China Automobile Industry, Technology (NEV, Driverless, etc): News & Images

[CHN Bamboo]

BYD NEV sales up 73% in Jan-July period
Xinhua | Updated: 2019-08-07 17:10

A logo of BYD, China's leading electric car maker. [Photo/IC]
SHENZHEN - BYD, China's leading new energy vehicle (NEV) manufacturer, reported annual 73.2 percent growth in NEV sales in the Jan-July period amid a NEV market boom.

In a filing to the Shenzhen Stock Exchange, the Shenzhen-based carmaker said it sold 162,220 NEVs, compared to 93,677 units in the same period last year.

The strong growth is almost all driven by the pure electric passenger vehicle sector, which saw sales surging 228.9 percent year-on-year to 105,294 units.

In July alone, the NEV sales, however, fell 11.8 percent to 16,567 units as sales of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles fell 35.2 percent to 6,495 units. Meanwhile, sales of pure electric passenger vehicles rose 16.4 percent to 9,515 units.

Despite strong NEV sales, BYD saw a sharp decline in gasoline-powered vehicles when the country's auto market continued to report a sales slump this year.

The carmaker sold 96,837 gasoline-powered vehicles in the seven months, down 42.4 percent year-on-year.

In late April, BYD said it was expecting a net profit of 1.45 billion yuan ($206 million) to 1.65 billion yuan in the first half of the year, an annual increase of 202.7 to 244.4 percent, on projected strong NEV sales in the second quarter.

In China, the NEV sector has been a bright spot for the auto market. NEV sales surged 80 percent year-on-year in June and 49.6 percent in the first half of the year, according to the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers.

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NEV race intensifies as subsidies shrink
Xinhua | Updated: 2019-08-05 10:00

Consumers visit an exhibition of new energy vehicles in Nanjing, Jiangsu province, in March. [Photo by Cheng Jiabei/For China Daily]

BEIJING - Competition in China's new energy vehicles sector is set to intensify as the country has been slashing subsidies for green cars, according to analysts.

Starting June 26, subsidies to NEV buyers decreased as much as 58 percent, according to a document released by the Ministry of Finance.

The move came as China has been cutting subsidies for the NEV sector since 2017, which were expected to be completely scrapped by 2020.

The subsidy withdrawal was adopted given that China's NEV industry has begun to take shape, said Zhou Yi, an assistant researcher with the Development Research Center of the State Council.

Thanks to the policy support, China's NEV sector has expanded robustly, with sales surging to more than 1.26 million units by the end of 2018 from fewer than 10,000 in 2009.

With lower subsidies, Chinese NEV manufacturers will face intensified competition not only from fuel vehicle producers but also domestic and foreign NEV companies, Zhou said.

Currently, profit margins of the NEVs are rather low compared with traditional fuel vehicles while the cost of manufacturing will increase significantly after the subsidy drops, said Chen Shihua, an assistant to the secretary-general of the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers.

As a result, the prices of green cars are bound to rise, according to Cui Dongshu, secretary-general of the China Passenger Car Association.

Besides, more foreign NEV brands have entered the Chinese market after the government relaxed restrictions on foreign investment in the auto market since 2019, which will also increase the competitive pressure on domestic producers.

Market demand for green cars is likely to shrink in the short run, said Lu Fuyong from the University of International Business and Economics, noting that uncertainties still exist concerning the great amount of capital attracted by the fast-rising NEV market and whether it will stay active or not as the green car market levels off.

Commenting on challenges brought by the policy change, Lu said the way to win out in the fierce market competition for NEV manufacturers lies in improving the quality of products and offering better technical services.

The rapid advance of science and technology revolution brings a more intense integration between the latest information technology and the auto industry, said Shi Jianhua, deputy secretary-general of the CAAM, suggesting the NEV manufacturers should try harder in making their products smarter to attract more consumers.

In the first half of 2019, a total of 617,000 units of NEVs were sold, up 49.6 percent year-on-year.

Chen maintained a cautiously optimistic forecast of green car sales for 2019, estimating that they would reach 1.6 million units this year.

