+++ BYD has released its production and sales report for January 2023. Last month, BYD sales of NEVs (a term for pure EVs + PHEV in China) reached 151.341 units; up 62% from January 2022. The sales of passenger cars are 150.164, and the rest are buses and trucks. Among them, the sales of pure EVs reached 71.338 in January; up 53% year on year, accounting for 47.5%; The sales of PHEVs reached 78.826 in January; up 69% on the year, accounting for 52.5%. BYD sold 10.409 EVs overseas in January. In terms of production, BYD made 69.946 pure EVs and 82.987 PHEVs in January. In addition, the total installed capacity of power and energy storage batteries of new energy vehicles in January was about 8.148 GWh. According to the data, BYD sold 1.868.543 vehicles in 2022, an increase of 152% year on year, ranking first in the global sales of new energy vehicles. +++
+++ December was a very special month for plug-in electric car sales in EUROPE , as many new records were set. According to EV Volumes data, 413.483 new passenger plug-in cars were registered in Europe in December (up 46 percent year-over-year), which represents 38 percent of the total market. We never saw such high numbers: the previous record was nearly 282.000 in November. All-electric car registrations also reached a new spectacular record of 275.277 units, which is not only 51 percent more than a year ago, but also 25 percent of the total car market. Plug-in hybrids expanded to 138.206 units (up 40% year-over-year and 13% share), but this might be the last rush, before ending incentives in some European markets. In general, January/early 2023 might be a slower time in terms of plug-in car sales, but that’s not unusual. In 2022, more than 2.602.431 new passenger plug-in electric cars were registered in Europe. That’s about 23 percent of the total volume (compared to 19 percent a year earlier and 11 percent 2 years ago). It’s worth noting that BEVs expanded their share from roughly 10 percent to 14 percent thanks to 1.58 million registrations, while PHEVs (1.02 million registrations) stuck at 9 percent. In December, once again 2 electric cars from Tesla were at the top: the Model Y with an all-time EV monthly record of 32.442 and the Model 3 with 20.335 (down 23 percent year-over-year). The Model Y was also the topselling car in Europe overall. The next 2 most popular models were the Volkswagen ID.4/ID.5 (13.685 and a new record) and Volkswagen ID.3 (11.561, the second-best monthly result ever), followed by the plug-in hybrid Ford Kuga PHEV (10.726), the Dacia Spring (9.694), the Fiat 500e (8.333), the Renault Mégane E-Tech (8.084), the Volvo XC40 Recharge (7.732) and the Cupra Born (7.489). After 12 months of 2022, the 2 cars from Tesla were far ahead of the other plug-ins with respectively 138.373 Model Y and 91.257 Model 3 (down from 142.905 in 2021). Outstanding sales results of the Volkswagen ID.4 / ID.5 in late 2022 allowed it to overtake the Fiat 500e and become the third most popular electric car in Europe (68.409 versus 66.732 units). The Ford Kuga PHEV was the top-selling plug-in hybrid last year with 55.018 sales. Next came the Volkswagen ID.3 – 53.287, the Skoda Enyaq iV – 52.635, the Dacia Spring – 48.948, the Peugeot e-208 – 46.834, the Audi Q4 e-Tron – 42.540, the Hyundai Kona Electric – 41.880, the Kia Niro EV (e-Niro) – 38.633, the Hyundai Ioniq 5 – 38.080, the Renault Zoé – 37.313, the Mini Hatch Electric – 34.828, the Audi e-Tron (renamed as Q8 e-Tron) – 34.547, BMW 3-Series PHEV – 34.520, Renault Mégane E-Tech – 33.187, Cupra Born – 32.615 and Polestar 2 – 32.143. Tesla was the most popular EV brand in Europe last year, but as an automotive group, it was actually far behind the largest multi-brand OEMs. The top plug-in brands (share year-to-date) were: Tesla – 9.0%, BMW – 8.6%, Volkswagen – 8.4%, Mercedes-Benz – 8.2%, Audi – 5.6%, Kia – 5.4%, Volvo – 5.3% and Peugeot – 4.9%. The top plug-in automotive groups (share year-to-date) were: the Volkswagen Group – 20.6% share, Stellantis – 14.6% share, BMW Group – 10.5% share, Hyundai Motor Group – 10.1 % share, Mercedes Group – 9.0% share, Tesla – 9.0% share, Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi alliance – 8.7% share and Geely (including Volvo, Polestar, Lynk & Co) – 7.6%. +++
