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Electric Vehicles: Why aren't they more popular?

Atm it is not economically feasible due to high battery costs. Unsustainable without subsidies
 
Sidilicious said:
Thanks. that was a great video. 1 question though.

How does switching to an electrical car work, unless we dont switch our main source of energy to something clean or renewable?

I am guessing the long term goal is to move to a more renewable sources of energy rather than use fossil fuels?
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New Nissan Leaf is being sold now partly as a Electrical home storage option. Tesla already doing it with Powerwall and sister Solar company. IT will be the future and lead to de-centralisation of electricity generation and allow time-shifting of power use. Biggest problem with centralisation at moment is you have to run coal-fired / gas-fired power stations 24/7 but the electricity generated at night goes to waste because there is no large scale utility scale grid storage tech available. De-centralised generation and storage will solve a lot of problems and reduce total C02 emissions.
 
I like the idea of PHEV. They have a little petrol engine which charges the batteries but does not turn the wheels. You can get 200 miles out of a tankful. This would be attractive to people in areas with poor public transport links.
 
My PHEV has a Series and Parallel driving mode so the Petrol engine can charge the battery and then the battery turns the wheels in Series or it can charge both battery and drive the wheels at the same time in Parallel. Useful for overtaking manouevres when you want a burst of extra power.
 
Jaguar i-pace vs Tesla Model X

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EV will be the future, Tesla has broken all the myths and put American innovation back to the top in the automotive industry. Another thing to closely watch is Tesla Power. Tesla is building a battery storage plant in Brooklyn NY which is suppose to alleviate the peak rush hour energy surge and help store excess energy produced from renewables.
 
If they could improve battery range then I'd buy one tomorrow - the instant torque available from electric cars is fantastic. I do 80-100 miles per day for work/pleasure but need to do a 500-550 round trip once or twice a month and this would be impossible to do, without spending time to recharge, with an electric car.

To be honest, despite the bad press they get, I still have a soft spot for diesel cars - I currently drive a diesel car which produces 300+ bhp, 470 lbs/ft of torque and returns 40+ mpg all day long. Moreover, on a long run, I can do 550+ miles without refuelling. That combination, and balance between performance vs cost, is perfect for me. However if I lived in London or any other highly dense city I'd probably feel different about diesel vehicles as they are horrible for air quality in such places.
 
s28 said:
My PHEV has a Series and Parallel driving mode so the Petrol engine can charge the battery and then the battery turns the wheels in Series or it can charge both battery and drive the wheels at the same time in Parallel. Useful for overtaking manouevres when you want a burst of extra power.
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Cool.

The hybrid I drive has a mode where you can turn the rear axle off the battery, while staying on diesel power on the front axle. There is a ferocious hill I have to climb daily and this mode is useful to get up to dual carriageway speed before an artic piles into the back of me!
 
Jaguar i-pace looks like a serious Tesla challenger

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France is bringing in new rules for the use of electric scooters following hundreds of incidents involving the vehicles, including several deaths.

From Saturday, riders will be required to be at least 12 and will not be able to ride their scooter on the pavement.

The two-wheeled vehicles' top speed will also be capped by next year.

E-scooters, which can travel at more than 50km/h (30mph), are growing in popularity, in part because of their low environmental impact.

Junior Transport Minister Jean-Baptiste Djebbari said in a statement the new rules would encourage "more responsible use... and restore a sense of tranquillity for pedestrians, in particular the most vulnerable: the elderly, children and handicapped people".

Other rules coming into force include:

Riding on the pavement will be prohibited unless in designated areas, and then at walking speed only
Only one rider will be allowed per device, and no mobile phone use will be allowed
Users cannot go against the traffic flow and must use cycle paths where available
Riders will not be allowed to wear headphones while on their scooter
By next July, the scooters' top speed will be capped at 25km/h
Users riding on permitted faster roads must wear a helmet and high-visibility clothing
E-scooters will be banned completely on country roads
Any infringement will be punished by a fine of €135 (£116), and up to €1,500 for going over the speed limit.

Last weekend, a 25-year-old man was killed and a young woman seriously injured after the scooter they were riding was struck by a car in the south-western city of Bordeaux.

At least five other scooter deaths have been reported in France, including in the capital Paris and its suburbs and the eastern city of Reims.

Some 15,000 scooters are available for hire in Paris.

Dumped scooters have also become a significant problem in the city, with many being found in the city's parks and squares.

A ban on parking the dockless scooters on pavements has largely gone unheeded despite the threat of an €35 fine.

Some are also being thrown in the River Seine, leading some firms to salvage discarded scooters to try to recycle them where possible.
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Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-50189279.
 
Love my electric car and highly recommend to anyone who asks

Fully Charged Show how done this really good accessible video presented by CBeebies science presenter Maddie on how you go about choosing an Electric Car

Pretty good watch if you are new to Electric Cars or considering one right now

Features amongst others Renault Zoe, Nissan Leaf , Kia Niro , Tesla Model 3

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Part II of Maddie Goes Electric

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These cars are here to stay and here in Norway over 40% of the new cars sold in 2019 were el-cars.
 
My next car is going to be electric... Going to give my gas guzzler to wife and drive a shiny new electric car myself :smith



However, waiting for a nice EV in the sub CAD 40k range that isn't ugly. The Tesla Model 3 comes out to about $50k ish and then there is a 5k federal incentive on it. I'm hoping the price drops for the Model 3 in the next 2-3 years due to more competition from Japanese and German manufacturers all of whom are set to enter in the EV segment in a big way in the 2020s. I wouldn't mind a Civic EV if/when it comes out. I have a hunch that Civic or Corolla electric might turn out to be the most popular EV of this decade.
 
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Syed1 said:
My next car is going to be electric... Going to give my gas guzzler to wife and drive a shiny new electric car myself :smith



However, waiting for a nice EV in the sub CAD 40k range that isn't ugly. The Tesla Model 3 comes out to about $50k ish and then there is a 5k federal incentive on it. I'm hoping the price drops for the Model 3 in the next 2-3 years due to more competition from Japanese and German manufacturers all of whom are set to enter in the EV segment in a big way in the 2020s. I wouldn't mind a Civic EV if/when it comes out. I have a hunch that Civic or Corolla electric might turn out to be the most popular EV of this decade.
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just know that the range in is <250 miles on a full charge . Using AC bring it down even more , so does going at high speeds . I love mine but its not for everyone also not a road trip car !
 
Part 3
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The major vehicle companies will not be able to differentiate in terms of offerings from others if it’s just electric vehicles. They also think they won’t be able to innovate compared to existing fossil fuel vehicles. It all comes to profits and margins.

That’s why Tesla is such a breath of fresh air since they are innovating in this space. But still affordability is an issue
 
I think because the long term cost of ownership is lower financing options will be developed such that Electric Vehicles will be sold on contracts just like mobile phones.

Existing ICE car companies are already pretty much finance companies anyway.
 
What I don’t understand is this: Pakistan have announced an almost fantasy electric vehicle policy. Sounds great but clearly, for reasons people have already highlighted in this thread, a long, long way from a reality in Pakistan. We do not have the infrastructure to support electric vehicles! Sure you can charge them at home, but what if you forget one day and have to use your car the next day? Will definitely happen. Nightmare!

So I though the most sensible solution would be hybrid cars in Pakistan. It seems a no-brainer to me but am a bit ignorant in this whole field. Why don’t Pakistan get the auto industry to produce more hybrid vehicles? Would greatly reduce their gas bills and doesn’t need any special infrastructure! Can anyone tell me what the problems are with this idea? I assume there must be some since people are not doing it. Are they way more expensive to make or what?
 
Hybrids require duplication of ICE and EV infrastructure. Makes vehicles more complex to run and maintain. They are an interim solution. Why would Auto makers spend on hybrid automotive plants and tooling and skilling of workers for an uncertain payback period when they could just jump straight to next generation which will be long term future.
 
Episode 4

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Episode 5

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Some inCREDible cars here

0-60 in 1.69 seconds wowsers

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Xiaomi CEO teases price on upcoming car, showrooms begin displaying vehicle​


Xiaomi's CEO said on Monday (Mar 25) that his firm's first electric vehicle aims to be the "best looking, easiest to drive and smartest car" priced below 500,000 yuan (US$69,424), as the Chinese electronics maker gears up for orders this week.

The company will on Thursday evening announce its official price range and start taking orders for the SU7, short for Speed Ultra 7. CEO Lei Jun's comments, made on his official Weibo account, mark the first time the company has confirmed the upper end of its price range.

Anticipation for the car has been building up since Xiaomi unveiled the vehicle in December and announced it aimed to become one of the world's top five automakers. Lei has touted it as having technology capable of delivering acceleration better than Tesla cars and Porsche's EVs.

