News: Passenger Cars, Minivans, and SUVs

2020-07-26

National Grid Joins Switch-on Mode Team

Qin Fen
Qin Fen

In July, MIIT (Ministry of Industry and Information Technology summoned a meeting with local governments, industry associations and automotive companies on battery switch-on implementation.  People attending offered thoughts on implementing battery switch-on operations, sharing recommendations for policy and discussing challenges of proposed actions.

Source: D1 EV     Read The Article

PSR Analysis: Electric vehicle development is facing several different technology road maps.  While the automotive industry prefers plug-in and charging, grid companies are more inclined to favor the battery switch-on mode based on grid reliability. 

Such debate is good for advancing electrification in the auto industry, it is vital to have all participants’ input before promoting electric vehicles on a larger scale. PSR

Qin Fen is Business Development Manager – China, for Power Systems Research

2020-06-29

Autotor Plant To Suspend Assembly of BMW Cars

Autotor’s Kaliningrad plant plans to suspend assembly of BMW cars from the middle of June to the beginning of July because of a components shortage. This is told by CEO of the plant Ruslan Sadykov.

Stephen Teichert, head of BMW Russia, claims Autotor production capacity has been reduced by about 70%; however, in July the OEM plans to increase production to pre-COVID-19 level.     Read The Article

PSR Analysis: The Autotor plant in Russia assembles passenger cars kits for BMW, Hyundai and Kia, and trucks for Hyundai, Daewoo, and Ford. Currently, the problems are claimed only for BMW components. The supply chain problems have been caused by COVID-19 lockdowns. PSR

Maxim Sakov Is Market Consultant, Russia, for Power Systems Research

2020-06-18

Thoughts on Battery Change for New Energy Vehicle, using Big Data

Qin Fen
Qin Fen

The symposium of battery change mode for new energy vehicle was held June 15 in Xuzhou, Jiangsu.  Data from National Big Data Alliance of New Energy Vehicles suggests that over 3 million new energy vehicles were in the system in 2019 and 900,000 vehicles are running daily.  Data also suggest that new energy vehicle GVW range primarily falls under 4.5 tons.

Source: Sohu  Read The Article

PSR Analysis: Many numbers are in the article, some contradictory.  As one of the truck OEMs, XCMG does make some excellent points on the daily use of the battery-powered vehicle, using data collected from end-users, such as working hours, range anxiety and surprisingly, maintenance and downtime.

But I want to point out one potential issue that might travel under the radar: operating cost, more specifically, fuel cost.  For large fleet owners like JD.com Inc. or SF Express, fuel cost might be a key factor in choosing a battery-powered vehicle over ICE-powered vehicle for urban delivery.

There are energy companies already working with large industrial businesses to install wind or solar power onsite to address their electricity bill issue.  Once completed, giant companies like JD or SF Express will significantly cut down their operating expenses on fuel, in this case, electricity.

There is one game changer out there now.  How will ICE-powered light duty trucks compete with battery-powered vehicles, when the latter runs free of charge and free of emission?  What will happen to all the components suppliers for light duty trucks, especially urban delivery trucks?  PSR

Qin Fen Is Business Development Manager in China for Power Systems Research.

2020-06-12

The EV Story in Post-COVID Era

Roughly three months of countrywide lockdown, combined with zero sales and the post-pandemic uncertainty, has resulted in further degrading the health of the already struggling Indian automotive sector. 

Aditya Kondejkar

Though it has disrupted the entire value chain of the automobile industry, there is a silver lining to this Covid-19 pandemic: It has stimulated growth in renewable and eco-friendly transportation.

The Indian market has high potential for EVs since most commuters opt for two-wheelers, three-wheelers, and buses. There are numerous latent growth factors in place, and the pandemic might have set them in motion

While the pandemic has disrupted the transportation ecosystem, EV technology has the potential for rapid adoption, driven by an increased awareness towards a greener and cleaner transportation. 

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SOUTHEAST ASIA REPORT: Southeast Asia Auto Sales Drop 80% in April

The Southeast Asian auto industry continues to suffer from the effects of the new coronavirus. New car sales in April were down 80% year-on-year due to restrictions on activity in each country. New car sales in the six major countries were down 82% in April from a year earlier to 51,063 units.

