The GM joint venture with Chinese makes for some interesting vehicles now being sold in the US.

[RV_]

Excerpt:

"The smash hit Wuling Hongguang Mini EV is a three-door, four-seat vehicle that has helped create an exciting new market for very small electric vehicles. Since its launch in 2020, the Mini EV has gone on to sell over a million units in China in a short space of time, and its unprecedented success also helped inspire similar vehicles from other manufacturers in China. This was because at around $5,000, it offered an opportunity for a lot of people who could not normally afford a vehicle to be able to get a good vehicle for such a price, and an electric one at that. The Mini EV was particularly popular in lower-tier cities in China as well as with young female drivers.

The SAIC-GM-Wuling joint venture followed this up with several iterations of this vehicle, including the colourful Macaron Edition, the Gameboy Edition, as well as a higher-spec Wuling Air/MG Comet Variant. However, due to increasing competition in this segment from rival brands as well as the arrival of larger yet affordable vehicles such as the Wuling Bingo and the BYD Seagull, the original Mini EV is no longer registering the incredible monthly sales from a year or so ago, when it was hitting over 35,000 unit sales per month quite comfortably.

The tiny Wuling Hongguang Mini EV unveiled by the SAIC-GM-Wuling joint venture in China a few months ago has been very well received by the local market.

Measuring just 2,917 mm (114.8-in) long, 1,493 mm (58.8-in) wide, and 1,621 mm (63.8-in) high, and with a 1,940 mm (76.4-in) wheelbase, the Hongguang Mini EV is incredibly compact. It is also very cheap and starts at just 28,800 Chinese Yuan, the equivalent of $4,164.

According to Gasgoo, more than 50,000 orders have been placed for the Mini EV since its unveiling, a very impressive figure when you consider that China’s New Energy Vehicle (NEV) market has been struggling recently.

Read Also: GM And SAIC’s Wuling Releases New Interior Photos Of Hong Guang Mini EV

 

To market and sell the Hongguang Mini EV, the joint venture is establishing roughly 100 ‘experience’ stores across the country, many of which will be located in busy city locations to drive as much interest as possible.

Powering the car is a 27 hp electric motor hooked up to a compact 13.8 kWh battery pack. While the Mini EV tops out at just 62 mph (100 km/h), it does have a respectable range of up to 124 miles (200 km) on a single charge, more than enough for people who live in large urban areas and most of the time drive short distances.

More IN the link including a mini RV with 180 miles range:

https://www.carscoops.com/2020/08/tiny-wuling-hongguang-mini-ev-has-locked-in-50000-orders/

[Lou Schneider]

The sticking point for entering the US market is the federal automotive safety standards.  Will this vehicle meet them or will it be limited to being a glorified golf cart in the US, unable to use public roads? 

Edited September 18, 2023 by Lou Schneider

[Kirk W]

49 minutes ago, Lou Schneider said:

Will this vehicle meet them or will it be limited to being a glorified golf cart in the US, unable to use public roads? 

The hot news links are to stories from 2020 & 2021. 

[Lou Schneider]

So just another case of vaporware.

[bruce t]

The Chinese EV mark is a con. Many videos/stories about showing fields full of new EVs parked up that have never been on the road. They simply have to register them to get government subsidies.

 

[RV_]

Lol! Nice try guys, here's from 2023

Guess they are being made. Tell me why they won't meet US standards with some non vapor facts. You do know you are predictable. Kirk you should remember these same comments about Tesla when I posted about them and later their stock. GM isn't in that partnership for just talk.

Oh for those of us with EVs the Lightship is pressing on:

Here's the latest: https://lightshiprv.com/l1

https://techcrunch.com/2023/08/16/tesla-supplier-catl-unveils-battery-that-can-add-up-to-400km-of-range-in-10-minutes/

 

[RV_]

12 hours ago, Kirk W said:

The hot news links are to stories from 2020 & 2021. 