Seventy-six Xiaomi stores in 29 Chinese cities began displaying the car on Monday, with prospective customers and car bloggers lining up in one central Beijing showroom to get a close view of the "ocean blue" and other versions. The company also uploaded its "Xiaomi Car" app to Chinese app stores.

Among those in line was Jim Yan, who said he admired the SU7's curves and design aimed at decreasing drag.

"Whether it's Xiaomi's phones or Xiaomi's cars, their design is very original," said Yan, 28, who works in the legal industry.

For Yan, and many consumers of Xiaomi's cheaper phones and home electronics, the brand has gained a reputation of providing good value.

"In my mind, Xiaomi's pricing is at most mid-range. If the price is too high, especially since this is their first car, I think it remains to be tested by the market," Yan said.

The SU7 will come in two versions - one with a driving range of up to 668km on a single charge and another with a range of up to 800km. By comparison, Tesla's Model S has a range of up to 650km.

China's fifth-largest smartphone maker has been seeking to diversify into EVs amid stagnating demand for smartphones - a plan it first flagged in 2021. Other Chinese tech companies that have partnered with automakers to develop EVs include telecoms giant Huawei and search engine firm Baidu.

Xiaomi has pledged to invest US$10 billion in autos over a decade and is one of the few new players in China's EV market to gain approval from authorities, who have been reluctant to add to the supply glut.

Its cars are being produced by a unit of state-owned automaker BAIC Group in a Beijing factory with an annual capacity of 200,000 vehicles.

www.channelnewsasia.com

Xiaomi CEO teases price on upcoming car, showrooms begin displaying vehicle

BEIJING: Xiaomi's CEO said on Monday (Mar 25) that his firm's first electric vehicle aims to be the "best looking, easiest to drive and smartest car" priced below 500,000 yuan (US$69,424), as the Chinese electronics maker gears up for orders this week. The company will on Thursday evening...
www.channelnewsasia.com www.channelnewsasia.com
 
The new C63 is a four pot hybrid LOL

The sales figures say everything.

Mercedes learning the hard way and are already looking to bring back the glorious V8.
 
I didnt bother to check the date because EVs are getting more and more popular every day. There is still a lot of work that needs to be done but I am sure the IC engines are on their way out in the next 15-20 years.
 
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The only problem with electric cars is range anxiety.... you can never plan longer trips unless you are in the USA.

and trust me a person like me who loves the roar sound on giving accelerator can never switch to electric car at any cost
 
Cricket Warrior said:
The only problem with electric cars is range anxiety.... you can never plan longer trips unless you are in the USA.

and trust me a person like me who loves the roar sound on giving accelerator can never switch to electric car at any cost
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There’s also a stereotype out there that EV’s are driven by gay liberals.

And am with you, nothing beats the roar of a straight six engine buddy, when it all comes to an end I will much rather walk
 
Cricket Warrior said:
The only problem with electric cars is range anxiety.... you can never plan longer trips unless you are in the USA.

and trust me a person like me who loves the roar sound on giving accelerator can never switch to electric car at any cost
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I have a Long range Tesla Model Y and another v8 but honestly, the best thing about the car (or rather any EV) is the acceleration. You can’t beat 0-60 in under 5 seconds!

But you are right about the longer trips. I am on the US East coast and even then I cannot plan any trips more than 2 hrs long because it’s a pain to charge it on the road. Which is a shame, because it saves me so much bucks compared to my gas guzzler.
 
shaz619 said:
There’s also a stereotype out there that EV’s are driven by gay liberals.

And am with you, nothing beats the roar of a straight six engine buddy, when it all comes to an end I will much rather walk
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lol is that a thing in UK?

In Texas thousands drives Tesla due to rebates, its cheaper than even Nissan sedans here.

In my office itself 5 people have Tesla.
 
Mockingbird said:
I have a Long range Tesla Model Y and another v8 but honestly, the best thing about the car (or rather any EV) is the acceleration. You can’t beat 0-60 in under 5 seconds!

But you are right about the longer trips. I am on the US East coast and even then I cannot plan any trips more than 2 hrs long because it’s a pain to charge it on the road. Which is a shame, because it saves me so much bucks compared to my gas guzzler.
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if you use the map it gives and charge for only that amount of time it does well..and that many stops can be annoying but considering how easy the drive is with Tesla i had no qualms.
 
Mockingbird said:
I have a Long range Tesla Model Y and another v8 but honestly, the best thing about the car (or rather any EV) is the acceleration. You can’t beat 0-60 in under 5 seconds!

But you are right about the longer trips. I am on the US East coast and even then I cannot plan any trips more than 2 hrs long because it’s a pain to charge it on the road. Which is a shame, because it saves me so much bucks compared to my gas guzzler.
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yeah nothing can beat EVs in their speed pick ups...

I heard that Tesla Model S has a better range compare to other models?
 
JaDed said:
lol is that a thing in UK?

In Texas thousands drives Tesla due to rebates, its cheaper than even Nissan sedans here.

In my office itself 5 people have Tesla.
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There are like 6 or 7 Teslas on my street in NJ & ours is a quintessential Republican town. Never heard that kind of association either.


JaDed said:
if you use the map it gives and charge for only that amount of time it does well..and that many stops can be annoying but considering how easy the drive is with Tesla i had no qualms.
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I do like the Tesla drive too. If anything, I would say I am not a big fan of the interiors.

Cricket Warrior said:
yeah nothing can beat EVs in their speed pick ups...

I heard that Tesla Model S has a better range compare to other models?
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Pretty sure that Tesla is phasing out Model S? I heard they haven’t made any updates to the S in like ages.
 
JaDed said:
lol is that a thing in UK?

In Texas thousands drives Tesla due to rebates, its cheaper than even Nissan sedans here.

In my office itself 5 people have Tesla.
Click to expand...
There are like 6 or 7 Teslas on my street alone in NJ & ours is a quintessential Republican suburb. Never heard that kind of association either.


JaDed said:
if you use the map it gives and charge for only that amount of time it does well..and that many stops can be annoying but considering how easy the drive is with Tesla i had no qualms.
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I do like the Tesla drive too. If anything, I would say I am not a big fan of the interiors.

Cricket Warrior said:
yeah nothing can beat EVs in their speed pick ups...

I heard that Tesla Model S has a better range compare to other models?
Click to expand...

Pretty sure that Tesla is phasing out Model S? I heard they haven’t made any updates to the S in like ages.
 
Mockingbird said:
There are like 6 or 7 Teslas on my street in NJ & ours is a quintessential Republican town. Never heard that kind of association either.



I do like the Tesla drive too. If anything, I would say I am not a big fan of the interiors.



Pretty sure that Tesla is phasing out Model S? I heard they haven’t made any updates to the S in like ages.
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Yes the interiors are so dull now that I have seen what cars after 2022 offer.

The Merc EV suv was something from a future, the entire front passenger seat has a screen.
 
JaDed said:
Yes the interiors are so dull now that I have seen what cars after 2022 offer.

The Merc EV suv was something from a future, the entire front passenger seat has a screen.
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How does it drive? I test drove Audi, BMW EVs and Polestar last year & honestly was not impressed - they gave me the impression of a forced EV copy of a gas car and the tech was not impressive. Nothing beats a Tesla for the tech, but obviously have heard great stuff about the Lucid.
 
Mockingbird said:
I have a Long range Tesla Model Y and another v8 but honestly, the best thing about the car (or rather any EV) is the acceleration. You can’t beat 0-60 in under 5 seconds!

But you are right about the longer trips. I am on the US East coast and even then I cannot plan any trips more than 2 hrs long because it’s a pain to charge it on the road. Which is a shame, because it saves me so much bucks compared to my gas guzzler.
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The range anxiety is more pronounced in the US because of longer distances and it is the biggest factor keeping people from going full EV.

EVs smoke IC cars, six, or 8 cylinders. I like the roar but the smooth acceleration of EV trumps all such qualities of IC cars.
 
Mockingbird said:
How does it drive? I test drove Audi, BMW EVs and Polestar last year & honestly was not impressed - they gave me the impression of a forced EV copy of a gas car and the tech was not impressive. Nothing beats a Tesla for the tech, but obviously have heard great stuff about the Lucid.
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I liked it but didn’t drive outside the city yet. Tesla was amazing everywhere.
 
Stewie said:
Once the longer range batteries are mass produced, it will be the death knell for the IC engines.
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A big pain point is that the EVs are still not very reliable long term - the maintenance charges are high compared to ICE (hence makes sense to lease rather than outright purchase an EV). This needs fixing too.
 
JaDed said:
if you use the map it gives and charge for only that amount of time it does well..and that many stops can be annoying but considering how easy the drive is with Tesla i had no qualms.
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Every winter weekend, I drive about 2 hrs each way for skiing. I wish I could take my Tesla on those trips & save me some serious gas money, but it is a pain to stop for a long charge every single time.
 