Akihiro Komuro
Akihito Komuro

The biggest declines were in Malaysia and the Philippines, where sales were down 99.7% and 99.5%. Both countries began restricting activity in March, with production and sales of cars almost completely halted in April. Indonesia, the largest market, was down 91%. Thailand sales slumped 65%, although car dealerships operated under a declared state of emergency.

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2020-06-05

Pandemic Disruptions Hinder Auto Battery Adoption

My other article in this month’s issue of PowerTALK News describes how home battery systems, even though they are not themselves viable products for most consumers, still benefit from a virtuous cycle of product improvement and investment because of the relative success of battery-powered vehicles and other battery-powered products.

Tyler Wiegert
Tyler Wiegert

But the COVID-19 pandemic has not missed those drivers. Venture Beat magazine reports that investors are largely avoiding lithium this year, preferring to safeguard cash until the economy starts to improve. The delay in funding could have several knock-on effects.

One is consolidation in the industry. Ganfeng Lithium is picking up a lithium project from Lithium Americas, a smaller operation. Fewer, larger players in the market later on might have price consequences for lithium adoption after the economy improves and demand for those goods increases.

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2020-05-24

South Korea: Hyundai and Kia Expand EV Models

According to the Hyundai Motor Group, both Hyundai and Kia plan to offer 44 eco-car models by 2025, more than half of which will be dedicated to EVs (23 models).

Akihiro Komuro
Akihito Komuro

Hyundai revealed in its 2025 strategy announced at the end of last year that it would increase EV and FCV sales to 560,000 and 110,000 units respectively. Kia has set a goal of selling 500,000 EVs and 1 million eco-cars by 2026, with 11 EV models available across all vehicle classes by 2025.

Source:            Yonhap News Agency

PSR Analysis: At present, both vehicle production and exports fell significantly in April due to the impact of COVID-19. In April, production fell 22.2% YOY and exports fell 44.3% YOY. But when we look at eco-cars, exports and domestic sales increased by 11.5% and 28.3% respectively.

Even during the predicament caused by the new coronavirus, the eco-car ratio is showing an increasing trend. Exports of EVs jumped 94.6% to a record 9,761 units. Of course, the entire South Korean auto industry is badly hurt by the ongoing corona shock.

However, even against this huge drop, Korean-branded eco-cars, including EVs, may be beginning to gain international recognition. Growth in external demand for these eco-cars will be a prerequisite for the recovery of Korean automobile production in the future. PSR

Akihiro Komuro is a Research Analyst, Far East and Southeast Asia, for Power Systems Research

2020-05-23

Russia: Assembly of Electric GAZelle LCVs Started in Germany

Sales of electric version of GAZelle Next LCV have begun in Germany. Stuttgart company EFA-S is modifying Russian vehicles. The assembly started this year.

Maxim Sakov
Maxim Sakov

The German company purchases LCVs in Russia without transmission, engine and fuel system. Then in Stuttgart they install an electric motor and battery.

Currently, four versions of the electric vehicle are available – a side truck, a wagon, a 2-cabin wagon and a mini-bus. All LCVs are powered by a 110 kWt electric motor and can reach a speed of 88 km/hour.   

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Russia Automakers To Receive Special Credits

Twelve automakers in Russia are counting on privileged credits for working capital support of backbone enterprises during the COVID struggle.

Maxim Sakov
Maxim Sakov

Under the program, a company must have revenue of  US$300 million (20 billion rubles) and employ more than 1000 people. A special bank product has been designed for such companies. The bank interest on this credit will be subsidized within the base interest rate of Russian Central Bank, and half of the credit will be warranted by the Ministry of Finances.    Read The Article

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Russia New Car Sales Drop 70% in April

New car sales plummeted by 102,000 vehicles in April, the largest monthly car sales decline in history in Russian, according to the Association of European Business.

Maxim Sakov
Maxim Sakov

During April, Russia introduced strict quarantine measures because of the coronavirus, causing car sales to fall by 102,089 units, or 72.4%.

After strong sales in March, dealers have had to suspend or restrict their activity.

“Black April” has dealt a strong blow to dealer cash liquidity, and seriously affected stability during middle-term period. The dealers are preparing to restart their business in May; however, they don’t expect significant sales growth.

AutoVAZ , the largest Russian car manufacturer, reported sales declined by three times in April over March.

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