EV

Volkswagen on January 14th announced its global sales figures for 2020, which suffered a substantial 15% YoY decline due to the COVID-19 pandemic, although VW BEV and PHEV sales each increased by 300% and 270% YoY during the period against market headwinds. The company previously known for its “das auto” slogan sold a total of 9.305 million cars last year. ...  more

The rapid growth of the global market for EVs in the recent period has also led to a massive increase in the demand for Li-ion powertrain batteries. As a result, battery and car manufacturers are now in a fierce competition for the various raw materials used in battery production. These materials include common metallic and non-metallic elements such as nickel, aluminum, phosphorous, and iron. According to reporting from Bloomberg, demand will grow 14 folds for nickel and aluminum over the next decade, whereas phosphorous and iron will see demand increase by 13 folds during the same period. ...  more

Word on the street is that the Apple has been eyeing Hyundai up as a possible collaborator for its Apple Car project, which has been dominating EV headlines recently. ...  more

Last week, Chinese EV manufacturer NIO debuted its first commercially available model, the ET7. With a price tag of around RMB 448,000, the ET7 is noted by various media outlets as being more expensive than Tesla’s Model Y in the domestic market. In an effort to expand its market share in China, Tesla is offering its electric SUV — the Model Y — at RMB 339,900. However, this low price applies only to the vehicles made at Tesla’s production plant in China. ...  more

Foxconn, also known as Hon Hai Precision Industry, announced on January 4 that it has entered into a framework agreement with EV manufacturer BYTON and the governing authority of the Nanjing Economic and Technological Development Zone. In the future, Foxconn and BYTON will work together to ramp up the production of M-Byte, which is the latter’s battery-electric SUV and first offering in the EV market. BYTON currently aims to achieve mass production for M-Byte by the first quarter of 2022. ...  more

Someone has finally constructed R2D2! Oh wait, it is actually the charging robot exclusively designed for electric vehicles by Volkswagen. After one year of development and testing, this bold concept is now finally making its official debut. ...  more

Foxconn, also known as Hon Hai Precision Industry, announced on December 16 that its EV Kit will be officially unveiled in January 2021. The kit, which contains the tools for building an EV based on the MIH Open Platform, will then be available for order next February and ready for delivery at the end of next April. ...  more

While domestic-made Model 3 had sold like hotcakes in China, Wuling’s mini EV overtook Tesla’s yearly sales in a mere three months by touting rock-bottom prices, more specifically, at a wallet-friendly ¥30,000. ...  more

Ten billion Euros may not suffice when vying for EV supremacy. Case in point, Volkswagen indicated during its latest five-year strategic meeting that it will raise its funding for EV R&D to €73 billion, the breakdown of which is as follows: €35 for BEV development, €27 for digital transformation, and €11 for HEV development. ...  more