The discussion covers China's efforts to reduce excess EV production capacity by closing idled plants and cautious approval of new projects, while Chinese automakers like Cherry plan to build vehicles in Europe to avoid trade backlash. BMW reported a 1.1% sales increase with a 40% rise in electric vehicle sales, contrasting with declines for Mercedes and Porsche, though Porsche expects improvements with new EV models. Toyota unveiled the all-new 4Runner with a turbocharged four-cylinder and hybrid option, emphasizing off-road capability and modern interior tech. Buick and Ford introduced new SUV and performance models, and Opel/Vauxhall revived the electric Frontera SUV. Battery tech advances from Clarios promise better fuel efficiency and lower emissions.
Topics:china ev production capacitychinese automakers europe manufacturingbmw ev sales growthmercedes and porsche sales declinetoyota 4runner redesignbuick enclave updateford focus st editionopel vauxhall fronterra evclarios battery technologyautomotive industry trends
- China Closing Idled Car Plants - Chery Nearing Deal to Build Cars in Spain - BMW EV Sales Up 40% In Q1 - Mercedes BEV Sales Slide 9% - Porsche’s Sales Dip in Q1 - Toyota Reveals All-New 4Runner - New Buick Enclave Unveiled - Ford Focus Gets New Performance Model - Opel and Vauxhall Revive Frontera SUV - Major OEM Adopts Clarios 12-Volt AGM Battery
"... for vehicles like the Issuzu Rodeo and the Honda Passport. This time around, we think it's using either the..."
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As we've reported, China has too many car brands producing too many vehicles, and that's led to a price war in the EV segment and more exports out of the country, which is concerned European and US officials, but the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers says the country is addressing its capacity issues. Last
year, Chinese car plans had a capacity utilization rate of seventy percent, so idled factories are now being closed, which should help out those numbers. Chinese
officials have also said they are being more cautious about approving new EV production plans, but local governments rely on car plans for jobs, which could make it harder to address the country's over capacity issues. At the same time, more
Chinese brands are looking to build vehicles overseas. Spain's industry minister says that it's
nearing a deal with Cherry to produce cars in the country and it could be formalized in the next few days. Cherry would produce vehicles at a plant that
Nissan shut down in twenty twenty one. It's currently owned by engineering firm EV
Motors, but it's involved with the talks with Cherry too, because it would continue to operate the facility. Evmotors could also make other production and commercial deals
with Cherry. Cherry was holding talks with the Italian government about building vehicles in
the country as well, but it looks like it's going with Spain instead.
By building vehicles in Europe and not importing them, it will help Chinese automakers avoid backlash because governments are more likely to welcome the jobs that they bring.
The German premium brands reported their sales for the first quarter, and let's start with the BMW group, which fared the best. It sold just under five
hundred ninety five thousand vehicles, including Mini and Rolls Royce, and that's a gain of one point one percent compared to last year. The group sold eighty
two thousand, seven hundred BVS and Q one, which is a big increase of twenty eight percent. But if you exclude Mini and Rolls Royce, BMW's
fully electric sales were up forty percent. BMW says it has now sold a
million fully electric vehicles worldwide. Sliding over to Mercedes, it didn't perform as
well as its German rival. The automakers sold five hundred and sixty eight thousand,
four hundred cars and vans in the first quarter, a drop of six percent compared to a year ago, but it was the passenger car side that dragged the sales down the most. Its car sales were down eight percent,
while its vans were up seven percent. However, both units were hurt by
the slowdown in evs. Mercedes Cars sold forty seven thousand, five hundred bvs
and Q one, a drop of eight percent, and its electric van sales were down seventeen percent. Combined, the group sold fifty thousand, five hundred
beevs in the first quarter, down nine percent, and Porsche also saw it sales dip in the first quarter. It sold seventy seven thousand, six hundred
and forty vehicles, a four percent decline. Its only electric model, the
Taekon, sought sales tumble fifty four percent with just over forty two hundred deliveries, but Porsche blames that on the model change over. The new Taikon,
which has more performance and range and faster charging times, will start being delivered to customers this month. Porsche will also start delivering the all electric Macon in
the second half of the year, so its EVY sales should improve as the year goes on. Lettagent Automotive Technologies. We combine world class composite materials expertise
with cutting edge designs because frankly, there are better ways to lightweight vehicles to lighten up with tging automotive technology the formula for better mobility. We've got a
bunch of new product to look at today, and I figured we could start off with the all new Toyota four Runner. It now rides on Toyota's Global
truck platform called TNNGAF, the same as the new Tacoma land Cruiser, Tundra and Sequoya. We think it looks like a slim down version of the current
model with design cues that tied into those other trucks. And also like those
other trucks, the new four Runner is ditching its less fuel efficient engine.
