SAIC-GM, General Motors’ joint venture with SAIC Motor, opened its second plant producing electric vehicles based on GM’s Ultium platform. The factory is at the company’s production site in the city of Wuhan in Central China and has started making electric cars already.
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General Motors has announced the launch of more than 15 electric models based on its Ultium platform in China by 2025. Following the already available Cadillac Lyriq electric SUV, GM is planning a broad range of Ultium-based models across brands, segments and body styles for the Chinese market.
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Buick is getting ready to enter China with a new EV model. An application to the Chinese Ministry of Industry and Information Technology contains the first pictures and info. The battery supplier surprises while other technology comes from GM.
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General Motors has postponed its goal of delivering a total of 400,000 electric vehicles in North America by the end of 2023 by six months. As GM CEO Mary Barra explained during the company’s announcement of its latest quarterly results, battery production cannot be ramped up as quickly as planned.
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The GM subsidiary plans to launch the Electra EV next year and wants to sell only electric cars (and SUVs) by 2030. For dealerships wanting to walk in step with the change, this will entail some retooling, but for others, the company is offering buy-out.
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The General Motors brand Buick has announced its transformation into an all-electric car manufacturer by the end of this decade. Buick’s future electric cars will be marketed under the Electra label and will use GM’s Ultium platform.
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General Motors apparently wants to produce the Ultium platform for its electric vehicles in China in the future through its joint venture with SAIC. According to local media, SAIC-GM has recently entered into a strategic partnership with the Wuhan municipal government.
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General Motors is increasing its spending, launching an “all-out pursuit of global EV leadership,” GM CEO Mary Barra announced. By 2025, the US carmaker wants to have 30 electric models and intends to raise investment from 20 to 27 billion US dollars.
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In China, Buick presented the all-electric concept car Electra, which provides an outlook on the electric future of the General Motors brand. The crossover model uses GM’s new electric platform with an ‘Ultium’ battery.
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The General Motors brand Buick has launched its first all-electric SUV on the Chinese market called the Velite 7, along with the PHEV Velite 6. With its Chinese joint venture with SAIC and Wuling, GM is also offering a purely-electric ultra-small and low price electric car called the Hong Guang Mini EV.
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The management consultancy McKinsey has disassembled and analysed ten popular electric cars from Chinese manufacturers for a new study. From this, the consultants derived some interesting statements on possible profits and the market prospects of international manufacturers.
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At an “EV Day” for investors, General Motors CEO Mary Barra presented an overview of the Group’s ambitious electric strategy. At the heart of the strategy is the third-generation new platform involving a modular battery system called Ultium. The platform should base the spectrum of electric vehicles from hatchbacks to pickups, SUVs and commercial vehicles.
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Chevrolet has started selling its first all-electric model on the Chinese market. The Menlo EV is a fully electric SUV with a NEDC range of up to 410 kilometers and is available at prices starting at 159,900 yuan (approx. 21,000 euros) after the government subsidy.
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After initial delays, Buick now launched the brand’s first global all-electric vehicle, the Velite 6 MAV in China. It is also SAIC-GM’s first EV for the mass market. It features a maximum 85 kW of power, 255 Nm of torque and range of 301 km in the city.
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The planned launch of the Buick Velite 6 PHEV and the fully-electric version planned for the start of next year have been postponed because the batteries have failed internal performance and safety tests.
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Buick’s Velite 6 PHEV and the all-electric SUV concept Enspire have made their global debut in Wuzhen, Zhejiang. The electric SUV is said to drive 600 km on a single charge with two electric motors delivering 410 kW but it won’t be Buick’s only EV.
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GM’s Buick is to unveil an all-electric SUV next week in China, ahead of the Beijing Auto Show. A first teaser for the Buick Enspire Concept has just been released and allows a glimpse on what’s to come but is scarce on technical details.
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The General Motors-owned brand Buick has announced two more electrified models for the Chinese market. The Buick Velite 6 will be sold as both a BEV as well as a PHEV.
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In the course of General Motor’s presentation of its electric mobility strategy in New York an interesting picture appeared: Most probably, it shows the carmaker’s upcoming all-electric crossover that is based on the Chevrolet Bolt.
