+++ With U.S. electric vehicle sales starting to slow, FORD says it will delay rolling out new electric pickup trucks and a new large electric SUV as it adds hybrids to its model lineup. The Dearborn company said Thursday that a much ballyhooed new electric pickup to be built at a new factory in Tennessee will be delayed by a year until 2026. The big electric SUV, with 3 rows of seats, will be delayed by 2 years until 2027 at the company’s factory near Toronto. The retreat comes as U.S. electric vehicle sales growth slowed to 2.7% in the first quarter of the year, far below the 47% increase that fueled record sales and a 7.6% market share last year. Sales of new vehicles overall grew nearly 5% and the EV market share declined to 7.1%. Hybrid sales, however, grew 45% from January through March, while plug-in hybrids, which can go a short distance on battery power before a gas-electric system kicks in, grew 34%. Ford also said it “expects to offer” hybrid versions of all its gasoline passenger vehicles by the end of the decade in North America. Industry analysts say most early technology adopters and people who want to cut emissions have already purchased EVs. Automakers now have to convince skeptical mainstream buyers to go electric, but those customers fear limited range and a lack of charging stations. Ford expects pretax losses for its electric vehicle unit to widen from $4.7 billion last year to a range of $5 billion to $5.5 billion this year. But it foresees commercial vehicles making $8 billion to $9 billion, up from $7.2 billion last year. Gasoline powered vehicles and hybrids are expected to make $7 billion to $7.5 billion, about even with last year. +++
+++ HYUNDAI said its monthly sales fell 3.7 percent in March from a year earlier due to sluggish demand in its home market. It sold 369.132 vehicles last month, down from 383.396 units a year ago; the company said in a statement. Domestic sales sank 16.1 percent on-year to 62.504 units last month and exports edged down 0.7 percent to 306.628 units during the cited period. Hyundai said it sold 15.302 sedans, including 6.100 Grandeur models, in South Korea. Sales of its SUVs reached 21.979 units, including 7.884 Santa Fe cars, at home. Its luxury Genesis brand sold a combined 11.839 units last month in South Korea. +++
+++ In a just released video the IM L6 sedan manages to do the moose test at 71 km/h. Not such an impressive speed until you realize that it did this driverless. In the run up to the car’s launch in May, SAIC are heavily pushing the car’s capabilities especially with regard to its ‘smart digital chassis’ and have also shown the IM L6 performing other near impossible car feats. Usually the moose test, also known as an elk test, is performed with one person in each seat along with weights in the trunk but it seems the IM L6 test was done empty. The maneuver involves avoiding an imaginary obstacle by swerving and then swerving again to put the car back on the original driving line. Manned the IM L6 should be able to do the moose test at a greater speed. Key to the test if the stability of the car, the first generation Mercedes-Benz A-Class famously overturned at a speed of 60 km/h when attempting the test. Probably helping the IM L6 achieve the result is the cars four wheel steering system. This forms part of the self-developed smart digital chassis which enables the car to do things such as crab walking, turning 45° on the spot, and revolutionizing parallel parking. Key to achieving such maneuvers is the car’s vehicle motion controller (VMC). After receiving commands it can control motion in six directions (front, rear, left, right, up, down) via coordination between the steering, braking and suspension. We will probably learn more about the ‘smart digital chassis’ at the IM L6 Technology Conference on April 8. We will also likely learn more about the new 130 kWh battery which should give a CLTC range in excess of 1.000 km. Interestingly Fast Technology are now referring to this as semi-solid state rather than solid state which has previously been reported. The IM L6 debuted in February at the Geneva Auto Show and should spearhead the brands push in to export markets. Length, width and height of the new car are 4.931/1.960/1.474 mm and the wheelbase is 2.950 mm. Weight is 2.040 kg for the rear wheel drive version and 2.250 kg for the all-wheel drive performance version. The rear wheel drive car gets a 250 kW electric motor whereas performance versions swaps that out for a 379 kW motor and add a 200 kW motor to the front axle. At launch the car will come with a choice of 90 or 100 kWh ternary lithium (NCM) battery packs from CATL. The smaller pack gives the rear wheel drive version a 720 km CLTC range and the all-wheel drive 700 km whereas the 100 kWh battery gives 770 km and 750 km respectively. IM Motors was founded in 2020 as a joint venture between SAIC Motor, Alibaba Group and Zhangjiang Hi-Tech. The first model was the L7 sedan which went on sale in 2022 and has since been followed by the LS7 and LS6 SUVs. +++
