1. It was revealed that Tesla's low-cost model will be released on October 11
Tesla will hold a launch event in Los Angeles on October 10, where it will showcase its Robotaxi driverless taxi. At the press conference, it is also expected to unveil Tesla's new model, which is expected to cost 25,000 US dollars (about 175,000 yuan), this model is called "Model 2", and is expected to become Tesla's entry-level electric vehicle for the mass market, competing with domestic electric vehicles.
According to reports, the Model 2 will be similar in design to the Model Y, with a fastback design that will look like an SUV or crossover, but will be smaller in size than the Model Y, similar to a "small steel cannon" model. Compared to the Model 3, the Model 2 will be approximately 15% shorter, 30% lighter, and 25% less battery capacity, with plans to use a new, safer and lower-cost battery. The market predicts that the car will be launched in late 2025 to early 2026.
At the same time, the launch of Tesla's Model 2 could put pressure on existing domestic EV brands, especially Xiaomi cars. Xiaomi Auto sold more than 10,000 units in September, maintaining this result for four consecutive months. Xiaomi Auto also announced its production and delivery targets for October, planning to produce and deliver more than 20,000 vehicles, and expects to complete the annual delivery target of 100,000 units ahead of schedule in November.
The launch of Tesla's Model 2 will further intensify competition in the electric vehicle market, especially for similarly positioned domestic models. As Tesla continues to promote the popularization and technological innovation of electric vehicles, domestic electric vehicle brands need to make more efforts in terms of product strength, brand influence and cost control to meet the upcoming challenges.
2. Ledao L60 battery supports flexible upgrades
Ledao Auto recently launched the thirteenth issue of "Ledao Q&A", in which it responds to users' questions about battery upgrades.
Some users asked if they could temporarily rent a larger capacity battery if they were worried that the 60-degree battery would not be enough at high speeds, and if they could upgrade to an 85-degree battery in the future. Ledao Auto answers:
First of all, Ledao Auto supports flexible battery upgrade services, which users can easily upgrade. Simply find a battery swap station that offers battery upgrade services and place an order.
Drive to the battery swap station at the agreed time and replace the 60-degree battery with an 85-degree battery like a regular battery swap. After use, go to any battery swap station to return the battery.
Secondly, the battery upgrade solutions provided by Ledao Auto are flexible and diverse, including daily, monthly, annual and even permanent upgrades. Whether it is buying or leasing batteries, users can choose the upgrade method according to their needs, and only need to pay the corresponding price difference.
For the user's upgrade needs, Ledao Auto suggests that if the user's daily use is mainly to commute to work and pick up and drop off children in the city, then the 60-degree battery is enough to use.
However, if users need to make frequent cross-city commutes or business trips, and need to travel hundreds of kilometers multiple times a month, then a permanent upgrade of the battery is recommended to meet the needs of long-distance driving.
3. Wuling Hongguang MINI EV extended version exposed
Recently, a group of spy photos of the new model of Wuling Motors were exposed by a blogger, which attracted widespread attention from netizens. The exterior of this new car is similar to the popular K-Car box car in Japan.
Judging from the exposed spy photos, this new Wuling model looks like an extended version of the Wuling Hongguang MINI, especially the front part of the car is very similar to the Hongguang MINI EV. Although the new car uses camouflage light clusters, it can be inferred from the front lines that the design of the lamp clusters may be more rounded, and the front face gives a cute and cute impression.
In terms of bodywork, the rear doors of the new car have a side-slip design, and there are three windows between the A, B and C pillars, indicating that the car pays attention to the practicality of the ride.
However, the model in the spy photos is equipped with steel wheels, which look more ordinary, and it is expected that in the production version of the model, Wuling will provide different styles of wheels for consumers to choose from.
The tailgate design of the new car is relatively flat, and the taillight style is similar to that of the Wuling van, which may mean that the vehicle in the spy photos is not the final production version. At present, netizens have various speculations about the identity of this new car, and some believe that it may be an extended version of the all-new Wuling Hongguang or Hongguang MINI EV. However, these speculations remain unconfirmed until more information is officially disclosed by Wuling.
K-Car in Japan is popular for its large space, high practicality, affordable price and low energy consumption, making it ideal for the Japan environment. Buying a K-Car can also enjoy the government's financial subsidies and parking space policies.
In China, where few automakers have launched K-Car models, if Wuling can try it first and succeed, it could open up a new segment in the Chinese car market.
4. More than one-third of the charging piles are working at full capacity
CCTV News reported that during the National Day in 2024, the number of new energy vehicles will reach a new high. According to data from the State Grid Smart Vehicle Networking Platform, the highway charging volume in the first two days of the holiday was as high as 15.58 million kilowatt hours, an increase of 56% year-on-year, a new record.
The platform also predicts that during the National Day holiday, more than one-third of the country's highway service area charging piles will be operating at full capacity, and the peak charging busy index may reach 30% to 35%, compared with about 13% in normal times.
In response to this challenge, local governments have taken a number of measures to improve the charging experience of NEV vehicle owners. Many motorway service areas have added mobile charging stations to enhance charging capacity.
However, even with the increase in charging facilities, some service areas are still queuing for charging during peak hours. To avoid this, NEV owners can choose to charge at a high-speed exit close to the city or county seat.
The report also pointed out that with the popularization of new energy vehicles, charging facilities in highway service areas are facing greater pressure. In order to solve this problem, some regions have begun to deploy mobile charging vehicles and charging robots to alleviate the situation of charging queues.
In addition, in order to improve charging efficiency, Jiangsu and other places have upgraded the charging piles in the expressway service area, increasing the average power of a single gun from 60 kilowatts to 80 kilowatts, so that the average charging speed of new energy vehicles has increased by 35%.
Nevertheless, with the increase in the number of new energy vehicles, the construction and optimization of charging facilities remains an ongoing challenge. In the future, with the further improvement of the charging network, it is expected that the travel of new energy vehicles will become more convenient.
5. NIO announced its entry into the Middle East and North Africa markets
Recently, NIO signed a strategic cooperation agreement with strategic investor CYVN, marking another important step in the company's globalization strategy.
According to the agreement, NIO will establish a research and development center focusing on intelligent driving and artificial intelligence technology in Abu Dhabi, U.A.E., which will help drive technological innovation in the Middle East and North Africa region. In addition, NIO and CYVN plan to jointly develop a new model suitable for the local market to meet the growing demand for smart electric vehicles in the region.
NIO also announced that it will officially enter the Middle East and North Africa market and operate its business through the newly established NIO Middle East and North Africa company, serving local users and supporting the region's sustainable development goals.
The U.A.E. will be the first market for NIO to do business in the Middle East and North Africa, and it is expected that from the fourth quarter of this year, NIO will fully expand its business in the U.A.E., including products, services and communities.
Li Bin, founder, chairman and CEO of NIO, said he is optimistic about the potential of smart electric vehicles in the Middle East and North Africa market and believes that CYVN's abundant resources in the region will contribute to NIO's continued growth in the region.
The partnership is expected to drive NIO's globalization and technological innovation strategy, accelerate its globalization pace, and bring innovative smart EV technologies and experiences to users in the Middle East and North Africa.
Since 2021, NIO has made significant progress in globalization, especially in the European market, having entered five countries, established 56 battery swap stations, connected more than 600,000 third-party charging piles, and established 8 NIO Centers, 10 NIO Spaces, and 45 Service Centers.
The new Middle East and North Africa company is another key step in NIO's global expansion strategy, laying a solid foundation for the company's future operations in the global market.
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