China Automobile Industry, Technology (NEV, Driverless, etc): News & Images

[TaiShang]

BAIC new energy vehicles dominate domestic market
China.org.cn, October 13, 2017

The number of new energy vehicles (NEVs) in Beijing has increased to around 130,000 by the first half of this year, including 43,000 made by the Beijing Automotive Industry Co. (BAIC).

The company ranks first among domestic NEV manufacturers in terms of sales, and the made-in-Beijing electric vehicles are helping to reduce the city s air pollution.

EU400, the BAIC's flagship model, promises a range of 460 kilometers on a single charge. Customers can expect to pay eight yuan (US$1.2) for electricity for every 100 kilometer traveled -- about 16.7 percent of the cost for a vehicle running on gasoline, which translates to an average saving of 6,000 yuan per 20,000 kilometers.

The NEV market in the capital has been growing rapidly in recent years. In 2012, Beijing began a pilot program on NEV rentals, and the first batch of privately owned NEVs hit the road the next year. A new smart car model LITE was released by the company this year.

"BAIC has more than 10 types of NEVs with different sizes and prices to meet the different needs of customers," said Zheng Gang, Party secretary and general manager of the company, adding that the vehicles are also available for purchase in other cities in China.

Zheng said the sales volume of NEVs has risen rapidly from 698 in 2012 to 52,187 in 2016. By August, the company has sold over 124,000 NEVs, the most among domestic electric car makers over the past four years.

He added that all these NEVs have combined to travel over 1.21 billion kilometers, which led to 190,000 tons in carbon emission reduction.

'Internet+' marketing strategies

In order to better promote these green vehicles, BAIC used various "Internet+" marketing strategies.

Since 2012, BAIC has launched rental platforms for NEVs all around China. By June this year, its rental network has covered eight cities with 10,000 vehicles and more than 200,000 customers.

The company is also offering NEVs with replaceable batteries in its rental service -- 2,400 vehicles in Beijing, Xiamen, and Lanzhou by June. It takes only three minutes for the NEVs to change batteries at a service station, faster than it takes a traditional vehicle to fill gas.

'International R&D standard'

BAIC recently opened its new research and development center in Yizhuang in southeast Beijing. Named "Lan Gu," or "Blue Valley," the center covers 100,000 square meters and will become the company's new R&D base, with labs for battery technologies, AI, big data, and other research facilities related to the new energy vehicles.

"We are building a vehicle research center with international standard on par with renowned companies like Tesla and BMW," Zhang said. "The latest technologies and vehicle parts will be shared within the BAIC group."

The company has invested 3.622 billion yuan to research and development of new energy vehicles, accounting for 20.35 percent of its revenue. By July this year, BAIC has applied for 2,219 patents for its NEVs.

The company plans to reach 500,000 annual sales and 60 billion yuan annual revenue from 2016 to 2020. The company also aims to go public within that time period with its market value reaching 100 billion yuan.

 

[JSCh]

Polestar unveils its first car – the Polestar 1 – and reveals its vision to be the new electric performance brand

Polestar, Volvo Car Group’s performance brand, has today revealed its future as a new standalone electric performance brand. Polestar has confirmed the company’s first three models, a new purpose-built production facility in China and a new, customer-focussed route to market with all-inclusive subscription-based services that will set a new industry benchmark for performance car buyers.

The company’s first car, Polestar 1, will start production in mid-2019. As an Electric Performance Hybrid, the car can travel up to 150km on pure electric power alone - the longest full electric range of any hybrid car on the market. In combination with its four-cylinder Volvo Drive-E engine, the Polestar 1 delivers 600hp and 1,000Nm of torque, placing the car firmly within the performance car segment.

Polestar will act as a technology spearhead for the Volvo Car Group, bringing new technology and performance attributes to market. At the same time, Polestar will benefit from technological and engineering synergies within Volvo Cars and significant economies of scale as a result. These synergies will allow Polestar to accelerate the design, development and building of its electrified performance cars.

