China to become global hub for electric cars

[ahojunk]

| Wed Nov 30, 2016 | 5:18am EST | Reuters
Toyota chief shifts gear, to boost electric vehicle division

Toyota Motor Corp on Wednesday appointed its president to lead their newly formed electric car division, flagging its commitment to develop a technology that the automaker has been slow to embrace.

The change comes as the United States, China and European countries are encouraging automakers to make more all-electric battery cars as they push alternative energy strategies.

Akio Toyoda, grandson of the company's founder Kiichiro Toyoda, has been at the helm of the world's largest automaker since 2009. He will head the company's electric vehicle (EV) planning department along with Executive Vice Presidents Mitsuhisa Kato and Shigeki Terashi.

"By putting the president and vice presidents in charge of the department, we plan to speed up development of electric cars," said Toyota spokeswoman Kayo Doi, following a personnel change announcement by the company.

"The president will directly oversee the department's operations to enable decisions to be made quickly and nimbly."

The department comprises a new in-house unit to plan Toyota's strategy to develop and market electric cars as part of the company's efforts to keep pace with the tightening global emissions regulations.

Toyota is also shifting the chief engineer of its Prius petrol-hybrid to its EV efforts, appointing Koji Toyoshima to head the division's engineering team. Toyoshima will also join the four-member EV strategy unit, which will include representatives from group suppliers - Denso Corp, Aisin Seiki Co, and Toyota Industries Corporation.

Rivals such as Nissan Motor Co, Volkswagen AG (VOWG_p.DE) and Tesla Motors have touted pure electric cars as the most viable zero-emission vehicles.

However, Toyota until recently said it favored EVs for short-distance commuting given their limited driving range and lengthy charging time. It has been investing heavily in hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles (FCVs), which the company considers as the ultimate "green" car.

Earlier this month, Toyota said it will develop cars with up to 15 percent greater range and battery life in the next few years.


(Reporting by Naomi Tajitsu; Editing by Sherry Jacob-Phillips)


********

Toyota is the undisputed leader in hybrids and has invested heavily in hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles.
However, they are too slow to enter the EV market.
My concern is that they may have missed the boat.
.

 

[ahojunk]

| Wed Apr 19, 2017 | 12:45pm EDT | Reuters
Hybrid blues: China policies force Toyota into electric U-turn

By Norihiko Shirouzu | SHANGHAI

The automotive industry's seemingly inexorable drive towards electric cars - and especially Chinese polices pushing new energy vehicles - has forced Toyota Motor Corp (7203.T), the world's No.2 automaker by sales, into what one executive calls an "agonizing" strategy U-turn.

Until recently, Toyota was one of the industry's major hold-outs against full electrification, and planned to more or less skip all-electric battery cars and turn instead to hydrogen as a mainstream alternative to gasoline-fueled cars.

In 2013, Toyota Chairman Takeshi Uchiyamada, father of the gasoline-electric hybrid Prius, told Reuters the hydrogen car was a "practical alternative" to the traditional combustion engine, and if there was any use for the electric vehicle (EV),it was "only as a neighborhood errands car".

Fast-forward to late last year, and Toyota said it had begun developing a long-range all-electric battery car, which industry experts say should hit the market around 2020. The Japanese firm has put its president, Akio Toyoda, in charge of a new unit called the EV Business Planning Department.

One Toyota executive, who did not want to be named as he is not authorized to speak to the media, said the strategy about-turn was "agonizing" and "heart-wrenching".

Toyota had for some time predicted conventional hybrids and plug-in hybrids would be a medium-term bridge to hydrogen-powered cars of the future.

FILE PHOTO: A Toyota RAV4 EV car with a Tesla battery is seen at the sixth annual Alternative Transportation Expo and Conference (AltCar) in Santa Monica, California September 29, 2011. REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson/File Photo

In late 2014, Toyota launched the Mirai, a hydrogen fuel-cell car, selling in Japan for 7.24 million yen ($66,636)before subsidies and rebates. The model retails in the United States at $57,700 before subsidies.

The game-changer for Toyota is China - the world's biggest market and one where tough policies to push cleaner energy cars have challenged global automakers.

