+++ ALFA ROMEO will launch a large electric SUV in 2027, pitched against the BMW iX, the Lotus Eletre, the next-generation Porsche Cayenne and a promised new crossover model from Alpine. Occupying the E-segment, it will follow a replacement for the Stelvio in the class below, Alfa Romeo CEO Jean-Philippe Imparato told. It will be “higher” than Alfa’s previous E-segment offering, the 166 saloon of 1998-2007, said Imparato. However, it will be lower than traditional SUVs in the segment, in a bid to boost aerodynamic efficiency and provide engaging dynamics. It will be based on the same EV-only STLA Large platform as the next Stelvio and the Giulia saloon’s replacement. This new platform has been designed to suit the kinds of cars offered by Stellantis’s premium brands (Alfa, DS, Lancia and Maserati). Its 800 Volt electrical architecture enables ultra rapid charging, so a substantial chunk of the new Alfa SUV’s long range (up to 800 km) could be replenished in less than 30 minutes by the most powerful public chargers. The biggest car to wear Alfa’s famous ‘scudetto’ shield grille will be sold in Europe, but the key markets for it are the US and China, said Imparato. “If I stay just in Western Europe, I will never build the car because the volumes are small and because I don’t know how the segment will evolve”, he explained. Using the STLA Large platform gives Alfa the option to fit up to 3 motors to its new SUV; a layout that has already been associated with a 1.000 hp-plus Quadrifoglio performance version of the forthcoming electric Giulia. The SUV will also come with Tesla-rivalling levels of digital functionality, thanks to Stellantis’s new STLA Brain electronic architecture, which will allow the option of handsfree driving as well as a far more intuitive infotainment interface than that in current Alfa models. However, Alfa said that, despite it being able to pick from a full range of software-powered options, its future cars will be focused far more on the handling and driving experience than flashy tech. “The drivability of the car, that’s where I put the energy”, said Imparato. Despite the switch to an EV-specific platform removing the constraints of combustion-drivetrain proportions, Alfa feels it’s important to retain the traditional rear-wheel-drive visual focus of its larger cars. “I think an Alfa Romeo is a driver’s car. We have to put emphasis in the rear muscles so it really looks rear-wheel drive”, design chief Alejandro Mesonero-Romanos told. +++
+++ Thailand’s latest vehicle registration data for September 2023 reveals that BYD continued to lead the EV market in the country. During September, BYD achieved record-breaking sales of 3.242 EVs in Thailand. In the overall market context, Thailand reported 6.875 EV sales for September, with BYD capturing 47% market share. When assessing the cumulative figures for the first 9 months of the year, Thailand registered 50.347 EVs, with BYD accounting for 36% of these sales. From January to September, Thailand’s total vehicle sales reached 500.942 units, with EVs constituting 10.05% of this figure. This represents a significant shift from the previous year when only 9.729 EVs were sold in Thailand. The year-to-date 2023 sales surpass last year’s figures by over 5 times. Regarding monthly sales dominance, BYD emerged as the leading EV brand in Thailand for all months except June. In June, Neta claimed the top spot. Examining specific models, BYD’s Dolphin and Atto 3 have proven highly popular in Thailand, reflecting their status as critical global export models for BYD. In September, the top-3 EV brands in Thailand were BYD, MG and Neta, all of which are of Chinese origin. Furthermore, among the 5 brands with the highest sales, all except Tesla were Chinese. Chinese manufacturers collectively command an impressive 87% share of the Thai EV market. BYD recently introduced its Seal model to the Thai market on September 28. The response was remarkable, with over 1.000 orders placed within just 1 hour of the launch. Deliveries of this model are expected to commence on a large scale in Thailand in October. BYD is also actively expanding its local manufacturing capabilities. Construction is underway for the company’s factory in Thailand, slated for production commencement in 2024. This facility aims to manufacture 150.000 EVs annually. +++