 

[oprih]

BYD NEV sales up 73% in Jan-July period
Xinhua | Updated: 2019-08-07 17:10



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NEV race intensifies as subsidies shrink
Xinhua | Updated: 2019-08-05 10:00

Nice, meanwhile india's car industry and their economy as a whole is collapsing.

 

[JSCh]

China's first intelligent connected expressway conducts self-driving tests
Source: Xinhua| 2019-08-16 20:33:50|Editor: Li Xia

JINAN, Aug. 16 (Xinhua) -- China's first intelligent connected expressway in the eastern province of Shandong began automatic driving tests on Friday, according to Qilu Transportation Development Group.

With three tunnels, three tollgates, a bridge and numerous longitudinal slopes that simulate real road situations, the 26-km-long test section perfectly meets test conditions.

Testers demonstrated smart highway application scenarios such as road tests of intelligent connected vehicle platoons and running tests of intelligent roadside sensing units, such as laser and microwave radars, panoramic video surveillance, road sensors, as well as weather monitoring and intelligent traffic guidance signs.

Zhao Xiangmo, vice president of Chang'an University and leading expert on traffic information engineering and control, said that as the next market with huge potential, autonomous driving will bring profound changes to the transport industry.

The project, as planned, will become an international testing, research and development center for driverless vehicles by 2023.

 

[JSCh]

AUGUST 22, 2019 / 11:32 AM / UPDATED 7 HOURS AGO
China considers testing no-go zones for gasoline vehicles: ministry - Reuters

SHANGHAI (Reuters) - China is considering testing a ban on gasoline-powered vehicles in some parts of the country and may set a timetable to eventually phase out such vehicles, according to the industry ministry.

The government has encouraged sales of electric vehicles as part of a crackdown on pollution, but auto industry officials doubt it will completely phase out traditional internal combustion engines given regional differences in climate and environment.

Authorities must first analyze factors such as market demand and emission levels to decide whether to test no-go zones for gasoline-fueled vehicles, according to a document on the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) website.

The document was issued in response to a proposal from China’s parliament on July 16 and reported by Chinese state media on Wednesday.

China is the world’s largest NEV market, with 1.3 million units sold last year. NEV sales, which include battery electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles, are expected to reach 1.5 million units next year.

The ministry may formulate a timetable to phase out gasoline-fueled vehicles, according to the document, but did not say if it would be specific to certain parts of the country or a nationwide phase out.

China’s southern province of Hainan, said in March it plans to stop selling gasoline vehicles by 2030.

Reporting by Yilei Sun and Brenda Goh; editing by Darren Schuettler

 

[onebyone]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1164486450190213122

 

[JSCh]

Volvo's Polestar Opens First Plant in China, Aims to Ship EVs to US, Europe This Year
ZHANG YUSHUO
DATE : AUG 28 2019/SOURCE : YICAI

Volvo's Polestar Opens First Plant in China, Aims to Ship EVs to US, Europe This Year​

(Yicai Global) Aug. 28 -- Polestar, the high-performance automaker owned by Volvo Car Group and Geely Holdings, opened its first assembly line in China yesterday, setting itself up for key export markets including the United States and Europe.

Located in the southwestern city of Chengdu, the Polestar Production Centre is unlike other vehicle production plants. It will turn out the Polestar 1, a hand-assembled plug-in hybrid.

Hand assembling cars is not fast-moving production, as Chief Executive Thomas Ingenlath explained to Yicai Global. In fact, it is "the opposite end of speed," he said, since the factory is dedicated to the craftsmanship of high-performance cars.

Designed by Polestar and Norway architects Snohetta, the plant will produce 500 carbon-fiber-bodied Polestar 1s a year. It is Polestar's first car since Volvo made the company independent two years ago. Volvo, part owned by Geely, bought it in 2015.

The luxury hybrid coupe is priced at CNY1.45 million (USD202,500) and is expected to start being delivered cross China, Europe and the US this year. Polestar's other models will be pure electric vehicles.

Polestar 1 will be sold at over 40 Polestar Spaces worldwide next year in cities such as Shanghai, Beijing, Oslo, Munich, London and Los Angeles. Polestar's strategy in these key markets is 'one design, one brand,' though it also has to abide by country-specific and franchise laws, Ingenlath said.