Latest draft proposals from Chinese policymakers, released in September, require 8 percent of automakers' sales to be battery electric or plug-in hybrid vehicles by next year, rising to 10 percent in 2019 and 12 percent in 2020.

After some industry push back, the scale and pace of those plans may shift, but Toyota and other automakers don't see much changing fundamentally in China's drive to electrification by around 2020.

"Those mandates are tough to the point it could wreck our fundamental business case," said another Toyota executive.

Toyota is particularly exercised by China's proposed policy move to categorize conventional hybrids, like the Prius, as gasoline-fueled cars. That would mean conventional hybrids would not generate what China calls new-energy vehicle (NEV) credits, which automakers could use to meet strict fuel economy rules.

Under the proposals, each hybrid an automaker would sell in China would set them back by one NEV credit point. "The Prius and other hybrid cars are central to our green car strategy," said one of the Toyota executives.

"But in China's view, the Prius is no more than a gasoline car. We have no choice but to get over our EV allergy and come up with an electric car."

Hiroji Onishi, the head of Toyota's China business, said on Tuesday ahead of this week's Shanghai auto show that the Japanese firm would start selling plug-in electric hybrid cars in China next year, and aimed to sell an all-electric battery car in China, but gave no time frame.

At a briefing on Wednesday, Onishi said this wouldn't mean Toyota will de-emphasize sales of conventional gas-electric hybrid cars in China.

Because automakers in China are expected to have to meet stringent fuel-economy requirements in addition to new energy vehicle quotas in coming years, Toyota will try to sell more conventional hybrids in an effort to meet fuel economy requirements, he said.

Toyota sold close to 300,000 vehicles in China in January-March, up 1.7 percent on the same period a year ago.


(Reporting by Norihiko Shirouzu in SHANGHAI; Editing by Joe White and Ian Geoghegan)


********

Toyota is too slow to enter the EV market.
Whether we like it or not, it is the Chinese auto market that set the rules.
.

 

[ahojunk]

TECHNOLOGY NEWS | Wed Apr 19, 2017 | 9:33am EDT
Foreign carmakers embrace China as electric car development hub

FILE PHOTO: A BYD Dynasty electric concept car is displayed at the Shanghai Auto Show during its media day, in Shanghai, China April 19, 2017. REUTERS/Aly Song/File Photo

By Edward Taylor and Joseph White | SHANGHAI

China's crackdown on vehicle pollution will turn the world's largest auto market into a hub for cutting edge electric car technologies previously exported from Europe and the United States, industry executives at the Shanghai motor show said.

Foreign automakers have long been building cars in China to meet surging demand in the world's most populous nation.

But a raft of proposals to promote cleaner driving is now encouraging them to do more research in China, potentially turning the country into a world leader in a technology predicted to be a major force in the future of the industry.

"We are convinced China will become the leading market for electromobility," Volkswagen (VW) (VOWG_p.DE) brand chief Herbert Diess told Reuters on the sidelines of the motor show.

For years, carmakers have struggled to gain economies of scale to bring down the cost of electric cars, which have failed to gain traction with consumers in part because of their price.

But by floating proposals to require automakers to boost sales of so-called "new energy vehicles," or risk being penalized, Beijing has given a powerful incentive for them to focus the development of such vehicles in China. [nL3N1HD1W8]

That could be a big fillip for the local economy - and a blow to other major car manufacturing nations such as the United States, Germany and Japan. Analysts at UBS say the shift from combustion toward electric cars is a 100 billion euros ($107 billion) revenue opportunity for suppliers.

"There is a clear (Chinese) government policy in favor of electromobility - high subsidies and an industrial framework in the form of joint venture companies which are being encouraged to invest in this technology," Diess said, adding Beijing appeared to be trying to replicate the success of hybrid car technology in Japan and diesel vehicles in Germany.

According to management consulting firm McKinsey, 43 percent of the 870,000 electric cars produced in 2016 came from China. Germany and the United States accounted for 23 percent and 17 percent respectively.

In order to defend its market position in China, VW will invest in locally developed electric car technology, Diess said.

"This is a challenge but also an opportunity because we will quickly gain large volumes and gain sufficient scale to make electromobility cost effective enough so that it will also be a success in Germany and the United States," he told Reuters.

