EVs To Dominate Auto China 2018, VW Pikes Peak Challenger and Jaguar XE | 23 April 2018

Episode 98,   Apr 22, 2018, 11:01 PM

Auto China 2018 To Feature Electric Vehicles | Volkswagen Launch Pikes Peak Challenger | Jaguar XE Plug In Hybrid Coming | Byton Bring The Electric Style To Milan

Monday 23rd April 2018. 

The current Model 3 Tracker from Tom Randall and Dean Halford, as updated on 16th April, shows 16,587 cars produced, and a current rate of 2,731 Model 3’s being built per week.

BEIJING MOTOR SHOW

  • Auto China 2018, which opens this week, follows Beijing's decision to allow full foreign ownership of Chinese automakers in a move to make the industry more flexible as it promotes electrics” report CTV.ca: “That is reflected in the auto show lineup: Global and Chinese brands including General Motors Co., Volkswagen AG and Nissan Motor Co. plan to display dozens of electrics and hybrids, from luxurious SUVs to compacts priced as low as 152,000 yuan ($24,000).
  • "There is huge potential for vehicle electrification here," said Roland Krueger, chairman of Infiniti Motor Co., Nissan's luxury brand.
  • “VW is due to launch 15 electrics and hybrids in the next two to three years as part of a 10 billion euro ($12 billion) development plan announced in November.
  • Nissan is unveiling an electric model at the auto show designed for China and will display the updated version of its LEAF and an electric concept car.
  • The Japanese automaker also plans to develop a lower-priced electric with a local partner, state-owned Dongfeng Motor Co. Two more versions of that are to be sold under their jointly owned Venucia brand.
  • China’s BYD Auto, the biggest global maker of electrics by volume with 2017 sales of 113,669 units, plans to unveil two new hybrid SUVs and an electric concept car. The company also plans to display nine other hybrid and plug-in electric models”

 

VOLKSWAGEN LAUNCH PIKES PEAK CHALLENGER

  • The Volkswagen I.D. R Pikes Peak. As the name implies, this is made to tackle the world's most infamous hill climb.
  • The car was unveiled yesterday in France before its first shakedown.  0-60 in 2.25 seconds, there is 500kW power, which generates 680bhp.
  • It is all wheel drive and tops out at 150mph.
  • That 0-60 time by the way is quicker than a Formula E or Formula 1 car.
  • "As with the Volkswagen brand's production vehicles, fully-electric racing cars will also play an increasingly important role for us in the future," said Sven Smeets, Volkswagen Motorsport director.
  • "The cooperation within the group really helped us, particularly given the tight schedule. For example, we received support from the Volkswagen battery plant in Braunschweig and worked together with the technical development department in Wolfsburg."

 

EXPERIENCED DIRECTOR FOR EV STARTUP 

  • The Financial Times in the UK reported yesterday on former Opel CEO Karl-Thomas Neumann joining the directors at Evelozcity, an electric-car startup backed by former Faraday Future CFO Stefan Krause.
  • It was last year when Opel and Vauxhall was sold by GM to PSA Peugeot Citroen. Before joining Opel he was an EV advocate at VW and wanted to move Opel into an electric era.
  • Evelozcity wants to develop a "skateboard architecture" that different bodies can be placed on, and they see opportunities for personal cars, delivery vehicles and ride-hailing EVs.

 

PLUG IN HYBRID JAGUAR XE COMING

  • There is a plug in version of the Jaguar XE coming soon, in a bid to take on the Plug In battle tot eh BMW 330e.
  • The car’s powertrain combines a 1.5-litre three-cylinder petrol engine with an electric motor, which also serves as the engine’s starter motor, to enable a limited range of pure electric running” says Sam Sheehan at Autocar: “The electrified powertrain will use a lithium-ion battery pack that comes as part of new 48V electrical architecture. The system is to be shared with the Range Rover Evoque PHEV from Jaguar's sister brand, Land Rover, as well as other models from the group.”
  • Car makers are all trying to plug gaps left by the diesel sales falling off a cliff but for Jaguar Land Rover, Diesel was 90% of their sales.

 

BYTON BRING THE ELECTRIC STYLE TO MILAN

  • Chinese EV maker Byton says they’re 85% production ready, after showing off their SUV at the Milan Design Week last week. Byton’s factory in Nanjing, China made it’s first protoype last week too. They are set to go on sale first in China in late 2019, before arriving in Europe and the United States in 2020. A recap on the specs:
  • Battery: 71 or 95 kWhfor 250 miles (400 km) or 323 (520 km) of range
  • Powertrain: 200 kW rear-wheel drive or 350 kW all-wheel drive
  • Byton’s design chief, Benoit Jacob, says of the fledgling range: “We worked on the family from the beginning, and designed it so we can avoid re-engineering things every single time from an architecture and platform point of view. That means we can have a price point that is really attractive.”

 

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