Tag: Geely

UPDATE 1-Tesla in advanced talks with LG Chem on battery supply in China-source

(Reuters) – U.S. electric vehicle maker Tesla Inc (TSLA.O) is in advanced talks with South Korea’s LG Chem Ltd (051910.KS) to source batteries for vehicles to be made in its Shanghai plant, a person familiar with the matter said. FILE PHOTO – Tesla super chargers are shown in Mojave, California, U.S. July 10, 2019. REUTERS/Mike… Continue reading UPDATE 1-Tesla in advanced talks with LG Chem on battery supply in China-source

Survey: Range, cost, infrastructure sum up why shoppers avoid EVs

We’ve heard it repeatedly as the result of various polls and surveys: Active and prospective car shoppers are interested in fully electric vehicles and eager to go electric.

The AAA, for instance, has in annual surveys for the past three years found that 15 to 20 percent of Americans “will likely go electric in their next vehicle purchase.”

With battery electric vehicle sales remaining around five percent of the U.S. vehicle market, why are some Americans not yet making the leap? The lack of variety in fully electric vehicle types is certainly part of it, but as a new survey points out, the reason shoppers are avoiding EVs still boils down to some familiar reasons.

Car shoppers' EV avoidance reasons – Autolist

In the poll of 1,567 “current car shoppers,” conducted earlier this month and released Tuesday, Autolist found the primary reasons for avoiding electric vehicles—in order—to be driving range, the price relative to similar gas vehicles, and the lack of charging infrastructure in their home area. Meanwhile, the most important attributes, in order, were seen as price, range and available charging.

Consumers continue to want high driving-range numbers—and perhaps to the detriment of luxury-priced models like the Jaguar I-Pace and Audi E-tron, they have much higher expectations for rated range from luxury vehicles.

When Autolist asked consumers for the minimum range they’d accept in a $35,000 electric vehicle, the leading answer was “between 250 and 300 miles”—stipulations perhaps most closely met by the Hyundai Kona Electric, with its $37,995 base price and 258-mile EPA-rated range. The Chevrolet Bolt EV and Kia Niro EV are also close to meeting those expectations.

2019 Hyundai Kona Electric

But when Autolist asked the same about a $70,000 EV, the responses, the most common response was “more than 500 miles.”

At an EPA-rated 370 miles, the Tesla Model S Long Range currently holds the top rated range of any regular-production electric vehicle. No EV currently achieves close to 500 miles, or even 400 miles.

2019 Tesla Model S

There’s a riptide beneath these impressions, and that’s age. The survey found a direct and pronounced correlation between age and the importance of EV range. For instance, 32 percent of those 18-23 years old listed range among the top three avoidance issues, while for those over 76 years old it was in the top three for 60 percent. Autolist reports that there was a similar trendline created between age and the importance of the charging network, although that one had an inflection point around age 45.

Also, with rising shopper age, sticker price was less important, but resale value was more important.

A Volvo/Harris poll from earlier this year surveyed both EV drivers and non-EV drivers and found strong belief among both groups that EVs are the future. However 61 percent of respondents indicated that a lack of charging structure held back a purchase. While 38 percent of EV drivers were concerned about running out of power, 58 percent of all drivers combined indicated this concern.

One other figure stood out as especially surprising (and promising for the future of the technology): 55 percent of respondents said that the EV would be their primary—not secondary—vehicle if they bought one today. The survey also found that 69 percent supported tax rebates and other incentives aimed toward the wider adoption of EVs. That echoes the bipartisan support of the tax credit earlier this year, after it had been potentially on the chopping block.

Ford Announces Leadership Changes; Steven Armstrong to Succeed Nigel Harris as President, Changan Ford China JV

DEARBORN, Michigan, Aug. 22, 2019 – Ford Motor Company today announced that Steven Armstrong, who is currently chairman, Ford of Europe, has been named president of the Changan Ford joint venture in China. Armstrong succeeds Nigel Harris, who has elected to retire from Ford at the end of 2019, after 34 years of distinguished service… Continue reading Ford Announces Leadership Changes; Steven Armstrong to Succeed Nigel Harris as President, Changan Ford China JV

Geely Automobile Holdings Announced lnterim Results for the First Half of 2019

Geely Automobile Holdings Limited (Group) report half-year revenue of RMB 47.56 billion and profit of RMB 4.01 billion. Average selling price increase with higher ratio of high-end models sold Future focus on high-quality development, enhancing core technological capabilities, and accelerating brand building. Retail market share up from 6.3% to 6.5%. Exports surged 334% to 38,619… Continue reading Geely Automobile Holdings Announced lnterim Results for the First Half of 2019