In the wake of its diesel emissions scandal, VW is focusing much more on electric vehicles and software-based technologies - strategies also being pursued by its Chinese joint venture partners, which include SAIC and First Automotive Works (FAW).

"Here in China the transformation is almost quicker. Our joint venture partners, in particular SAIC, are even more committed to transformation. They are already thinking about next steps which go beyond things like software and semiconductors," Diess said, without elaborating.

TAKING THE LEAD

GKN, a global engineering group based in England that supplies components for the BMW i8 and Volvo's XC90, said on Wednesday China would become its global production hub for electrified drivelines starting in 2018 and production would be ramped up to an annual 1 million "eDrive" units by 2025.

Through a Chinese joint venture company, SDS, GKN will start making an electric transmission for a domestic Chinese automaker in 2018 and then deliver an electric motor, inverter, axle and gearbox for a European firm's small car platform a year later.

GKN declined to name the European client, but said the manufacturer would sell Chinese-made electric motors worldwide, and further supply agreements with domestic and international car manufacturers had been signed.

GKN Driveline Chief Executive Officer Phil Swash said four global carmakers had agreed to buy GKN's electric motors, and that these motors would be rolled out in China first.

"Whereas in the past we imported technology from outside China, for eDrive, China is now taking the lead. The first launch deployment of the newest technology will be here. That is the first time that has happened in our 30 year history," Swash told Reuters in an interview.

Daimler, which has trailed German peers BMW and VW-owned Audi in terms of expanding its Chinese manufacturing capacity, is also preparing to make Mercedes-Benz electric cars in Beijing.

"We are going to localize electric cars for Mercedes-Benz," Daimler's board member responsible for China, Hubertus Troska, said.

"We're not concerned about technology transfer" to Chinese partners, he added, referring to fears that Chinese firms might eventually use technology gleaned from foreign partners against them.

Mercedes has more than tripled the size of its Chinese research and development operations during the past two to three years, to 700 people.

The Chinese team is capable of developing entire vehicles, rather than merely customizing designs originated in Europe, Daimler Chief Executive Dieter Zetsche said, adding that how R&D would be divided between China and other Mercedes-Benz research centers remained to be seen.

"We will decide how to divide up the tasks on a case-by-case basis, but of course this will include capacities to develop electric cars here in China," Zetsche said.


(Reporting by Edward Taylor and Joe White; Additional reporting by Jake Spring; Editing by Mark Potter)

 

[ahojunk]

GM’s Chevrolet Volt Electric Car Will Be Sold in China as a Buick

Country spurred battery-powered car demand with incentives to local auto makers, presses foreign companies to invest

By Mike Colias
April 18, 2017 3:04 p.m. ET

SHANGHAI—General Motors Co.’s Chevrolet Volt electric car is finally headed to China, but it won’t be wearing the iconic bow tie badge that identifies Chevy products. It will instead be sold as a Buick.

The Detroit auto giant, already a major player in China’s traditional vehicle market, is planning a major push into an emerging electric-vehicle segment.

The world’s biggest automotive market, China has spurred demand for...

TO READ THE FULL STORY ...

 

[ahojunk]

China to become global hub for electric cars

• Author Rupert Reid
• April 20,2017

China is set to become the world's most important market for the research, development and sale of electric cars.


That conclusion has been drawn by many international news outlets, following a series of announcements from vehicle manufacturers over the last few weeks.

Only yesterday, we reported that Volkswagen had revealed ambitious growth plans for China.

These plans included a prediction that by 2020, the majority of VW sales in China would be of electric or hybrid vehicles, through partnerships with local firms as well as ride-hailing pioneer Didi.

Earlier in April, US manufacturer Ford revealed plans to release an electric car in China.

We reported at the time that new model should be launched as early as next year, as part of its partnership with Chongqing Changan Automobile.

The firm has also revealed plans to ensure that 70 percent of its sales in China will be either hybrid or electric by 2025.

If any further evidence were needed of the extraordinary pace of next generation car development, today, we can reveal that Volvo has become the latest company to link its future ambitions to a Chinese electric vehicle.

From 2019, the Swedish firm (which is owned by Chinese auto-giant Geely) will offer its first all-electric vehicle, which will be produced in Shanghai.