Thomas Ingenlath, Chief Executive Officer of Polestar said; “Polestar 1 is the first car to carry the Polestar on the bonnet. A beautiful GT with amazing technology packed into it - a great start for our new Polestar brand. All future cars from Polestar will feature a fully electric drivetrain, delivering on our brand vision of being the new standalone electric performance brand".

Continue -> Polestar unveils its first car – the Polestar 1 – and reveals its vision to be the new electric performance brand | Polestar

 

[TaiShang]

Automaker Changan Poised to Jump-Start China’s EV Market

By Mo Yelin and Xiao Ying

Chongqing Changan Automobile Co.'s decision to stop selling fossil-fueled cars parallels Chinese government industrial policies that are now pushing for companies to transition away from gasoline-burning automobiles. Above, a Changan production line is seen in Chongqing in November 2012. Photo: Visual China

China’s Chongqing Changan Automobile Co. says it will stop selling fossil-fuel-powered cars by 2025 and invest 100 billion yuan ($15 billion) to develop an electric vehicle (EV) lineup.

Changan plans to roll out 21 purely electric vehicles and 12 plug-in hybrid models by that year, the company said Thursday.

The decision makes Changan the first Chinese domestic automaker to commit to a total phase-out of vehicles with fossil-fuel engines. It also parallels Chinese government industrial policies that are now pushing for companies to transition away from gasoline-burning automobiles.

The government wants its automakers to adopt technologies that leapfrog global competitors with alternative-powered vehicles as well as help China tackle its air pollution problems.

The government plans to launch a quota system and promote alternative-energy vehicles while phasing out subsidies for these models in coming years. Under the quota system, announced in September, all domestic and foreign automakers in the country must start building electric cars and/or hybrids by 2019.

Chongqing-based Changan reported selling 4,931 “new energy” vehicles last year, representing only 2.1% of the company’s total output. The company’s data suggests the government’s 2019 quota system goal might be hard to achieve.

But Wang Cun, an industry analyst with the China Automobile Dealer Association, thinks the goal could be within reach as electric-vehicle production in China is just getting started.

“Changan’s strategy — to be the first Chinese automaker to follow this new irreversible trend — will give it great advantages as it establishes a strong technological position,” Wang told Caixin.

Sweden-based Volvo Cars, which is owned by China’s Zhejiang Geely Holding Co., said earlier this year that it will produce only electric or hybrid cars starting in 2019.

Wang said he expects more Chinese auto companies to follow Changan’s example.

“Obviously their decision-making will be influenced by the government push,” he said. “But they also see market opportunities that they don’t want to miss.”

 

[TaiShang]

Tesla records $619m third quarter loss
China Daily, November 3, 2017

Tesla's first attempt at mass production appears to have stalled after it recorded a third quarter loss of $619 million.

The car company has spent heavily to clear up production bottlenecks and bring its hotly anticipated Model 3 sedan to market.

But the loss, of $3.70 per share, compared to a profit of 15 cents per share in the third quarter last year was a far bigger decline than Wall Street had predicted.

Analysts polled by FactSet forecast a loss of $2.85 per share.

Tesla Inc's stock dropped about 5 percent to $305.31 in after-hours trading on Wednesday.

The $35,000 Model 3, which is half the cost of Tesla's previous cars, could move the auto manufacturer from luxury niche to mainstream.

It introduced the Model 3 in July with a massive party at its Fremont, California, factory in the United States.

Elon Musk, chief executive officer at Tesla, promised that the Model 3, which has more than 500,000 potential buyers on its waiting list, would be simpler to make than Tesla's previous vehicles.

Even so, it has been plagued by the same delays. The company produced just 220 Model 3s in the third quarter, far fewer than the 1,500 Musk promised.

And the problems will continue. Tesla now expects to make 20,000 Model 3s per month by the end of next year's first quarter.

Musk had initially set a target of December for that production milestone. He said a supplier to the battery factory was partly to blame for the delays.