You really should look first. They had the best pics. If you remember when Detroit turned out pretty poor vehicles in the 60s and 70s. The VW debuted the VW Bug for $1900.00 here and we saw our first Toyotas about the same time. The Germans and Japanese beat us at our own game. We are behind again this time with poorly designed over priced EVs. I just tried to buy a different brand EV for the last six months from Hyundai, Kia, Subaru, Volvo, Toyota, and even looked at the few PHEVs and they had poor range and acceleration, were unavailable, and amazingly had almost no storage compared to my Y. No one is trying to get you to buy anything. But the world is transitioning to EVs and renewable energy. That is a fact. Facts remain facts despite your not liking them. We are hoping the new batteries are out fourth quarter so I can trade both cars in for two new Tesla Model Ys. One would be a Cybertruck but the waiting list is far too long. Remember the debut of the Cybertruck and HDT? remember the smaller truck between the Cyber and the Tesla HDT? It is becoming a concept being worked up by aftermarket manufacturers and with so many it looks like development may not be too far away. https://www.the-sun.com/motors/6870301/tesla-semi-motorhome-design-revealed/

Air Taxis?

"Society may be getting one step closer to the flying commuter vehicles made famous in the animated series "The Jetsons," as Ohio just announced that hundreds of flying taxis will be built at a facility in the state.

The company Joby Aviation Inc. was selected to build an electric air taxi manufacturing site at Dayton International Airport, Gov. Mike DeWine, Lt. Gov. Jon Husted, Ohio Department of Development director Lydia Mihalik, JobsOhio president & CEO J.P. Nauseef announced on Monday."

https://www.msn.com/en-us/travel/news/hundreds-of-flying-taxis-to-be-built-in-ohio-governor-announces/ar-AA1gUVO8

Have a great week guys. I sure will with everything going on.

 

 

[RV_]

9 hours ago, Lou Schneider said:

So just another case of vaporware.

Just like what the usual suspects here called vaporware back in 2003 right here on these forums and continue today. You guys keep naysaying and I'll keep driving them. Which of you have even dared to test drive one? That seems to be a no no for anti EVrs. So the talk isn't even grounded in experience when there are plenty to test drive free. 

😵😉

[Chalkie]

7 hours ago, RV_ said:

 Which of you have even dared to test drive one? That seems to be a no no for anti EVrs. So the talk isn't even grounded in experience when there are plenty to test drive free.

I have driven one and ridden as passenger in one, my son-in-law's Chevy Bolt. It is a fun car to drive, is comfortable, quiet and makes an awesome around town car. Would I ever own it, no, (and neither would my son-in-law as a sole car) because I need a car that I can jump into and drive for long distances without needing lengthy fuel stops. I know that a Tesla can be quickly charged but I also need a car that I can afford, which for me is under $35K. I also need a car that can handle cold weather driving and doesn't run the risk of being "unfuelable" when it is very cold. This latter is documented in the news. Above all I just don't think EVs are ready for prime time. I would own a hybrid in a heartbeat. My granddaughter owns one and I think they are the best of both worlds although I am on the fence about the plug-in hybrids.

 

[Kirk W]

3 hours ago, Chalkie said:

I have driven one and ridden as passenger in one, my son-in-law's Chevy Bolt. I

I drove the model S belonging to my son's friend and also a Smart for 2 owned by  friend but that has nothing to do with cars made in China.  

[RV_]

7 hours ago, Chalkie said:

I have driven one and ridden as passenger in one, my son-in-law's Chevy Bolt. It is a fun car to drive, is comfortable, quiet and makes an awesome around town car. Would I ever own it, no, (and neither would my son-in-law as a sole car) because I need a car that I can jump into and drive for long distances without needing lengthy fuel stops. I know that a Tesla can be quickly charged but I also need a car that I can afford, which for me is under $35K. I also need a car that can handle cold weather driving and doesn't run the risk of being "unfuelable" when it is very cold. This latter is documented in the news. Above all I just don't think EVs are ready for prime time. I would own a hybrid in a heartbeat. My granddaughter owns one and I think they are the best of both worlds although I am on the fence about the plug-in hybrids.