Earlier in 2017, we reported that China has overtaken the USA as the world's largest market for electric cars.

That's partly as a result of the Chinese government's efforts to introduce more environmentally vehicles onto local roads, including a goal of increasing their number tenfold over the next few years.

 

[ahojunk]

Honda will launch a new electric car in China next year

• Norihiko Shirouzu, Reuters
• Apr. 19, 2017, 8:49 PM

Japan's Honda Motor will launch an all-electric battery car in China next year as demand for plug-in electric vehicles (EVs) expands in the world's largest automobile market, a senior company executive said.

Yasuhide Mizuno, Honda's China chief, told reporters on the sidelines of the Shanghai auto show on Wednesday the automaker was "expediting" the development of the EV. He said he expects the car to arrive in showrooms before the end of next year.

Mizuno added that plug-in hybrid models would likely follow, but did not say when that car might hit the market in China.

Carmakers in China are scrambling to develop and sell so-called new energy vehicles (NEVs) in anticipation of tougher new rules expected to be implemented as early as next year.

Those rules will likely require companies to generate as much as eight percent of their China sales with plug-in cars, either fully-electric or plug-in hybrid vehicles.

Honda plans to roll out its all-electric Clarity in the US in 2017. However, it's been reported that the vehicle will have a range of only 80 miles per charge.

The company is also making a big bet on hydrogen-powered cars, even though the infrastructure for these vehicles does not really exist in the US yet. The hydrogen version of the Clarity is already being leased in California.

(Reporting by Norihiko Shirouzu; Editing by Stephen Coates)

Cadie Thompson contributed to this report.

Read the original article on Reuters. Copyright 2017.

 

[Jacob Martin]

China is already a global hub for electric cars. More of them sold in China than anywhere else. Also by far the largest producer of batteries. Now all that is needed is to improve efficiency and introduce some really high-mileage batteries.

I am all for the Chinese on this one. Just as on solar panels. Go China!!!

 

[beijingwalker]

I believe China is going to become the global hub for everything in the near future.

 

[ahojunk]

I believe China is going to become the global hub for everything in the near future.

.
Not so fast. There is still quite a way ahead, don't let this get into your head.

China is already a global hub for electric cars. More of them sold in China than anywhere else. Also by far the largest producer of batteries. Now all that is needed is to improve efficiency and introduce some really high-mileage batteries.

I am all for the Chinese on this one. Just as on solar panels. Go China!!!

.
China is not yet the hub for electric cars.
IMO, Tesla is still the front runner and I hope they do well to give the Chinese companies some competition.
With competition, the consumers will get a better product at a better price and faster too.
I can't wait to see the world move away from fossil fuel in the near future.
When this happens, it will be very good for the entire world politically, economically and climate wise.

 

[ahojunk]

Volkswagen plans all-electric car for China next year

• By JOE MCDONALD, AP BUSINESS WRITER

SHANGHAI — Apr 18, 2017, 7:01 AM ET

Workers prepare for the Auto Shanghai 2017 show at the National Exhibition and Convention Center in Shanghai, China, Tuesday, April 18, 2017. At the auto show, the global industry's biggest marketing event of the year, almost every global and Chinese auto brand is showing at least one electric concept vehicle, if not a market-ready model. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)


Volkswagen, Europe's biggest automaker, plans to launch its first pure-electric car in China next year as Beijing steps up pressure on the industry to promote alternatives to gasoline.

The announcement Tuesday comes on the eve of the Shanghai auto show, which showcases industry efforts to create electric models with consumer appeal. General Motors Co.'s Buick unit and Ford Motor Co. also have announced new electric vehicles for China this year.

The VW model will be the first in a range of electric vehicles in China, said Jochem Heizmann, head of VW's China unit. It is due to be produced under a new brand name with a local partner, state-owned Jianghuai Automotive Corp.

"This will be a new cooperation on pure battery cars," said Heizmann. "Our challenging target is to come, already next year in 2018, to the market with the first car."

China has the world's most aggressive electric car goals. China's leaders are promoting them to clean up smog-choked cities and in hopes of taking the lead in an emerging technology.