"Tesla is learning what traditional automakers have long known, mass vehicle assembly is complicated and expensive," said Michelle Krebs, a senior analyst at Autotrader.com.

Musk, who held the company's earnings conference call from the company's Nevada battery factory, insisted things were improving.

He hoped Tesla will be making a few thousand Model 3s per week by the end of this year.

"I was really depressed about three or four weeks ago," he said. "Now I can see a clear path to sunshine."

And while some customers may be frustrated by the delays, they are not necessarily losing faith in the automaker.

"It is disappointing, but I would rather that Tesla make the car correctly and to an optimal finish than rush and turn out a disappointing product," said Lisa Gingerich, an attorney in Milwaukee, who reserved a Model 3 within minutes of the order bank's opening in March, 2016.

"At the rate Tesla is producing the Model 3, it may be my Christmas present to myself next year," she added.

A defiant Musk also stressed that the 14-year-old company recently delivered its 250,000th vehicle, up from 2,500 just five years ago.

"For the skeptics out there, ask them, which one of them predicted that Tesla would go from 2,500 units delivered to 250,000 units now? I would suspect zero," he said.

Tesla had other significant expenses in the third quarter.

The company opened 18 stores and service stations worldwide and set up 126 new Supercharger stations to try to prepare for the increase in demand from Model 3 buyers.

Musk did confirm that Tesla had fired 700 employees, or about 2 percent of its workforce, earlier this month because of poor performance reviews.

But he said the company's action was a typical one, not the result of the Model 3 issues.

Revenue at Tesla increased 30 percent to $2.9 billion for the quarter, in line with analysts' expectations.

Installations for its energy storage business more than doubled from a year ago. Energy generation and storage accounted for 11 percent of Tesla's third quarter revenue.

Sales of the company's two other vehicles, the Model S sedan and Model X SUV, jumped 4.5 percent to 25,915.

Tesla revealed net orders for those vehicles hit a record level in the third quarter, setting the stage for record deliveries in the fourth quarter.

The company announced it is on track to deliver 100,000 Model S and Model X vehicles in 2017, up 30 percent from last year.

***

This news is indirectly related as Tesla's failure is a gain for more capable manufacturers such as BYD.

I can believe this phony technology company still dupes the investors, stripping them from their investment money by selling them some dreams.

 

[TaiShang]

China’s Changan Automobile Gets Green Light to Road Test Driverless Car in California

Nov. 1106:08 PM

Chinese car maker Changan Automobile has won the license from the transport authority in California to conduct tests of autonomous vehicles on public roadways, Li Wei, a vice president of the company said on Saturday.

California’s regulation on road-testing of unmanned cars took effect in September 2014. The transport authority of the state had issued a total of 43 road-testing licenses by Oct. 20.

Li said Changan has tied up with technology giants including Huawei, Baidu, Tencent, Alibaba and Intel to develop “smart cars.” The company announced in October a plan to invest 100 billion yuan ($15.1 billion) by 2025 in projects along the industrial chain.

https://k.caixinglobal.com/#anchor1510394913000

 

[JSCh]

Spotlight: Chinese firm helps Belarus realize "car dream"
Source: Xinhua | 2017-11-23 07:16:08 | Editor: huaxia

A man gets in a Geely Atlas automobile at the Belarusian-Chinese closed joint-stock company BelGee plant in Zhodino, Belarus November 18, 2017. (REUTERS PHOTO)

MINSK, Nov. 21 (Xinhua) -- "My dream to produce a car in Belarus has come true," a delighted Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said as the first made-in-Belarus car rolled off the conveyor belt on Nov. 17.

The Geely Atlas NL3. manufactured by the Chinese-Belarusian joint venture BelGee, is meant for mass production.

"I used to dream, when will we be able to make cars in Belarus?" Lukashenko said at the launch of the new car at BelGee's factory in the Minsk region. "Our friends responded to my request and helped to set up this wonderful factory... With the help of Chinese friends, we have realized our dream of making a domestic car."