 

Good for you. Your needs are being met as we speak by all EV manufacturers. There you go again, telling someone in Colorado who drives my EV here since January 2020 in the extreme cold, even the 2021 freeze and every winter that my car has cold issues it does not. I will add a few YouTubes about this at the bottom but the short answer to your totally wrong assertion that Tesla vehicles cannot charge in extreme cold I will demonstrate in two pics. The first shows that some of the coldest places on earth have the highest adoption rate per capita in the world of EVs. If they could not charge do you think Scandinavia, (Norway, Sweden, Finland, all north of Siberia, would not have been told by the first EV owner to not buy them? 😂

One Tesla owner saw that guy post his freaked out video claiming his Tesla would not charge in the cold so he made the following video to prove they do. It is as easy as shifting into drive, see the car will not drive until you do that. This next video is 20 minutes long! But I include it for new Tesla owners who do not know to precondition their Teslas on the way to the Supercharger if parked outside in extreme cold, which can also be done around the block a few times. I park my Tesla and Forester in our garage and never leave them out because of hail here. I have my charger in the garage and even during the extreme cold of 2021 deep freeze no preconditioning was necessary, and it drove around town on errands as normal range not noticeably impacted.

So here is a video test showing noobs what likely happened to his Tesla - operator error most likely and less likely but also possible his Tesla broke, not because of cold.

I Deep Froze My Tesla And Immediately Plugged It Into A Supercharger To See What Happens

 

I never had that happen so I did not know until long after the 2021 deep freeze about pre-conditioning if parked all day outside. I include it for new Tesla owners who do not know to precondition their Teslas on the way to the Supercharger which can also be done around the block a few times if you charge at home like I do. This is only for extreme cold. Many will stop watching when the Tesla does not charge. This done on purpose to prove they do charge and run fine in the cold. But a few minutes before you get in the car you open the App on your phone and select precondition while you are making your morning coffee.

Again, if you charge at home like I do, no need. This is only for extreme cold no home charger and not parked in the garage. Many will stop watching when the Tesla does not charge. This test was done  done on purpose to prove they do charge and run fine in the cold. But a few minutes before you get in the car you open the App on your phone and select precondition while you are making your morning coffee.

The following is only for current Tesla owners wondering who have not driven in extreme cold, or NEVER PARKED OUTSIDE IN EXTREME COLD, and those looking at EVs who want facts not myths.

If you hate EVs and/or me for writing about the biggest transition in transportation and energy since the horse to gasoline car transition no problem. I get to drive mine not just read. I also rode in a piper cub and took over steering and made a turn in one but not alone and only for a few minutes like test drive. But I cannot fly and would not base how flying is on that alone.

Charging in OUTSIDE COLD FROM A COLD CAR NOT DRIVEN IS EASY! It is one click in the app to precondition, it heats the battery pack in just a short drive to one, and then acts normally. Knowing this folks who drive to charge a couple of times a month. That way you don't have to get a fright thinking it will not charge in extreme cold. No biggie. Kind of like plugging in a diesel truck block heater when cold is expected unless it is kept in a garage.

Mine and all new Teslas have the Octapump:

I hope that helps. Much easier than learning to operate an RV black tank.

 

Edited September 19, 2023 by RV_

[RV_]

The chicken tarriff won't stop EVs from being sold here. in fact one Chinese EV is already being sold here with many more, brands about to open factories here and compete.

Excerpt:

Are there Chinese electric cars in the United States?

China entered the automotive market decades after the U.S. when internal combustion engines were the primary power source. The sizeable Asian country was limited to selling cars on Chinese soil.

But, now that they’ve dipped into EV technology, opportunities to expand to American markets and other countries are opening up. Are they selling any electric cars in the United States currently, though?

Well, technically, the answer is no; there aren’t any Chinese automakers directly selling electric vehicles on American soil. However, there is the Polestar brand, which is produced by Volvo, a company purchased by the Chinese automaker Zhejiang Geely Holding Group, according to Capital.com. 

The vehicles are built in China but are exported to the U.S. (and other countries) for sale. The Polestar 3 is set to get produced in the company’s Volvo plant in South Carolina in the near future, though.

There’s also the BYD Auto company that builds electric buses out of a Lancaster, CA plant, but those are marketed commercially instead of residentially."

Source: https://www.motorbiscuit.com/can-you-buy-chinese-electric-cars-in-united-states/#:~:text=Well%2C technically%2C the answer is no%3B there aren’t,automaker Zhejiang Geely Holding Group%2C according to Capital.com.

That is exactly what GM did with the bolt. LG designed it, built it in modules, then sent the modules to the US for final assembly at the GM Orion plant. But that was Korean, same/same for an import.