+++ HONDA provided a few more details relating to its next-generation hydrogen fuel-cell electric vehicle, which will be based on the CR-V. The as-yet-unnamed crossover will be part of the automaker’s push to eliminate carbon emissions from its lineup. In a meeting primarily focused on the automaker’s fuel cell business strategy for the future, Honda revealed the packaging of the SUV, with a fuel cell stack and electric drive motor taking up residence under the bonnet and over the front wheels, similar to the internal combustion CR-V. A hydrogen tank will appear under the back seat, with another above and just forward of the rear axle; both good locations from a crash safety perspective. An “Intelligent Power Unit” shows up in place of the gas-powered CR-V’s driveshaft, bundling a battery, electric inverter, and powertrain controls together in one module. Honda didn’t specify how large the battery is, but it’ll be enough to provide plug-in electric capability, which the automaker confirmed a few months ago. Such a system will allow owners to recharge their SUVs overnight, allowing them to drive some distance before firing up the fuel cell and reducing their dependence on the hydrogen refueling infrastructure, one of the main problems faced by owners of the Toyota Mirai and bygone Honda Clarity Fuel Cell. The fuel cell vehicle will be built at Honda’s Performance Manufacturing Center in Ohio, most famous for being the site where the now-discontinued NSX was produced. What’s more, Honda will export Japanese-market versions of the car from the Ohio facility. Sales in Japan and North America are expected to start sometime in 2024. Honda’s next-generation fuel cell, which will appear in the 2024 SUV, was developed in partnership with General Motors. The Japanese automaker claims it will cost two-thirds less than the fuel cell found in the Clarity, with double the durability thanks to more corrosion-resistant materials. The fuel cell also features faster startup times in very cold temperatures – minus 30 degrees Celsius (minus 22 degrees Fahrenheit). Representatives from the company also teased the fuel cell system that will follow by the end of the decade, offering half the cost and double the durability of next year’s unit. The automaker hopes that it will help speed the adoption of hydrogen fuel cells in heavy trucking, construction, shipping, and power generation. +++
+++ MASERATI is celebrating its illustrious history of grand tourers with a special edition of the new GranTurismo, called the PrimaSerie. Just 75 examples will be made, referring to the 75th anniversary of Maserati’s first grand tourer, the A6 1500. Production of the PrimaSerie cars will be split between 2 configurations: Grigio Lamiera and Nero Cometa. Maserati claims the PrimaSerie “heightens the experience of the all-powerful GranTurismo Trofeo”, although modifications appear to be limited to cosmetics. For the Grigio Lameira version, you get grey matte paint with red detailing on the exterior Maserati logos, air vents and wheels. This is contrasted with the extra carbon fibre trim of the Trofeo model. There’s also ‘75th anniversary’ badging on the wheel centre caps. The Nero Cometa version brings black matte paint and replaces the red detailing with mint green. Inside, you’ll find black and grey leather upholstery with the choice of red or mint green stitching, depending on your choice of configuration. 75th anniversary stitching features on all the headrests, finished in the same Corse Red or Mint Green colour. The usual Trofeo levels of equipment apply to the PrimaSerie with a 12.2 inch digital driver’s display, a central 12.3 inch infotainment screen and another 8.8 inch touchscreen for climate controls, plus a Sonus Faber sound system. Maserati hasn’t alluded to the PrimaSerie’s powertrain, but we expect it’ll be unchanged over the Trofeo. This means a twin-turbocharged V6 unit taken from the MC20 supercar, pumping out 550 hp and 650 Nm of torque. 0-100 kph will be dealt with in 3.5 seconds with the top speed standing at 330 kph. Pricing hasn’t been revealed for the PrimaSerie, or indeed if they’ll be available in the Netherlands, but I reckon it’ll cost significantly more than the price tag for the regular Trofeo. +++
+++ MITSUBISHI reported 4th quarter and annual results this week, with year-on-year increases across the board in sales and production. Despite the fact that industry-wide supply constraints imposed limitations, the company saw increases across its markets in Asia, Europe, and North America. In the Japanese home market, the production of Mitsubishi cars and trucks increased 172 percent year-on-year in December to 44.091, totalling 440.762 units for 2022. Overseas production increased to 42.718, a gain of 67.7 for December, and totalled 571.646 for the year. Altogether, Mitsubishi produced 1.012.408 vehicles across Japan, Thailand, China and Indonesia. Likewise, export numbers were up, with Japan exporting 23.538 units in December, for a total of 222.242 for the year. Exports for the rest of the world totalled 14.577 for December and 133.729 for the full year. Mitsubishi did not provide a breakdown of vehicle sales by model in its report. However, in the US, the Outlander remained the company’s top seller, with 40.942 units sold through 2022, the best single year in the nameplate’s history. The new Outlander PHEV arrived