WOULD YOU BUY THESE SMALL EVs? East Asia's EV makers are on a roll. For example, China saw a mere 18,000 electric vehicles (EVs) sold in 2013. This jumped to 330,000 in 2015. In 2018 more than 1 million electric vehicles were sold in the mainland. In 2020, 1.3 million EVs were reportedly sold in China. BusinessWire reports that this represented 41% of global EV sales, just behind Europe with 42% of global EV sales. China's EV market has more than 400 competitors, unseen anywhere else.
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ULTRA-COMPACT TOYOTA EV: Nikkei Asia reported earlier in the year that Toyota Motor's new two-seater ultra-compact EV will be launched in 2021. The Toyota compact EV will be priced around 1.6 million to 1.7 million yen ($15,256). The two-seater targets a modest initial sales of 100 units for business clients and local government.
Image Credit: Supplied / Toyota
CITY EV FROM HONDA: The Japanese are redoubling efforts to lead in EV rollout. The Honda e, with a total length of under 4 meters, can travel up 300 km on a single charge, though ev-database.org states the real range is about 170km. The new Honda e is created for the city, with a price tag of about $38,133 (€33,850). Honda is reportedly set to launch its first mass-produced electric car in October.
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CURBING EMISSIONS: Automobiles account for nearly 20% of carbon emissions in Japan. In late 2020, talks kicked off in Japan on establishing a carbon offset market for the automobile industry as part of PM Yoshihide Suga's push for the country to achieve net-zero emissions by mid-century, in keeping with the country’s pledge to combat climate change.
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REGULATIONS: Japan has started regulatory moves to mandate carbon trading for automakers. Sales quotas are seen as crucial to boost shares of EVs and plug-in hybrids on the back of strong sales and narrowed losses. Automobiles account for nearly 20% of carbon emissions in Japan.
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PIONEER: Among Japanese carmakers, Nissan Motors launched the series production Leaf EV. The Renault-Nissan Alliance committed $5.2 billion into its electric vehicle (EV) and battery development programs. As of December 2015, the Leaf is the world's all-time best selling highway-capable plug-in electric car with over 200,000 units sold since its introduction. The all-new Nissan Leaf.
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ALLIANCE: In 2017 the Nissan-Renault Alliance announced plans to produce 12 new electric vehicles by 2022 that are made for China in China. Photo shows the Nissan e-NV200.
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2021 LAUNCH: The Nissan Ariya EV crossover, a potential competitor of the Tesla Model Y, is set for a rollout this 2021, though the move was delayed over the global chip shortage plaguing automakers globally. On Thursday (July 1, 2021) Nissan nnounced plans to build a $1.38 billion gigafactory in Sunderland, UK, together with a Chinese battery company. Nissan's plant in Sunderland makes Leaf electric cars.
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MITSUBISHI: In January, Japan's Mitsubishi unveiled its own full battery electric vehicle. Mitsubishi joined the battle for ever more affordable electric cars with plans for a sub-$18,000 vehicle. Mitsubishi reportedly plans to release the EV minicar in Asean in 2023. A Mitsubishi Imiev.
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KOREAN EVS: Korean carmakers are part of the growing offerings of EVs for the domestic and global markets. Hyundai’s Porter 2 EV sold 9,037 so far, close in the heels of top-seller Tesla, which sold 11,003 Model 3 units in South Korea so far this 2021. Other top-selling EV models in the peninsula include the Hyundai Kona (8,066 units), Hyundai Nexo (hydrogen variant, 5,786), Kia Bong EV (5,357), Kia Nero (3,199), GM/Chevrolet Volt (1,579), Hyundai Ioniq EV (1,509), Kia Soul EV (380) and Renault ZOE (192), according to Statista.
Image Credit: Supplied/Hyundai
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IPHONE MAKER TO LEAD EV DRIVE?: In October 2020, iPhone contract manufacturer FoxConn announced it is developing an electric car platform that it could sell to other car companies. Foxconn is a Taiwanese company that has specialised in making iPhones for Apple. Foxconn Chairman Liu Young-way told journalists in Taipei he is targeting a 10% share of the global EV market as soon as 2025. The chassis is described as “open-source,” with customisable elements including size, wheelbase, suspension type, and battery size.
Image Credit: FoxConn
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EV MANDATE: In November 2020, China imposed a mandate on automakers requiring that electric vehicles (EVs) make up 40% of all sales by 2030. According to a series of auto industry market analyses, this move will expand the production of EVs and EV batteries enough to bring down the worldwide cost of both. China has 44% of all the EVs in the world (more than 4.5 million), and the nearly 3.2 million in Europe account for about 31%. The fastest growth in EV sales has been in Europe: a compound annual growth rate of 60% from 2016 to 2020, compared with increases of 36% in China and 17% in the U.S.
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CHARGING UP: SAIC-GM_Wuling EVs are plugged in an charging stations at a roadside parking lot in Liuzhou, China.
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TESLA RIVAL: XPeng is currently Tesla’s leading rival in China,In late June 2021, XPeng was reportedly working to raise up to nearly $2 billion in a Hong Kong stock market listing.
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SMALL CAR, BIG HIT: A very small electric car built by General Motor’s mainland Chinese venture has become a very big hit at the 2021 Shanghai Auto Show. The Hongguang Mini EV Cabrio, a two-seater convertible, generated a buzz of excitement and is seen as a potential game changer in the world’s largest automotive market, after the success of other diminutive electric vehicles (EVs) in recent months. Reports have it that the $4,400 Hong Guang Mini EV is outselling Tesla in China. In China, the 10-foot-long minicar is topping 250,000 in total sales.
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HOMEGROWN: The Wuling Hong Guang MINI EV is made by GM and Chinese automakers SAIC and Guangxi Automobile. The homegrown tiny car that has risen to Chinese social media stardom through a rebranding effort. In 2020, Hongguang Mini had a price starting at $4,162, and tops out at $5,607 for a fully loaded model, making it one of China's cheapest EVs.
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BATTERY OPTIONS: It has two battery/range options: 120 km (75 miles) of range using 9.3 kWh battery, and 170 km (106 miles) of range using 13.9 kWh battery. It has a top speed of 100 km/h (62 mph) and seats four. Wuling MINI EV car on display at the Auto Shanghai show on April 19, 2021.
Image Credit: Reuters
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BABY PICK-UP TRUCK: Electric mini EVs are all over the place in China. This $2,000 electric truck, (model name CLZKC-009), also works as a working hydraulic dump (that costs an extra $228). It measures 3.5 meters long (11’6″) and has a payload capacity of 400 kg (880 lb). Screengrab
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