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Ideal L9, Voyah Dream Maker, and others are listed in MIIT
On April 15th, the 355th batch of “Announcement of Road Motor Vehicle Manufacturing Enterprises and Products” was publicized by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT). The new cars listed in this batch include Ideal L9, Voyah Dream Maker, Dongfeng Nissan Ariya, and other products.
Ideal L9
The recently released Ideal L9 maintains the same exterior appearance as before, with the following vehicle parameters:
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Size: 5,218 × 1,998 × 1,800 mm, wheelbase 3,105 mm;- Curb weight: 2,520 kg;
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Maximum speed: 180 km/h;
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Tire specifications: 255/50 R20, 265/45 R21;
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Optional electric telescoping pedals;
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Range extender: Sichuan Ideal New Energy Technologies Co., Ltd., 1,496 ml displacement, 113 kW power.
The battery parameters are as follows:
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Battery capacity: 42.6 kWh;
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Total mass of power battery: 254.3 ± 7.6 kg;
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Pure electric range under WLTC: 175 km;
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Minimum charge fuel consumption: 7.8 L/100 km.
Voyah Dreamer
The appearance of the Voyah Dreamer is consistent with the official announcement. The parameters of the Voyah Dreamer are as follows:
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Length x width x height: 5,315 x 1,985 x 1,820 mm, wheelbase 3,200 mm;
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Available in 7-seat and 4-seat versions, the high-end model is a 4-seater;
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In terms of curb weight, the pure electric version is 2,620 kg, and the extended-range version is 85 kg lighter than the pure electric version;
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The new car offers 4 different wheel styles, all of which have tire specifications of 255/50 R20.
Power parameters:
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The pure electric version has a maximum power of 320 kW, maximum torque of 620 N·m, and accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 5.9 seconds;
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The extended-range version has a maximum power of 290 kW, maximum torque of 610 N·m, and accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 6.9 seconds.
Both models have a dual-motor four-wheel drive layout, equipped with air suspension and adjustable shock absorbers. The suspension structure is a front double-wishbone and rear multi-link. The capacity of the pure electric and extended-range batteries is not listed in MIIT’s announcement.
The presale price of Voyah Dreamer has been announced, with a price range of 380,000 to 480,000 yuan for the 7-seater version, and a starting price of 600,000 yuan for the 4-seater custom version. It should be noted that the price range currently announced is the “presale price”, and the official price range in the future is expected to be slightly lowered based on this.
Dongfeng Nissan ARIYA
Dongfeng Nissan ARIYA has entered the product preview phase, and the mass production version will be seen as early as this year. The ARIYA previewed this time includes four versions with single or dual motors, in which:
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The length, width and height are 4,603 x 1,900 x 1,654mm with a wheelbase of 2,775mm;
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The curb weight of the four ARIYA versions varies, ranging from 2,106kg to 2,269kg;
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The single motor version has a power of 178 kW and a top speed of 160 km/h;
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The dual motor version has a power output of 320 kW (160 kW each front and rear) and a top speed of 200 km/h;
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The tire sizes for the top version are 235/55 R19 and 255/45 R20, while the other versions both use 235/55 R19.
Quick Comment:
In this product preview, the highly anticipated Ideal L9 and LYRIC Dreammaker both appeared, but the XPeng G9 and Nio ES7 unfortunately did not show up in this month’s preview.
Most of the key information of the Ideal L9 has already been released, yet there are still a few parts left to be disclosed, including the third-row space, the cargo space, and the final price. The official price range is expected to be between 450,000 and 500,000 yuan, depending on different configurations. The launch event originally scheduled for April 16th has been postponed, and the specific delay time has not been announced yet.
As for the LYRIC Dreammaker, whose price has been released, it outperforms GL8 in terms of hardware, including power, chassis configuration, comfort configuration and intelligent configuration, especially for the 4-seat version, the configuration is “judged to be at the top level.” However, the brand appeal of the LYRIC brand, defined as luxury, is somewhat insufficient, and the brand value is the point that buyers of luxury MPVs are more concerned about, so how to shape their own brand influence will require more in-depth consideration from LYRIC on the Dreammaker.# Translation
Nissan ARIYA is the second pure electric vehicle produced by Nissan after LEAF, and represents Nissan’s official entry into the new energy market in China. LEAF was the world’s best-selling pure electric vehicle before the launch of Model 3, and there were very few reports of problems in the three power areas. It remains to be seen whether Nissan can find a foothold in the crowded new energy market in China.