Though Belarus is known as a manufacturer of heavy machinery and has produced advanced large trucks, cranes and tractors, it lagged behind when it came to making cars. In the past, it sought to partner with big foreign automakers such as Volkswagen but the plans came to naught.

The breakthrough came in December 2011 when China's Zhejiang Geely Holding Group and Belarus' dump-truck manufacturer BelAZ floated BelGee as a joint venture. With this Geely became the only Chinese company assembling cars in Eurasian Economic Union (EEU) countries.

In March 2015, BelGee started to build a 118-hectare factory between Borisov and the industrial city of Zhodino to assemble cars from completely knocked-down kits. The factory is designed to make 60,000 cars a year when fully operational.

Lukashenko said the launch of the Belarus car is just the beginning.

"You understand that it is not enough to make, it is more important to sell," he said.

The president said he sees great prospects for the new car. A draft decree to stimulate the purchase of BelGee cars at home is in the pipeline.

In the future, BelGee hopes to double its production capacity and sell the China-Belarus cars not just at home but throughout EEU countries.

 

[JSCh]

Volvo starts to produce small premium SUV in Belgium
Source: Xinhua | 2017-11-23 18:49:32 | Editor: huaxia

Pre-production of the new Volvo XC40 in the manufacturing plant in Belgian city of Ghent. (photos courtesy of Volvo Cars)

STOCKHOLM, Nov. 23 (Xinhua) -- Volvo Cars plant in Ghent, Belgium started to produce its small premium SUV on Wednesday, the company announced.

In a press release, Volvo Cars said "a new era started" as the first customer-bound XC40 small SUV was set to roll off the production line in Ghent plant.

The new XC40, for which the company has already received more than 13,000 orders, is Volvo Cars' first ever small premium SUV. The first customers can expect to take delivery of their new XC40 early next year.

"This is a proud day for Ghent, the company and all our employees here," said Hakan Samuelsson, president and CEO of Volvo Cars. "The XC40 represents a bright future for Ghent and for Volvo Cars."

Ghent is one of two car manufacturing plants operated by Volvo Cars in Europe and has produced Volvos since 1965. Until recently it produced the first generation of Volvo's best-selling XC60 mid-size SUV, while the Ghent plant also builds the V40 and V40 Cross Country small hatchbacks as well as the S60 and V60.

Acquired by Chinese automaker Geely in 2010, Volvo Cars employs over 31,000 people worldwide.

 

[TaiShang]

Volvo starts to produce small premium SUV in Belgium
Source: Xinhua | 2017-11-23 18:49:32 | Editor: huaxia

Pre-production of the new Volvo XC40 in the manufacturing plant in Belgian city of Ghent. (photos courtesy of Volvo Cars)

STOCKHOLM, Nov. 23 (Xinhua) -- Volvo Cars plant in Ghent, Belgium started to produce its small premium SUV on Wednesday, the company announced.

In a press release, Volvo Cars said "a new era started" as the first customer-bound XC40 small SUV was set to roll off the production line in Ghent plant.

The new XC40, for which the company has already received more than 13,000 orders, is Volvo Cars' first ever small premium SUV. The first customers can expect to take delivery of their new XC40 early next year.

"This is a proud day for Ghent, the company and all our employees here," said Hakan Samuelsson, president and CEO of Volvo Cars. "The XC40 represents a bright future for Ghent and for Volvo Cars."

Ghent is one of two car manufacturing plants operated by Volvo Cars in Europe and has produced Volvos since 1965. Until recently it produced the first generation of Volvo's best-selling XC60 mid-size SUV, while the Ghent plant also builds the V40 and V40 Cross Country small hatchbacks as well as the S60 and V60.

Acquired by Chinese automaker Geely in 2010, Volvo Cars employs over 31,000 people worldwide.

View attachment 438725​

Good for European markets. They like compact SUVs. This may rival Lexus, BMW and thee likes in premium segment.

