Tag Archives: European market

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The European EV market is growing

The European EV market has been in crisis for a long time, and European manufacturers are finding it increasingly difficult to cope with the Chinese, which produce electric cars at a speed unattainable for any European brand. However, despite the difficulties, the European market is showing signs of recovery.

A few years ago, European manufacturers set the goal of becoming completely CO2 neutral by 2030, but that goal proved to be unattainable over time, primarily because of the supply chain, which was an unsolvable problem for most companies. In the meantime, Chinese auto makers developed electric cars at a speed that was not expected, or others overestimated their capabilities, so their cheap EVs, supported by government subsidies, began to arrive in large numbers on the European market.

European manufacturers began to sink and their cars were no longer competitive with Chinese ones. They began to look for a solution to the growing crisis and to demand protection from their governments. In 2023, the EU launched an investigation into the privileged position of electric vehicles produced in China due to subsidies, which after a year resulted in the introduction of additional customs duties.

Companies have set a new goal of complete CO2 neutrality by 2035, but many countries are not showing the necessary support to make this transition happen. At the end of 2023, Germany ended its plan to help customers and abolished subsidies. However, the Germans are aware that they must return to eco-bonuses if they want to increase sales. Also this month, France announced plans to reduce government support for the purchase of electric cars.

In September, almost 300,000 EVs were sold in Europe, which is an increase of 4.2% compared to last year. Great Britain saw the highest growth of 24 percent, while the best-selling models were the Tesla Model 3 and Model Y.

Big challenges await Europe in the coming years, and the first of them is the Euro 7 standard. Expectations have been lowered, so analysts hope that in 2025, 3.78 million EVs will be sold on the European market, and by the end of the decade, that number should reach 9.78 million.

Source: Reuters

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Will Ford vanish from the European market?

Ford finally realized that the discontinuation of models with internal combustion engines, on which the manufacturer built its image for many years, and a large investment of over two billion dollars in EVs was a failure. Now the American manufacturer is looking for the return of the ICE cars.

Gunnar Herrmann, Member of the Supervisory Board, believes that Ford’s survival depends on ICE cars and in a statement to the German press, he was more than clear that the current production at the factory where he is responsible is too small to justify two-shift operations. He also stated that he advised Ford managers in the United States that the focus in Europe should remain on ICE cars.

Why did Ford get into this situation? Well, the former head of the brand in Europe Martin Sanders, following the moves of other manufacturers, wanted Ford to take the best possible position in the EV market. However, his focus on Volkswagen, whose visionary chairman Herbert Diess realized that electric cars were the immediate future, was misguided. While the German company kept its strategy of selling ICE cars, Sanders hastened and discontinued the Fiesta and started preparations to do the same with the Focus in 2025. It was the wrong move.

While at Ford’s headquarters in the United States, they do not intend to reconsider this decision and save what they can, Ford is approaching total disappearance from the European market.

Source: Ford

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2025 Mazda EZ-6 coming to European market

At the 2024 Beijing Auto Show, Mazda unveiled the electric successor to the Mazda 6, the Mazda EZ-6. It is an EV sedan that will be offered on the European market as a competitor to the BMW i4 and Tesla’s Model 3.

During the presentation, there was no word that the EZ-6 would be offered outside the Chinese market. However, Mazda recently entered into an agreement with Changan Mazda as the exclusive Chinese base for new energy research and development as well as production for the global market. This means that the EZ-6 will become Mazda’s first global new energy car. Also, there was a confirmation that the car will be sold in the Chinese and European markets from the fall of this year.

The Mazda EZ-6 is 4,921 mm long and has a wheelbase of 2,900 mm, making it a direct rival to models such as the Tesla Model 3, Polestar 2 and BMW i4, currently the most popular electric cars on the market. The EZ-6 is based on Changan’s modular EPA platform, which supports Level 4 autonomous driving. However, initially the EZ-6 will be limited to level 2 plus, which requires constant human supervision.

It was designed with a focus on the “jinba ittai” philosophy, which means that “the car and the driver are one.” It is equipped with a multilink suspension and a self-raising rear spoiler that ensures stability at high speeds, and has a weight distribution of 50:59. Inside, attention is drawn to the 14.6″ infotainment touchscreen, while the steering wheel features physical and haptic controls.

The car will be powered by a single electric motor with 221 hp (164 kW), and will have a range of 600 km. An extended-range version will also be available, with a range of around 1,200 km.

Source: Mazda