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Mercedes-Benz Releases AMG EQE, EQE SUV is Exposed
On February 16, 2022, Mercedes-Benz released two AMG electric vehicle models, AMG EQE 43 4MATIC and AMG EQE 53 4MATIC+.
AMG EQE 43 4MATIC:
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Double motor all-wheel drive system, maximum power of 350 kW and maximum torque of 858 N·m;
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0 to 100 km/h acceleration in 4.2 seconds and a top speed of 210 km/h;
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WLTP range of 462-533 kilometers.
AMG EQE 53 4MATIC+:
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Double motor all-wheel drive system, maximum power of 460 kW and maximum torque of 950 N·m;
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0 to 100 km/h acceleration in 3.5 seconds and a top speed of 240 km/h;
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Optional AMG Dynamic Plus increases power to 505 kW, 1000 N·m, and 0 to 100 km/h acceleration in 3.3 seconds;
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WLTP range of 440-518 kilometers.
In terms of batteries, the AMG EQE models are equipped with 328 V power batteries with a usable energy of 90.6 kWh, composed of 10 modules, including 360 battery cells. The BMS supports OTA upgrades and can achieve software upgrades throughout the life cycle. The EQE 53 4MATIC+ even uses AMG-specific wiring harnesses to enhance current-carrying capacity. The battery material is a nickel-cobalt-manganese 8:1:1 formula.
In addition, foreign media exposed the disguised test vehicle of the Mercedes-Benz EQE SUV. The car was road tested near the AMG headquarters in Alpharetta Bach, Germany. We can roughly determine that this is an AMG power version of the EQE SUV based on the wheel hub and the location of the road test.
Like the EQE sedan and EQS, the EQE SUV will be built on the EVA 2 platform. According to Mercedes-Benz’s plan, the EQE SUV and EQS SUV will be released this year. Mercedes-Benz has already registered a series of digital trademarks for EQE locally. From 250 to 600, this also means that EQE will have multiple power versions. AMG version has also registered 43, 53, 55, and 63, which also include the digital codes of EQE sedans.
Quick Review:
AMG EQE, as the second pure electric mass-produced car launched by AMG after AMG EQS, is positioned as an entry-level model for AMG’s electric driving performance. EQE 43 4MATIC is positioned as an entry-level model for AMG’s electric driving performance, while EQE 53 4MATIC+ is dedicated to providing stronger sports performance.
For car fans, the price of EQE AMG imported to China may be of more concern. In terms of performance parameters, AMG EQE lags behind the upcoming Tesla Model S Plaid, which has a maximum power of 750 kW, 1,020 horsepower, and a 0-100 km/h acceleration of 2.1 seconds, supporting 250 kW fast charging, and the price is about 800,000 RMB. What will be the domestic price of EQE AMG?
The overall design of the EQE SUV still feels like the EQC. The design of the front of the car can be seen through camouflage and it is confirmed that the EQE SUV adopts the latest family-style front face. The specific appearance design and various parameters of the EQE of this year will be revealed soon, and it is not yet known whether the EQE SUV will be introduced by Beijing Benz.
Official Preview of NIO ES7
On February 15, NIO held an all-day marketing workshop at the NIO Center in Wanda Plaza, Shanghai. At this workshop, NIO summarized the service highlights during the Spring Festival and announced the small surprise of the new car ES7 in the media QA section.
In the media QA session of this workshop, Qin Lihong revealed to everyone that the product previously rumored to be called “Twin Stars” is the ES7. Some approximate information about ES7 was also revealed, which will be a 5-seat mid-to-large SUV positioned between the ES6 and ES8.
ES7’s main competitor is the upcoming BMW X5L from Huachen Motors. It is rumored that ES7 will have an improved comfort level. ES7 will be based on the NT 2.0 platform and is expected to be officially launched in April.
Quick Comment:
As the workshop comes to an end, it leaves us with more suspense. ET7 and ET5 will be delivered successively this year, and the arrival of ES7 will expand NIO’s product line. Meanwhile, the improvement of the store and energy replenishment system will further enhance NIO’s voice in the new energy market this year. It can be foreseen that the competition in the new energy market this year will be exceptionally fierce.
Tesla China recalls some domestically produced Model 3/Y
The State Administration for Market Regulation has just issued a statement that Tesla (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. is recalling some domestically produced Model 3 and Model Y electric vehicles.
The recalled vehicles are some domestically produced Model 3 (12,003 vehicles) and Model Y (14,044 vehicles) electric vehicles produced between December 28, 2020 and January 15, 2022, totaling 26,047 vehicles.
The reason for the recall is that there may be slight movement in the positioning of the heat pump electronic expansion valve of some vehicles produced during this period. As the software (versions 2021.44 to 2021.44.30.6) does not have a correction function, it may cause the valve to partially open and the heat pump compressor to stop working, resulting in the failure of the heating function in the car in the long term. The defrosting system of the windshield of the affected vehicles cannot meet the defrosting effect stipulated by the relevant laws and regulations of the country, which will have an adverse impact on the driver’s line of sight.