 

[TaiShang]

Haval H4 Debuts On The 2017 Guangzhou Auto Show
PUBLISHED ON NOVEMBER 21, 2017 BY JOEY WANG


More Haval madness! This red lightning is the new Haval H4, as it debuted on the 2017 Guangzhou Auto Show. The car on show was the Red Label version, a Blue Label variant will be launched later. The H4 looks nice but very similar any other new Haval.


The H4 will be positioned between the H2S and the new H6. There isn’t that much space:

Size:

H2S: 4146/1772/1638, wheelbase 2550.
H4: 4410/1845/1695, wheelbase is 2660.
H6 (new): 4600/1860/1720, wheelbase is 2680.

Engines:

H2S: 150 hp 1.5 turbo.
H6 (new): 139 hp 1.3 turbo.

Price:

H2S: 83.800 – 103.000.
H4: unknown.
H6 (new): 118.800- 132.800.

Notes: I write H6 (new) because the old one is still in production. Price of the old H6 starts at 88.800, 150 hp 1.5 turbo, same wheelbase as the new H6. Then there is the M6, a sporty version of the old H6 (the one that is still production), it starts at 88.900, 150 hp 1.5 turbo, and same wheelbase as the old and new H6. The H2S and the H6 come in Red Label and Blue Label variants.

See what I mean when I say ‘madness’? They have lost it, completely lost it. Haval is just flooding the market with new SUVs and new variants of new and old SUVs, and new variants of those. In the meantime they completely miss out on digital and on electrics. The market is going to flood and buyers will run away.


Bumper section looks cool, very shiny with the pipes properly integrated.



Interior design is totally new. There is an nine inch touch screen angled to the driver, cool-looking switches under the screen, and an even cooler gear lever.



The instrument panel however is still analog. Haval is falling behind the competition gere. But for an Haval, this is as digital as it gets at the moment.



The screen isn’t integrated in the center stack, it actually stands in front of it.



Love the lever.

Two engines: the same 170 hp 1.5 turbo that powers any other Haval, and the new 139 hp 1.3 turbo that is also available in the new H6. Transmission is a seven-speed DCT.



Enough space for three in the back.


Shiny bars under the sides.



Suspension very visible.



The Blue Label car will get a smaller grille.

https://carnewschina.com/2017/11/21/haval-h4-debuts-2017-guangzhou-auto-show/

 

[TaiShang]

Subsidies to encourage better battery tech

By Hao Yan | China Daily | Updated: 2017-11-27

Leap Motor, founded in December 2015, unveils its sub-compact full electric coupe on Nov 10 in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province.[Photo by Hao Yan/China Daily]


Insiders expect revamped strategy to boost competition, avoid more fraud


China is planning to drive upgrades in power battery technology by categorizing subsidy-eligible new energy models according to more specific details, including driving range, battery density and energy consumption.

The new energy subsidy program has been through panel discussions at four national ministries and now features a reduced amount of subsidies. Local media cited sources familiar with the matter, saying that a renewed plan is coming very soon.

This might involve segmenting eligibility levels according to 50-kilometer driving range tiers. The new plan might give more subsidies to electric cars that incur higher costs given their larger battery packs.

According to the sources, fully electric cars that can drive farther than 350 km will be eligible for a 50,000 yuan ($7,572) subsidy in 2018, 13.6 percent more than that offered this year; those with a driving range between 300 km and 350 km will receive a 45,000 yuan subsidy, 1,000 yuan more than this year.

On the other hand, the central government will give less to vehicles with a driving range lower than 300 km, while those below 150 km will not receive a penny.

Shu Chang, a Shanghai-based partner of Roland Berger Strategy Consultants, told China Daily that the new plan clearly demonstrates a determination to push forward new energy vehicle development.

He said: "The refreshed subsidy plan targets vehicle driving ranges, and aims to promote upgrades in the new energy vehicle industry."

China currently offers subsidies in three tiers to full-electric passenger cars: 20,000 yuan to those driving further than 100 km but less than 150 km; 36,000 yuan to those with a range between 150 km and 250 km; and 44,000 yuan to those capable of driving farther than 250 km.