in dealerships by late November, accounting for 20 percent of the Outlander’s sales for the remainder of the year. In all, Outlander sales increased 37.5 percent in the 4th quarter versus the same period a year ago. There were other significant bright spots for Mitsubishi in the US, despite ongoing challenges with vehicle and part supply, a changing economy, and hard weather across the country. In addition to the Outlander, Eclipse Cross sales increased by 9.8 percent over 2021. Most notably, retail-only sales increased while fleet sales declined. Mitsubishi continues to revamp its lineup for 2023 and beyond. Last fall, it reintroduced its Ralliart nameplate as a special edition package on key models. The company also tested its new L200 midsize truck on US soil, which could return as a rebranded Ram Dakota at some point in the future. Then there were renderings of a new Eclipse sports car, which could imply Mitsubishi is considering resurrecting the car, which was popular in the 1990s and early 2000s. +++
+++ According to it’s monthly delivery figures, Chinese EV manufacturer, NIO delivered 8.506 models in January 2023, 46% less than the deliveries in December 2022. Like Xpeng’s delivery figures, NIO also suffered a decline due to the Chinese New Year holidays. For December, NIO delivered a record 15.815 vehicles. In its update, the automaker said it delivered 2.190 SUVs and 6.316 sedans. This brings its cumulative vehicle deliveries to 298.062 as of January 31, 2023. NIO currently has 6 models on the market, including the ES6, ES7, ES8, ET5, EC6 and ET7. The ET5 and ET7 are sedans, while the rest are SUVs. The automaker also launched 2 new models, the NIO EC7 and new NIO ES8 on it annual NIO day in 2022. These new models are expected to begin deliveries in May and June 2023. While delivery figures suffered a decline, battery swaps and charging services went the other way. From January 13, 2023 to January 31, 2023, the peak travel season around the Chinese New Year Holiday, NIO provided over 1 million power swaps to its users, among which over 300 thousand swaps were completed at the NIO power swap stations along the highways and over 11 thousand swaps were flexible battery upgrades. In a meeting with car owners in Beijing, NIO president, Qin Lihong announced that entry-level subbrand Alps will start deliveries in 2024, and Nio’s third brand Firefly will launch in Europe before China in the third quarter of 2024 and focus on budget-friendly cars. Qin Lihong also announced that the first users would get hands on the NIO Phone in the second quarter of 2023, but only for testing purposes, and it will be offered to Nio EP Club members first. The deliveries for the general public are planned for the third quarter of 2023. He also stated that the Nio ET5 station wagon (kombi) will launch in Europe in June or July.
+++ In mid-2022, PORSCHE boss Oliver Blume announced plans to expand the lineup by adding a new SUV positioned above the Macan and Cayenne. The electric-only model will be made at home in Leipzig, Germany and target a higher-end segment of the market with bigger profit margins. The folks from Zuffenhausen have been tight-lipped about the model, but Autocar is attempting to fill in the blanks ahead of the vehicle’s expected market launch around 2027. The 7-seat electric SUV will be 2 times more expensive then the Cayenne in the Netherlands before adding options. It apparently carries the K1 codename and has been in development since 2020 on the PPE (Premium Platform Electric) architecture Porsche is co-developing with Audi. PPE will premiere with the next-generation, electric-only Macan and the Q6 e-Tron and Porsche’s zero-emission 7-seat SUV will use an evolution of the dedicated EV platform. The luxobarge is rumoured to benefit from a 920 Volt electric system with quicker charging and boast a large battery pack with a capacity exceeding 100 kWh. The most frugal version of Porsche’s largest vehicle ever is said to offer a maximum range of 700 kilometres in the WLTP cycle. Oil cooling for the electric motors is said to be planned, along with all-wheel steering to turn the rear wheels up to 5 degrees. As far as styling is concerned, expect to see a “part saloon, part crossover” silhouette measuring over 5 metres. It’s said to have a gently curved roof, a steeply raked windscreen, a short bonnet, and a liftback-style tailgate. It is believed Porsche intends to give the K1 real off-road chops with a dedicated driving mode that will considerably jack up the air suspension. The K1 will allegedly become the fifth EV from the brand as the Taycan, Macan, Boxster / Cayman will be joined in 2026 by a purely electric Cayenne. Logic tells us the latter will be smaller and more affordable than the 3-row model, which Oliver Blume has described as being “a very sporting interpretation of an SUV”. When it does eventually arrive, the K1’s main markets are going to be North America and China. +++
