande NEV warns of production halt risk-CnEVPost

The vehicle will also receive automatic emergency braking capability, which monitors the vehicle's environment in front of it in real time and automatically slows it down in the event of a potential collision.

Hengchi 5 also gains nine assisted driving features, including cornering speed assist, forward/rearward collision warning, lane departure warning, blind spot monitoring, and traffic sign recognition.

Hengchi will continue to bring users a better driving experience through OTA upgrades, the article said, adding that higher-level intelligent driving systems will be opened up next.

Hengchi 5 gets assisted driving capability days after Evergrande NEV warns of production halt risk-CnEVPost

Hengchi 5 is the first model of Evergrande NEV's Hengchi Auto in production, which opened for delivery on October 29, 2022.

The model is currently available in only one version with a starting price of RMB 179,000 ($26,010).

Here is a video about the OTA update posted by Hengchi on its Weibo account.

On December 2 last year, Reuters reported that Evergrande NEV had suspended mass production of the Hengchi 5 due to a lack of sufficient new orders for the SUV.

On March 23, Evergrande NEV said in a Hong Kong Stock Exchange announcement that it was at risk of suspending production without access to additional liquidity.

Hengchi 5 was in continuous volume production and has delivered more than 900 units, according to the announcement.

Trading in Evergrande NEV's shares in Hong Kong has been suspended since April 1, 2022, and a date for restarting trading has not yet been set.

($1 = RMB 6.8819)

Hengchi 5 gets assisted driving capability days after Evergrande NEV warns of production halt risk-CnEVPost

Evergrande NEV warns risks of production halt if it can't get additional liquidity

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