Those with subsidy packages at above 100,000 yuan, with bigger battery packs, were not so popular in recent years, as the subsidies offered to buyers were similar to those for cheaper models with smaller batteries.

As a result, electric cars are usually only used for short-range driving, and customers have less confidence in them when driving longer distances.

The other focus of the new plan is to encourage the development of higher-density power batteries by leveling up the battery density thresholds, according to the sources cited by local media. Currently, logistics vehicles need to have a 90 watt-hours per kilogram battery installed, but the requirement is set to increase to 115 Wh/kg. That figure will rise to from 120 Wh/kg to 140 Wh/kg for buses.

Shu said he sees the required higher battery density as an approach to avoid falling into the subsidy fraud trap.

In October, another batch of new energy vehicle manufacturers were penalized for fraudulently claiming subsidies. As of February, the country had retrieved subsidies and imposed penalties of 2.3 billion yuan in total.

"This upcoming action aims to switch the driving force away from policies and regulations, and automakers will take their momentum from the market in the future," he said.

Liu Bin, chief expert at the China Automotive Technology and Research Center, shared his forecasts for future policy changes at the Global Future Mobility Forum earlier this month.

He said he expects that the government will set multiple targets for the development of new energy vehicles with quick dynamic adjustments.

"The government might accelerate competition to rule out weak carmakers, rather than providing protections as it did in the earlier stages," Liu said.

"New energy vehicle development has stepped into a stage of industry-wide competition, which requires automakers' rivalry in the market," Liu added. The three-day Global Future Mobility Forum, held at the Hangzhou International Expo Center in the capital of Zhejiang province, was supported by automobile-related government bodies and local governments. It took place alongside a new energy auto show.

Chen Qingtai, an automobile expert with the Development Research Center of the State Council, called on the government to prepare for ramping up market expansion in the near future. "The government has to design a profound top-level policy, to embrace the immense power of technological progress and industrial upgrades."

China overtook the United States last year as the world's largest new energy vehicle market, with total annual sales of 507,000 vehicles.

The country achieved a sales volume of 490,000 vehicles in the first 10 months of this year, up 45.4 percent from the same period of last year. The industry forecasts China will have 80 million new energy vehicles running on its roads by 2030.

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/business/motoring/2017-11/27/content_35042743.htm

 

[TaiShang]

Cross-country... Who would not dream of one

***

刚修建好的新京高速知道吧，G7，全长2540公里，横跨6省市连接北京与乌鲁木齐，世界最长沙漠高速公路——编号G7的京新高速。当时这个新闻出来的时候HAO哥就幻想什么时候可以自驾去了！！！大家自行看图感受一下

天高地阔、漫漫黄沙的戈壁滩，这条延伸天际的壮美天路，勾勒着绚丽的胡杨林、无尽的荒漠、严酷的无人区，堪称超越66号公路，让无数勇敢的挑战者心动不已。

当HAO哥还处于幻想的时候，我们的CS95已经行动起来了！！！当然，想要体验如此漫长的旅程与惊心动魄的风景，就需要一台兼具驾乘舒适与卓越性能的座驾。我们的CS95，搭载中国品牌最强动力——蓝鲸2.0TGDI发动机，获C-NCAP五星安全认证，当仁不让。

看图，只想说，酷！

据说，10月28日-30日，知名微博大V@苏芩@颜土豆avi@战争史研究WHS@北京人不知道的北京事儿@国资小新@环球网@共青团中央等，驾乘CS95深度畅游京新高速，还引得近1亿名微博粉丝围观呢#CS95闯京新#！！

御风行，踏沙越。数百公里驾乘体验过后，CS95让各位微博大V重新认识了中国品牌汽车，称赞：好开、舒适、动力足！！

嗯，HAO哥只能说，沙漠公路和CS95，很配！！！

Changan Fan

@AndrewJin , @Han Patriot , @Chinese-Dragon

 

[AndrewJin]