+++ KIA will add more hybrid cars to its ranks over the coming years in response to faltering global uptake of electric cars. In a bid “to manage fluctuation in EV demand” and to cater for a forecasted increase in sales of electrified combustion cars, Kia will launch 9 new hybrids by 2028 “across most major model lines globally”. It didn’t say which model lines specifically will be hybridised, nor did it say whether the total includes both full hybrids and plug-in hybrids. The Korean brand’s objective of selling 1.6 million electric cars annually by 2030 is unchanged, it said at its annual investor conference yesterday, but it acknowledges that EV sales growth is “slowing due to economic downturn, subsidy cuts and lack of charging infrastructure”. In light of that, Kia forecasts that hybrids will make up 20% of its global sales in 2030; up from an estimated 14% in 2024. Its proportion of EV sales will rise from 10% to 38% over the same period, it estimates. Overall, electrified vehicles are estimated to account for 58% (or roughly 2.48 million units) of Kia’s global sales by 2030. However, those percentages vary significantly according to different regions. In the US and Canada, for example, Kia forecasts that 35% of its sales will be hybrids in 2030, while that figure will be just 12% in the EU. In Kia’s home market of Korea, hybrids are expected to be the best-selling form of powertrain at the end of the decade, taking 43% of the brand’s sales, compared with 41% for EVs and just 16% for pure-ICE cars. Hybrids currently account for just 1% of Kia’s sales in China and it will stop selling them there completely by 2030, leaving it with a 53:47 sales split between EVs and pure-ICE cars. Kia has also pledged to develop a new generation of hybrid powertrain with “enhanced power and fuel efficiency” in a bid to “diversify” its product offering. There will be 2 versions of this new powertrain: one for “subcompact and mid-sized” cars and another for large vehicles. “To ensure cost competitiveness and production flexibility”, Kia will build the new hybrid powertrains alongside its existing combustion engines. Ho Sung Song, Kia president and CEO, said: “Following our successful brand relaunch in 2021, Kia is enhancing its global business strategy to further the establishment of an innovative EV line-up and accelerate the company’s transition to a sustainable mobility solutions provider. By responding effectively to changes in the mobility market and efficiently implementing mid-to-long-term strategies, Kia is strengthening its brand commitment to the wellbeing of customers, communities, the global society and the environment”. Kia will nonetheless continue to expand its EV offering over the coming years. It will launch 6 new such models by the end of 2026: the EV2, EV3, EV4, EV5, updated EV6 and hot GT version of the EV9. Meanwhile, it will launch its new line of electric vans in late 2025, beginning with the mid-sized PV5 (due in Europe in early 2026) and expanding with the larger PV7 in 2027. It aims to sell 250.000 PV vans by 2030. A new generation of EV battery planned for production in 2025 is said to increase energy density by 7% and reduce costs by 10% compared with current models, Kia said. It also confirmed plans to use different battery chemistries in different markets “including NCM (nickel-manganese-cobalt) and more affordable LFP (lithium-iron-phosphate) chemistries”. +++
+++ Stellantis revealed that China’s LEAPMOTOR will enter the Malaysian market this year. It is positioned as an affordable EV brand. The first Leapmotor model to launch in Malaysia is the T03 electric hatchback. Leapmotor is a young Chinese startup founded in 2015. It has been selling cars in China since 2018. Its current model line comprises 4 vehicles: C10 and C11 crossovers, C01 sedan and T03 hatchback. In 2023, Leapmotor sold over 144.000 electric cars in China. Last year, Leapmotor signed a strategic cooperation agreement with Stellantis, the 4th biggest world automaker, which includes brands such as Jeep, Citroën, Peugeot, Chrysler, Maserati, Opel, etc. They have created Leapmotor International, with Stellantis holding 51% and Leapmotor holding 49%. This JV focuses on exporting cars to overseas markets. Previously, Autointernationaal.nl reported that Stellantis is set to build Leapmotor EVs in Poland. On April 4, Stellantis revealed more information about its plans for 2024 in Malaysia, where it commenced operations in the country last month. This year, Stellantis plans to “revive iconic brands in Malayia”. Such brands as Jeep, Peugeot and Citroën are positioned as “professional lifestyle”, “upper mainstream” and “mass market”, respectively. Moreover, Stellantis disclosed that Leapmotor will enter Malaysia as an affordable EV brand. At the same time, Daniel