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Renault home batteries: The French team up with British Powervault to introduce their own Powerwall. Unlike Mercedes or Tesla though, Renault wants to give its own EV batteries a second life and stationery home rather than building entirely new energy storage units. A pilot project is about to start in the UK, where 50 such batteries will go to houses and schools with a PV set up. The initiative makes twofold sense for the French group as it owns most of the powerpacks running the Zoe & Co. anyway.
electrek.co, autocar.co.uk, renault.com
NEVs in excess? China is to halt handing out permits for EV production, insiders reveal, after the government admits fears it would lead to an overpopulated market. So far 15 such licenses have been granted through the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) since March 2016 with VW’s being the last. The policy is under review and if a ban comes to pass, newcomers like LeEco would be excluded for the time being.
bloomberg.com
Talking about LeEco: Problems prevail for the business and so Faraday Future is looking for new backers. The EV start-up plans to raise no less than 1bn dollars and says it has already met with investors as well as advisors. LeEco boss Jia Yueting has over 300m dollars of his own money invested in FF but will not put anymore.
bloomberg.com
National e-bus making: India’s Tata Motors, Mahindra and Ashok Leyland plan to build electric buses together. They thus move away from the initial idea to cooperate in electric car development as the bus market is believed to be the more profitable playing field, especially as the Indian government shifts its support to public rather than individual transport.
moneycontrol.com
Croatian EV in the making? Rimac may soon face a local competitor albeit one backed by Chinese money. Billionaire Karl Soong, CEO of Poly International Group, had wanted to take over Rimac some time ago but was rejected. He now plans to set up his own electric car production in Croatia under the Greentech Group label. Metkovic is his chosen site with its nearby port and the first phase of investment will be worth 10m euros given the local councils agree.
total-croatia-news.com
Mild-hybrid standard: Buick brings its 2018 LaCrosse with eAssist, a mild-hybrid as standard version. Prices in the States start from 30,490 dollars.
autoblog.com, automotiveworld.com
Audi readies production for its first EV: Mid-2018 will see Audi’s first all-electric model roll off the lines and the preparations are in full swing, while normal operations are uphold in parallel, according to Automobil Produktion. The SUV, dubbed Q6 e-tron or C-BEV internally, will be manufactured in Brussels, where the Germans intend to establish a completely new battery assembly on top, thus turning the Belgian location into one of its key factories. Audi chose pouch cells for its model to pack enough energy for its intended range of 500 km.
automobil-produktion.de (in German)
No small Mitsubishi PHEV: The Japanese brand takes a step back from its original plans to produce plug-in hybrid versions of their smaller models like their just-released Eclipse Cross. According to Mitsubishi Motors’ European general manager of communications Daniel Nacass, the technology is not yet cost-effective in small vehicles. Thus, it is likely that Mitsubishi’s next new PHEV will be solely the replacement of the current Outlander PHEV.
caradvice.com.au
BMW third-largest EV player: BMW gained ground last year and now is the world’s third largest electric car maker compared to position 6 in 2015. With a market share of 7 percent BMW follows behind Tesla (9%) and BYD (13%). Volkswagen on the other hand, saw its EV market share drop by 5% in 2016.
dw.com
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Baden-Württemberg Pavilion – Boosting Future Mobility 34 exhibitors will proudly present the accumulated know how of the German Southwest in the Baden-Württemberg Pavilion at the Hannover Messe from 24 to 28 April 2017 under the slogan “Boosting Future Mobility”. On more than 600 m² exhibition area, you will be able to get first-hand experience of the latest innovative products and key competences such as energy storage, charging infrastructure, precision components, subassemblies, novel test benches and mobility software. Come and visit us at hall 27. e-mobilbw.de (PDF)
How Buick’s Velite 5 looks like: GM’s brand Buick permits a first glance at the serial version of its recently presented Velite Concept for China. A teaser picture of the new range-extended model called Velite 5 shows that it resembles the Chevy Volt not only in technology as expected but looks, too.
carscoops.com, hybridcars.com, media.gm.com
Tesla tackles corporate fleets: The American EV maker just released a new site in order to accelerate sales of its Model S and X to fleet operators. Besides, CEO Elon Musk announced that pre-orders for another project, the solar roof tiles developed by Tesla and SolarCity, will be accepted from April on.
insideevs.com, teslarati.com (website), electrek.co (solar tiles)
Lexus UX to go serial: The Toyota-owned luxury brand has confirmed to build a series version of its UX SUV concept, that was introduced 2016 in Paris. It wouldn’t be surprising if Lexus presents a hybrid version on top.
motoring.com.au
First glance at Skoda EV: In 2020 VW subsidiary Skoda plans to hit the road with its first pure-electric vehicle called Vision E. By publishing a teaser image the carmaker whets our appetite for the planned presentation of its coupe-like concept car at next month’s Shanghai Motor Show. Skoda has technology at its disposal – namely Volkswagen’s MEB global platform – and says is will dedicate “an all-new model” rather than electrifying an existing car.
autoexpress.co.uk
BYD to build electric buses in France: China’s EV maker will invest 10m euros to set up its first electric bus assembly plant in Western Europe. The planners finally selected Allonne in the Hauts-de-France region. The new facility is to occupy an existing 32,000 sqm building and shall start production in the first half of 2018 with an annual capacity of up to 200 buses. Later on, the Chinese group wants to add an after-sales unit for maintenance and repairs, along with a logistics centre for spare parts.
