New Car Market Outlook in the First Month of 2023

Starting from the sedan products, we found that the first milestone models of various new energy brands will also undergo major or minor changes, such as the Model 3, XPeng P7, and JiKe 001. There are also rich product lines such as the ID.7, Voyah Chasing Light, NIO ET5 Hunting Edition, and RisingAuto F7. With the advancement of technology and product research and development iteration, we will also see new technologies and designs that are more fresh in these products.

Based on existing or exposed news, we have summarized some popular new energy sedan models in the market.

Voyah Chasing Light

On December 16, 2022, Voyah Chasing Light announced the pre-sale price: 322,900-432,900 CNY, and the new car will start delivery in 2023.

Based on the battery leasing plan, the price of the 82 kW·h version can be reduced by 130,000 CNY, and the monthly battery rental fee is 1,680 CNY/month; the price of the 109 kW·h version can be reduced by 180,000 CNY, and the monthly battery rental fee is 2,250 CNY/month:

• The pre-sale price of the 82 kW·h standard version is 322,900 CNY, and the rental of the battery is 192,900 CNY；
• The pre-sale price of the 82 kW·h flagship version is 352,900 CNY, and the rental of the battery is 222,900 CNY；
• The pre-sale price of the 109 kW·h long-range flagship version is 432,900 CNY, and the rental of the battery is 252,900 CNY.

Compared with the Voyah FREE series’ alternating current asynchronous motor, Voyah Chasing Light upgraded to the front and rear permanent magnet synchronous motor, and the two motors can burst out a maximum power of 375 kW and a peak torque of 730 N·m.

Voyah also uses the One Box line control system on Chasing Light, and the response speed can be improved by 25%. Reflected in the data, the stopping distance of Chasing Light from 0 to 100 km/h can reach 33.8 meters, and the official claims that it can achieve continuous acceleration and deceleration 10 times without attenuation of power and braking performance.The 82 kW·h version of Voyah’s Zheguang can provide a range of 580 km under the CLTC test cycle, while the 109 kW·h version can reach up to 730 km. This is currently the longest range among mass-produced four-wheel-drive pure electric sedans. The 82 kW·h battery pack on the Zheguang is also the world’s first mass-produced semi-solid-state battery pack.

The improvement in range is attributed to Voyah’s significantly enhanced energy management level. The Zheguang, equipped with a permanent magnet synchronous motor, has an official power consumption of only 15.6 kW·h per 100 km, which is even better than the ET7 (16 kW·h/100 km). Actual performance remains to be tested.

In terms of exterior dimensions, Voyah’s Zheguang is on par with NIO’s ET7 and IM L7. The design of a short rear overhang provides 1,940 mm of interior space, while the EQS is only 1,938 mm. In terms of design, unlike the sporty style of the ET7 and L7, the Zheguang has a more stable visual feel.

The through-type taillights have a strong family resemblance, and the arrow-shaped structure inside the left and right lamp groups is also quite sharp. The electrically-operated tail wing is not just a decoration, but provides up to 40 kg of downforce, increasing stability during high-speed driving, according to Voyah.

The large combination screen composed of three screens on the Voyah FREE adopts the design of embedded on the dashboard, and the chasing light adopts a suspension type. With ToF lens, chasing light can support 3 dynamic gestures: left and right swing, up and down swing, and forward and backward push.

Chasing light has heating, ventilation and massage functions on all 4 seats, and the angle of the backrest of the rear seats can be adjusted from 27° to 35° with 7° pitch. The 7-inch touch screen remote control on the central armrest in rear seats can control features such as audio, heating, ventilation, and ambience light.

Voyah Chasing Light is equipped with 31 sensors throughout the vehicle, including 12 cameras, 5 millimeter-wave radars, 12 ultrasonic radars, and 2 high-precision positioning units. In addition to basic features such as ACC and LKA, chasing light also adds NOA autonomous navigation driving, which has functions such as parallel avoidance, road edge avoidance, and optimal lane selection.

Another highlight of chasing light is the intelligent parking function. The “remote parking” function can achieve the task of parking in a self-selected parking space up to 30 meters away. The “remote parking” function of chasing light can be operated at home through network connection. Under the “memory parking” function, chasing light can achieve self-following parking and summoning parking after one learning.

The 82 kW·h version of chasing light is priced at 322,900 to 352,900 yuan, which highly coincides with NIO ET5. Through battery installment payment, the price of chasing light is further reduced to 192,900 to 222,900 yuan.For a pure electric, medium to large-sized sedan with front and rear dual motors, 3.8s acceleration and well-equipped comfort features, the price is competitive. And don’t forget, this car will probably also launch a hybrid version soon, starting at a price lower than the 300,000 yuan range.