Cross-country... Who would not dream of one

***

刚修建好的新京高速知道吧，G7，全长2540公里，横跨6省市连接北京与乌鲁木齐，世界最长沙漠高速公路——编号G7的京新高速。当时这个新闻出来的时候HAO哥就幻想什么时候可以自驾去了！！！大家自行看图感受一下

天高地阔、漫漫黄沙的戈壁滩，这条延伸天际的壮美天路，勾勒着绚丽的胡杨林、无尽的荒漠、严酷的无人区，堪称超越66号公路，让无数勇敢的挑战者心动不已。

当HAO哥还处于幻想的时候，我们的CS95已经行动起来了！！！当然，想要体验如此漫长的旅程与惊心动魄的风景，就需要一台兼具驾乘舒适与卓越性能的座驾。我们的CS95，搭载中国品牌最强动力——蓝鲸2.0TGDI发动机，获C-NCAP五星安全认证，当仁不让。

看图，只想说，酷！

据说，10月28日-30日，知名微博大V@苏芩@颜土豆avi@战争史研究WHS@北京人不知道的北京事儿@国资小新@环球网@共青团中央等，驾乘CS95深度畅游京新高速，还引得近1亿名微博粉丝围观呢#CS95闯京新#！！

御风行，踏沙越。数百公里驾乘体验过后，CS95让各位微博大V重新认识了中国品牌汽车，称赞：好开、舒适、动力足！！

嗯，HAO哥只能说，沙漠公路和CS95，很配！！！

Changan Fan

@AndrewJin , @Han Patriot , @Chinese-Dragon

What a journey!

 

[TaiShang]

What a journey!

I did not know about this company before .

@cirr

***

Nov 30, 2017

Automaker DEARCC Plans to Build Electric Car Plant in Zhejiang
By Mo Yelin

DEARCC's planned facility in the city of Shaoxing, Zhejiang province, is expected to have an annual capacity of 180,000 vehicles once it begins operating in mid-2019. Photo: Visual China

Chinese electric car-maker DEARCC plans to invest up to 5.5 billion yuan ($833 million) to set up a plant in Zhejiang province in a partnership with the local government, the company announced on Wednesday.

The planned facility in the city of Shaoxing is expected to have an annual capacity of 180,000 vehicles once it begins operating in mid-2019, said the company’s Chairman and CEO Zhang Hailiang.

The company, founded two years ago, also said it will move its headquarters from Beijing to East China’s Zhejiang.

DEARCC came to the public’s attention in 2015 when Jia Yueting, founder of the tech firm LeEco became one of its investors, though he later withdrew.

The electric car industry has undergone rapid development in China over the last few years, primarily thanks to Beijing’s many incentives, including subsidies.

Companies without any experience in the auto industry such as DEARCC have since rushed into the fledging market, which is now the world’s largest. More than 500,000 electric vehicles were sold in China in 2016, almost half of the global output.

China started issuing permits that allow companies to produce just electric vehicles in 2015, in a bid to foster competition in the predominantly state-owned auto industry.

Compared with getting a license to produce traditional cars, acquiring one of the permits requires firms to meet less-strict standards and jump lower technological hurdles.

Many companies have rushed to grab such permits, with 15 companies obtaining such licenses from the government.

But Beijing suspended the initiative in June due to concerns that allowing so many companies to enter the market may create a glut, leaving at least 20 companies who have filed applications high and dry.

To avoid being elbowed out of the increasingly competitive market, smaller players have also begun to partner with larger companies. For example, internet entrepreneur William Li’s NIO Capital has announced a partnership with Anhui Jianghuai Automobile Group Corp., known as JAC Motors.

DEARCC has yet to obtain such a permit, but Zhang is confident that the regulatory obstacles will be cleared once the new plant is built because the electric cars manufactured there could be used to persuade the regulator to issue a permit in the future.

https://www.caixinglobal.com/2017-1...electric-car-plant-in-zhejiang-101178476.html

 

[TaiShang]

Nov 30, 2017 06:46 PM

Geely’s Lynk & Co to Steer Into Europe Electric Car Market in 2019

By Xiao Ying and Mo Yelin

Geely aims to sell 2 million cars worldwide by 2020 and hopes that by then a quarter of its total sales will consist of Lynk & Co vehicles such as the 01 (pictured). Photo: Visual China

Lynk & Co, a new brand established by China’s Geely and its Volvo unit, plans to enter Europe’s electric-vehicle market in 2019.