 

[JSCh]

Chinese E-Buses Hit Streets in Cali, Colombia as China Eyes World Market
LIAO SHUMIN
DATE : SEP 11 2019/SOURCE : YICAI

Chinese E-Buses Hit Streets in Cali, Colombia as China Eyes World Market​

(Yicai Global) Sept. 11-- A fleet of 26 electric buses made by Shanghai Sunwin Bus took to the streets of Cali, Colombia yesterday, Xinhua News Agency reported.

The batteries installed on these new energy transports give them a 300 kilometer-plus per charge driving range, explained Zhao Qingzhen, a Sunwin engineer. The 8.6-meter long buses also come equipped with an interior real-time monitoring system.

China became the first country to embark on the new mass-transit form in earnest when it deployed the first full battery e-buses at the Beijing Olympic Games in 2008, online Malaysia-based trade magazine Truck and Bus News reported. It is now firmly in the global driver's seat. The country had 421,000 of the light carbon-tread mark conveyances as of May, Bloomberg reported, in contrast to the US, which had 300. Around 425,000 e-buses plied the streets of the world's cities last year, of which 99 percent were in China, according to the online news portal Citylab.

This batch of vehicles arrived in Colombia at the start of this month after being loaded aboard ship in Shanghai at the end of July.

The city, southwest Colombia's commercial hub, plans to introduce more than 300 electric buses through public bidding before the end of this year, its Mayor Norman Maurice Armitage said at the launch ceremony. Armitage hopes more Chinese companies will join in the bidding, he said.

The South American nation passed a law to address air pollution and other issues in July this year, setting a minimum 30 percent proportion of electric buses each year in all cities' public transportation system procurements.

Shanghai Sunwin Bus was founded jointly by SAIC Motor, Volvo China Investment and Volvo Buses in 2000, with a total investment of USD97 million and a registered capital of USD54.2 million. Chinese and overseas investors hold half shares in the joint venture.

 

[JSCh]

BYD Gains Foothold In Germany With Orders For 22 Electric Buses | CleanTechnica
September 23rd, 2019 by Kyle Field

BYD is moving into car country with its first order for fully electric transit buses in Germany. The orders for 22 of its 12-meter buses came from German public transit operators BOGESTRA and HCR and are aimed at improving ailing air quality in the greater Ruhr Metropolitan Region.

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Image courtesy: BYD

With news of the deal landing the same week that German powerhouse Daimler announced that it will no longer invest any funds in R&D for petrol engines, the electric buses send a much louder message than electrifying a few routes across town. They serve as a powerful statement to the region that electric vehicles are the future of transportation in the country with petrol pumping through its veins.

Each bus can move up to 80 passengers around at a time, sharing the electric vehicle experience with each one. “Being able to travel from Weitmar to Riemke with zero emission is an important and first step in the right direction for climate protection. It shows that Bogestra keeps its promises and assumes regional responsibility for a sustainable future,” said Bochum’s Mayor Thomas Eiskirch.

Isbrand Ho, Managing Director of BYD Europe, concludes: “We are very proud of this important order, which demonstrates our capabilities in a market dominated by German brands. BYD’s efforts will make a strong contribution to reducing emissions and improving air quality. And in our eyes, that is even more important than our first order in Germany.”

Twenty of the new BYD buses will go to transit operator BOGESTRA with the other two buses going to HCR. The buses will arrive in the summer of 2020, when they will be put straight to use on route 354 in Bochum, route 380 in Gelsenkirchen, and in Herne. BOGESTRA tapped the EV fast charging experts at ABB to supply the chargers that will keep the new electric fleet fully topped up at three of its depots.

Source: BYD | BOGESTRA

 

[JSCh]

BroadXT to unveil self-driving minibus at WIC
By Fan Feifei | China Daily | Updated: 2019-10-16 13:21

A view of a 5G-enabled self-driving minibus in Wuzhen, Zhejiang province, on Oct 10. [Photo provided to China Daily]

Vehicle is first of its kind in China to have passed tests on open urban roads

The 5G self-driving minibus developed by BroadXT Inc is set to make its global debut on the first day of the sixth World Internet Conference, which will be held on Oct 20-22 in Wuzhen, Zhejiang province. The vehicle will be used to help ferry participants to the venue during the conference.