CPCA announces sales figures for March
On April 11, 2022, the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA) released its analysis report on China’s passenger car market in March. The retail sales of new energy vehicles reached 1.445 million, a year-on-year increase of 137.6%.
In March, the retail sales of new energy passenger cars reached 445,000, a year-on-year increase of 137.6% and a month-on-month increase of 63.1%, both of which were better than the trend in March of previous years. From January to March, the domestic retail sales of new energy passenger cars were 1.07 million, a year-on-year increase of 146.6%.
For new energy startups, Xpeng, Ideal, NIO, Zero-run, WM Motor and other new energy vehicle companies performed well in terms of year-on-year and month-on-month growth in March, especially Xpeng, Ideal, and NETA whose growth was not significantly affected by the price increase. Among mainstream joint venture brands, the new energy vehicles of Volkswagen Group’s Northern and Southern brands wholesale 12,709 units, accounting for 63% of the market share of mainstream joint venture brands, which indicates that Volkswagen’s firm electrification and transformation strategy is beginning to show results. Other joint ventures and luxury brands are still waiting to exert their strength.
In terms of conventional hybrid vehicles, the wholesale of conventional hybrid passenger cars was 74,625 units in March, a year-on-year increase of 62% and a month-on-month increase of 32%. Among them, Toyota sold 44,610 units, Honda sold 22,990 units, Great Wall Motors sold 2,602 units, GAC Motor sold 1,792 units, Geely Auto sold 1,239 units, and Dongfeng Nissan sold 1,184 units. Hybrid vehicles are gradually becoming a new hotspot.
In terms of sales rankings, the new energy passenger car market saw diversified power advancement in March:
Quick Comment:
In recent years, the demand for passenger cars in the market has shown a K-shaped trend of differentiation, with the proportion of traditional fuel cars continuing to decline and the proportion of new energy cars continuing to increase, forming a structural growth trend in the domestic auto market. Traditional fuel car products are facing greater growth pressure, while the electrification and intelligence of new energy car products are still in the stage of innovative rise.
Affected by the recent domestic epidemic situation, the automotive industry supply chain has become more tense, and the impact of price increases and epidemics on the economy will also affect the ultimate purchasing power of consumers. In the short term, the new energy vehicle market will face some pressure.
Li Bin, He XPeng, and Yu Chengdong discuss the impact of the epidemic on the automotive industry.Li Bin, He XPeng, and Yu Chengdong have recently talked about the impact of the epidemic on the supply chain and the automotive industry.
Li Bin said on the NIO App that due to the impact of the epidemic on the supply chain, the stockpiled spare parts have been used up, and partners are unable to supply goods. Subsequently, NIO officially announced the suspension of vehicle production on the App.
Similarly, on April 14, He XPeng also stated in his circle of friends that the current epidemic has had a significant impact on the automotive supply chain in Shanghai and surrounding areas, and if unable to resume work, the entire national vehicle industry may face production shutdowns in May.
Yu Chengdong from Huawei also stated that not only the automotive industry, but all technology and industrial industries involving the Shanghai supply chain may face production shutdowns after May.
Quick Comment:
2022 is a big year for the automotive industry. Many new technologies and epoch-making new cars were supposed to enter the market. Now the timing of the Beijing Auto Show is unknown, and many things that are already ready are being postponed, which brings considerable challenges to both people and enterprises.
The good news is that the shutdown situation may bring a turning point. On April 16, the Shanghai Municipal Commission of Economy and Informatization issued the “Guidelines for Epidemic Prevention and Control for the Resumption of Work and Production of Industrial Enterprises in Shanghai (First Edition)”, and Shanghai will concentrate resources to prioritize the resumption of work and production of 666 key enterprises in key industries such as integrated circuits, automobile manufacturing, equipment manufacturing, and biomedicine, including 231 upstream and downstream enterprises in the automotive industry. Tesla, SAIC, and other automakers have become key objects of protection.