The announcement comes just as Lynk rolls out its first product anywhere — a diesel-powered SUV for the China market called the 01.

Geely — officially Zhejiang Geely Holding Group Co. Ltd. — will begin producing a hybrid version of the 01 by 2018, and the following year it will offer a variant of the model in the European market, according to Yi Han, a deputy manager for Lynk & Co in China.

Geely is also “considering building Lynk & Co vehicles at Volvo Car factories in Europe and the United States,” Lynk & Co Senior Vice President Alain Visser told the Reuters news agency.

Geely acquired Sweden’s Volvo in 2010, and launched the Lynk & Co brand last year as part of its efforts to move into foreign markets. Lynk may also help the company compete in China with similar midrange brands from Volkswagen and General Motors.

Chinese automakers have been catching up with their foreign rivals at home in terms of quality and design, but they still lack brand recognition overseas.

In China, purely electric-battery vehicles are favored by the government and supported with subsidies, whereas European buyers prefer plug-in hybrids, which accounted for 55% of the region’s total electric-vehicle sales last year. Hybrid sales in China were a smaller 23.5% for the same time period.

Geely has been developing electric-vehicle products for years, and in 2014 announced plans to develop hybrid technology with a local company in Hunan province.

Yi said that Lynk & Co has a staff of 100 in Europe currently, which will prepare the company for its coming foray into the continent.

Geely has set a sales target of 2 million units worldwide by 2020, which includes 500,000 Lynk & Co vehicles, according to the company.

 

[cirr]

4 self-driving buses tested in Shenzhen

2017-12-04 09:07 China Daily Editor: Wang Zihao

A self-driving bus begins its test run on a public road in Shenzhen on Saturday. (Chai Hua/China Daily)

Four self-driving buses were tested on public roads in Shenzhen, Guangdong province, on Saturday. It was believed to be the first such live test in the world.

Each bus looks like a normal one. There's even a driver in position for safety. But the new buses are steered automatically along designated routes without a driver's hands ever touching the wheel.

They can automatically avoid pedestrians, speed up, slow down, make an emergency stop, change roads and navigate traffic lights.

The buses used for the test can carry up to 19 passengers. Liu Xianglong - among the first passengers to experience what's called the Alphaba bus - said the trip was stable, and the bus stopped accurately at each station.

For the test runs, the route is about 1.2 kilometers, with three stations on a public road in a section of Futian district. Speeds are up to about 40 kilometers per hour. The whole trip can be covered in five minutes.

"At a 'T' intersection, a private car suddenly turned toward us and the bus slowed down," Liu recalled, "but its brake was a little too fierce."

Shenzhen Haylion Technologies Co developed the self-driving technology. Hu Jianping, chairman of Haylion, said the pilot buses cost about 500,000 yuan ($76,000); all were manufactured in China.

Safety is a critical issue in self-driving technology. Hu said there are seven active safety features in each bus, including lasers, infrared light, radar, sensors and a visual scanning system.

The technology has boomed worldwide in recent years, as international giants in the internet and automobile industries are all speeding up development of their own products.

In August, China Railway Rolling Stock Corp tested a 12-meter-long driverless coach in Beijing.

Yu Gang, chairman of Shenzhen Bus Group Co - one of the three major bus companies in the southern city and the operator of Alphaba - said that besides driving technologies, the new intelligent driving system also includes passenger volume analysis, smart dispatching and other features.

Test runs of the four buses have covered 8,000 kilometers so far in different parts of Shenzhen over the past four months. The buses will enter formal operation if approved.

http://www.ecns.cn/business/2017/12-04/283033.shtml