The two hundred and seventy horse power four liter V six, is being replaced with a turbocharged two point four liter four cylinder engine, which is paired with an eight speed automatic transmission. In standard output, it makes two hundred and
seventy eight horse power eight more than before, and it also makes three hundred and seventeen pound feet of torque. But there's also a hybrid version with an
election motor integrated right into the transmission that bumps power up to three hundred and twenty six horse power and four hundred and sixty five pound feet of torque.
That setup is capable of towing up to six thousand pounds, which is one thousand more than the V six two and four wheel drive capability as well as a host of off road options will be sticking around for the all new model, and Toyota is also adding a trail Hunter trim, which is its idea of a factory built Overlander. The interior is still blocky and rugged, but
it looks like it added some more soft touch materials, new storage compartments, and large digital display screens. I think that about wraps up the highlights,
and you can expect to see the new four Runner on sale in the US this fall. Sticking with ussuvs Bwick pulled the wraps off the new Enclave longer,
wider, and taller than before. It adopts similar styling to uix other
new cars, which is inspired by the Wildcat concept. The suv also gets
a large new digital display that floats on top of the dash, as well as Super Crew's hands free driving technology, which is a first for Buick.
Under the hood will be a turbocharge two and a half liter engine that makes three hundred and twenty eight horse power, which is a little bit more than the three point six liter V six that it replaces. It's madeed to an
eight speed transmission, which can send power to the front or all four wheels.
Orders for the new Enclave are expected to open the summer, and one of the trims that customers will be able to order is called Sport Touring, and like our next new model, it comes with a bunch of ST badges and logos all over it. For it is introducing a new performance version of
the Focus in Europe called the ST addition. Unlike the Sport Touring Enclave,
this ST stands for Sport Technologies and it's upfitted with an adjustable coil over suspension system, Brembo front brakes, new lightweight wheels, a manual transmission, and a turbocharged two point three liter engine that's been tuned to close to two hundred and seventy five horse power. With that setup. It will do zero to
one hundred kilometers an hour in five point seven seconds, and it also has some sporty upgrades to the interior as well. And let's stay in Europe with
our new reveals. Opal and Vauxhall are reviving the Fronterra SUV, which was
around for about a decade from the early nineties until the early two thousands.
Those were based on an Asuzu platform that was used for vehicles like the Issuzu Rodeo and the Honda Passport. This time around, we think it's using either
the Stella Small or stell A Medium platform. It will initially be offered as
a pure electric model, but it will also offer a forty eight volte hybrid setup at some point. Details are still pretty scarce, but they did provide
a number of pictures and we can see that it can accommodate both left and right hand drive and it features a couple of digital display screens. No word
yet on when the new Frontra will launch. We've got an update on a
battery company that we had on Auduline after hours close to two years ago.
Clarios, which used to be part of Johnson Controls, announced that it's going to supply a major automaker with its newest twelve volt AGM or absorbent glass MATT battery. These are your more traditional underhood batteries, and Clario says this new
version has better rechargeability, so with the engine working less to charge the battery, it can help reduce fuel consumption as well as cut CO two emissions up to eighty percent compared to traditional AGM batteries. But with that we wrap up
today's show. Thank you for tuning in. Auto Line Daily is brought to
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