Mockingbird said:
A big pain point is that the EVs are still not very reliable long term - the maintenance charges are high compared to ICE (hence makes sense to lease rather than outright purchase an EV). This needs fixing too.
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In the next 15-20 years we will see that change happen. These are all transitional pains. There are not going to be certified technicians and repair facilitie available right away in as many numbers as the traditional ICE repair facilities due to tech being new but I know Tesla is outsourcing this business to franchises within US, or at least I heard something like that. As the used car market gets filled iwth EVs, the labor and facilities to service them will become available as well. And when that happens, the cost will automatically come down.

I really think of this change along the same lines as how people pooh poohed the debut of iPhone 1. They still wanted to to hold on to their snazzy nokia push button phones and that thought iphone is a fad. But it gave rise to a whole new tech of smartphones and touch screen devices and it did not take very long for the older tech to go the way of the dodo.
 
Mockingbird said:
Every winter weekend, I drive about 2 hrs each way for skiing. I wish I could take my Tesla on those trips & save me some serious gas money, but it is a pain to stop for a long charge every single time.
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I don’t think I would drive it in snow, even the auto drive it seems is easier to manoeuvre rain than snow.
Stewie said:
In the next 15-20 years we will see that change happen. These are all transitional pains. There are not going to be certified technicians and repair facilitie available right away in as many numbers as the traditional ICE repair facilities due to tech being new but I know Tesla is outsourcing this business to franchises within US, or at least I heard something like that. As the used car market gets filled iwth EVs, the labor and facilities to service them will become available as well. And when that happens, the cost will automatically come down.

I really think of this change along the same lines as how people pooh poohed the debut of iPhone 1. They still wanted to to hold on to their snazzy nokia push button phones and that thought iphone is a fad. But it gave rise to a whole new tech of smartphones and touch screen devices and it did not take very long for the older tech to go the way of the dodo.
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I have multiple childhood friends working on electrification (mostly German companies with offices in MI/Cal) , the scene is definitely more promising now compared to 3 years ago thanks to massive Tesla customer base and charging being opened up.

I myself work for IT department of a company that supply chips/wafers to these companies , I can tell you with knowledge while the automobile electrical economy is massively picking up its still far off and there is so much gap yet but if this can’t happen in Us freemarket it won’t anywhere.

It can still can go either way, solid state- Hydrogen all are still in race for now.
 
Stewie said:
In the next 15-20 years we will see that change happen. These are all transitional pains. There are not going to be certified technicians and repair facilitie available right away in as many numbers as the traditional ICE repair facilities due to tech being new but I know Tesla is outsourcing this business to franchises within US, or at least I heard something like that. As the used car market gets filled iwth EVs, the labor and facilities to service them will become available as well. And when that happens, the cost will automatically come down.

I really think of this change along the same lines as how people pooh poohed the debut of iPhone 1. They still wanted to to hold on to their snazzy nokia push button phones and that thought iphone is a fad. But it gave rise to a whole new tech of smartphones and touch screen devices and it did not take very long for the older tech to go the way of the dodo.
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While some of these are transitional pains (labor, facilities) etc, it is also equally true that EVs are inherently more prone to breakdowns (a fact also proven by the high insurance cost of an EV compared to an ICE) It will be hard to convince people to ditch their ultra reliable Hondas & Toyotas & go for these uber-breakdown prone EVs, unless their reliability improves.

Don’t know if you have been following the Hertz story whose CEO got fired recently because he replaced 40% of the Hertz fleet in the US in the last couple of years with EVs, thereby dramatically increasing the maintenance costs. Those EVs are pretty much scrap now.
 
Mockingbird said:
While some of these are transitional pains (labor, facilities) etc, it is also equally true that EVs are inherently more prone to breakdowns (a fact also proven by the high insurance cost of an EV compared to an ICE) It will be hard to convince people to ditch their ultra reliable Hondas & Toyotas & go for these uber-breakdown prone EVs, unless their reliability improves.

Don’t know if you have been following the Hertz story whose CEO got fired recently because he replaced 40% of the Hertz fleet in the US in the last couple of years with EVs, thereby dramatically increasing the maintenance costs. Those EVs are pretty much scrap now.
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I have been involved in some of the development myself in the past so I have some industry knowledge. The batteries had thermal runaway issue in the initial stages and we all read about Teslas catching fire, etc. But those issues were eventually resolved. All the design flaws will eventually be ironed out because this is a high profile product. So my hope is that all these kinks are part of the tech as it goes through various iterations and is refined over time.

That being said there are still issues with a lot of american and even some japanese ICE cars. Electrical, mechanical, transmission related, etc. No product is absolutely bulletproof because if that were the case, nobody would upgrade. But for the time being, yes I agree, there are quite a few issues that need to be resolved which is why I love driving around my giant gas guzzling SUV for now. :)
 
Mockingbird said:
While some of these are transitional pains (labor, facilities) etc, it is also equally true that EVs are inherently more prone to breakdowns (a fact also proven by the high insurance cost of an EV compared to an ICE) It will be hard to convince people to ditch their ultra reliable Hondas & Toyotas & go for these uber-breakdown prone EVs, unless their reliability improves.

Don’t know if you have been following the Hertz story whose CEO got fired recently because he replaced 40% of the Hertz fleet in the US in the last couple of years with EVs, thereby dramatically increasing the maintenance costs. Those EVs are pretty much scrap now.
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The Hertz one was silly also because Tesla reduced their prices and they didn’t revise the deal for Hertz which cost them lot of money.
 
JaDed said:
The Hertz one was silly also because Tesla reduced their prices and they didn’t revise the deal for Hertz which cost them lot of money.
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Yeah I heard that, but that can’t be the reason bcoz that is a sunk cost. Also Tesla was not obligated to revise the contractual cost unless it was built in into the contract itself.

Replacing 40 percent fleet with Tesla was a bit much. You can’t place that much reliance on Musk :)
 
Xiaomi: Chinese smartphone giant takes on Tesla

Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi has launched its first electric vehicle (EV) and started taking orders.

At the event the technology giant's chief executive Lei Jun said the standard SU7 model would be priced at 215,900 yuan ($29,872; £23,663) and the Max version would cost 299,900 yuan.

The firm says it got over 50,000 orders within the first 27 minutes of sales.

Xiaomi's entry into the electric car market comes as sales growth has slowed globally, triggering a price war.

The move sees the technology giant taking on EV rivals including Tesla and BYD. The starting price in China for Tesla's Model 3 is 245,900 yuan.

Mr Lei also said the SU7, which has drawn comparisons with Porsche's Taycan and Panamera models, would have a minimum range of 700km (435 miles), beating the Tesla Model 3's 567km.

The firm is hoping that the SU7's shared operating system with its phones, laptops and other devices will appeal to existing customers.

Xiaomi is the third-largest seller of smartphones worldwide with a market share of about 12%, according to research firm Counterpoint.

The SU7, which Xiaomi has been teasing since last year, has drawn comparisons to Porsche's Taycan and Panamera sports car models.

It will be made by a unit of state-owned car manufacturer BAIC Group at a plant in Beijing that can produce as many as 200,000 vehicles a year.

"While getting this far is itself quite an achievement, the ultimate achievement would be to demonstrate that there is a consumer market for Xiaomi as a smart EVs brand," Bill Russo of Automobility told the BBC.

In an indication of the challenges facing technology firms who want to make electric cars, iPhone maker Apple last month reportedly cancelled its plans to build an EV.

Mr Russo added that Xiaomi's entry into the car market reflected its confidence "in the relevancy for their brand" in China while Apple did not see enough potential in the EV market outside of China.

Xiaomi has said it will invest $10bn (£7.9bn) in its vehicles business over the next 10 years.

"The Chinese EV market is very mature and creates a very stable ecosystem for the EV manufacturers," said Abhishek Murali from research firm Rystad Energy.

"For example, the battery supply chain is very strong, and the charging network in the country is also growing to meet the growing EV feed."

The launch of Xiaomi's first car comes as a price war in China's EV market has been intensifying.

Tesla, which is headed by multi-billionaire Elon Musk, has cut the cost of its cars in China by thousands of dollars in recent months as local rivals like the world's top-selling EV maker BYD have slashed prices.

The world's biggest car market is already crowded so Xiaomi is one of the few new prospective entrants to gain approval from authorities as officials try to curb a flood of new players.

Earlier this week, BYD posted record annual profits but said growth had slowed towards the end of last year.

Shanghai-based electric car maker Nio on Wednesday lowered its forecast for first quarter deliveries as consumers tightened spending as China's economic growth weakens.

American EV giant Tesla is due to announce its delivery numbers for the first three months of 2024 next week.