The rest are coming fast despite the Chicken tax:

"Currently, there are two main reasons why we don’t see too many Chinese automakers producing vehicles for the North American market. The first is an old concept called the “chicken tax.” This fee is imposed on certain companies for goods imported to the United States. 

The tariff came about in the 1960s when other countries imposed a tax on U.S. chicken sold in European markets. Upset over the price increase, Lyndon Johnson decided to get back by increasing tariffs by 25% on certain goods, including light pickup trucks. To this day, it’s still being implemented, despite some changes made to it over the years, according to The Washington Post. 

Another more recent issue stems from the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022. While in the past, many EV sales came with a federal tax credit for consumers as an incentive to buy electric, this new act by U.S. officials changed which electric vehicles qualify for those incentives.

Nowadays, the credit is only for EVs produced in North America, which eliminates foreign markets like China, Russia, and Iran, to name a few. 

Will Chinese companies sell on the North American market?

Despite the issues from trade tariffs and the elimination of the federal tax credit, some Chinese automakers plan to expand into the American market. To get around the increased costs, some of these companies plan to move manufacturing plants onto U.S. soil, so the cars are produced locally instead of in a Chinese plant. 

Nio, one Chinese automaker, currently sells vehicles in Norway, but there are plans to reach the North American market soon. The company planned to begin with gasoline-powered cars and then move to EVs shortly after that. 

XPeng is another Chinese-based company that sells vehicles. However, it focuses its sales on Norway and will move on to Sweden and the Netherlands. No immediate plans were made for the American market, but with other Chinese automakers moving west, it’s likely it will soon follow. 

China makes plenty of sales in the domestic and European markets, but due to some limitations, selling on U.S. soil has been pretty elusive. However, that’s about to change in the next few years, as some China automakers are making plans to move operations to the United States."

Same source: https://www.motorbiscuit.com/can-you-buy-chinese-electric-cars-in-united-states/#:~:text=Well%2C technically%2C the answer is no%3B there aren’t,automaker Zhejiang Geely Holding Group%2C according to Capital.com.

The GM Bolt got around the Chicken tax too. They were designed and built in a jouint venture in Korea by LG: https://www.digitaltrends.com/cars/lg-bolt-ev-parts/

https://www.digitaltrends.com/cars/lg-bolt-ev-parts/

[RV_]

3 hours ago, Kirk W said:

I drove the model S belonging to my son's friend and also a Smart for 2 owned by  friend but that has nothing to do with cars made in China.  

" . . . the Polestar brand, which is produced by Volvo, a company purchased by the Chinese automaker Zhejiang Geely Holding Group, according to Capital.com. 

The vehicles are built in China but are exported to the U.S. (and other countries) for sale. The Polestar 3 is set to get produced in the company’s Volvo plant in South Carolina in the near future, though."

https://www.motorbiscuit.com/can-you-buy-chinese-electric-cars-in-united-states/#:~:text=Well%2C technically%2C the answer is no%3B there aren’t,automaker Zhejiang Geely Holding Group%2C according to Capital.com.

So EVs made in China are already sold in the US.

[bruce t]

I for one admire your passion RV. Just keep in mind that everyone of us are entitled to have an option. Some are even entitled to be wrong. 

History will show who's opinion is closest to reality. 

[duraduk]

I believe that electric vehicles will be PART of our future.  I personally like the hybrid concept.  If I were commuting that would be the way I would go.  At this point it takes a lot of driving to make up for the extra cost of an EV. The problem as I see it is not the vehicles themselves.  Their limitations are well known and can be adjusted too if they serve your purpose.  I can't tow my trailer with a EV truck for example.  Maybe that we change in the future. The problem is infrastructure.  I live in a rapidly growing area and a college town.  There are huge apartment complexes with large parking lots and very few charging stations.  I was visiting a large hospital complex in Austin and in the parking garage where there are 6 floors and hundreds of parking spaces there were only 12 charging location which were usually occupied by a EV that was not hooked up to charging.  In Hays county (population 255000) I could find 35 charging stations.  There are 215000 vehicle registered in the county.  The grids in Calif. and Texas can barely handle peak demand. Private companies should develop what the market demands without govt. interference.  The market will and should decide where we are going in the future with EV's.