Jaguar Land Rover is working on 3D tech that will alert drivers to road hazards

The interior of a 2020 Jaguar XE sports sedan is seen during a Jaguar Land Rover Automotive PLC event in New York, U.S., on Tuesday, April 16, 2019.David Dlegado | Bloomberg | Getty ImagesEngineers at Jaguar Land Rover are developing 3D, “head up” technology that could project real-time safety alerts to drivers.
The car manufacturer is working with researchers from the University of Cambridge on the technology, it said in an announcement Tuesday.
The research is aiming to create an immersive display that would “closely match” real world experiences, which would in turn enable drivers to react to prompts and hazards in a more natural way.
If implemented, the display could provide drivers with information on lane departures, satellite navigation directions and road hazards.
“This program is at the forefront of development in the virtual reality space,” the University of Cambridge's Daping Chu said in a statement.
“We're looking at concepts and components which will set the scene for the connected, shared and autonomous cars of the future,” Chu, who is director of both the Centre for Photonic Devices and Sensors and the Centre for Advanced Photonics and Electronics, added.
As technology develops and vehicles become increasingly connected, manufacturers are working on a number of innovative systems to improve safety.
In March, for example, Volvo Cars announced it would be installing in-car cameras and sensors to check drivers for signs of intoxication and distraction.
The firm said the technology would be used to monitor drivers and, when needed, enable the car “to intervene if a clearly intoxicated or distracted driver does not respond to warning signals and is risking an accident involving serious injury or death.”
Actions the car could take include limiting speed to slowing down and then parking the car in a safe place. Installation of the technology will start in the early 2020s.

Mon 19 Aug 2019Lotus blossoms at Monterey Car Week with Evija public debut and significant sales success for electric hypercarLotus Evija, the world’s…

Lotus Evija, the world’s most powerful production car, made its public debut in Monterey this week as thousands of fans flocked to the electric hypercar’s reveal North America’s excited reception of the first all-electric British hypercar, resulted in strong double-figure orders being taken, and most of the initial production for the US market now allocated… Continue reading Mon 19 Aug 2019Lotus blossoms at Monterey Car Week with Evija public debut and significant sales success for electric hypercarLotus Evija, the world’s…