At the same time, governments around the world are pushing back against imports of foreign-made EVs.

On Tuesday, Beijing initiated dispute settlement proceedings against the US at the World Trade Organization to contest "discriminatory subsidies" under the US Inflation Reduction Act.

Meanwhile, the European Union has launched an investigation into whether Chinese government subsidies have helped the country's electric car makers undercut European-made models.

BBC
 
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Biden urged to ban China-made electric vehicles

President Joe Biden has been urged to ban imports of Chinese-made electric cars to the US.

The chair of the Senate Banking Committee, Senator Sherrod Brown, wrote "Chinese electric vehicles are an existential threat to the American auto industry".

His comments are the strongest yet by any US lawmaker on the issue, while others have called for steep tariffs to keep Chinese electric vehicles (EV) out of the country.

In February, the White House said the US was opening an investigation into whether Chinese cars pose a national security risk.

"We cannot allow China to bring its government-backed cheating to the American auto industry", Senator Brown said in a video on the social media platform X, formerly Twitter.

Senator Brown, who is a Democrat from the the car-producing state of Ohio, is seeking to win a fourth term in office in November's election.

The White House did not immediately respond to a BBC request for comment.

In February, President Biden said that China's policies "could flood our market with its vehicles, posing risks to our national security" and that he would "not let that happen on my watch."

Washington could impose restrictions over concerns that the technology in Chinese-made cars could "collect large amounts of sensitive data on their drivers and passengers", the White House said.

It warned cars that are connected to the internet "regularly use their cameras and sensors to record detailed information on US infrastructure; interact directly with critical infrastructure; and can be piloted or disabled remotely".

China is the world's largest producer of cars and vying with Japan to be the biggest exporter of vehicles.

This week, while on a trip to China, US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen warned Beijing that Washington would not allow a repeat of the "China shock" of the early 2000s, when Chinese imports flooded into America.

In response, China's vice finance minister, Liao Min, expressed "grave concern" over restrictions the US has imposed on trade and investment.

Mr Liao said China's competitive advantages are due to its "large-scale market, complete industrial system and abundant human resources".

Also on Thursday, America's biggest airlines asked the Biden administration to halt approvals of new flights between the US and China.

In a letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Transportation Department Secretary Pete Buttigieg they said China's “damaging anti-competitive policies” put US carriers at a disadvantage.

“If the growth of the Chinese aviation market is allowed to continue unchecked and without concern for equality of access in the market, flights will continue to be relinquished to Chinese carriers at the expense of US workers and businesses.”

The world's two biggest economies have been locked in a trade war since 2018 when the then-Trump administration imposed tariffs on more than $360bn (£287bn) of Chinese goods.

Beijing retaliated with tariffs on more than $110bn of US products.

President Joe Biden has largely kept those tariffs in place.

Last year the value of goods the US bought from China fell by just over 20% to $427bn. At the same time, US exports to China dipped by 4% to just under $148bn.

BBC
 

Tesla to cut more than 6,000 jobs in Texas, California, notices show​


April 23 (Reuters) - Tesla (TSLA.O), opens new tab said it will lay off 6,020 employees in Texas and California ahead of its quarterly results on Tuesday when CEO Elon Musk is expected to outline the electric-vehicle maker's strategy to combat slowing demand and falling margins.

Last week, Tesla announced a more than 10% cut in its global workforce under pressure from dropping sales and an intensifying price war among EV makers, without revealing the number of employees the job cuts would impact.

Some numbers were disclosed in notices to the states of Texas and California on Monday under a U.S. labor law that requires companies with 100 or more employees to notify 60 days ahead of planned closings or mass layoffs.

Tesla will cut 3,332 jobs in California and eliminate 2,688 positions in Texas, starting June 14, the notices showed.

"Tesla has now created over 30,000 manufacturing jobs in California!" Musk said in a post on his social media platform X on Tuesday.

Shares of the Austin, Texas-based automaker were up about 2% ahead of the company's first-quarter results that are due after markets on Tuesday, and set to break a seven-session losing streak that had dragged the stock down 19%.

The job cuts in Texas represent 12% of Tesla's total workforce of 22,777 in the greater Austin area, where its gigafactory and headquarters are located.

The global job cuts would include 285 employees at its Buffalo, New York premises that houses the labeling team for its Autopilot driver assistance software that makes fast-charging equipment.

Tesla's headcount stood at more than 140,000 late last year, up from around 100,000 at the end of 2021, according to the company's filings with U.S. regulators.

 
I think TESLA has no competition so far when it comes to cars.

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Tesla China rival BYD sees profits and sales fall

Chinese car giant BYD has seen profits fall as it is hit by slowing demand for electric vehicles (EV) and a price war in the world's largest car market.

The firm said it made $630m (£502m) in the first three months of the year, more than 47% lower than the previous quarter.

BYD has been competing with Elon Musk's Tesla to be the world's biggest seller of EVs. The US giant reclaimed the title earlier this month after losing out to its Chinese rival at the end of last year.

BYD says it sold just over 300,000 battery-only cars in the first three months of the year, down from a record 526,000 in the final quarter of 2023.

The Shenzhen-based firm's latest financial results suggest it may be performing better than Tesla, which posted its first quarterly revenue fall since the pandemic disrupted its production and sales in 2020.

BYD and its rivals have been involved in a price war in China, as they compete for market share at a time of slower economic growth.

The company, which is backed by veteran US investor Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway, has cut prices on some of its latest models as it tries to attract buyers who have been more cautious when it comes to big ticket items such as cars.

To cushion the blow of softer demand in China, BYD has also been looking to expand into new markets.

The EV maker exported 240,000 cars in 2023 and is looking to grow that number significantly this year.

Its aggressive push into overseas markets has sparked a backlash in the US and Europe, where governments are looking to protect their domestic car makers.

Along with its efforts to increase exports, BYD has also been diversifying its product range by offering higher-end models.

At the Beijing auto show, which opened to the general public this week, BYD has been displaying its latest luxury vehicles.

BBC
 
China's Nio unveils Tesla Model Y rival

Chinese electric vehicle (EV) maker Nio has unveiled the first car from its new lower-priced brand Onvo, in a direct challenge to Tesla's best-selling car.

With prices starting at 219,900 yuan ($30,465, £23,990), the L60 SUV is more than 10% cheaper than the world's most popular EV, Tesla's Model Y, which has a price tag of 249,900 yuan.

It comes in the same week that US President Joe Biden announced he would quadruple the import tax on electric cars from China.

Like other EV makers, Tesla has been struggling with falling sales in the face of intense competition from Chinese brands.

The vehicle was unveiled in Shanghai by Nio's chief executive, William Li, who said the company aimed to rival Tesla's Model Y and the Toyota RAV4.

"With technologies evolving and people’s understanding in smart EVs deepening, today it’s time for us to redefine the new standards for family cars," Mr Li said.

The company has started taking orders for the L60 and aims to begin deliveries by September.

Nio executives said they have plans to launch a new Onvo model a year as part of efforts to expand into the family car market.

The brand could also help Nio build up its presence outside its home country.

However, it faces 100% tariffs in the US and an ongoing anti-subsidy probe launched by the European Union into EV imports from China.

Electric car brands around the world are facing major challenges as they face slower sales and increased competition.

In April, Tesla started to lay off more than 10% of its global EV workforce.

Later that month, the company announced its profits for the first three months of the year had fallen by more than half compared to the same time last year.

Meanwhile, China's BYD said its profits had fallen as it was hit by weaker demand and a price war in the world's largest car market.

SOURCE: BBC
 

Tesla CEO Elon Musk says he favors ‘no tariffs’ on Chinese EVs​


Tesla CEO Elon Musk said on Thursday that he doesn’t support President Biden’s recent announcement of a tariff on Chinese electric vehicles.

“Neither Tesla nor I asked for these tariffs,” Musk said during a question and answer session at the VivaTech conference Wednesday in Paris. “In fact, I was surprised when they were announced.”

The Biden administration last week said it was placing a 100% tariff on Chinese-made electric vehicle imports to the U.S. in a bid to stop cheap Chinese EVs from flooding the U.S. market. The White House says Beijing’s subsidies are helping companies overproduce cheap clean energy products like solar panels and EVs that outpace domestic demand.

Tesla has been struggling this year due to an aging fleet of EVs, weaker consumer demand for its vehicles and increased global competition, most notably in China. Revenue slumped in the first quarter by the most since 2012, and the stock price is down almost 30% in 2024.

“Tesla competes quite well in the market in China with no tariffs and no deferential support,” Musk said Thursday. “I’m in favor of no tariffs.”

It’s a change of tune for Musk, who suggested earlier this year that Chinese EV companies will crush competitors elsewhere in the absence of trade restrictions.