+++ The SUZUKI Vitara is one of the very few subcompact crossovers that are available with a hybrid engine and all-wheel drive. In 2020, the model received new mild hybrid tech, which replaced the previous pure petrol mill for the European market. It isn’t a very quick vehicle, obviously, but you’ll be surprised by how good the electrified Vitara is in the corners. A new Vitara equipped with that engine was recently moose-tested. The 1.4-litre mild hybrid powertrain under the bonnet is good for 129 hp and 235 Nm of torque. As a side note, the only other subcompact crossover with all-wheel drive and a hybrid engine in Europe is the Toyota Yaris Cross. There’s also the Suzuki S-Cross, but it is slightly bigger and more expensive than the Vitara. This particular car rides on Continental EcoContact 5 tyres in 215/55 R17 size. These are purely road tyres with no off-road aspirations, which means they should give the Vitara proper grip around the cones in the moose test. In the first attempt, the driver doesn’t hit any cones with a speed of 74 kilometres per hour. The Vitara remains composed and the driver says it is easy to maintain the direction with the crossover’s direct steering. The electronic stability system also does a great job of slowing down the vehicle and making it even easier to be controlled. In the second attempt, the speed is increased slightly and while there’s more notable oversteering, the car still manages to cover the test without hitting the cones. This is actually the highest achieved speed 75 kph at which the test is passed with flying colours. Even in the failed attempts, however, the Vitara continues to have predictable reactions and to feel safe in general. The subcompact crossover does an even better impression in the 18-metre slalom. +++
+++ In January, new passenger car registrations in the UNITED KINGDOM increased by almost 15 percent year-over-year to 131.994 units. Meanwhile, plug-in electric car registrations amounted to 26.403, which is over 12 percent more than a year ago. This means that the market share slightly decreased. It’s now down to 20.0 percent. The situation is slightly better in the case of all-electric cars, as BEV registrations increased by nearly 20 percent (more than the overall market), to 17.294. Plug-in hybrids were up only by 0.7 percent year-over-year to 9.109. For reference, in 12 months of 2022, more than 368.000 new passenger plug-in cars were registered in the UK, reaching an average market share of 22.8%. BEVs sold 267.203 units (up 40% year-over-year) at a market share of 16.6% and PHEVs did 101.414 (down 11% year-over-year) at a market share of 6.3%. According to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), it’s expected that plug-in cars account for more than 1 in 4 new registrations in 2023 and almost 1 in 3 in 2024. However, the issue is the rollout of charging infrastructure, which is not sufficient, according to the SMMT. In January, none of the standalone electric cars managed to enter the top 10. Let’s recall that in 2022, the Tesla Model Y was the third most popular model in the UK, but its deliveries are usually concentrated in the final months of a quarter. +++
+++ VOLVO has suggested that it may launch a new sports car but even if such a model does become a reality, it won’t do so for quite some time. While the Swedish marque isn’t as closely associated with performance vehicles as some of its rivals, it did tip its toe back into the sports car realm with the limited-run P1800 Cyan. Volvo Car’s chief operating officer Bjorn Annwall said it is important for the brand to have a flagship model and appeared open to the idea of a sports car. “Every car brand needs a bit of spice that helps kind of push the boundaries of what the car really is, and I think Volvo should have those complimentary car products as well”, he said. While Annwall wouldn’t confirm if the automaker was working on a new 2-door car, he acknowledged the appeal of such models. Ultimately, however, they need to make business sense. “As a car designer we always like to do fun stuff like a coupe or a super sports car because it’s fun, it’s always fun”, he said. “But as a company you make products that people want and has a business case. Everything is possible, I would say. It depends where the market goes and what the customer wants”. “Stay tuned”, Annwall said when asked directly about whether or not a new sports car is a possibility. In the meantime, the Swedish car manufacturer is working to build out its range of SUVs, including all-electric models like the EX30, EX40, EX60, and EX90. It is only after these models hit the market that Volvo could turn its attention to a sports car. +++