Volkswagen ID.7

On January 4th, Volkswagen unveiled the latest model of the ID. family – Volkswagen ID.7 at the International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, USA. It will be positioned as a medium-sized electric sedan and is the 6th model in the Volkswagen ID. family. At present, the ID.7 officially released by Volkswagen is still heavily disguised.

But it is not difficult to see that the appearance of the ID.7 retains a lot of elements of the concept car ID. AERO, and the appearance of the ID.7 can be speculated through the ID. AERO concept car design:

Volkswagen claims that the ID.7 inherits the ID. family design while using a lot of aerodynamic design. Although the specific air resistance coefficient has not been announced, the official WLTP range of the ID.7 will reach 700 km.

Volkswagen has used a new new infotainment system in the ID.7. First of all, the central control screen has been upgraded to 15 inches, and the interface is also richer. There is a Dock bar at the bottom, which can respectively control comfort operations such as air conditioning and seat settings. The top includes software control, vehicle settings, automatic parking, assisted driving settings and mode selection.ID.7 adds a commonly used shortcut, which is a significant improvement over the current ID. series. In addition, the ID.7 finally features backlit air conditioning and volume control touch buttons.

The production version of the Volkswagen ID.7 is planned to have its global debut in the second quarter of this year and will be launched in the three major markets of China, Europe, and the United States in the future.

The ID.7 for the European market will be produced at the Volkswagen Emden factory. This will be the second MEB platform model to be produced at the Emden factory after the ID.4.

Volkswagen has revealed that its two joint ventures with FAW and SAIC, FAW-Volkswagen and SAIC Volkswagen respectively, will introduce their own versions of the ID.7 for the Chinese market. It is expected that there will be two models, the FAW-Volkswagen ID.7 CROZZ and the SAIC Volkswagen ID.7 X, as well as localized improvements for the Chinese market.

Model 3 Upgrade

According to Reuters’ exclusive report, Tesla is developing an upgraded version of the Model 3. According to sources, the project is internally codenamed “Highland”. The redesigned Model 3 is said to focus on reducing the number and complexity of components while improving consumer-focused features such as the display screen.

The two sources also revealed that the redesigned Model 3 will also feature changes in appearance and power, with production expected to begin in the third quarter of 2023 at Tesla’s super factories in Shanghai and California. Recently, Musk also announced that Tesla would launch a new platform that would cost only half as much as the Model 3.

So, can we speculate that this platform could be the new Model 3?

Shortly after the news came out, a disguised Model 3 was photographed by residents of California, confirming the rumors. From the pictures, it looks like Tesla has added a camera to the side of the headlight to further reduce blind spots.Markdown English text:

The redesign interval of Model S/X is approximately 5 years, and Model 3 has been released for almost 7 years. Tesla carried out a minor redesign in 2021, but the changes were not as significant as those made to its previous models, and there was no major action taken. Therefore, it is time to consider a mid-term redesign in terms of the time interval.

Musk once stated that Model Y would aim to become the top selling single model in the global market, but given this objective, it is unlikely that there will be a major upgrade of the model this year. After all, renovating the factory would impact production. Therefore, it is possible that Model 3, with lower sales, will be upgraded first and then Model Y will follow.

JiKe 001 Redesign

The deliveries of JiKe reached 11,337 units in December 2022, a year-on-year growth of 198.7%, and a total of 71,941 units were delivered throughout the year. JiKe’s consecutive three-month deliveries of over 10,000 units fully demonstrate the market recognition of this vehicle, and the average order amount also exceeds RMB 336,000.

Meanwhile, JiKe has also released the 2023 version of JiKe 001.

The changes are mainly in the following areas:

• First of all, based on the YOU version’s standard equipped inductive frameless automatic doors, the ME and WE versions will come with standard equipped silent electronic suction doors in response to user needs;- Three new colors have been added: Light Orange, Polar Blue, and Midnight Black;

  

• All models are equipped with Monaco NAPPA full-grain leather, which is superior to NAPPA head-layer leather and can improve the softness and comfort of the ride；

  The front-row seats are standard equipped with heating, ventilation, massage, and memory functions, and the entire car is equipped with electrically adjustable seats and an intelligent constant temperature air conditioning suite, which are also standard across the range.

  

• The WE 100 kWh version will limit the sale of 1,000 sets of Thousand-Mile Range Packages, adopting CTP 3.0 Kirin batteries with a capacity of 140 kWh. Coupled with the application of motor silicon carbide technology, the CLTC cruising range of the entire vehicle will reach 1,032 km.

  The YOU version provides an optional Z-Sport sports upgrade package;

  

Jikr also revealed that the NZP high-speed autonomous navigation assistance system will start pioneer testing in January.

Updated XPeng P7

In the previous financial report, XPeng stated that the P7 model would share some forward-looking technologies with the G9 model, including fast charging and intelligent driving content. The price range will be comparable to the current P7 model.