“Frankly, I think, if there are not trade barriers established, they will pretty much demolish most other companies in the world,” Musk said on the company’s earnings call in January.

 

EU to slap extra tariffs of up to 38% on Chinese electric cars​


Brussels provoked China's ire by launching the probe last year in a bid to defend European manufacturers.

Hours before the announcement, Beijing warned that such a move would "harm Europe's own interests".

There is also dissent within the EU, with Germany, a major trade partner to China, saying the tariffs would harm German companies.

The European Commission has now ordered a provisional hike of tariffs on Chinese manufacturers: 17.4 percent for market major BYD, 20 percent for Geely and 38.1 percent for SAIC.

The commission said the amount depended on the level of state subsidies received by the companies.

All other electric car producers in China which had cooperated with the commission's probe but were not sampled would face an average duty of 21 percent, it added.

The remaining BEV producers which did not cooperate with the investigation would be subject to a 38.1 percent duty.

This would be on top of the current rate of 10 percent on all electric cars produced in China.

To halt the extra tariffs being levied, Beijing and Brussels must resolve the subsidies issue.

"The Commission has provisionally concluded that the battery electric vehicles (BEV) value chain in China benefits from unfair subsidisation, which is causing a threat of economic injury to EU BEV producers," it said in a statement.

"Should discussions with Chinese authorities not lead to an effective solution, these provisional countervailing duties would be introduced," it added.

The tariffs will apply provisionally from July 4 and then definitively from November unless there is a qualified majority of EU states -- 15 countries representing at least 65 percent of the bloc's population -- voting against the move.

China warned prior to the announcement that the tariffs would amount to "protectionism".

"It goes against the principles of market economy and international trade rules, undermines China-EU economic and trade cooperation as well as the stability of the global automobile production and supply chain," foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian said.

"China will take all necessary measures to firmly safeguard its legitimate rights and interests," he said.

Brussels launched the probe last year, with officials saying they wanted to put the brakes on what they claimed were unfair practices undercutting Europe's car manufacturers.

The EU's tariffs, while high, are lower than the United States' 100-percent rate imposed from last month on Chinese electric cars.

Not all 27 EU member states welcome the commission's move.

Germany, Hungary and Sweden already expressed reservations about the investigation and the push to slap higher duties.

"The European Commission's punitive tariffs hit German companies and their top products," German transport minister Volker Wissing wrote on X.

"Cars must become cheaper through more competition, open markets and significantly better business conditions in the EU, not through trade war and market isolation," Wissing said.

China is an important market for German car makers, while Hungary, which a month ago hosted a visit by Chinese President Xi Jinping, is clearing land for a BYD factory to be built next year. Geely owns Volvo, the Swedish-based auto manufacturer.

The Chinese Chamber of Commerce to the EU (CCCEU) warned the rates announced "will pose a serious market barrier" and slammed the "politically motivated and protectionism driven" investigation.

The CCCEU said the probe lacked "substantive and substantiated complaints from its domestic industry" since it was launched by the commission without a complaint from manufacturers.

Chinese media ramped up threats that Beijing could target EU exports, including pork and dairy products, in the weeks running before the commission's decision.

China is an important country for EU's agriculture sector and any move by Beijing could deliver acute pain to European exports.

EU exported dairy products worth around 1.7 billion euros ($1.8 billion) last year, down from nearly 2.1 billion euros in 2023.

The Asian country is the third destination for the EU's agri-food exports after Britain and the United States.

China is the world's biggest car exporter and Europe is a critical market for it.

EU imports of EVs from China mushroomed from around 57,000 in 2020 to around 437,000 in 2023, the US-based Peterson Institute for International Economics said.

Ahead of the EU's move, Germany's Kiel Institute for the World Economy said in a report that a 20 percent tariff would mean 125,000 fewer Chinese electric cars to the EU, worth almost $4 billion.

www.rfi.fr

EU to slap extra tariffs of up to 38% on Chinese electric cars

The European Union threatened on Wednesday to hit Chinese electric car imports with additional tariffs of up to 38 percent from next month following an anti-subsidy probe, a move that risks triggering…
www.rfi.fr www.rfi.fr
 

EU and China set for talks on planned electric vehicle tariffs​

SHANGHAI, June 22 (Reuters) - China and the European Union have agreed to start talks on the planned imposition of tariffs on Chinese-made electric vehicles (EVs) being imported into the European market, senior officials of both sides said on Saturday.

Germany's Economy Minister Robert Habeck said he had been informed by EU commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis that there would be concrete negotiations on tariffs with China.

The confirmation came after China's commerce ministry said its head Wang Wentao, and Dombrovskis, executive vice president of the European Commission, had agreed to start consultations over the EU's anti-subsidy investigation into Chinese EVs.

"This is new and surprising in that it has not been possible to enter into a concrete negotiation timetable in the last few weeks," Habeck said in Shanghai.

He said it was a first step and many more will be necessary. "We are far from the end, but at least, it is a first step that was not possible before."

The minister had said earlier on Saturday that the European Union's door was open for discussions regarding EU tariffs on Chinese exports.

"What I suggested to my Chinese partners today is that the doors are open for discussions and I hope that this message was heard," he said in his first statement in Shanghai, after meetings with Chinese officials in Beijing.

Habeck's visit is the first by a senior European official since Brussels proposed hefty duties on imports of Chinese-made electric vehicles (EVs) to combat what the EU considers excessive subsidies.

Habeck said there is time for a dialogue between the EU and China on tariff issues before the duties come into full effect in November and that he believes in open markets but that markets require a level playing field.

Proven subsidies that are intended to increase the export advantages of companies can't be accepted, the minister said.

Another point of tension between Beijing and Berlin is China's support for Russia in its war in Ukraine. Habeck noted Chinese trade with Russia increased more than 40% last year.

Habeck said he had told Chinese officials that this was taking a toll on their economic relationship. "Circumventions of the sanctions imposed on Russia are not acceptable," he said, adding that technical goods produced in Europe should not end up on the battlefield via other countries.

Source: Reuters
 
sweep_shot said:
I am not sold on electric vehicles yet.

Way too overpriced. Many other issues.
Click to expand...
like what, i have an electric, range and lack of driving emotion are the only issues for me. 250 miles is okyish, but i think it should be closer to 400.

apart from that, relaxed driving, torque on demand, minimal maintenance, convenience of not having to fill up at petrol stations, etc is quite nice.

also their prices have come down significantly over the last year, if i had waited a year to get mine id have got abt 15% off on a new one.
 
ElRaja said:
like what, i have an electric, range and lack of driving emotion are the only issues for me. 250 miles is okyish, but i think it should be closer to 400.

apart from that, relaxed driving, torque on demand, minimal maintenance, convenience of not having to fill up at petrol stations, etc is quite nice.

also their prices have come down significantly over the last year, if i had waited a year to get mine id have got abt 15% off on a new one.
Click to expand...

Electric cars can't get too far without needing to be charged again. Also, not enough charging stations everywhere.

Finally, I have read reports like cars catching fires.

Not my thing yet. I am happy with my good old Honda Civic.
 
sweep_shot said:
Electric cars can't get too far without needing to be charged again. Also, not enough charging stations everywhere.

Finally, I have read reports like cars catching fires.

Not my thing yet. I am happy with my good old Honda Civic.
Click to expand...
range i agree with, rest i think if u want lots of medium length journeys (30 to 40 miles), then electric is more convenient, esp if u charge at home.
 

Canada considering tariffs on Chinese-made EVs​

Canada is considering whether to impose import tariffs on Chinese-made electric vehicles and will seek the public’s opinion about the idea, Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland has said.

On Monday, Freeland said the domestic car sector faced unfair competition from what she called China’s “state-directed policy of overcapacity,” and that Ottawa would open a 30-day public consultation period on July 2 as to how Canada can respond.

“Chinese producers are quite intentionally generating a global oversupply that undermines EV producers around the world, including here in Canada,” Freeland told reporters in Vaughan, Ontario, echoing concerns raised by the United States and the European Union.

Freeland said public consultations will help the government decide its policy response, which may include tariffs on imports, adding that the move would align Ottawa with allies in Washington and Brussels.

United States President Joe Biden last month unveiled a bundle of steep tariff increases on an array of Chinese imports, including electric vehicles. The European Commission, which oversees trade policy in the 27-nation, is planning to impose additional duties of up to 38.1 percent on Chinese producers such as BYD, Geely and SAIC, as well as Chinese-built Tesla and BMW cars.

China has rejected accusations of unfair subsidies or that it has an overcapacity problem, saying the development of its EV industry has been the result of advantages in technology, market and industry supply chains.

An opinion piece published in the Chinese state-backed Global Times newspaper before Freeland’s announcement on Monday advocated for “Canada to remain strategically rational” and not “sacrifice normal economic exchanges with China for the sake of Washington’s strategic selfishness.”