nordfranceinvest.com
15 percent PEV rule in California: The most populous state in the U.S. will not follow Trump’s new vehicle pollution standards but will uphold Obama’s (basically its own) ruling instead. Californian regulators voted to push ahead stricter rules for the period from 2022 to 2025 – inclusive the obligation for carmakers to sell 15 percent EV, FCV, or PHEV by 2025. The current rate is around 3 percent.
forbes.com, autonews.com
Buick’s strategy for China: In 2017 Buick seeks to impress its largest market by adopting GM’s proven extended-range electric vehicle technology in new or updated models. The brand presented its Velite Concept with plug-in hybrid technology for the Chinese market recently and the next two years will see more BEV and PHEV from Buick there.
greencarcongress.com, gmauthority.com, media.gm.com
Lexus debuts in India: The Japanese brand enters the Indian market with its RX 450h, ES 300h and LX450d vehicles. Besides, the brand has also pushed its all-new Lexus LS in the spotlight.
automotiveworld.com, ibtimes.co.in, greencarcongress.com
Thailand to attract PEV production: Demand for EV and HEV in Thailand is to receive a boost through a new promotion scheme and tax incentives. The latter shall support manufacture of electrified vehicles with applications for hybrids due this year and for EVs by 2018. The scheme will be submitted for cabinet approval tomorrow.
reuters.com
Volkswagen’s future plans: VW announced that it will build a pilot battery factory in Salzgitter, Germany, while extending EV production from its facility in Wolfsburg to Dresden and Zwickau. Electric motors will be built in Kassel. At the same time, the carmaker says it will cut 30,000 jobs, but agreed with labour unions to create 9,000 new ones in the field of electric mobility.
greencarcongress.com, autonews.com
Magna to build I-Pace: Last week, it was all speculation. Now Jaguar Land Rover CEO Ralf Speth confirmed that the Graz production specialist Magna Steyr will manufacture the recently unveiled electric SUV I-Pace. Those looking to own one, need to plan with a price tag of 70,000 to 80,000 euros.
autonews.com
Next C-class with 100 km electric range? The next generation of Daimler’s mid-range sedan could get a plug-in hybrid drivetrain from 2020, Auto, Motor und Sport reports. An all-electric variant is reserved for the EQ line-up, but the PHEV version should allow for 100 km of electric range.
auto-motor-und-sport.de (in German)
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Honda FCV starts at 369 dollars/month: The Japanese announced the leasing price for its Clarity Fuel Cell, which will become available in California at the end of the year. With a three-year contract and 2,499 dollars down payment, the FCV will cost 369 dollars per month. That includes 20,000 miles per year, 15,000 dollars worth of hydrogen fuel, and other goodies.
greencarcongress.com
Jeep electrifies two SUVs: The new edition of the 2018 Grand Wagoneer could be available as a plug-in hybrid, as well as share some components with the next Jeep Wrangler, which will also be electrified. Car and Driver even speculates that the vehicles could be fitted with the Chrysler Pacifica PHEV drivetrain.
caranddriver.com
Velite with Volt technology? The especially for China designed Buick Velite Concept with plug-in hybrid technology was now unveiled at the Guangzhou Auto Show. While technical data about the drivetrain was kept under wraps, it is possible that it will share its drivetrain technology with the Chevy Volt.
hybridcars.com, gmauthority.com, motorauthority.com
Facelifted e-Golf unveiled: VW now presented the e-Golf’s overhauled design and technology. With 100 kW, the new version boasts more power and the 35.8 kWh battery pack (up from 24.2 kWh) allows for a real 200 km of range. Pricing will stay the same. Meanwhile, the carmaker confirmed that it moved EV production to the glass-walled manufacturing site in Dresden.
autocar.co.uk (e-Golf), automobil-produktion.de (Dresden; in German)
Shareholders approve SolarCity takeover: Shareholders from both companies have given the green light for the merger, worth about 2bn dollars. The deal therefore cleared the last and final hurdle and the transaction will be completed in the coming days.
businessinsider.de, marketwatch.com, techcrunch.com
JLR electrifies 50% of its fleet: Jaguar Land Rover wants to offer electric models for half of its portfolio by 2020. That includes battery-powered cars, as well as plug-in and mild hybrids. The carmaker is staying away from fuel cell technology, because of its poor energy efficiency.
autocar.co.uk, ibtimes.co.uk
First images of the Buick PHEV: The plug-in hybrid study was not supposed to be unveiled until the Guangzhou Auto Show, but first images a camouflaged Buick Velite have now been leaked. They show a striking similarity to the Opel Astra.