Luxury automakers from Bugatti to Pagani to debut new cars at Pebble Beach

The Hennessey Venom F5 concept vehicle is displayed during the 2018 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance in Pebble Beach, California, U.S., on Sunday, Aug. 26, 2018.David Paul Morris | Bloomberg | Getty ImagesThousands of classic car fans are rolling onto California's Monterey Peninsula for what has become one of the year's most eagerly awaited automotive events.
Centered around Sunday's Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, it's a week-long series of car shows, auctions, parties and other events featuring some of the world's rarest and most expensive collector cars.
But what has become known as Pebble Beach car week has also become a major event for new car fans, as well. More than a dozen different luxury brands, including Acura, BMW, Bugatti, Mercedes-Benz and Pininfarina, will be on hand to show off their latest concept and production models, many of them making their world debuts.
Here's an A-to-Z look at some of the more significant introductions that already have been confirmed for Pebble Beach Car Week.
AcuraAcura Type S ConceptSource: AcuraAcura, the luxury arm of Honda, will offer the public debut of the Type S Concept at the Quail, a Motorsports Gathering, on Friday. The Type S badge has been used on a number of limited-run Acuras over the past two decades but will soon become a regular part of the line-up as a challenge to such performance sub-brands as BMW M and Mercedes-AMG. The Type S Concept is based on the next-generation Acura TLX sedan that will come to market next year.
BMWA Vision M Next concept vehicle is revealed during an event of German car producer BMW in Munich, southern Germany, on June 25, 2019.Chirstof Stache | AFP | Getty ImagesBMW is a frequent participant in the Pebble Beach Car Week events and will have a number of different models to show off this year. That includes the North American debut of the Garmisch Concept that won wild acclaim during a debut at the concourse in Villa d'Este, Italy earlier this year.
Also on hand: the Vision M Next Concept which blends a variety of different technologies that could reshape BMW's future product line-up, including battery power and autonomous driving capabilities. The automaker is keeping some secrets, however, hinting that a production version of an older concept – possibly a high-performance 8-Series Gran Coupe – will also debut in Pebble Beach.
BugattiSource: BugattiBugatti will bring the most expensive new car ever sold, the $18.7 million La Voiture Noire, to Pebble Beach. But the ultra-premium arm of the Volkswagen Group has been building suspense by teasing plans to “unveil the next great project for La Marque” at the Friday gathering at the Quail Lodge.
What's in store? Speculation has been rampant, covering everything from a new one-off of Bugatti's only current nameplate, the Chiron, to something entirely new. During an interview with Automobile magazine this month, the brand's CEO Stephan Winkelmann confirmed Bugatti has been working on an ultra-exotic utility vehicle that could top 200 mph and cost as much as $1 million.
De TomasoThe DeTomaso P72 seen at Goodwood Festival of Speed 2019 on July 4th in Chichester, England. The annual automotive event is hosted by Lord March at his Goodwood Estate.Martyn Lucy | Getty Images Sport | Getty ImagesDe Tomaso is a name that delights serious classic car collectors but has been all but forgotten by most luxury buyers. The revived brand is bringing its new P72 supercar to the Monterey Peninsula — along with the only existing version of the old P70 race car developed by namesake Alejandro de Tomaso and the late Carroll Shelby in 1965.
InfinitiA Nissan Motor Co. Infiniti brand QX80 Monograph concept sports utility vehicle (SUV) sits on display during the 2017 New York International Auto Show (NYIAS) in New York, U.S.Andrew Harrer | Bloomberg | Getty ImagesInfiniti comes to Pebble Beach celebrating its 30th anniversary with an array of Edition 30 models. These are specially trimmed-out versions of its most popular product lines, the Q50, Q60, QX50, QX60 and QX80. It also will bring several of its earliest models to the second-annual Japanese Automotive Invitational, one of the many ancillary events that take place during the extended classic car weekend.
KarmaKarma Revero on display at the In goop Health Summit at 3Labs on June 9, 2018 in Culver City, California.Matt Winkelmeyer | Getty ImagesKarma, currently sells the Revero, an updated version of the plug-in hybrid from the old Fisker Automotive it purchased out of bankruptcy.
The now Chinese-owned battery-car brand has promised to expand its single-car line-up over the next few years and will give a hint of what's coming at the Pebble Beach Concours in the form of both the GT and the SC1 concepts. Designed by Italy's Pininfarina, the latter, all-electric model “is a signpost to Karma's future,” according to Karma CEO Lance Zhou.
LotusThe Lotus Evija electric hypercar, manufactured by Group Lotus Plc, a unit of Zhejiang Geely Holding Group Co Ltd., sits on display following its unveiling at the Royal Horticultural Halls in London, U.K., on Tuesday, July 16, 2019.Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty ImagesLotus was all but written off for dead a few years ago when its grand expansion plans collapsed. Sold to Geely, the Chinese company that also owns Volvo, it is making a grand entrance at Pebble Beach with the first of what it promises will be an assortment of new sports cars.
The Lotus Evija is an electric hypercar making 1,972 horsepower. That should be good for around 200 mph or, if you prefer, 250 miles per charge. Evija is expected to cost about $2 million.
McLarenThe McLaren GT seen at Goodwood Festival of Speed 2019 on July 4th in Chichester, England. The annual automotive event is hosted by Lord March at his Goodwood Estate. (Photo by Martyn Lucy/Getty Images)Martyn Lucy | Getty Images Sport | Getty ImagesMcLaren will bring to Pebble Beach both the new GT supercar set to go on sale for $210,000 late this year, as well as the McLaren GT by MSO, a heavily customized version of the 612-horsepower grand tourer.
Like several other exotics, the British marque is betting its affluent buyers are willing to reach even deeper into their pockets for bespoke one-offs that will pair unique design features — including custom colors — with performance.
PininfarinaFerrari's Pininfarina BattistaCompany handoutPininfarina is a name that will show up seemingly everywhere during Pebble Beach Car Week. The legendary Italian design house styled a number of classics at shows like the Concours d'Elegance, as well as new models like the Karma SC1 concept.
It's also bringing its own battery hypercar, the Battista, which made its debut at the Geneva Motor Show last March. This updated version now can deliver as much as 300 miles per charge, as well as a top speed of 217 mph and a 0-60 sprint of less than 2 seconds. The price tag? About $2.3 million.
PaganiPagani, the Italian-Argentine supercar company will use Pebble Beach as the stage to debut its own, all-new hypercar, the Huayra Roadster BC. Dubbed a “tribute to scientific research, beauty, and uniqueness,” by the automaker, it is powered by a 750-horsepower Mercedes-AMG V-12. For those who can't wait for the official intro, Pagani loaded a digital version of the Roadster into the CSR Racing 2 videogame. That will be a lot less expensive way to drive the hypercar, of which only 40 will be made – each carrying a $3.4 million price tag.
This is only a partial list of all the brands that will be on hand during the various events over the long week, in one form or another. Indeed, it will be the rare luxury marque that won't host a reception or place one of its concept vehicles on the lawn at the Lodge at Pebble Beach.
Collectors, meanwhile, will have an assortment of auctions to attend where some rare and unusual models will go across the block. Last year generated sales of nearly $120 million, according to McKeel Hagerty, CEO of Hagerty Insurance, which specializes in classic cars.
VIDEO2:0002:00The five hottest rides at this year's Pebble Beach Concours d'EleganceThe Bottom LineDisclosure: Paul Eisenstein is a freelancer for CNBC. His travel and accommodations to Pebble Beach were paid for by Bentley.