Regulators have jolted the industry with a proposal to require electrics to account for at least 8 percent of each brand's production by next year.

At the auto show, the global industry's biggest marketing event of the year, almost every global and Chinese auto brand is showing at least one electric concept vehicle, if not a market-ready model.

Heizmann said VW, which vies with GM for the title of China's top-selling automaker, expects annual sales of at least 400,000 "new energy vehicles" — the government's term for electric or gasoline-electric hybrids — by 2020 and 1.5 million by 2025.

The plan to create a new brand for the VW-Jianghuai partnership follows an approach taken by Mercedes-Benz, GM and Nissan Motor Co. Foreign brands are under pressure from Chinese regulators to help local partners create indigenous brands.

Despite government subsidies and other encouragement, electric cars have yet to catch on with China's driving public due to concern about their limited range. Most Chinese automakers sell plug-in battery models but their range is usually no more than 120 to 150 kilometers (75 to 95 miles) — too little to attract most buyers.

Sales of electric and gasoline-electric hybrids fell 4.4 percent from a year earlier to 55,929 vehicles while sales of SUVs rose 21 percent to 2.4 million.

Heizmann said the industry needs to find a way to create electric models that appeal to consumers. He said VW was trying to do that by developing vehicles for different market segments.

"You have to achieve cars which are competitive," he said.

To encourage foreign automakers to help develop China's electric vehicle industry, regulators have allowed them to form additional joint ventures with local partners on top of the two that are allowed for traditional gasoline-powered vehicles.

That allowed Volkswagen to create its partnership with Jianghuai alongside ventures with two other state-owned automakers.

Heizmann said foreign manufacturers also are no longer required to hand over electric technology to Chinese partners. He said VW's venture with Jianghuai involves jointly developing the product.

"We will be fast. We will use their technology. We will put in some of our own technology and experience," he said.

Heizmann said Volkswagen's luxury unit, Audi, is coming to market with a plug-in electric version of its A6 sedan that can go 50 kilometers (35 miles) on one charge.

In its next stage of development, VW plans to produce a version of its Golf for China with a 300 kilometer (185 mile) range, Heizmann said. He said plans then call for vehicles designed from scratch for pure-electric propulsion with a range of 500 kilometers (300 miles) or more.

Beijing also is steadily tightening fuel efficiency and emissions standards, which Heizmann said are on track to become the world's most stringent. He said that will narrow the "cost gap" between electrics and gasoline by requiring more expensive technology for internal combustion while batteries should get cheaper.

At the same time, Heizmann said Volkswagen and its Audi and Skoda brands also are aggressively promoting SUVs. He said the brands plan to roll out a total of 10 new locally produced SUVs over the next two years.

 

[Jacob Martin]

.
Not so fast. There is still quite a way ahead, don't let this get into your head.


.
China is not yet the hub for electric cars.
IMO, Tesla is still the front runner and I hope they do well to give the Chinese companies some competition.
With competition, the consumers will get a better product at a better price and faster too.
I can't wait to see the world move away from fossil fuel in the near future.
When this happens, it will be very good for the entire world politically, economically and climate wise.

Yeah Tesla is the front-runner as far as cutting edge tech is concerned, but I doubt their intent for the mass market. Same goes for most conventional companies although I heard the Volt is a good car.

The Chinese seem to be doing all the good work in making it mass market, contingent on further price reduction and increased battery range. No offense but if 5 years ago someone had told me that I will buy a Chinese car in the near future I would have laughed. Now I can't wait for a Chinese electric car!

 

[ahojunk]

Electric vehicles bring buzz to China’s biggest motor show

Ford leads charge with new models as sales of new-energy vehicles rise sharply

Tue, Apr 18, 2017, 20:00 Updated: about 15 hours ago
Clifford Coonan Shanghai

With China’s economy slowing and air pollution at the top of the political agenda, new-energy vehicles will be a key feature of this year’s Auto China show in Shanghai. Photograph: Kim Kyung-Hoon/Reuters

China, the motor show that alternates annually between Beijing and Shanghai and this year takes place in the country’s financial capital.

The days when the event was a glitzy showcase for poorly-designed rip-offs and copycat models, with leering rubberneckers ogling scantily dressed women on the stands, are well and truly over.

