Shanghai Auto with local electric vehicle innovations > teslamag.de

Tesla, of all people, is absent from Auto Shanghai 2023, the industry’s biggest trade show in its most important global market, which is now all about electric cars. Otherwise, everything is represented there that has status and reputation, which traditionally applies to large brands from the West in China – according to reports, the VW group even sent two planes full of board members. When it comes to electric cars, however, mainly local manufacturers are showing what they can do in Shanghai this year.

Nio does not want a price war with Tesla

According to one, this is how it started Report Car News China in the pre-sales exhibition of an electric car with the ambitious name Aion Hyper GT. This brand is owned by the state-owned GAC Group, and although it is less sporty than it sounds or looks with its front doors, their new style is still attractive. Because it should have at least 60 kilowatt hours of battery capacity and cost from 219,900 renminbi. That’s a cool 29,000 euros, slightly less than the smallest Tesla Model 3 in China.

Two of the three variants will also be fitted with a replaceable LFP battery – a concept that has so far only been promoted in China or by Chinese companies in Europe. According to Car News China, Aion wants to establish thousands of its exchange centers by 2025. The intention to start from the same country has already exceeded this number in its country, it is planning many more, and already has several battery exchange sites in operation there Europe. At Auto Shanghai, it announced that it will double its electric car sales this year and does not want to engage in a price war with Tesla.

Battery Design from CATL

So far, not much has been heard from state-owned manufacturer Chery when it comes to electric vehicles, but that could change quickly with the trade show. Because there he presented (apparently not happy with the possible objections of Apple) his brand new iCar along with the first two models. Chery didn’t release any data for the 2+2 seater GT or the 03 SUV in the Range Rover’s box appearance, but they do indicate the width of the lineup in China. The company also names CATL as a partner in its electric vehicle ecosystem — and according to another, it wants to Report Car News China to be the first manufacturer to be offered by the market leader a low-cost sodium alternative to lithium-ion batteries.

Li Auto Company, came to the exhibition with its first electric car, reports CnEPPost. It doesn’t seem to have a name yet, but it’s also a battery innovation from CATL, in this case at the top of the performance spectrum. It will be the first model to feature the 4C version of Qilin’s CATL battery, which enables very high charging capacity. The report talks about a new generation of Li columns with up to 480 kilowatts at 800 volts, with 25 test opportunities at the end of May. A range of 400 km should be recharged in 10 minutes.

MG launches two-door electric car

In the short term, electric cars, which European brands with Chinese origins made in Shanghai, are more important to overseas customers. MG, now part of the state-owned company SAIC, submitted AutoBlog Ocean The Cyberster, which brings back memories of the Mazda MX-5 with two doors and a convertible roof (see photo above). From next summer he should be in Europe. And Polestar, behind which the Chinese Geely Group stands through Volvo Cars, not only showed its electric car 4, but also opened orders for it at home. Tesla is known for mistakes well left, but the company’s Polestar 4 SUV doesn’t even have a rear window anymore. Instead, the glass roof is very low and the tailgate is very high.

Finally, due to Tesla’s lack of presence, the biggest electric car manufacturer at Auto Shanghai 2023 was BYD, which represents both ends of the price spectrum. Above were the U8 and U9 models from Yangwang’s first new brand. Far below is called BYD according to a Reuters report Prices for the compact car Seagull: equal to 11,000 dollars and a range of at least 305 kilometers according to the Chinese standard. So far, BYD’s electric cars in Germany cost about twice as much as in their home country. But even if it continues like that, it may soon compete with the price breaker Dacia Spring in a more modern form, while the offerings from Tesla or VW are still awaited in this segment.