Canadian tariffs on Chinese EVs “may undermine market confidence among Chinese investors, worsen bilateral relations and hinder normal economic and trade cooperation,” a Global Times reporter said in the opinion piece.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s Liberal government, which has been trying to position Canada as a critical part of the global EV supply chain, had come under pressure domestically to act against Chinese EVs.

The premier of Ontario, Canada’s most populous province and the main car-making centre, last week urged Ottawa to impose tariffs of at least 100 percent on Chinese-made electric vehicles to protect jobs.

Freeland declined to get into the specifics of what Ottawa’s potential action would be or if EV components like batteries could also be targeted, but said everything was on the table.

“We’re not ruling anything out,” she said, adding “that we are bringing to bear our strongest trade action tools.”

Canada has inked deals worth billions of dollars to woo companies involved in all parts of the EV supply chain to bolster its manufacturing heartland in Ontario.

SOURCE: REUTERS
 
My lack of manual-transmission skills made me choose electric car in 2022 and things have mostly been smooth. A lot of my friends have chosen electric cars too after me.

My only frustration is having to rent another car for longer trips. Things would be perfect if we could have some more efficient batteries packing more charge for the volume.
 
VW to invest up to $5bn in Tesla rival Rivian

German car making giant Volkswagen (VW) says it will invest up to $5bn (£3.94bn) in Tesla rival Rivian.

The deal creates a joint venture that will allow VW and the US-based electric vehicle (EV) maker to share technology.

Rivian shares jumped by almost 50% after the announcement.

The tie-up comes as competition intensifies between EV makers and Western countries move to impose tariffs on Chinese imports.

Under the agreement, VW said it will initially invest $1bn in the electric truck and SUV maker, with another $4bn to be put into the company by 2026.

Founded in 2009, Rivian has not yet posted a quarterly profit. In the first three months of 2024 the company saw a net loss of more than $1.4bn.

VW, like other motor industry giants, has come under pressure from rivals like Tesla and China's BYD as it tries to make the shift from fossil fuel-powered vehicles.

Meanwhile, some EV start-ups have struggled to make headway in the highly competitive market and as higher interest rates hit demand for big ticket purchases.

The partnership will give VW immediate access to Rivian's software allowing the German car maker to use it in its cars.

Motor industry giants like VW have also been facing growing competition from Chinese EV makers, which have been expanding globally.

Earlier this month, the European Union (EU) warned that it will raise tariffs on Chinese EV imports by as much as 38%.

Officials from China and the EU have held talks ahead of a 4 July deadline.

A months-long investigation by the European Commission found that Chinese EV companies had been "unfairly subsidised".

In response, China said the tariffs violated international trade rules and described the investigation as "protectionism".

The plan came just a month after the US said it will increase import levies on Chinese EVs from 25% to 100%.

This week, Canada said that it was considering a similar move to align itself with allies.

Separately on Tuesday, Tesla said it would recall most of its Cybertrucks sold in the US over issues with their windscreen wipers and exterior trim.

The recalls cover more than 11,000 of the vehicles, which first went on sale at the end of November last year.

BBC
 

EU hits Chinese electric cars with steep tariffs​


The European Union has raised tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles, as Brussels takes action to protect the bloc's motor industry.

The new tariffs on individual manufactures range from 17.4% to 37.6%, which is on top of a 10% duty that was already in place for all electric cars imported from China.

This could raise the price of EVs across the EU, making them less affordable for European consumers.

The move is also a major blow for Beijing, which is already in a trade war with Washington. The EU is the largest overseas market for China’s EV industry and the country is counting on high-tech products to help revive its flagging economy.

EU officials say this rise in imports was boosted by "unfair subsidisation", which allowed China-made EVs to be sold at much lower prices than ones produced in the bloc.

China has denied this repeated allegation from the US and the EU: Beijing is subsidising excess production to flood western markets with cheap imports.

The new charges come into effect on Friday but are currently provisional while the investigation into Chinese state support for the country's EV makers continues.

So who are the potential winners and losers in this trade dispute?

It is not just Chinese brands that are affected by the move. Western firms that make cars in China have also come under scrutiny by Brussels.

By imposing tariffs, Brussels says it is attempting to correct what it sees as a distorted market. The EU’s decision may seem tame compared to a recent US move to raise its total tariffs to 100%, but it could be far more consequential. Chinese EVs are a relatively rare sight on US roads but much more common in the EU.

The number of EVs sold by Chinese brands across the EU rose from just 0.4% of the total EV market in 2019 to almost 8% last year, according to figures from the influential Brussels-based green group Transport and Environment (T&E).

Patryk Krupcala, an architect from Poland, who expects to take delivery of a brand new China-made MG4 in two weeks told the BBC: "I have chosen an MG4 because it is quite cheap. It is a really fast car and it's a rear-wheel drive like my previous car which was BMW E46."

T&E projects firms like BYD and Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation (SAIC), the Chinese owner of the formerly British brand MG, could reach a market share of 20% by 2027.

But not all Chinese-made EVs will be hit equally by the new tariffs.

They were calculated based on estimates of how much state aid each firm received, while companies that cooperated with the probe saw the duties they were hit with cut. Based on these criteria, the European Commission has set individual duties on three Chinese EV brands - SAIC, BYD and Geely.

SAIC has been hit with the highest new tariff of 37.6%. State-owned SAIC is the Chinese partner of Volkswagen and General Motors. It also owns MG, which produces one of the top-selling EVs in Europe, the MG4.

"The price for not cooperating is a severe blow to SAIC, which gets 15.4% of its global revenues from EV sales in Europe," says Rhodium Group, an independent research firm.

For Mr Krupcala, who bought his MG4 before the tariffs hit, the EU's move does not matter much: "I don't really care about the tariffs. I have a nice car with a seven-year warranty."

For China's largest EV maker, BYD, it is a different story, as it faces an extra duty of 17.4% on the vehicles it ships from China to the EU.

That is the lowest increase and one that, according to research by Dutch bank ING will "give the automaker an advantage in the European market".

Luís Filipe Costa, an insurance industry executive from Portugal, who has just bought a BYD Seal, says price was one of the deciding factors when he chose his new car.

But, he added that even if the European Commission's new tariffs had already been in place he would still have gone with BYD because "other brands would also be affected".

Geely, which owns Sweden's Volvo, will see an additional tariff of 19.9%.

According to Spanish bank BBVA, the company will "still export to the EU profitably" but "its profits will be significantly reduced."

Other firms, including European car makers operating factories in China or through joint ventures, will also have to pay more to bring electric cars into the EU.

Those deemed to have cooperated with the probe will face an extra duty of 20.8%, while those EU investigators see as non-cooperative will pay the higher tariff of 37.6%.

US-based Tesla, which is the biggest exporter of electric vehicles from China to Europe, has asked for an individually calculated rate which EU officials have said will be determined at the end of the investigation.

Still, the firm has posted a notice on some of its European websites, that prices for its Shanghai-made Model 3 could increase due to the new tariffs.

Last year, businessman Lars Koopmann, who lives in the motor industry powerhouse that is Germany, bought a China-made Tesla Model Y.

Mr Koopmann says he particularly enjoyed the car's high-tech features, such as the large touch screen.

"Price was also a big factor that set it apart from premium German brands," Mr Koopmann says.

"If the tariffs had been in place, they would have always affected my decision."

While some China-based exporters will be better off than others, it is clear from the European Commission's plans that all of them will be facing higher costs when shipping to Europe.

The hardest hit "will be SAIC brands like MG... as well as joint ventures between foreign and Chinese firms in China, which often have narrower profit margins on the cars they export to Europe," Rhodium says.

"The biggest beneficiaries of the duties are European-based producers with limited China exposure, such as Renault."

In other words, the duties are likely to do as the EU hopes they would - cut the number of Chinese-made EVs coming into the region, easing pressure on local manufacturers.

There is also another result of the move - some big Chinese EV firms are planning to build production capacity in the EU, which could help shield them from the new duties.

Work on BYD's first European factory is well under way in Hungary and production is expected to begin there by the end of next year.

Chinese car maker, Chery, has recently signed a joint-venture deal with a Spanish firm that will see the two companies making EVs and other types of cars in Barcelona.

And, SAIC is looking to secure a site for its first factory in Europe.

"It’s a well architected plan to encourage companies to shift their investments to the EU, instead of relying on exporting from China," said Bill Russo, from Shanghai-based consulting group Automobility.

"The fact that some companies are taxed higher than others is a signal that they will make the penalty higher or lower based on the degree the company is committed to investing in the EU."

The Chinese government placed its bet on EVs early on.

According to the Center for Strategic and International Studies, between 2009 and 2023 more than $230bn (£181bn) of state support was pumped into the industry.