With the economy slowing and air pollution is at the top of the political agenda, the buzz these days in China is less in the luxury market – although there will be plenty of expensive motors on display in Shanghai – and more focused on new-energy vehicles.

China is the world’s largest market for new-energy vehicles and its “new-energy vehicle” (NEV) classification includes electric cars, plug-in hybrids and fuel-cell cars.

Sharp growth

Xu Yanhua, deputy secretary-general of the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers, forecasts NEV sales this year of 800,000 units, representing year-on-year growth of 60 per cent.

China’s passenger car sales grew 8.9 per cent year on year to 1.5 million units in February, driven by the rise of sport-utility vehicles, according to data from the China Passenger Car Association.

Sales of NEVs rose more than 30 per cent to 16,500 units in February, from 5,400 units in January, illustrating just how quickly the market is growing.

Ford is really going after the NEV market and this week is showcasing the Mondeo Energi, a plug-in hybrid which will feature an electric drive range of up to 50km and will be manufactured by its joint venture Changan Ford.

It also announced an all-new fully electric small SUV with an estimated range of more than 450km that it will bring to market within five years and will be sold in North America and Europe, as well as China.

“We are prioritising our electrification efforts in China to reflect its importance as a global electrified vehicle market and to make lives better, simpler and more cost-effective for Chinese consumers,” Ford president and chief executive Mark Fields told the China Daily. “The time is right for Ford to expand our electrified car line-up and investments in China.”

High-performance Mini

Expect lots of crossovers to make their debuts at Auto China this year, including the Mini John Cooper Works Countryman SE Cooper All4, the high-performance version of the popular crossover from the German-owned British brand.

It’s the most powerful Mini ever, boasting a turbocharged two-litre four-cylinder engine producing 228 horsepower and 258lb ft of torque, which enable it to reach 100km/h in 6.2 seconds from a standing start.

The Countryman JCW is fitted with a six-speed manual or eight-speed automatic gearbox.

The Lexus NX luxury compact crossover, which debuted in 2014, has been given a makeover for the Shanghai show, with updated exterior design and interior enhancements that add convenience and functionality, the company says. The debut is scheduled for April 19th.

Jeep is expected to debut a new hybrid concept, what Chinese media are saying will be something between a Grand Cherokee and a Renegade and falls into the NEV category.

Photos of teasers on China Car News show the classic Jeep grille, with a steeply-angled windscreen, ultra-wide wheel arches, and an all-new D-pillar design.

There is a lot of speculation, but no official confirmation yet, that BMW will bring a tooled-up M4 to Shanghai, with the performance coupé sporting the CS badge.

A production version of Citroen’s Aircross Concept, which debuted at the last Shanghai show two years ago as a concept, will be shown. It’s a spectacular upgrade on the C5 saloon, a family SUV which shares the Peugeot 5008’s DNA.

Among domestic firms, Geely Automobile, which owns Volvo, is set to reveal a crossover known as the “01” at Shanghai, which will be the first vehicle under Lynk & Co brand, aimed at luring younger buyers in China.

The 01 is based on Volvo’s compact modular architecture platform and was designed in Sweden. It was previewed as a concept last year.

Skoda is planning to unveil its first NEV, the Vision E, at the show. The Czech carmaker describes it as an SUV coupé that has a range of up to 500km on a single charge, with a top speed of 180km/h.

In a statement, Skoda said the Vision achieves “level 3” standard of autonomous driving, which means it can operate independently in traffic jams, go into autopilot on motorways, stay in lane and swerve, carry out overtaking manoeuvres, independently search for free parking spaces and park and leave parking spaces without driver involvement.

A production model is due in 2020, and hopefully by then there will be some insight into how this will work in China’s chaotic traffic environment.

.

 

[ahojunk]

Ford to start building electric cars in China

“The time is right for Ford to expand our EV line-up and investments in China,” said Ford CEO Mark Fields.

• TREFOR MOSS
• The Wall Street Journal
• 12:00AM April 8, 2017

Ford is to start building electric cars in China to tap into a state-sponsored boom in green-energy vehicles.