Mercedes-Benz VISION EQXX test drive range exceeds 1,000 km
On April 14, the Mercedes-Benz VISION EQXX concept car completed its first real-world energy efficiency test in Europe. Its real mileage exceeded 1,000 kilometers on one charge, creating a low energy consumption record of 8.7 kilowatt-hours per hundred kilometers on average. After reaching the destination, it still had a remaining range of 140 kilometers, which means that the real-world range of the Mercedes-Benz VISION EQXX has reached a terrifying 1,148 km.
From Sindelfingen, Germany, the VISION EQXX has gone through various roads such as highways, mountain roads, and tunnels, and has traveled through complex weather conditions such as wind, rain, and extreme temperatures, finally arriving at Cassis, France with a remaining battery level of about 15%, approximately equivalent to a range of 140 kilometers. Among them, it cruised at a speed of 140 kilometers/hour and had an average speed of 87.4 kilometers/hour throughout the journey.
Quick Evaluation:
The specific technical reasons behind the ultra-low energy consumption of the Mercedes-Benz VISION EQXX can be attributed to the following points:
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Ultra-low resistance: drag coefficient of 0.17, extremely low frontal area of 2.12 square meters for the entire vehicle; the active rear diffuser can automatically open to optimize airflow when the vehicle speed reaches 60 kilometers/hour; the rolling resistance coefficient of the Pirelli cooperation tires reduced to 4.7;
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Ultra-high efficiency: Power system jointly created by the Stuttgart engineering team and HPP F1 experts, with a peak output power of 180 kilowatts, and the overall efficiency from battery to wheel reaches 95%;
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Ultimate lightweight: The entire vehicle weighs 1,755 kilograms when unloaded, with a wheelbase of 2.8 meters; the battery pack is nearly 100 kWh, 200 x 126 x 11 centimeters, and weighs only 495 kilograms;
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Energy recovery and solar power generation: The top solar power generation of the car adds about 25 kilometers of range.
Mercedes-Benz has applied the most advanced electrification technology to the EQXX and has demonstrated its formidable strength as the big brother of the auto industry. Although it may take some time for these technologies to be truly applied to mass-produced cars, the outstanding energy consumption performance undoubtedly shows us the ultimate performance that electric vehicles should have in the future.
IM L7 officially launched
During the launch event of IM L7 on the evening of April 17th, IM brought two pieces of news. One is that IM L7 has broken the electric vehicle drift world record set by Porsche Taycan in 2020, and the other is that IM L7 has added a new model named “Dynamic” with a price of 368,800 yuan. In terms of price:
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IM L7 Dynamic is priced at 368,800 yuan.
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IM L7 Pro is priced at 408,800 yuan.The price difference of 40,000 yuan between the “Dynamic” and “Pro” models of the IM L7 includes 20-inch wheels, DLP light trace projection headlights with front and rear interactive lights, Como Lake solid wood decorative door panels, and two exclusive car paint colors. There is no difference in power and chassis hardware between the two.
If you have already placed an order for the IM L7 before, you can still enjoy all the benefits of the Angel Wheel and A Wheel by choosing the “Dynamic” or “Pro” version. Although the quota of 3,000 Angel Wheel benefits has been reserved, the A Wheel benefits have not yet been cut off. A Wheel benefits will also upgrade many configurations and rights:
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Free upgrade to Nappa leather seats (16,000 yuan for Pro)
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Free upgrade to Brembo four-piston calipers (5,800 yuan for Pro)
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Free upgrade to driver and front passenger seat massage (5,800 yuan for Pro)
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Free upgrade to Rafael tea car paint (9,000 yuan for Pro)
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Option to upgrade to semi-aniline leather seats for 6,800 yuan (32,000 yuan for Pro)
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“IM AD intelligent driving full-functional package” can be used for free for 3 years, and can be repurchased for 8,800 yuan after 3 years (Pro’s repurchase price is 36,800 yuan).
The deadline for A Wheel users to place orders is April 29th, and the lock-in time is June 17th. If you are interested in this car, it is recommended to place an order before April 29th and consider whether to purchase before the lock-in deadline. Currently, this can maximize the benefits and configurations after purchasing a car. The deadline for Angel Wheel users to lock the order is May 29th, and friends who have reserved before need to take note.