As a result its EV industry has become world leading.

The International Energy Agency says China accounted for more than 60% of the world's new electric car sales last year.

While the vast majority of EVs produced in China are sold domestically, overseas markets, and particularly Europe, have become increasingly important.

"Exports are the profitable segment," said Rhodium's senior analyst, Gregor Sebastian.

"The EU tariffs will hurt China’s EV industry because these exports help recover losses from China's domestic price war."

Meanwhile, the world's second largest economy is struggling to shake off an economic slowdown in the wake of the pandemic and an ongoing property crisis.

Faced with lower domestic consumption and investment levels, China is trying to "export its way out" of the slump, says Alicia Garcia-Herrero, chief economist for the Asia Pacific region at investment bank Natixis.

And Beijing is placing yet another large bet on EVs by making the industry one of its “New Three” growth drivers - a government blueprint for reviving the economy that also relies on exports of batteries and renewable energy.

However, with major markets like the US, the EU and others imposing tariffs and other barriers, it looks like China's latest gamble could deepen trade tensions with some of its largest trading partners.

www.bbc.com

Chinese electric car makers hit with new European Union tariffs

The move poses a challenge to Beijing, which hopes EVs will help revive the country's flagging economy.
www.bbc.com www.bbc.com
 
China Tesla rival BYD signs $1bn Turkey plant deal

China's biggest electric car maker BYD has agreed a $1bn (£780m) deal to set up a manufacturing plant in Turkey, as it continues to expand outside its home country.

The new plant will be able to produce up to 150,000 vehicles a year, according to Turkish state news agency Anadolu.

The facility is expected to create around 5,000 jobs and start production by the end of 2026.

The deal was signed at an event in Istanbul attended by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and BYD's chief executive Wang Chuanfu.

BYD did not immediately respond to a BBC request for further details on the deal.

The announcement comes as Chinese EV makers face increasing pressure in the European Union and the US.

Last week, the EU took action to protect the bloc's motor industry by raising tariffs on Chinese EVs.

The decision saw BYD hit with an extra tariff of 17.4% on the vehicles it ships from China to the EU, which was on top of a 10% import duty.

Turkey is part of the EU’s Customs Union, which means vehicles made in the country and exported to the bloc can avoid the additional tariff.

The Turkish government has also taken action to support the country's car makers by putting an extra 40% tariff on imports of Chinese vehicles.

In May, US President Joe Biden ramped up tariffs on Chinese-made electric cars, solar panels, steel and other goods.

The White House said the measures, which include a 100% border tax on electric cars from China, were a response to unfair policies and intended to protect US jobs.

BYD, which is backed by veteran US investor Warren Buffett, is the world’s second-largest EV company after Elon Musk's Tesla.

The company has been rapidly expanding its production facilities outside China.

At the end of last year, BYD announced that it would build a manufacturing plant in EU member state Hungary.

It will be the firm's first passenger car factory in Europe and is expected to create thousands of jobs.

On Thursday, BYD opened an EV plant in Thailand - its first factory in South East Asia.

BYD said the plant will have an annual capacity of 150,000 vehicles and is projected to generate 10,000 jobs.

The company has also said it is planning to build a manufacturing plant in Mexico.

BBC
 
Uber strikes EV deal with Chinese Tesla rival BYD

Uber has announced a deal which aims to bring 100,000 electric vehicles (EVs) made by China's BYD to the ride-hailing giant's global fleet of cars.

The two companies say they will offer Uber drivers incentives to switch to electric cars, including discounts on maintenance, charging, financing and leasing.

The multi-year agreement will be rolled out first in Europe and Latin America, before being made available in the Middle East, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

The announcement comes as EV sales around the world have slowed and Chinese car makers face higher import charges in places like the US and the European Union.

"The companies aim to bring down the total cost of EV ownership for Uber drivers, accelerating the uptake of EVs on the Uber platform globally, and introducing millions of riders to greener rides," the two firms said in a statement.

They also said they will work to integrate BYD's self-driving technologies into Uber's platform.

Earlier this year, Uber said it was working with Tesla to promote EV adoption among its drivers in the US and planned to develop a purpose-built EV with South Korean car giant Kia.

The US, the European Union and other major markets have recently hiked tariffs on China-made EVs in moves aimed at protecting their car industries.

The move has prompted BYD and other Chinese EV makers to expand their production facilities outside China.

In July, BYD agreed a $1bn (£780m) deal to set up a manufacturing plant in Turkey.

The new plant will be able to produce up to 150,000 vehicles a year, according to Turkish state news agency Anadolu.

The facility is expected to create around 5,000 jobs and start production by the end of 2026.

Also last month, BYD opened an EV plant in Thailand - its first factory in South East Asia.

BYD said the plant will have an annual capacity of 150,000 vehicles and is projected to generate 10,000 jobs.

At the end of last year, BYD announced it would build a manufacturing plant in EU member state Hungary.

It will be the firm's first passenger car factory in Europe and is expected to create thousands of jobs.

The company has also said it is planning to build a manufacturing plant in Mexico.

BYD, which is backed by veteran US investor Warren Buffett, is the world’s second-largest EV company after Elon Musk's Tesla.

BBC
 
China firm claims world's fastest-charging EV battery

Chinese car maker Zeekr says its new electric vehicle (EV) batteries charge faster than any of its rivals, including industry leader Tesla.

The firm says its upgraded batteries can be charged from 10% to 80% capacity in 10 and a half minutes using its ultra-fast charging stations.

In comparison, Elon Musk’s Tesla says a 15 minute charge allows its Model 3 to cover 175 miles (282km), a little under half the car’s full range.

Zeekr's 2025 007 sedan, which will be available from next week, will be its first vehicle to have the new battery.

"Tesla’s charging technology is not industry leading anymore and has not been for some time," said Tu Le, founder and managing director of consultancy firm Sino Auto Insights.

"These bold claims by Zeekr are believable, but more importantly even if it’s not the fastest charging EV battery, being one for the fastest is still quite a leap for them".

The battery performs well even in cold weather charging from 10% to 80% of its capacity in less than half an hour at temperatures as low as -10C, the company says.

BBC News has contacted major EV makers Tesla and BYD to request a response to Zeekr's announcement.

Zeekr is owned by Chinese car making giant Geely, which also owns UK-based luxury sports car brand Lotus and Sweden's Volvo.

In May, Zeekr's shares started trading on the New York Stock Exchange, marking the first major US market debut by a Chinese company since 2021.

The shares are currently trading 27% below the price set in its initial public offering (IPO).

The listing came just days before the Biden administration announced major tariff hikes on Chinese-made electric cars, solar panels, steel and other goods.

The White House said the measures, which included a 100% border tax on EVs from China, were a response to unfair policies and intended to protect US jobs.

Officials in the US, the European Union and other major car markets have grown increasingly concerned about the rapid overseas expansion of Chinese EV companies.

BBC
 
The electric car market in Bharat is still at an early stage. There are not many great options to choose from and an electric car still remains a gimicky 2nd or 3rd car for affluent families.
Majority of the single car families wouldn’t wanna bet on it yet given the charging infrastructure and ease of use overall is still not there and this is the metro cities I’m talking about. No question of taking any of these cars to androoni mulq. The mere thought of that gives me headaches.
 
EV market particularly for Passenger vehicles has become a growth engine for developed economies and other nations will follow soon.

Tesla is miles ahead in its connected mobility and autonomous driving while also have a head-start in EV manufacturing. Sadly too expensive of developing nations (Indian market too)

Blade batteries from BYD has made them second best and I think they will capture good market share in future.

Auto industry has been at the core for employment generation and hence, Western economies will not allow Chinese EVs to import unless they set up local manufacturing bases.

And Chinese EVs are a notch below compared to US OEMs but I feel they will do well in EU market given their preference for hatchbacks.

As for Indian market, thankfully its competition between Tata and Mahindra (though Tata is the leader) but we will see huge investments in the future in Auto sector. Tesla will come to Indian market (declining margins have made them to focus on stringent capital use) once Tata, Mahindra and BYD develop the EV ecosystem.

Its not just about cars but the huge source of employment generation for skilled workforce in future.

Given the import taxes in India, no player can survive through imports for volumes and once technology matures, volume game is the only way which will help India market
 
Canada hits China-made electric cars with 100% tariff

Canada says it will impose a 100% tariff on imports of China-made electric vehicles (EV) after similar announcements by the US and European Union.

The country also plans to impose a 25% duty on Chinese steel and aluminium.

Canada and its Western allies accuse China of subsidising its EV industry, giving its car makers an unfair advantage.

China has called the move "trade protectionism" which "violates World Trade Organization rules".

