Tag Archives: China

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

Toyota Camry explosion

From China comes a video showing the explosion of a Toyota Camry.

The video was posted on YouTube, and it shows several explosions on a vehicle in motion. Reportedly, the driver left the vehicle on time without any injuries.

What was the cause of the Toyota Camry explosion?

Some information suggests that the cause of the explosion could be a bad installation on a natural gas or a propane tank located in the trunk. Whatever the reason, it was certainly not pleasant for the spectators to see and especially for the driver to experience it.

Tesla is facing car safety issues in China

Tesla’s efforts to conquer the Chinese market have been halted. Allegedly, China is demanding that Tesla’s cars (285,000), which are sold in the country, go through a safety check process.

The competent authority (State Administration of Market Regulation) announced that the decision refers to vehicles manufactured in China (Model 3 and Model Ys) and 35,665 imported vehicles.

Namely, the problem is the possibility of automatic activation of the autopilot, which poses a safety risk because it can lead to a car accident. Fortunately, most security fixes can be done through online updates.

Tesla apologized for the current situation, saying it would upgrade the software for free.

The biggest impact will be on Tesla’s crossover (Model Y), which has a range of 369 miles (594 kilometers), as the main vehicle in conquering the Chinese electric vehicle market, which was also confirmed by Elon Musk.

Tesla hopes that the production of the Model Y could surpass other vehicles. Demand for this crossover could increase as China allowed families to have more children. This was also confirmed by China’s Passenger Car Association, which predicts increased demand for roomier cars.

The starting price of the Chinese Model Ys is $ 53,000.

Source: Bloomberg