Gonzalez, chief operating officer at Stellantis for ASEAN, told that the company is working on introducing the Leapmotor brand to Malaysia this year. He also mentioned that Stellantis Malaysia is working on positioning and pricing the Peugeot e-2008 relative to the upcoming Leapmotor brand. It seems that Leapmotor will first launch the T03 electric hatchback in Malaysia. Later, it will likely launch the Leapmotor C10 crossover there. Back to the Leapmotor T03: it is a small city car with dimensions of 3.620/1.652/1.605 mm and a wheelbase of 2.400 mm. In terms of powertrain, it has 3 e-motor variants: 40 kW, 55 kW and 80 kW. It is also available with 3 battery options: 21.6 kWh, 31.9 kWh and 41.3 kWh, which is good for a range of 200 – 403 km. +++
+++ NIO rolled out the first mass-produced semi-solid battery pack, which will be available as a part of the battery swap service in a few months. This battery offers an energy density of 260 Wh/kg and provides a range of up to 1.055 km. Nio is a high-end electric car brand founded in 2014. Currently, its cars are mostly offered with 2 battery options: 75 kWh and 100 kWh. Customers can also buy a car without a battery by picking a battery as a service subscription with a monthly payment. Soon, Nio-branded vehicles will also get one more battery option for long trips, which offers a capacity of 150 kWh. It will be available only via subscription. The production of this battery pack has started in China. After the first announcement in 2021, Nio has finally started mass production of the 150 kWh semi-solid battery (SSB). It was designed by WeLion New Energy Technology, a Beijing-based battery maker that also acts as Nio’s battery cell supplier. According to Nio, the 150 kWh SSB cells have an energy density of 360 Wh/kg. And the whole pack has a 260 Wh/kg density. Another feature of this pack is a cooling system that is 6 times stronger compared to ordinary batteries. The weight of the 150 kWh SSB is just 676 kg, which is just 20 kg more than the Nio’s 100 kWh battery pack. For comparison, the 135.5 kWh LFP battery from BYD weighs 903 kg. So, WeLion and Nio did a great job reducing the weight of their SSB. Nio didn’t disclose when exactly the 150 kWh SSB will go live. However, Nio said on social media that the official launch is scheduled for the second quarter of this year. The mass production start hints the 150 kWh SSB will become available at Nio’s Power Swap Stations (PPS) in a few months. The best time for the launch is summer when many tourists visit Xinjiang, a western Chinese province. Previously, Nio co-founder and CEO William Li tested the Nio ET7 sedan with the 150-kWh semi-solid battery on board. He drove 1.044 km on a single charge with 3% battery capacity remaining. During the test event, William Li shared that this battery was previously tested on a route from Kunming to Beihai, traveling 1.145 km on a charge. It is the world record for a mass-produced electric vehicle. +++
+++ PORSCHE ’s venerable twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V8 engine is set to continue its legacy well into the next decade, defying concerns that it might face extinction amidst increasingly stringent regulations in Europe and beyond. The model line boss of the Panamera, Thomas Freimuth, recently spoke to media members at the recent Australian F1 Grand Prix. He revealed the company is already working to ensure the Porsche V8 can meet Euro 7 emissions regulations set to be enforced in July 2030. Unfortunately, noise regulations will mute the engine’s soundtrack. “We know this engine is ready for EU7, it’s no problem. We have to add some parts which are in development, so we are ready with this V8 to go to the EU7 regulations”, Freimuth told. “This will be also possible without a hybrid system because they changed EU7 regulations a little bit”. “Even in the Panamera, for example, we have to deal with other regulations… about the exhaust noise level… it’s going down and down and down and down over the years and this also makes it more complicated to get a good emotion to our Panamera V8”, he added. Freimuth didn’t reveal how Porsche will look to add some character back into the engine once it becomes more muted but did acknowledge the brand continues to develop synthetic soundtracks for its electric vehicles. It could use these to boost the volume of its future V8s too. “We have to learn how to bring those V8-like emotions into our electric cars because the far future is electric so we have to find a solution for that”, he said. “We’re working on it, you see it in the Taycan and there are big steps which we need to go. I think, for example, the V8 is all over the world… that’s where we are looking for emotional inspiration, especially noises in the car, it’s very important”. +++
