All posts by Francis Mitterrand

News

China is the new EV leader

The electric vehicle market is on the rise, and China is becoming the leader. This is supported by the data for the first half of this year, when 9.54 million units were sold, of which 7.22 million were fully electric, or 76% of total sales.

According to the CPCA (China Passenger Car Association), in June the demand for electric vehicles increased by 43 percent compared to the same period last year. Total sales were 1.28 million cars. However, the majority of vehicles sold are passenger vehicles, and only 3 percent are commercial vehicles.

The Chinese market is huge and constantly growing, especially when it comes to electric vehicles. CPCA also reports that this year, 60 percent of total EVs were produced in China, which is expected in the future due to the country’s well-established industrial chain, but also the high demand of the domestic market.

As a reminder, the global market for new electric vehicles had slow growth between 2012 and 2015 (1.58 to 1.79 million units sold). However, the development of new EVs has grown rapidly since 2016, to 9.77 million electrified vehicles in 2020, of which 3.19 million were hybrids.

In the next two years, sales of electrified vehicles reached 14.11 million units, of which 26 percent were PHEVs. If we look at the first half of 2023, growth in numbers is inevitable, and this year could be a record year.

Source: CPCA

Auctions

1970 Ferrari 365 GTB/4 is up for auction

In 1968, at the Paris Auto Salon, Ferrari presented the successor to the 275 GTB/4, the Ferrari 365 GTB/4. It was produced until 1973 and it was offered in berlinetta and spyder forms, in two variants: the 365 GTB/4 coupe, and the 365 GTS/4 convertible. 1,284 examples of the 365 GTB/4 model left the production lines, of which approximately 410 examples were built with fixed headlights. One of them, a 1970 Ferrari 365 GTB/4 is up for auction.

Ferrari 365 GTB/4 is powered by a 4.4-liter Tipo 251 Colombo V12 engine with dual overhead camshafts on each cylinder bank, a dry-sump lubrication system, and six Weber carburetors. Power is sent to the rear wheels via a synchronized five-speed manual gearbox mounted at the rear of the car to optimize weight distribution, and a limited-slip differential. It sits on Borrani wire wheels wrapped in 215/70VR15 front and 225/70VR15 rear Michelin XWX tires.

This car is finished in Rosso Rubino and is in excellent condition. It is equipped with fixed headlights under a plexiglass cover that spanned the width of the nose, Scaglietti-built steel shell with aluminum hood, trunk, door panels overtop a steel-tube chassis with a fiberglass inner tube, split bumpers with rubber trim strips, quad- outlet ANSA exhaust, a driver-side mirror, an antenna, European-specific lighting, amber front turn signal lenses with prancing-horse accents as well as orange rear turn signal lenses, servo-assisted ventilated disc brakes, four-wheel independent suspension that consists of unequal A-arms, coil springs, telescopic shock absorbers, and anti-roll bars at each end.

Inside, the seats are upholstered in beige Connolly leather that also covers the door panels. In front of the driver is a wood-rimmed steering wheel behind which is a five-digit odometer showing 82,122 kilometers. Additional equipment includes color-matched carpeting, a gated shifter, air conditioning, and power windows.

Since 2013, the car has undergone several refurbishments during which the following were replaced: bumpers and other brightwork and plexiglass nose cover as well as the windshield and various body seals, door seals, calipers, master cylinder, pads, and hoses. The engine was overhauled, which included replacement of the pistons, cylinder liners, bearings, valves, and valve guides as well as reconstruction of the carburetors, replacement of spark plugs, batteries, and electric cooling fans.

The car comes with a Marcel Massini report, invoices from the 2013-2014 refurbishment, owner’s manuals, a tool kit, and a clean Montana title.

The auction ends on August 22, and the current highest bid is USD $560,000.

Source: Bring a Trailer

Gallery:

1970 Ferrari 365 GTB/4 is up for auction
News

Ford Explorer delayed in Europe

At the beginning of the year, the new electric Ford Explorer arrived on the market. It was introduced on the American market, but although it was expected that it would arrive in Europe very soon, it seems that this will not be the case.

According to the Kölnische Rundschau, Ford was to start production of the Explorer this month, while sales were to begin in the first months of next year. But it seems that Ford would have to postpone the launch on the European market. According to this source, employees in Cologne (Germany) have already been informed about this. The reason could be new safety regulations in the European Union.

From 2024, the EU intends to put additional assistance systems on the list of mandatory for all new cars. For newly homologated vehicles, these regulations apply as early as July 6, 2022, and from the following year they will apply to vehicles with an old type of homologation.

This model is built on Volkswagen’s MEB architecture as a technological twin of the VW ID.4 model. The reason for this possible six-month delay is reportedly related to new safety regulations that will come into force in the near future.

Ford has not revealed many details about this car. It remains unclear which individual components Ford is getting from Volkswagen and how the electric Explorer differs from other MEB-based models. It is also not known what powertrain the Ford Explorer will use.

When it comes to the price, the Ford Explorer should cost up to 45,000 euros, and the order book is already open.

Source: Kölnische Rundschau