All posts by Francis Mitterrand

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BYD is the world’s largest EV producer

The Chinese company BYD has been one of the world’s largest car manufacturers for a long time, and now it has finally sat on the throne. According to the latest data, in 2024 BYD sold 1,777,965 EVs, dethroning the long-time leader Tesla.

The year 2024 is over and it brought some changes with it. After the manufacturers collected their sales results, we got a new automotive king of electric cars. Chinese manufacturers have once again shown that they are unstoppable and that their development can hardly be followed by other manufacturers.

In 2023, Tesla produced 1.85 million electric vehicles, while 1.6 million EVs came out of BYD’s factories. However, strong competition, price and an aging fleet of Tesla EVs drove customers to competitors. Since the beginning of the year, the figures showed a drop in demand, which happened for the first time in the history of this American company.

On the other hand, Chinese companies have increased production and entered the global market. This resulted in BYD’s total sales last year increasing by 41 percent to 4.27 million cars. However, if you look at the numbers differently, Tesla is in advantages. The American company sold 1.79 million electric vehicles, while BYD sold about 1.65 million. So, these figures refer to the number of cars sold, not produced, so in this case Tesla has a slight advantage. This means that Tesla sold thousands of cars produced in 2023.

Back in 2023, China showed that it was not kidding and that sooner or later it would become a leader in automobile production. Their cars have become technologically better but also more affordable, which other big manufacturers cannot keep up with.

Source: Reuters

News

The future of PHEV cars

Since the EU passed a regulation banning the sale of ICE cars from 2035, European manufacturers have been trying to find a solution to resist the invasion of cheap Chinese cars. The price of EVs has started to rise and buyers have increasingly chosen hybrids. However, now PHEVs could be a problem for manufacturers.

A recent EU study showed that plug-in hybrids used electric motors between 70 and 85 percent of the time, but the reality was very different. A closer look at the data showed that drivers used the combustion engine more often than previously thought, lowering the use of electric motors to less than 50 percent.

The study showed that drivers did not charge the batteries as needed, but used combustion engines that emitted more CO2. Therefore, the EU adjusted the calculation of CO2 emissions of PHEVs in normal use, increasing the efficiency factor, the percentage that runs on electricity, and manufacturers extended the electric range to counteract this. However, manufacturers had to install more powerful charging systems (up to 50 kW) and report electricity consumption so that the EU could update its CO2 calculation model.

It should not be forgotten that EVs must account for at least 30 percent of total sales, which is currently almost impossible for most manufacturers. This could give an opportunity for manufacturers to attract a larger number of customers by reducing the prices of hybrid cars, but also bring a new headache because Asian manufacturers, which are leading in electrification, have greater opportunities compared to the competition.

Source: Automotive News Europe, Photo: Land Rover

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A new generation of Toyota Corolla is coming soon

When Toyota introduced the compact Corolla in 1966, no one could have predicted that it would become the best-selling car of all time. With over 50 million units produced and twelve generations that have attracted customers for almost six decades, Corolla is still the world’s number one. Now, the Japanese manufacturer is announcing the 13th generation of this model.

The new generation of Corolla will bring more technology and electrification to its range. It will be offered in sedan, hatchback and wagon versions, and will be powered by new 1.5-L and 2.0-L four-cylinder engines, optimized with hybrid drive systems, which can use synthetic or e-fuels, as well as biofuels or liquid hydrogen. This is not the first time that a Toyota model will use liquid hydrogen fuel, as the GR Corolla H2 was the first in the world with this capability.

So far, there are no spy photos nor has Toyota released any official photos of the new Corolla. Some information suggests that it will have a more aerodynamic body, which could be concluded from a statement made a few months ago by Toyota executives, who said that they are developing new and more compact engines that will allow for lower hoods for future models.

The new Toyota Corolla is expected to debut by the end of 2026, and will first be offered to Asian customers, while its arrival in Europe is expected in 2028.

Source: Reuters, Photo: Toyota