+++ The next-generation, all-electric CITROEN C3 will be unveiled on 17 October, the brand has confirmed. Autointernationaal.nl reported in June that the new C3 will cost less than €28.000 in the Netherlands. This would make the ë-C3 one of the cheapest electric cars currently available on the Dutch market, undercutting the BYD Dolphin (€29.990). The new model will be identical in its dimensions to the outgoing combustion-engined C3 and have a strong relationship with the ‘CC21’ C3 introduced in India and Latin America last year. Its styling is inspired by the Oli concept shown last year, featuring similar lighting signatures to the forward-thinking pick-up. The ë-C3 will be “fully equipped” with niceties including airconditioning and electric windows, Citroën said in June, adding that it will be underpinned by a “BEV-native” platform. It added that the new car would have a range of more than 300 km, but did not reveal further technical details. Citroën stressed the continuing importance of the C3 to its range. Sales have topped 5.5 million since the model first appeared and the company is seeking worldwide expansion. Citroën CEO Thierry Koskas, who is also sales and marketing chief of the whole Stellantis group, said the new C3 would be offered in a much-simplified 3-level range, each of which will have a maximum of 5 options. He believes this simplicity will aid buyers who are often confused and frustrated by range complexity and will also streamline the production system at Citroën’s factory in Slovakia. With the new C3 range, Koskas also plans to offer what he called fair price transparency, an attempt to reduce discounting, although he still said the prices would “not be frozen” and there would still be room for some negotiation. He sees maintaining prices at near-quoted levels as “a matter of discipline”. There’s no firm news yet on Dutch prices or launch date, but the ë-C3 is expected to reach our market soon after it’s offered in France. The fear in recent years has been that Europe’s car manufacturers would concentrate on building expensive EVs and allow rivals, principally Chinese, first to capture the low-end EV market and then to move into more expensive sectors at their leisure. Citroën has launched a fightback, and it’s rather a surprise that it will begin as early as October this year. The forthcoming ë-C3 is a brand-new, affordable and European-made EV coming to reinforce a meagre range of small European EVs, such as the redoubtable Renault Zoe, which it undercuts considerably. You could hardly think of a move in the modern car market more ideal for spearheading a new marketing ‘kick’ for Citroën than this, and that’s how the firm intends to use it. The creators of the legendary 2CV, built from 1948, would be proud. +++
+++ The GENEVA MOTOR SHOW will return next year in a slimmed-down revamped format that will have “the car at the centre”, according to organizers. The long-running Swiss event hasn’t run for the past 4 years, after the 2020 edition was cancelled due to the pandemic and “uncertainties in the global economy” prevented a 2023 comeback. +++
+++ HONDA and trading house Mitsubishi Corp. have signed a pact to explore new businesses using electric-vehicle batteries, the companies said on Thursday. The move comes as car makers worldwide embrace battery-driven electric vehicles, but struggle with questions such as tackling the environmental impact after the batteries run out. “Honda will not only sell EVs, but take a proactive approach to energy management, where EV batteries will be utilized as an energy source”, the firm’s chief executive, Toshihiro Mibe, said in a statement. Under their memorandum of understanding, the companies look to set up a business in monitoring usage of Honda’s mini-EV model battery and transferring the auto battery to stationary energy storage, they said. Honda will begin sales of the EV model in Japan in 2024. They will also seek to co-operate in “smart charging” that automatically adjusts the timing of EV charge for efficiency and the “Vehicle to Grid” system, a technology that supplies electricity stored in EVs to the grid. The deal will eventually pay off in lower electricity bills for customers and better use of battery material, the companies said. +++