Powered by a variety of advanced techniques such as sensors, high-precision positioning, the fifth-generation wireless network and V2X or vehicle-to-everything cooperative vehicle infrastructure system, the autonomous bus adopts a Level-4 autopilot technology and is able to identify the pedestrian, vehicles and other obstacles within 200 meters.

BroadXT President Shang Wenzhu said the vehicle will be the first mass-produced 5G autonomous minibus in China that has passed tests on open urban roads, while the official noted China is taking the lead in autonomous driving technology.

Shang added the cloud command system can offer an optimal driving route when encountering traffic jams, accidents and extreme weather to ensure safety and enhance traffic efficiency.

"The autonomous bus could react within 100 milliseconds under complex road conditions owing to the 5G, sensors, AI and cutting-edge computing technologies," Shang explained.

During the upcoming conference, 10 self-driving minibuses will carry guests to the venue on the four-kilometer road from Wuzhen Design Building to the crossroad of Longyuan road and Huanhe road, according to Shang.

In September, Wuzhen and BroadXT inked an agreement to speed up the commercialization of 5G autonomous buses in Wuzhen. With a total investment of 650 million yuan ($92 million), the 110-square kilometer Wuzhen will be covered by an intelligent transportation system in three years.

Shang said they plan to promote the self-driving minibuses in Zhejiang province, and more cities in the Yangtze River Delta region.

Officials have high hopes for the market. China expects vehicles with some autonomous functions to account for half of new vehicles sold in the nation by 2020, a guideline released by the National Development and Reform Commission said. In April 2018, the country released a national guideline on road tests for self-driving vehicles.

Consultancy Roland Berger said China is accelerating its development of autonomous driving and is expected to become a leader in the technology, which is seen as key to the future of the automotive industry.

Chinese internet search giant Baidu Inc announced it had launched volume production of its autonomous minibus, the Apolong, in partnership with domestic manufacturer King Long.

Experts have warned, however, that firms should proceed cautiously, especially when it comes to people's safety.

"Intelligent vehicles with fully autonomous functions may account for 10 percent of the new vehicles in 2020," said Yang Diange, dean of the Automobile Engineering Department at Tsinghua University, estimating that "self-driving vehicles will become part of our daily lives in 2030."

 

[JSCh]

BYD delivers over 50,000 electric buses globally
Source: Xinhua| 2019-10-17 14:03:07|Editor: Liu

XI'AN, Oct. 17 (Xinhua) -- China's leading new energy vehicle (NEV) maker BYD has so far delivered more than 50,000 electric buses to global clients, a manager of the company said in Xi'an, capital of northwest China's Shaanxi Province.

According to Liu Zhenyu, general manager in charge of BYD's Xi'an business, said the electric buses of BYD have entered dozens of countries and regions including the United States, Britain, Japan, India and Chile.

BYD has provided pure electric buses to more than 90 cities in Europe, grabbing around 20 percent of the local electric bus market share. In the Asia-Pacific region, the NEV maker's electric buses have been put into use in Japan, the Republic of Korea, Singapore and India, Liu said.

In India, for example, over half of electric buses on the street were made by BYD, he added.

BYD Xi'an new energy industrial base was put into production in September 2014. With an annual output of more than 300,000 passenger cars, it has become BYD's biggest vehicle production base in China.

BYD has set up electric bus plants and research centers in foreign countries such as the Netherland, the U.S. and Brazil.

 

[JSCh]

Chinese pure electric buses help optimize green transportation in Finland
Source: Xinhua| 2019-10-22 02:54:52|Editor: huaxia

Staff members work on the production line of Yutong new energy bus in Zhengzhou, capital of central China's Henan Province. (Xinhua/Li An)

"China is very advanced in the development and production of electric buses. Our partner Yutong is the world's largest manufacturer of electric buses," said Heikki Alanko, managing director of Pohjolan Liikenne, one of Finland's largest public transport operators.