"We are transforming Canada's automotive sector to be a global leader in building the vehicles of tomorrow, but actors like China have chosen to give themselves an unfair advantage in the global marketplace", said Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

Canada's duties on Chinese EVs are due to come into effect on 1 October, while those on steel and aluminium will be implemented from 15 October.

"The rapid development of China’s electric vehicle industry is a result of persistent technological innovation, well-established industrial and supply chains, and full market competition," said a statement from China's embassy in Canada.

"Its competitiveness is gained through utilising its comparative advantages and following market principles, rather than relying on government subsidies."

China is Canada's second-largest trading partner, behind the US.

In May, the US said it would quadruple its tariffs on imports of Chinese EVs to 100%.

That was followed by the EU, which announced plans to impose duties on China-made EVs of up to 36.3%.

Canada's tariffs on Chinese EVs will include those made by Tesla at its Shanghai factory.

"Tesla will almost certainly be lobbying the Canadian government to get some leeway on these tariffs, as they have already with Europe," said Mark Rainford, a China-based car industry commentator.

"If they fail at mitigating the tariff enough, they'll likely look at switching their Canadian imports to either the US or European factories since Canada is their 6th largest market this year and thus not insignificant."

Tesla did not immediately reply to a request for comment from BBC News.

Earlier this month, the EU cut its planned extra tariff on China-made Teslas by more than half, after further investigations requested by Elon Musk's car maker.

Chinese car brands are still not a common sight in Canada but some, like BYD, have taken steps to enter the country's market.

China is the world's largest manufacturer of EVs and its car makers have quickly gained a significant share of the global market.

Meanwhile, Canada has struck deals worth billions of dollars with major European car makers, as it tries to become a key part of the global EV industry.

BBC
 
The car market today in Bharat is nothing but a debt trap.

Although the economy is growing, the cost of living is growing at an even greater pace. People are earning more today were their parents but social media marketing is making them spend all that hard earned money on things that won’t be useful for them in the longer run.

I come from Punjab and everyone here in the North is crazy about owning a big muscular SUV. People are financing 70-80% of the price usually as loan and paying a hefty interest on it. Then a lot of them are getting bored with their cars and taking loans in another 3-4 years time to buy another and so on. The amount of money they would have spent on a car, would hurt them in the longer run in case they don’t belong to extremely rich families with generation wealth.

Crazy to see the people driving petrol guzzling Thars in the cities who would never take it off road.
 
Mahindra launched 5 door Thar 4x4 here with WHITE interiors. Even they know no one is taking these cars off road. Its crazy.
 
Volvo gives up plan to sell only EVs by 2030

Car company Volvo has announced it has abandoned its target to produce only fully electric cars by 2030, saying it now expects it will also be selling some hybrid vehicles by that date.

The car maker blamed changing market conditions for its decision to give up a target it had announced only three years ago.

It comes as the industry faces a slowdown in demand in some major markets for electric vehicles (EVs) and uncertainty due to the imposition of trade tariffs on EVs made in China.

Volvo, which has traditionally flaunted its environmental credentials, joins other major car makers General Motors and Ford, which have also rowed back on their EV ambitions.

Volvo now expects at least 90% of its output to be made up of both electric cars and plug-in hybrids by 2030.

The Swedish company may also sell a small number of so-called mild hybrids, which are more conventional vehicles with limited electrical assistance.

"We are resolute in our belief that our future is electric," said Jim Rowan, chief executive of Volvo, in a statement.

"However, it is clear that the transition to electrification will not be linear, and customers and markets are moving at different speeds."

The company also said the business climate for EVs had changed, due to factors such as a slow rollout of charging infrastructure and the withdrawal of consumer incentives.

A slowdown in demand for EVs has been felt particularly in Europe in part due to the end of subsidies for purchases in countries like Germany.

Registrations of EVs across the European Union dropped by nearly 11% in July, according to the European Automobile Manufacturers Association.

Volvo is majority-owned by Chinese car giant Geely and because it uses factories in China, it will also be affected by tariffs on imports of Chinese-made EVs in Europe and North America.

Last week, Canada announced it was imposing a 100% tariff on imports of China-made electric vehicles, after similar announcements by the US and the EU.

Western countries have accused China of subsidising its EV industry, giving its car makers an unfair advantage.

China has rejected those allegations and criticised the tariffs as "discriminatory".

Ford has also been scaling back on its EV ambitions. Just last month, the US car giant announced it was scrapping plans for a large, three-row, all-electric sport utility vehicles (SUVs) and postponing the launch of its next electric pick-up truck.

Its rival General Motors has also been cutting EV production goals in the last year.

BBC
 
Had my airbag replaced at BMW recently, was surprised with the letter given the age. The service was great, offered a vacuum, free inspection, and coffee etc I took it outside and went wandering around their showroom.

Saw the M2, M3 and M4. The large grill does look better in person I must say, but truthfully, the styling of BMW has declined massively. The E30, E36, E46 and even 1M were just gorgeous and got the juices flowing; I know there’s no feeling from the driving experience, but standing next to these modern cars they don’t really get the juices flowing.

@ElRaja What do you think of the G80 M3, though it is worth noting this will probably be the last one which isn’t at the minimum; partially electric or hybrid….sad, end of an era, then again maybe that happened when they made the final NA engine or last car with the individual circular headlights….
 
shaz619 said:
Had my airbag replaced at BMW recently, was surprised with the letter given the age. The service was great, offered a vacuum, free inspection, and coffee etc I took it outside and went wandering around their showroom.

Saw the M2, M3 and M4. The large grill does look better in person I must say, but truthfully, the styling of BMW has declined massively. The E30, E36, E46 and even 1M were just gorgeous and got the juices flowing; I know there’s no feeling from the driving experience, but standing next to these modern cars they don’t really get the juices flowing.

@ElRaja What do you think of the G80 M3, though it is worth noting this will probably be the last one which isn’t at the minimum; partially electric or hybrid….sad, end of an era, then again maybe that happened when they made the final NA engine or last car with the individual circular headlights….
Click to expand...
my personal fav, relatively, in the bmw line currently is the m4, with the m2 looking like the most fun. i think the rest of the line looks a bit weak now. my all time fav is the f90 and e60 m5. i cry a little on the inside when i see what theve done to the new m5. it looks hideous, fat and so ungraceful.

i think put em all together, and nothing will give u goosebumps like the v10 e60 m5 starting up, my neighbour had one once, walking past when hed cold start it in the morning was so much fun.

 
ElRaja said:
my personal fav, relatively, in the bmw line currently is the m4, with the m2 looking like the most fun. i think the rest of the line looks a bit weak now. my all time fav is the f90 and e60 m5. i cry a little on the inside when i see what theve done to the new m5. it looks hideous, fat and so ungraceful.

i think put em all together, and nothing will give u goosebumps like the v10 e60 m5 starting up, my neighbour had one once, walking past when hed cold start it in the morning was so much fun.

Click to expand...

Yes the new M4 don’t look too bad especially with the CS grill and same perhaps with the M3 touring, the grill on these two cars is proportional to the body and works better then the other more hideous range.

Ooooh what a glorious sound, that V10 and also the naturally aspirated V8 in the E90 M3 were a joyous monstrosity. I’ve been in a F90 M5 was a pleasant place to be. I’d love a straight 6 E30 though as a daily not always sensible.

Man it’s not the same now, I think the 1M was the last car made by enthusiasts at BMW; it’s just one big corporate beast now running on automation and focusing mainly on plugging performance numbers and nothing else.
 
shaz619 said:
Yes the new M4 don’t look too bad especially with the CS grill and same perhaps with the M3 touring, the grill on these two cars is proportional to the body and works better then the other more hideous range.

Ooooh what a glorious sound, that V10 and also the naturally aspirated V8 in the E90 M3 were a joyous monstrosity. I’ve been in a F90 M5 was a pleasant place to be. I’d love a straight 6 E30 though as a daily not always sensible.

Man it’s not the same now, I think the 1M was the last car made by enthusiasts at BMW; it’s just one big corporate beast now running on automation and focusing mainly on plugging performance numbers and nothing else.
Click to expand...
i think the general car trends are disastrous, u have multi million dollar hypercars doing 0-60 in 2s, which is stupid, and you have base models costing nearly £50k for a semi decent motor.

the hypercar trend is the worst thing in history, they give nothing to car culture, and have killed the car enthusiast. a loaded 5 series is now 60k new, 60k for a exec family car, mental.

wheres the £30k car that some kid can dream abt getting his hands on with a decent wage and some finance. its not surprising car racing films and games have died. i dont think kids fantasise about affordable cars like back in the day. my dream motor when i was in my teens was a mk4 supra TT, remember it was around £10k fifteen years ago, now... £50k for mint condition.

ironically toyota, with its GR models, even if over priced are one of the last bastions of the enthusiast car. everyone else is just bean counting.
 
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