+++ RENAULT KOREA announced a revamp of its brand strategy Wednesday, as it seeks a breakthrough in prolonged sluggish sales. The company announced a change of its official corporate name from Renault Samsung Motors to the more simplified Renault Korea. It also announced that it will begin using the group’s diamond emblem instead of the typhoon-shaped one that it has used since 2000, when it was sold to Renault from Korea’s Samsung Group. “We changed the name because we felt that the word ‘Motors’ was not at all representing who we are and what we want to represent”, Renault Korea CEO Stephane Deblaise said in a press conference in Seoul. Vehicle models being sold in the domestic market will also undergo new brandings. The XM3 compact SUV will be newly released under the name Arkana in tandem with its global counterpart model. It will also feature the diamond emblem. The QM6 midsize SUV will also feature the diamond emblem and be sold as the Renault QM6. The SM6 midsize sedan, however, will maintain both its preexisting name and emblem, as the company plans to discontinue the model in the future, Deblaise said. Further, the company unveiled a new brand strategy, named Electro Pop, which combines Renault’s corporate heritage with the latest innovations and technology under 3 thematic pillars of electrification, connectivity and user safety. Renault Korea also said it plan to launch a new hybrid SUV, currently in development under the project name Aurora, later this year. The new branding push by the company comes amid prolonged sluggish sales of its cars both at home and abroad. Renault Korea sold slightly over 100.000 vehicle units last year, down 38.5 percent from a year ago. In 2017, the company sold over 270.000 vehicles in the domestic and overseas markets. The company’s reduction in its model lineup has often been attributed to its dwindling sales. In the past, Renault Korea has discontinued major models, such as the SM7, SM5 and SM3, reducing its product lineup to 3 models in Korea. Starting with the Aurora, Deblaise said the company plans to introduce at least one new vehicle model in Korea per year in the coming years. In an effort to boost its market presence here, the company last month unveiled a plan to invest 118 billion won ($87.5 million) in reinforcing its production base in Korea’s southeastern port city of Busan by 2028. It also opened its first upscale flagship store in the country, named Renault Seongsu, in Seoul. It features a multifunctional cultural space, including exhibition halls, service centers, cafes and pop-up stores. The automaker also introduced its much-hyped new brand strategy known as Electric Pop. Renault Group’s E-Tech electrification technology will stand at the center of the strategy, so that the automaker stays in line with the ongoing auto paradigm shift. The company also pledged to level up its in-vehicle connectivity technologies and develop state-of-the-art infotainment systems to attract more trendy and design-savvy customers here. Renault Korea also shared its plan to introduce better safety solutions called Human First programs for its vehicles. The Aurora will be the automaker’s first new model in 4 years after the XM3 in 2020. The strategic hybrid SUV will debut at the upcoming 2024 Busan International Mobility Show in the nation’s southern port city in June. The automaker also plans to start sales for its Scenic E-Tech electric vehicle sometime in the first half of 2025. The model will be imported at the early phase of its sales, but the automaker is also considering manufacturing them in Korea in the near future. The latest announcement by Renault Korea is part of the firm’s grand investment plan. The company recently shared its 3-year investment vision by allocating a budget of 1.5 trillion won ($1.13 billion) for future mobility by 2027. The plan also includes hiring 200 new employees here. The decision is aimed at transforming itself into a vehicle maker focusing on hybrid vehicles and EVs. +++
+++ TESLA overtook Mercedes-Benz as the second-largest seller of imported vehicles in Korea last month, industry data showed. The number of newly registered imported cars came to 25.263 units in March; up 6 percent from 23.840 units a year ago, the Korea Automobile Importers & Distributors Association said in a statement. Of those, BMW accounted for 6.549 units, followed by Tesla and Mercedes-Benz, with 6.025 units and 4.197 units, respectively. It marked the first time for Tesla to beat Mercedes-Benz in Korea in terms of sales. Lexus and Volvo came in fourth and fifth, selling 1.218 units and 1.081 units, respectively. Industry watchers attributed Tesla’s strong advance in sales to the confirmation of government EV subsidies last month. Also, Mercedes-Benz saw a significant decrease in registrations due to delivery delays caused by political tensions in the Middle East. In terms of individual models, Tesla’s Model Y was the bestselling car, selling 5.934 units, followed by the BMW 5-series and the Lexus ES, with 2.259 units and 822 units, respectively. +++
