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Chinese manufacturer Aiways is moving to Europe

China has been the leader in the production of electric cars for years, and now it has become an overcrowded market with a large number of manufacturers who are finding it increasingly difficult to survive. One of them is Aiways, which in the battle of giants like BYD, Tesla or VW, decided to leave the domestic market.

Aiways Automobiles was founded in 2017, and from the very beginning, the goal was to develop a range of SUVs with electric drive. Now the company has announced that it has no plans to stay in the Chinese market due to the intense price pressure and competition that exists in this market, and that the center of global sales operations is moving to Europe (Germany).

After financial problems that forced the company to suspend car production at the Shangrao plant, Aiways still managed to find a way out and continue operations. They are currently working on a new crossover that, according to the company’s plans, should attract a larger number of customers with a low price and ensure better days for the manufacturer. According to Autocar, for now Aiways does not intend to transfer production to European soil, so the U5 and U6 models will continue to be produced in China.

Source: Autocar

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Chinese manufacturer Aiways is moving to Europe
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Stellantis brings Leapmotor to the European market

In October 2023, Stellantis formed a joint venture with Leapmotor, where the world’s largest conglomerate will have a 51 percent stake with the rights to export, sell and manufacture Leapmotor electric vehicles outside of China. The first cars of the Chinese company that will be assembled and sold on the European market are the T03 and SUV C10.

The cars will first be offered on the markets of nine European countries (France, Italy, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, Portugal, Belgium, Greece and Romania) and sales will begin at the end of summer. By the end of the year, Stellantis will expand the business of the Chinese brand to the markets of the Middle East, Africa, India, South America and the Asia-Pacific region.

Leapmotor T03 will be produced in Poland using SKD assembly, which is the simplest way to assemble the car. It should be noted that the Fiat 500 and Jeep Avenger are produced in the same factory. Currently, T03 can be bought in France, and the plan is to expand to other European markets. It is powered by a single electric motor with 101 hp (75 kW), and with one battery charge this car has a range of up to 265 kilometers.

Unlike the T03 model, the Leapmotor C10 SUV will not be produced in Europe, but in China. It is powered by a single electric motor with 231 hp (170 kW) and 235 lb-ft (320 Nm) of torque. Enough to accommodate five passengers, the C10 is equipped with a 52.9 kWh battery that enables a CLTC range of 410 km.

Source: Stellantis

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Stellantis brings Leapmotor to the European market
News

Porsche 911 Hybrid is ready

For a long time, Porsche resisted the idea of producing its now legendary 911 model as fully electric or partially electric. However, under market pressure, the Stuttgart-based company gave up and began development of the first hybrid 911, which after testing in various conditions is officially ready for production.

“For the first time in our icon’s 61-year history, we’re putting a hybrid powertrain into a road-legal 911. This innovative high-performance hybrid makes the 911 even more dynamic. During development, we left nothing to chance and tested the new 911 in all kinds of conditions around the world. From extreme cold to extreme heat, as was the case during the final stages of testing in Dubai. Whether it’s putting a heavy load on the powertrain in the demanding conditions of mountain passes or in stop-and-go traffic in city conditions, the new 911 has mastered even the toughest challenges with ease. All in all, our engineers and test drivers have covered more than five million kilometers of development driving,” said Frank Moser, vice president of the 911 and 718 model line.

The car has so far been tested on snowy roads, but also on one of the most famous racing tracks, the Nürburgring. Spy photos showed that the test prototype has a similar design to previous models. The front end with large air intakes and vertical slats, additional lights on the sides that should not be part of the final design, narrower arches, a smaller spoiler and centrally placed exhaust pipes are just some of the features of this prototype.

On the Nürburgring Nordschleife, the Porsche 911 Hybrid achieved a lap time of 7:16.934, which is 8.7 seconds faster than the model with an internal combustion engine. “The new 911 has become significantly faster on the track. We have stronger grip, significantly more power, and the spontaneous response of the high-performance hybrid is a big advantage,” said Porsche brand ambassador Jörg Bergmeister.

Porsche is still hiding information about performance and powertrain. However, it has long been speculated that the 911 Hybrid could be powered by a naturally aspirated 4.0L engine, like the one in the Cayman GT4, with more than 650 hp (478 kW). Anyway, we will have to wait for the official presentation which should take place soon.

Source: Porsche

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Porsche 911 Hybrid is ready