+++ KIA has unveiled its new electric vehicle (EV) strategy of targeting more consumers by diversifying its EV lineup, specifically its compact and mid-sized segments, the company said during its annual Kia EV Day, Thursday. EVs are not yet mainstream due to their relatively high price and inadequate charging infrastructure here and abroad. However, the Korean carmaker reiterated its strong willingness to break this perception by assembling a full-fledged EV lineup with reasonable prices. “Kia aims to achieve a full lineup for EVs, and our mid-sized EVs will be priced at a range of $35,000 to $50,000, which we believe is a competitive level to expand EV sales for the majority of people”, Kia president and CEO Song Ho-sung told reporters during the event in Yeoju, Gyeonggi Province. “Kia’s transformation towards electrification is not a choice, but a necessity, as we hope to offer sustainable mobility solutions to customers”. The carmaker also expressed its vision of expanding its global EV production bases to eight regions by 2025. Regarding lingering concerns over a lack of charging stations, the company also pledged to team up with other carmakers to establish more stations here and abroad. For instance, a coalition of 6 carmakers, including Hyundai, Kia and BMW, is scheduled to set up 30.000 EV charging stations in North America by 2030. Kia expressed confidence in achieving its ambitious plan of selling more than 1 million EVs annually in the global market by 2026. The figure is also expected to rise to over 1.6 million by 2030, according to the carmaker. Kia also introduced the EV5, its mid-sized all-electric SUV, aiming for the widespread adoption of EVs around the world. The EV5 is Kia’s third EV model following the EV6 and EV9. The front-wheel-drive vehicle uses a modular and standardized integrated platform called E-GMP. Cho Sang-woon, executive vice president of Kia’s global business strategy division, said: “The EV5 is standing at the forefront of Kia’s strategy for electrification. It will lead the trend for EV popularization, along with Kia’s upcoming EV4 and EV3”. Kia has designed the exterior of the EV5 with a bold and angular appearance in line with the traditional SUV shape. The interior features a spacious cabin appropriate for a traditional SUV and incorporates various elements to enhance customer experience. Under Kia’s design philosophy of “Bold for Nature”, the exterior is robust yet dynamic, incorporating design elements such as the digital tiger face and geometric and technological wheel design, all with seamless blending that creates a futuristic and forward-looking impression for customers. The interior also stands out due to its functional seats and diverse storage spaces. Kia has implemented relaxing seats with a massage function, so drivers can fight fatigue while in the vehicle. The second-row seats can be folded flat to meet the growing demands of campers. The carmaker also unveiled two concept EVs, the EV4 and EV3, for the very first time. “We are open to diversity”, Karim Habib, head of Kia Global Design, said. “The concept EV4 focuses on performance and visual impact. The concept EV3 is compact, but still comes with innovative design”. The carmaker said the compact EV3 will be available to customers sometime in the first half of 2024, and the EV4 will also be launched here in the latter half of next year. Kia will also start sales for the EV5 in 2025. +++
+++ TOYOTA has unveiled its all-new Crown Sport Hybrid (HEV) model in Japan. The new model plans to be launched around November. Toyota said it also plans to launch a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) version around December, the Crown Sedan model around November, and the Crown Estate model before the end of this fiscal year. The all-new Crown series comes in 4 versions tailored to the individual values and diversity of each customer. As a global brand originating in Japan, these 4 individual models herald the opening of the second chapter for the Crown brand. One of them is the Sport type, which is an crossover but in a new form that offers a beautiful design that resonates with the senses together with a fun driving experience. The Sport is a new form that comes with an exhilarating and creative ambiance in a package that is easy to enter, exit, and drive, and that offers an agile and sporty driving experience. Sporty and dynamic design that heightens expectations for the driving experience, with a design concept that balances power and grace. Exhilaration from the first moment inside the cabin, with an interior space that makes it easy to enter and easy to drive. It offers fun driving experience through a balance of high-quality, flexible suspension with agile driving performance and is equipped with the latest advanced safety equipment. +++
+++ The UNITED AUTO WORKERS historic standoff with Detroit’s 3 car making giants is centered on an age-old tension: The union says corporate greed is keeping workers from earning fair wages, while Ford, General Motors and and Stellantis say they can’t afford union demands. Well, as it turns out, the 10 individuals who’ve served as chief executives of the companies since 2010 have collected more than $1 billion of compensation. Meanwhile, wages of US auto workers (unionized or not) have declined around 17% in that time frame. +++