HELSINKI, Oct. 21 (Xinhua) -- With a striking charging plug pattern on its side, the blue-and-white bus runs quietly, making almost zero noise. Looking carefully, one may spot the Chinese logos on the car glass.

Since August this year, residents in the capital region of Finland have often encountered such new "guys" when they travel by bus.

Being the first batch of pure electric buses in operation in Finland, the 33 buses produced by China's Zhengzhou Yutong Bus Co. Ltd have met the requirements of Finnish authorities, participants in a media visit held in Helsinki on Monday were told.

The buses were introduced to Finland by Pohjolan Liikenne, one of Finland's largest public transport operators.

"China is very advanced in the development and production of electric buses. Our partner Yutong is the world's largest manufacturer of electric buses," Heikki Alanko, managing director of Pohjolan Liikenne, told journalists.

"The battery of the electric bus produced by Yutong has good performance, large storage capacity and fast charging speed. According to our estimation, after full charge, it can support at least 200 kilometers of driving even under harsh conditions," said Alanko.

"Our drivers gave pretty good feedback on driving Yutong pure electric buses. The passengers also praised them for the comfort and low noise," Alanko said. "We are very satisfied."

According to Alanko, more than a year ago, the Helsinki Region Transportation Authority, which is responsible for maintaining the public transportation network of nine cities in the capital area, tendered the first batch of pure electric buses. Yutong's products were selected by Pohjolan Liikenne, one of the bidders, for their outstanding quality, and finally got recognized by the government.

"The government and the Helsinki Regional Transportation Authority have strict control over the quality of public transport vehicles. Pure electric buses by Yutong met our requirements in terms of model size, comfort, energy consumption, safety and follow-up services," Johanna Nyberg, head of city traffic of Espoo in the Helsinki region, said.

Pure electric buses produced in China will also play an important role in helping Finland save energy, reduce emissions and promote green travel.

According to Nyberg, several cities in the Helsinki region, including Espoo, plan to increase the proportion of zero-carbon public transport to 30 percent within five years, and reach 100 percent zero-carbon emissions in public transport system by 2030.

The arrival of the pure electric buses "will optimize our bus system," marking an important step towards green travel in cities, Nyberg said.

Ma Kai, Nordic market project manager at Yutong, told Xinhua that in light of the long, cold and snowy winters in Finland, Pohjolan Liikenne was very concerned about the performance of the buses.

Representatives of the Finnish bus operator "came to Harbin (the capital of Heilogjiang, China's northernmost province), which has a similar winter climate as Finland, for testing our products, and finally were convinced by the quality," said Ma.

Ma said Yutong representatives had visited Finland many times before winning the contract with Pohjolan Liikenne.

"Yutong attaches great importance to follow-up services and sets up commissioners for overseas customers to ensure vehicle operation and provides skills training," said Ma.

Yutong is a Chinese bus manufacturer that has an excellent track record in the new energy bus industry. The publicity department of Yutong told Xinhua that as of July 2019, the company had sold 120,000 new energy buses worldwide, including more than 8,000 in Europe. In 2018, its large and medium-sized passenger vehicles had a global market share of 13 percent.

"The development of our new energy bus business is largely due to China's vigorous promotion of new energy vehicle research and development (R&D) and production in the past few years. The forward-looking policies have enabled us to touch the pulse of the industry, accumulate a wealth of experience and get our technical strength enhanced," Ma said.

 

[JSCh]

First route for autonomous public buses opens in Wuhan
chinadaily.com.cn | Updated: 2019-11-05 15:48

A photo taken on May 22, 2019 shows a multi-functional AI-based autonomous driving bus with the features of a giant panda in Tianjin. [Photo/IC]

China's first bus route for commercial operation of autonomous driving has recently been launched in Wuhan city of Hubei province, one month after the city issued commercial licenses for unmanned vehicles, the first of its kind in the world, Science and Technology Daily reported on Tuesday.

The Smart Panda Bus, which will soon start operating on the route, is a multi-functional AI-based autonomous driving vehicle with features of a giant panda developed by DeepBlue Technology, China's leading artificial intelligence (AI) firm.

Measuring 12-meter-long, 2.25-meter-wide and 3.25-meter-high, It has a weight about 10 tons and is powered by a lithiumion phosphate battery. Its autonomous driving level is between Level 3 and Level 4, which means it does not require human interaction in most situations.