As for standard configurations, the IM L7 comes with front double-wishbone + variable-damping suspension, front and rear 50:50 weight distribution + 490 mm low center of gravity, and dual front and rear motors with a maximum power output of 425 kW and maximum torque of 725 N·m. With a 0-100km/h acceleration time of 3.87 seconds, the IM L7 achieved outstanding results: it set a lap record of 01:12.94 for the fastest mass-produced electric vehicle at the Tianmasan racetrack last month, faster than the smaller and lighter Model 3 P from the original factory, and also set a Guinness World Record for the longest continuous drift distance for an electric car at the press conference.
Fast Comment:### Smart L7 Breaks the Continuous Drifting Record
From the current information, the excellent handling performance of Smart L7 is highly appealing. Its performance is powerful enough to surpass Model 3 P, which claims to have top-level performance, with a car length of over 5 meters and a weight of over 2 tons at the Tiamat Mountain Circuit.
During the launch event, Smart L7 continuously drifted for 1 hour, 6 minutes, 258 laps, and 43.646 kilometers, successfully breaking the previous record held by Porsche Taycan, becoming the new world record holder of electric car continuous drifting.
Furthermore, the launch of the new “Pro” version has lowered Smart L7’s price to 368,800 yuan, which directly threatens the dual-motor Greenland 001 and NIO ET5. The test drive of Smart L7 is expected to arrive at the nationwide experience center in early to mid-April, and the nationwide test drive will begin on April 9th. Angel round and Series A users will have the opportunity to test drive first. Interested friends can go to experience it in person.
Changan’s New Energy Brand Named Deep Blue
At the Changan Auto Global Partners Conference on April 13, Changan Auto Chairman Zhu Huarong announced that the Changan New Energy automotive brand has been officially named Deep Blue. Eight new energy models will be released in 2022.
During the conference, Changan announced that it will release four new small-sized energy vehicles in the future. The first to be launched is LUMIN. According to the latest data from the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the new car is equipped with two types of power batteries: 12.92-degree and 17.65-degree. Its cruising range reaches 155 kilometers and 210 kilometers respectively, which has some advantages compared to the cruising ranges of other small-sized new energy cars, such as Wuling Hong Guang MINI EV and Chery QQ Ice Cream. The competition of the new energy small-sized car market will become more intense in the future.
AVITA, the high-end intelligent electric vehicle brand co-developed by Huawei and CATL, has planned four complete vehicle products, and its first model, AVITA 11, is about to enter mass production.
In the mainstream passenger car market, five new cars, C385, C673, UNI-K PHEV, UNI-V PHEV, and Oshan Z6 PHEV, will be released in 2022. Among them, C385 is the first model under the Changan Shenlan brand, based on the brand-new EPA 1 platform. Currently, the appearance of the new car has been announced, with a highly recognizable aggressive front face and sleek back, and a body size of 4,820 x 1,890 x 1,480 mm and a wheelbase of 2,900 mm.
C673 will be the second model. The other three models will be equipped with Changan’s iDD hybrid system. Among them, UNI-K PHEV has been launched, with a guide price of 176,900 to 192,900 yuan and a pure electric range of up to 130 km.
Quick Comment:
Zhu Huarong, Chairman of Changan Automobile, also proposed at the meeting that Changan Automobile is expected to invest more than 80 billion yuan in key areas such as new energy, intelligence, technological innovation, and digital transformation by 2025. By 2025, the total number of R&D personnel at Changan Automobile will reach 20,000. In addition to the much-anticipated Avatar 11, Changan’s own brand of electrification has also begun.
In 2021, Changan Group’s total sales volume reached 2.3 million units, and Changan’s Chinese brand sales volume reached 1.75 million units, with passenger car sales volume of 1.2 million units. The sales volume of new energy vehicles exceeded 100,000 units, and the overseas exports created a record for three consecutive years.
In 2022, Changan will launch a total of 36 new products, including 19 independent brand products. With the launch of new cars, Changan Automobile expects its total sales in 2022 to increase by 6.5% year-on-year to 2.45 million units, including a 5.9% increase in sales of independent brands to 1.857 million units, and an increase in market share to 11%. In terms of overseas markets, Changan Automobile plans to build 2-3 overseas manufacturing bases by 2025 and establish European and North American headquarters in a timely manner.
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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.