In doing so, the Detroit-based company signalled that it had swallowed industry concerns about bringing proprietary electric-car technology to China, despite misgivings among foreign carmakers about intellectual-property protection in the world’s largest auto market.

“It’s manifest destiny” for foreign carmakers to get past those fears and start building electric cars in China, said Bill Russo, managing director of Gao Feng Advisory, a Shanghai consulting firm.

Mass uptake of electric vehicles is set to happen in China first, he said, “and none of those companies can afford not to be relevant to the future of their industry”.

Ford’s local joint venture Changan Ford Automobile. will start building the Mondeo Energi plug-in hybrid vehicle in China next year, with a new all-electric sport-utility vehicle set to follow within five years, the company said.

Electric powertrains will be manufactured locally by 2020, and by 2025 all of Changan Ford’s vehicles will come in electrified versions, it said.

“The time is right for Ford to expand our EV line-up and investments in China,” said chief executive Mark Fields.

China is already the world’s largest market for electric vehicles, with over half a million electric or hybrid cars sold there last year, according to the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers.

The government is encouraging their uptake by heavily subsidising electric cars through payments to manufacturers, which are then able to sell EVs more cheaply. It is also far easier to obtain a licence plate for an EV than for a traditional gasoline car in congested cities like Beijing and Shanghai.

Local authorities have also set ambitious targets for electrifying bus and taxi fleets over the next few years, and for the rollout of EV charging facilities.

There could be as many as 32 million new energy vehicles in China by 2025, according to Gao Feng Advisory — a total that is likely to be a substantial share of the global fleet, with uptake of EVs in the US and Europe happening more slowly.

.

 

[ahojunk]

Audi sees China as the catalyst for its future electric car range

The Audi e-tron Sportback Concept (Audi AG)​

Published Wednesday, April 19, 2017 9:06AM EDT


After keeping a comparatively low profile at New York, Audi, a company with a reputation for delivering show-stopping concept cars for every automotive event it attends, has arrived in Shanghai in top form with a sporty electric car concept, the e-tron Sportback, that it promises will be a production reality within the next two years.

Like VW, Audi is showing the world what's possible with plug-in electric cars via a series of conceptual studies. It started with the e-Tron Quattro in Frankfurt back in September 2015 -- a plug-in SUV -- and on Wednesday the second car in the series, a fastback (Audi's name for a car with a coupé form factor but with four, rather than two doors) made its global debut.

Promising a 0-100km/h time of 4.5 seconds and a range of 310 miles between charges, the concept has three individual electric motors -- one driving the front axle and one driving each of the rear wheels for a combined output of 496bhp -- providing grip and all-wheel drive as well as rapid acceleration.

And, thanks to its generous proportions, it will need help in the handling department. Despite looking like a compact yet high-sided GT car, this concept is 4.9 metres long, 1.98 metres wide and stands 1.53 metres tall and the visual trick has been achieved by sitting it on huge, 23-inch wheels.

In other words, this is an imposing, impressive vehicle, but the geographical choice for the reveal is just as important as the car itself. "We have made a conscious decision to give the Audi e-tron Sportback its first showing here in Shanghai, because China is the world's leading market for electric automobiles. That applies as much to the infrastructure and financial support as it does to sales," said Dr. Dietmar Voggenreiter, the company's global head of Marketing and sales. "In the next five years we will be offering five e-tron models in China, including purely battery-powered vehicles with ranges well in excess of 310 miles."

The first pure electric e-tron model will be the production version of the Quattro concept. It will be arriving in China within the next 12 months, and Audi is betting on it being a huge hit and laying the groundwork for its sportier coupé cousin in 2019.

"[The e-tron Quattro will be the] first electric car in its competitive field that is fit for everyday use," said Audi's chairman, Rupert Stadler. "We will make this sporty SUV the must-have product of the next decade. Following close on its heels, in 2019, comes the production version of the Audi e-tron Sportback."

 

[TaiShang]

From all of the wonderful reads above, I understand that China is gradually turning, indeed, into a global EV center.

Particularly for Toyota, they scored below expectation on hybrid game in the US market.

If Japan in some way does not antagonize China, they may have good future in China market for their new try for EV. Let's hope geopolitics will continue to be favorable.

Korea's loss is Japan's gain, practically.