In addition to its self-driving features, the bus also has a fingerprint recognition system, an in-vehicle robot and an intelligent emergency escape system.

"The central business district of Wuhan has crowds of people and vehicles crisscrossed by complicated high-rises, which creates a series of problems for autonomous driving," said Zhao Xu, vice-president for technology at DeepBlue.

"If those problems can be better solved, it would set a good example to be promoted among other autonomous driving companies," he said.

As one of China's first batch of 5G pilot cities, Wuhan has the technical advantages of intelligent connected vehicle, providing infrastructure support for the operation of autonomous driving.

At present, the Smart Panda fleet is already operating in 10 cities across China. The goal is to reach 20 cities by the end of this year.

 

[JSCh]

Ecuador opens its largest electric charging station built by China's BYD
Source: Xinhua| 2019-11-10 08:24:29|Editor: huaxia

An electric car is parked in the electric charging station in Guayaquil, Ecuador, on November 8, 2019. (Xinhua/Str)

Ecuador's most populous city and leading productive hub, Guayaquil, boasts 20 BYD-made buses and 50 electric taxis.

QUITO, Nov. 8 (Xinhua) -- Ecuadorian Vice President Otto Sonnenholzner inaugurated the country's biggest electric charging station for electric cars, taxis and buses in the southwest port city of Guayaquil on Friday.

The "electroline" station, as it called here, was built by Chinese company BYD, a leading manufacturer of electric vehicles and batteries.

"This is a project that signals looking to the future and it is evidence of what can be achieved when we work together for what the country needs," Sonnenholzner said during the opening ceremony.

Construction of the 600,000 U.S. dollars station, which was privately financed, began on July 11 thanks to strategic cooperation between BYD, the federal government, which loaned the land, Guayaquil's local government and the Municipal Transit Authority (ATM).

Jorge Burbano, national manager of BYD Ecuador, which will operate the station, said the 5,000-square-meter facility is among the most modern in the region.

"It has 20 rapid chargers and a megawatt of total installed power, with the capacity to supply 500 vehicles a day," said Burbano.

An electric car can be fully charged in 90 minutes, and an electric bus in three and a half hours, he said.

Ecuador's most populous city and leading productive hub, Guayaquil, boasts 20 BYD-made buses and 50 electric taxis.

Ecuador received its first fleet of BYD electric buses in February for use in public transit to improve air quality and urban mobility.

The initiative turned Ecuador into the second South American country to adopt sustainable electric mass transit, after Chile.

Guayaquil Mayor Cynthia Viteri announced that the transport sector was eligible for a 15,000 U.S. dollars incentive to purchase an electric bus, or 4,000 U.S. dollars for an electric taxi.

Motorists using the new station can pay via an app called BYD Electrolinera.

 

[JSCh]

SAIC's Autonomous Truck Is World's First to Load, Unload Storage Containers
XU HUIYUN
DATE : NOV 11 2019/SOURCE : YICAI

SAIC's Autonomous Truck Is World's First to Load, Unload Storage Containers
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(Yicai Global) Nov. 11 -- A self-driving truck designed by SAIC Motor, Shanghai International Port Group and China Mobile has become the first autonomous vehicle in the world to successfully load and unload storage containers at a dock.

The truck, which meets SAE's level four autonomy standards, completed the task at Yangshan Port in Shanghai, the world's busiest container port, the three companies announced together over the weekend. The 5G-equipped vehicle traveled a total 27 kilometers over roads, highways and dockyards and through heavy night traffic.

Using the truck will raise the port machinery's single-point operation efficiency by 10 percent and carbon emissions by 30 percent, the statement added, saying it will also completely clear congestion on the Donghai Bridge.

The trio hope that the trucks can make the port, which suffers the logistical difficulty of being based on an island in the East China Sea, more efficient and competitive. They plan to start running autonomous operations on a small scale in day-to-day freight transport next year, before expanding over the next three to five years.

 

[JSCh]

Los Angeles Places Largest Single Electric Bus Order In US History -- 130 BYD K7M Buses | CleanTechnica