On November 17, XPeng P7 was officially listed in the directory of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology.

The detailed parameters are as follows:

• Length x width x height: 4,888 x 1,896 x 1,450 mm, wheelbase: 2,998 mm；
• Front/rear wheelbase: 1,615/1,621 mm, front/rear suspension: 853/1,037 mm；- Curb weight: 1,980/1,990/2,040/2,140 mm;
• Tire specifications: 245/50ZR18 245/45R19;
• Motor power: 203 kW (front 145 kW, rear 203 kW for 4WD version);
• Motor supplier: Zhuhai Enpower Electric Co., Ltd./Zhejiang Founder Motor Co., Ltd.;
• Battery supplier: Contemporary Amperex Technology Co., Ltd. (CATL).

From the parameters, it doesn’t seem to be any different from the new P7, but from the released images, the new model has been equipped with a LIDAR and has a new style of wheel hub. As expected, the P7 will have the same driving assistance as the G9, but the battery supplier suggests that it will not support the 800 V platform. Nevertheless, it is said that the motor efficiency will be slightly improved.

In addition, from the previously leaked spy photos, the vehicle entertainment system of the P7 will not change too much, but the center console is significantly adjusted. The position of the wireless charging for mobile phones is more convenient, and the steering wheel is also the same as that of the G9.

The official announcement mentioned that the new P7 will be officially launched in March next year, with different prices and configurations from the current version, and the current version of the P7 will continue to be sold.

NIO ET5 For Hunting

At the previous media event, Qin Lihong, the CEO of NIO, announced that the company will upgrade the entire product lineup to the NT 2.0 platform in the first half of next year. In addition to the ES8 and EC7 released at the NIO Day, the ES6 had also received certification from the MIIT. In addition to these SUV models, the launch of the NIO ET5 for hunting is also approaching, and there have been more spy photos online.

## About LIZHANG ET5’s Three-electricity Information
Regarding the three-electricity information of LIZHANG ET5, we refer to the current ET5. The battery pack, with a capacity of 75 kWh/100 kWh, is nailed on the board, and the layout of the front induction asynchronous 150 kW motor and the rear permanent magnet synchronous 210 kW motor under the battery swapping system is expected to be the same.

Regarding why NIO wants to implement a multi-model strategy, Qin Lihong said in a previous interview:

“If our target is Tesla, XPENG or Li Auto, we don’t need so many models. But if our target is BBA, there is still space in our product line.”

Qin Lihong said that the platform thinking allows for the sharing of styling, chassis, core components, smart platforms, and battery-swapping architecture, which is the capital for launching multiple models. Qin Lihong made an interesting analogy: when wearing clothes from Uniqlo, you won’t worry about others wearing the same clothes, but if you wear luxury brands, people would mind if they wear similar clothes.

Relatively high-end brands require a little more richness, which is an insight into consumers’ subtle psychology.

FEIFAN F7

On October 11th, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology announced the 362nd batch of “Road Motor Vehicle Production Enterprises and Products”, among which the shadows of four FEIFAN F7s can be clearly seen.

The application image of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology also revealed the appearance details of the FEIFAN F7:

To summarize the current parameter information of FEIFAN F7:

• The body size is 5,000 × 1,953 × 1,494 mm, and the wheelbase is 3,000 mm;
• The battery uses ternary lithium batteries, with two specifications of 77 kWh and 90 kWh, corresponding to three kinds of CLTC cruising ranges of 576/666/706 km.- In terms of power, a single permanent magnet synchronous motor is used, with a maximum power of 250 kW and a maximum torque of 450 N·m;
• The tires are available in two sizes: 255/45 R19 and 255/40 R20, with front suspension height of 929 mm and rear suspension height of 1,071 mm.
• Kerb weight is 2,142/2,180/2,195 kg.

It is worth mentioning that FEVAN has also submitted two models that support battery swapping, which should correspond to two different battery sizes.

According to the information released by the MIIT this time, the F7 still only has a single motor version, and there is no sign of the LIDAR from the photos. The LIDAR is expected to appear on the four-wheel drive version with dual motors in the future.

Conclusion

The 2023 new energy vehicle market is also fresh and full of various new cars. Compared with sedan products, SUV models that are more popular with Chinese people are even more competitive in 2023. For example, the Ideal L7; NIO’s new ES6, ES8, EC7; XPeng G7; Deep Blue S7; Jidu ROBO-01; BYD Look Up…

For the new energy vehicle field, besides the new cars listed above, there are many new energy vehicles that have not been publicized or photographed that may be released next year, such as BYD’s Seagull, Avita’s sedan products, and BYD’s Han with LIDAR, which may become popular.

Looking forward to 2023, we will also participate in the wave of new energy, bringing to you a first-person perspective of observation, research, and experience of these new cars.

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.