Quick Comment:
Tesla will upgrade the software of the recalled vehicles through OTA in-car updates, so users do not need to go to the store to complete the recall. For vehicles that cannot be upgraded through OTA, Tesla will contact the relevant users through the service center.
Previously, on December 3, 2021, due to the possibility of the suspension link pulling out of the steering knuckle under extreme load, Tesla announced a recall of some 2021 Model Y vehicles produced that year. On December 31, 2021, Tesla also recalled some imported 2018-2019 Model 3 and domestically produced 2019-2020 Model 3 due to a malfunction in the front trunk component that may cause the hood to open and affect the driver’s line of sight.Recalls are quite common in the automobile industry. If it’s not a hardware defect, Tesla usually chooses to upgrade online OTA. From the history of recalls, it can also be seen that the three-electric system of Tesla has very few defects, and the quality of core components is guaranteed.
Byton Element Plus launched, positioned above Dolphin and iPad Pro
On February 19th, Byton Element Plus was officially launched with a price range of 131,800 to 159,800 yuan, with two range versions of 430 km and 510 km respectively.
Specific configurations are as follows:
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Luxury version with 430km range for 131,800 yuan;
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Noble version with 430km range for 138,800 yuan;
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Noble version with 510km range for 141,800 yuan;
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Flagship version with 510km range for 151,800 yuan;
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Flagship Plus version with 510km range for 159,800 yuan.
The official range of the new Element Plus is marked from NEDC to CLTC. The battery capacity of the 430km version is 49.92 kWh, and the 510km version is 60.48 kWh.
The new car comes with a heat pump, and all models are equipped with a 150 kW front-wheel drive single motor and R17/R18 215-size tires. The official energy consumption is stated to be 12.1 kWh per 100 km. We will test the actual energy consumption when we get the car in the future.
Quick review:
The Element Plus series uses the Byton E3.0 pure electric platform. Although it is still front-wheel drive, the rear axle structure is different from the Dolphin model, which is also based on the E3.0 platform, and has been upgraded from a torsion beam to a multi-link suspension. It is believed that the driving feel will be improved to some extent.
In the domestic market for pure electric vehicles priced at just over 100,000 yuan, due to cost and fuel pressure from competitors, there have been few models that sell well in the long run.
Since its launch, the popular sales of the Dolphin model have given Byton confidence. In terms of price, the Dolphin model is actually a replacement for the old Element EV. The Element Plus is positioned higher, with better space and comprehensive practicality.
Currently, there are almost no competitive products at the same price on the market, and it is expected to become another hot-selling pure electric vehicle for Byton.
Geek+ global flagship store settles in Shanghai Center, live-streaming Q&A for usersOn February 18, the Polestar Center Global Flagship Store opened in Shanghai. At Polestar’s first brand event of the year 2022, Polestar introduced the first major OTA update and announced new policies on locking orders and delivery acceleration. Here are the core parts of the information released:
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Shortages of parts are slightly easing, and the suspended supply can meet order production before mid-September last year.
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Delivery acceleration. Users who placed orders during January 1-31 and locked orders during February 19-21 can complete delivery before July 30.
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The number of Polestar stores nationwide will increase to more than 300 in 2022.
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On February 12, Polestar pushed ZEEKE OS 1.1.1, which added features such as in-vehicle Bilibili application, driving mode memory, and manual controls for automatic doors.
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On February 15, Polestar pushed ZEEKE OS 2.0 Beta to some beta users, which contains the first batch of advanced driving assistance features such as adaptive cruise control with queue function, AEB active braking, and lane departure warning.
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There will be five major updates to the vehicle system this year.
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There is still no physical key, but it is said to be “under intense development.”
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The 8155 chip is being tested and the reverse image has been optimized.
Quick Review:
Based on the information currently released, Polestar has dramatically accelerated the speed of offline store layout. There are currently five Polestar Centers under construction, and it is expected to add 15 to 20 Polestar Centers before the end of the year. The new round of locked orders to be opened at the product level also represents that Polestar’s non-suspended version vehicles have passed the initial production bottleneck, while the suspended versions seem to still be in a state of parts shortage.
The 1.1.1 version update that was just released a few days ago doesn’t have too many changes, but it solves the most urgent automatic door bug. After all, if opening the door is a problem, everything else is impossible to proceed.
The 2.0 beta version update, promised to be released by the end of December, finally arrived in February, updating the most anticipated advanced driving assistance features. According to Xie Baojun, Vice President of Polestar Intelligent Technology, ACC and AEB are the two most urgent advanced driving safety features for users, and after multiple rounds of simulation tests, they have started internal testing.
Polestar’s update speed is far behind the estimated plan for 2021. In the 2022 plan, Polestar 001 will complete at least five major updates. We hope that Polestar can complete the plan for 2022 as scheduled.