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BYD and Toyota to jointly develop electric vehicles
On July 19th, BYD and Toyota signed a contract to jointly develop pure electric car models for sedans and low-floor SUVs, as well as the power batteries required for the above products. The car models will use the Toyota brand and are planned to be launched in the Chinese market before 2025.
In the future, BYD and Toyota will combine their own technical accumulation and development capabilities in the field of electric vehicles and batteries to develop more attractive pure electric vehicle products.
Quick comment: BYD and Toyota’s cooperation has finally been officially announced. However, unlike Toyota and CATL’s cooperation, Toyota and BYD not only cooperate in power batteries, but also jointly develop pure electric car models for sedans and low-floor SUVs.
Personally, I still have high hopes for the strong alliance between BYD and Toyota, and the perfect complementation of advantages between the two sides also makes me look forward to Toyota’s pure electric car models.
Although it’s better to be safe than sorry, the fact that the pure electric car models planned by the two parties are planned to be launched in the Chinese market before 2025 seems to be a bit slow…
Seres releases micro electric car “Mai Mai”
On July 20th, Seres held the “Seres Night, Beast comes to the nest” brand event at the Beijing Bird’s Nest. In addition to the brand’s flagship model Seres S7 Le Mans special edition, Seres also released three models including Seres S1, Mai Mai, and Maike, among which the pure electric microcar Mai Mai will be launched this year.
Quick comment: This Seres Night event can be described as grand, not only inviting famous actor Jason Statham and Wu Yifan to help out, but also holding it at the Bird’s Nest in China’s most famous stadium. It seems that Seres is well-prepared this time and has big moves!
I did not guess wrong, there is really a surprise – Saleen has defined the first supercar SUV – Saleen S1, although for a moment, I really can’t see what the relationship is between this SUV and the supercar, but since you say so, then it is.
However, it’s not over yet. Saleen, as a “supercar brand” born in 1983, has surprisingly launched a mini electric car. Fortunately, this time you didn’t say it was a supercar-style mini electric car, otherwise I would really need to look up what supercar means.
But what’s even more interesting is that yesterday, a Weibo user (car photographer A Rui) discovered that the Mai Mai has already been listed on the MIIT directory, borrowing qualification from a “young man” who produced water-hydrogen cars…
Parameters of Guangqi Aion LX exposed
On July 22nd, the 321st batch of road motor vehicle production enterprises and product announcements came out. Two models of Guangqi are on the list, and it is expected to be the Guangqi Aion LX, with two versions:
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NEDC range of 650 km, Nantong Times’ 811 ternary lithium, energy density of 180 Wh/kg, and it is said that the battery capacity is 96 kWh. The curb weight of the car is 2040 kg, and the permanent magnet synchronous motor has a maximum power of 150 kW and a maximum torque of 350 N·m.
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NEDC range of 520 km, with an energy density of 171 Wh/kg, curb weight of 1900 kg, a permanent magnet synchronous motor with a maximum power of 135 kW, and a maximum torque of 350 N·m.
If everything goes smoothly, Aion LX will start production in September.
Quick comment: Based on the parameter information currently exposed, the battery capacity of the Aion LX NEDC version with a range of 650km is 12kWh more than that of the NIO ES6 84kWh battery pack, which is really impressive.
However, what is even more surprising is that even with the 96kWh battery pack, the curb weight is only 2040 kg. Although it is still heavier than gasoline cars of the same level, it is 300 kg lighter than the NIO ES6. It seems that GAC has really put in some effort on the Aion LX.
Ford Territory EV starts pre-sale
On July 18, Ford Territory EV officially started pre-sale. Developed by Ford and Jiangling Motors together, Territory EV is the first pure electric vehicle from Ford in the Chinese market. Currently, there are two models available, both with an NEDC range of 360km.
– Trend (entry-level model) pre-sale price after subsidies is CNY 182,800
– Titanium+ (high-end model) pre-sale price after subsidies is CNY 206,800
In addition, Ford plans to provide unlimited charging and unlimited on-behalf charging services in some cities of China in the future.
Quick comment: In the current context of NEDC range of 400, 500 km, the range of Ford Territory EV is relatively unsatisfactory. However, with the Ford brand and the popular appearance of Territory EV, it still has certain attractiveness for some friends who do not care much about the range. The only issue is the high pre-sale price.
In addition, Ford also plans to provide unlimited charging and unlimited on-behalf charging services in some cities of China. Well, this is very similar to NIO. Although many people have been questioning NIO’s service concept, more and more international brands are starting to emphasize the importance of brand services in future market competition.
Zotye Auto enters Taiwan marketOn July 16, joint agreements were signed by Hozon Auto and Taiwan Qing Jia Industrial Co., Ltd. in Shanghai to expand the market of the two sides, they reached an agreement on conducting SKD production and sales of Hozon Auto products in Taiwan.
As a strategic partner of Hozon Auto in Taiwan, Qing Jia Industrial will be responsible for conducting Hozon Auto’s SKD business in Taiwan to realize the sale of Hozon Auto products in Taiwan. Hozon Auto will provide technical service support and help guide Qing Jia Industrial in Taiwan to complete KD factory construction, distribution, and after-sales service systems.
Comment: I believe that many consumers have never heard of Hozon Auto, a new force in car manufacturing. However, Hozon Auto’s NETA N01, launched last November, has delivered more than 5000 vehicles so far. For new car manufacturers, this is actually a pretty good achievement.
This cooperation with Taiwan Qing Jia is a new step for Hozon Auto. Congratulations are in order, and we also hope that Hozon Auto’s second model, Hozon U, can be launched soon.
Weekly Data
Although the keyless entry function has been around for many years, in reality, it only means there’s no need to take out the key; you still need to carry a physical key.
With the emergence of Bluetooth key functions of Model 3, by only binding the vehicle and the phone, the vehicle will automatically recognize and unlock itself. Not only is there no need for any physical keys, but the phone doesn’t even need to be taken out to operate, making it very smooth and natural.
Therefore, when it comes to the question: “What kind of entry method do you want for your car?” there is no doubt that phone Bluetooth keys are the first choice (73%). However, I originally thought that key cards like the Model 3 would come in second place, but it turns out that only 4% of people think they need a key card. It seems that if used as spare keys, physical smart keys are still more suitable, as they are not easy to lose…
This article is a translation by ChatGPT of a Chinese report from 42HOW. If you have any questions about it, please email bd@42how.com.