carscoops.com
Curtain call for plug-in Countryman: Under the long title “Cooper S E Countryman ALL4,” Mini now officially presented the brand’s first electrified model. It shares a 165 kW drivetrain with the BMW 225x and will hit the road in February. According to CEO Peter Schwarzenbach, an all-electric Mini is in the pipeline for 2019 and will be based on an existing model.
autocar.co.uk, carscoops.com (Countryman), autocar.co.uk (E-Mini)
New Toyota unit for EVs: To follow through with the recently announced fully electric addition to its portfolio, the Japanese has set up a small in-house think tank. It includes only four people – one from Toyota, and one each from Toyota Industries, Aisin Seiki and Denso. Together, they are charged with developing innovative and quick solutions.
reuters.com, toyota.co.jp
Electric Smart revealed: Just ahead of the Paris Auto Show, Daimler officially presented its Smart ED models. All three variants will feature a 60 kWh motor and 17.6 kWh battery pack now allowing for 160 km of range. An on-board fast-charger with double the charging capacity as the previous version will also come standard, while a 22 kW on-board charger option will be added from 2017. The small EVs will hit European roads early next year.
insideevs.com, mercedes-benz.com
Electric VW preview: Volkswagen is showing first drawings of its electric car study ahead of its presentation in Paris. The front is reminiscent of the facelifted Tesla Model S, while the car is also part VW e-Golf, part BMW i3. Technical details will be released when the Salon de l’Automobile opens its doors.
autocar.co.uk, autoblog.com
Daimler starts with electric SUV: According to German Auto Bild, Mercedes will unveil the EQC in Paris. The five- and seven-seater electric crossover is said to become available in 2019 and be fitted with two electric motors. The 70 kWh battery pack will allow for 500 km on one charge.
autobild.de (in German)
Comprehensive solution a la Tesla? Elon Musk announced on Twitter that the carmaker will presents its combination of Tesla solar roof, Powerwall 2.0 and new charging unit on October 28th. While no further details are known, Musk seems ready to release the next generation of the home energy storage device. And the Tesla Semi is also taking shape. According to Electrek, a number of engineers from Daimler’s SuperTruck programme have joined the EV maker.
electrek.co, twitter.com, electrek.co (Tesla Semi)
Electric Buick for China? According to media reports, GM is looking to release the Chevrolet Volt in the form of the Buick Velite in China. While the Velite will share the same drivetrain components as the Volt, it will be slightly more luxurious. The EV could make its debut at the Guangzhou Auto Show in December.
insideevs.com
VW Group sued over patent rights: After already going after Ford and Hyundai-Kia for patent rights for hybrid technologies, Baltimore-based company Paice is suing VW, Audi, and Porsche for patent infringement. According to Bloomberg, Paice wants to stop all imports of the group’s hybrid cars to the U.S. and pocket a licence fee.
bloomberg.com
Mini to plug in? The in 2011 presented Mini Rocketman concept could make it to serial production as an EV after all, Autocar reports, quoting Mini product chief Ralph Mahler. So far, the production platform has been missing, but could be developed relatively cheaply, as EV components need less space than those for cars with combustion engines.
autocar.co.uk
Hybrid strategy in China: SAIC-GM presented the Buick LaCrosse Hybrid. The hybrid drivetrain in based on the Chevy Malibu Hybrid. Moreover, the joint venture will from now on market all electrified Buick models under the name “Buick Blue.” A total of ten hybrid Buick vehicles are said to hit the road in China in the next five years.
greencarcongress.com, gmauthority.com
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Baden-Württemberg Pavilion shows success factor e-mobility: During the Hannover Messe / MobiliTec the Baden-Württemberg Pavilion and its 43 exhibitors showcase the diversity of the e-mobility landscape in the southwest of Germany. With “Automated. Connected. Electrified.” as its guiding theme, the whole spectrum – from development and production to road tests of partially automated electric vehicles – will be covered. Visit us in hall 27.
www.e-mobilbw.de (PDF)
Personnel turnover: According to Bloomberg, EV start-up Future Mobility, which is financially supported by Chinese company Foxconn, has snatched Dirk Abendroth, Benoit Jacob and Henrik Wenders from BMW i. Meanwhile, Electrek reports that Apple poached Chris Porritt, previously Tesla’s head of development.
bloomberg.com (Future Mobility), electrek.co (Apple)
Crossblue spotted: The seven-seater was spotted testing in Arizona, USA. The SUV will most likely go on sale in the U.S. at the end of 2017 and will also be available as a hybrid. Other than the concept car presented three years ago, the hybrid drive will not feature a diesel, but a petrol motor.
worldcarfans.com
Next-gen Lexus preview: Lexus is teasing the new generation of its IS series, which it will officially unveil at the Beijing Auto Show next week. Though no details have been given, we expect another hybrid version. After all, the current model also comes partially electrified.
carscoops.com, worldcarfans.com
