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Elon Musk Announces Cancellation of Model S Plaid+

On June 7th, Elon Musk announced on Twitter the cancellation of Model S Plaid+, as the zero-to-sixty acceleration of Model S Plaid in just two seconds is already fast enough.

He also stated that Model S Plaid will be delivered as scheduled this week. Tesla has also sent delivery ceremony invitations to eligible owners. Previously, on May 29th, Musk tweeted that the delivery of Model S Plaid was delayed to June 10th from June 3rd.

Quick Review:

Regarding the cancellation of Model S Plaid+, Musk told Electrek that once the range exceeds 400 miles (about 644 kilometers), longer ranges are not really meaningful. Few people drive continuously for more than 400 miles without eating, drinking, or using the restroom. However, for users with mid-to-long range needs, longer range undoubtedly has more advantages in actual use, considering the impact of weather and temperature.

NIO Responds to “Gemini” Rumors

On June 6th, NIO House in Harbin officially opened. At the opening ceremony, Qin Lihong, the president of NIO, responded to previous speculations about Gemini, stating that it is the code name for a new product that NIO will introduce next year.

Later, Ma Lin, the Senior Director of Communication of NIO, supplemented in a Weibo post that Gemini would not be a low-end product, and the NIO brand would remain high-end.

Comment:

Previously, there was speculation that Gemini might reduce its pricing and become the first product for NIO to enter the mass market. During the Q1 earnings conference call, Li Bin mentioned that entering the mass market is a strategic issue, “but we will definitely not use the NIO brand to enter the mass market. This is a long-term, definite thing.” Gemini means “twins”, and it is very worthy to look forward to what kind of new product it will be.

CATL Shanghai Lingang Building New Plant? Official Response: No Comment

On June 3, Reuters cited two sources who stated that CATL plans to build a factory in Shanghai with an annual output of 80 GWh, which is higher than the current total output of CATL (69.1 GWh) and the new capacity under construction (77.5 GWh).

(Image source: Reuters)

Sources further indicated that the new CATL plant in Shanghai may be located south of Tesla’s Lingang Factory and may employ 5,000 workers to produce CTP batteries. Meanwhile, CATL is also considering setting up a research center in Shanghai, as well as a global sales and operations center.

Comment:

Currently, CATL is still in negotiations with the Shanghai government, and it is unclear when the final agreement can be reached, and it is also unclear when the new plant will be put into production. If the new plant is completed and put into operation, the 80 GWh capacity can meet the installation of 800,000 electric vehicles.

Regarding the news, 42 Motor first contacted CATL. CATL said: “No comment.” According to a person close to CATL, the news is indeed true, and the plant will initially be a battery pack factory, and the investment will gradually increase later.

Tesla Recalls Some Imported Model 3 in China

On June 3, the website of the State Administration for Market Regulation announced that Tesla had filed a recall plan with the agency, involving 311 imported Model 3 produced between January 12, 2019, and November 20, 2019, and 423 imported Model 3 produced between February 2, 2019, and November 20, 2019.Translation:

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The reasons for the recall are as follows: due to assembly problems, the seat belt may not function as designed and may increase the risk of passenger injury in collision accidents, posing safety hazards. Additionally, the vehicle may not have standardized torque fastened brake caliper bolts, there is a risk of loosening and potentially causing tire pressure loss, increasing the risk of collision, and posing safety hazards.

Quick Comment:

In response to this recall, Tesla stated that it will provide free torque and brake caliper bolt torque tightening inspections for vehicles within the recall range and provide free repairs to eliminate safety hazards.

In addition to the Chinese market, Tesla has also issued a recall notice in the US market, involving Model 3/Y for the same reasons of seat belt problems and brake caliper bolt loosening issues.

Fiat plans to achieve full electrification by 2030

On June 4th, Fiat CEO Olivier François stated that Fiat plans to gradually phase out fuel models by 2025 and achieve full electrification by 2030.

François also stated that as battery costs decline, Fiat will release electric vehicle models priced similarly to fuel models.

Quick Comment:

So far, almost all major automakers have announced their own timelines for electrification transformations. BMW plans to increase electric vehicle production by a quarter between 2021 and 2023; Daimler stopped developing internal combustion engines in 2019; Jaguar plans to achieve full electrification of all products by 2025; Volvo plans to stop producing fuel cars from 2030 and only sell electric cars; General Motors plans to only produce electric cars after 2035 and achieve carbon neutrality by 2040.

BMW iX production version officially released

On June 2nd, BMW announced the specific information of three iX products:# iX xDrive50 Electric Car
The iX xDrive50 electric car has a battery capacity of 111.5 kWh, with an available capacity of 105.2 kWh. It is equipped with dual motors with a total output of 385 kW, accelerating from zero to one hundred kilometers per hour in 4.6 seconds. The WLTP range is 630 kilometers.

iX xDrive40 Electric Car

The iX xDrive40 electric car has a battery capacity of 76.6 kWh, with an available capacity of 71 kWh. It is equipped with dual motors with a total output of 240 kW, accelerating from zero to one hundred kilometers per hour in 6.1 seconds. The WLTP range is 425 kilometers.

iX M60 High-Performance Version

The high-performance iX M60 version has a power output of 440 kW, while other details have not been disclosed.

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The iX is equipped with 5 cameras, 5 millimeter-wave radars, and 12 ultrasonic sensors for perception hardware. BMW has also announced the price, with the high-end iX eDrive50 model starting at $83,200 in the US market.

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.