Inovev forecasts 150,000 units per year of the new Mitsubishi L200 pickup
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Inovev forecasts 150,000 units per year of the new Mitsubishi L200 pickup
- The Japanese carmaker Mitsubishi (a subsidiary of the Nissan group) has just presented the sixth generation of its L200 pick-up (named Triton in certain markets) which remains one of the best selling model of the brand, as around 150,000 units are sold per year, or between 15% and 20% of its total sales depending on the year.
- Like most medium-tonnage pick-ups, the Mitsubishi L200 will be produced as previously in Thailand, a country which is the main producing center for this type of vehicle: the Toyota Hilux, Ford Ranger, Nissan Navara, Isuzu D Max are also produced in this country. Each year, Thailand produces more than a million medium-tonnage pickup trucks exported worldwide, compared to the United States which produces two million large-tonnage pickup trucks (such as the Ford F Series, Chevrolet Silverado, Ram pickup, GMC Sierra) to which are added 500,000 medium-tonnage pickups.
- The new Mitsubishi pick-up dimensions grows compared to its predecessor: + 5 centimeters in length (5.36 m), + 11 centimeters in width (1.93 m), + 4 centimeters in height (1.82 m).
- The new Mitsubishi L200 is powered by a new 2.4-liter four-cylinder diesel engine with a turbocharger. This engine will be available in three different powers: 150 hp, 184 hp and 204 hp. No battery electric version on the program nor a plug-in hybrid version. The L200 will be marketed in a rear-wheel drive version (rear-wheel drive) and an all-wheel drive version (four-wheel drive). Inovev forecasts 150,000 units per year of the new Mitsubishi L200.
The VW ID3 will be completely transferred to Wolfsburg in 2024
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The VW ID3 will be completely transferred to Wolfsburg in 2024
- The Volkswagen brand has announced that in 2024 it will transfer the entire production of the battery electric ID3 from Zwickau and Dresden to Wolfsburg, whose production volume has fallen significantly since 2020, following the poor sales of the last generation of Golf (which is produced on this plant) and also the transfer of part of the customer base towards battery electric cars of the same segment such as the Volkswagen ID3.
- Less than 200,000 Golfs were produced in Wolfsburg in 2022, the lowest volume since the 1970s. At the same time, 170,000 ID3-ID4-ID5s were produced in Zwickau and Dresden in 2022, compared to 153,000 units in 2021.
- Remember that the Zwickau plant had been calibrated for a volume of 250,000 electric vehicles per year and the Dresden plant for a volume of 25,000 electric vehicles. However, the Cupra Born and Audi Q4 E-Tron were added to the ID3-ID4-ID5 at the Zwickau plant, these two models having been produced at 95,000 units there in 2022. 265,000 were therefore produced electric vehicles at the Zwickau and Dresden sites in 2022 and probably 275,000 units in 2023, thus approaching the maximum capacities of the two plants. However, the Dresden plant will close in 2024.
- With sales forecasts confirming further growth in sales of ID3-ID4-ID5 electric cars in 2024 and 2025, it became necessary to plan the transfer of one or more models from Zwickau to Wolfsburg where capacities are no longer used as much as previously.
Tesla will launch a Model 2 in 2025
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Tesla will launch a Model 2 in 2025
- According to our information, Tesla will launch a battery electric model in 2025 that is more compact than the current Model 3 (4.70 m long) and Model Y (4.75 m long). The new model will be located in the C-segment, while the Model 3 and Model Y are located in the D segment.
- We can assume that the length of the car that may be named Model 2 will be between 4.30 m and 4.50 m, dimensions close to those of a Peugeot 3008 or a Renault Austral. A Renault Mégane BEV measures 4.20 m long and a Volkswagen ID3 measures 4.26 m. The Tesla will probably be a little longer than the Mégane and ID3 because it will be an SUV and not a sedan. After initially imagining a five-door sedan, the American carmaker's choice ultimately fell on an SUV body inspired by the Model Y, more in line with global demand. In addition, this body offers more cabin space than a sedan, particularly in height.
- To reduce costs, Tesla plans to use electric motors without rare earths and reduce by 75% its use of Silicon Carbide (SiC) transistors. The quantity of cables will be reduced thanks to the change from 12 to 48 V for the battery intended for accessories. As for the main batteries, it will use lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP) technology, a chemistry that the American carmaker was among the first to use and which is less expensive than nickel-manganese-cobalt (NMC) . The capacity of the battery will be 53 kWh compared to 60 kWh to 75 kWh for the Model 3 and Model Y.
- Taking into account the price of the Model 3 and Model Y, Inovev is expecting a price below 40,000 euros for the future Model 2, which is extremely competitive. China and/or Mexico may be the production location of this future model.
The Mercedes A and B Class will be replaced in 2025 by a battery electric Smart #4
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The Mercedes A and B Class will be replaced in 2025 by a battery electric Smart #4
- Mercedes has announced that its Mercedes A-Class and B-Class will not be replaced in 2025 by new models with a Mercedes brand but by a new battery electric Smart made in China probably named #4.
- The origins of the Mercedes A-Class date back to 1997. It was then a small B-segment single-body vehicle (W168) 3.61 m long. This model was redesigned in 2004 (W169) but still in a mono-volume style, 3.84 m long. With the growing success of the BMW 1 Series and Audi A3 which were C-segment sedans, Mercedes had to completely review its copy and launch in 2012 a C-segment Class A sedan (W176) aesthetically quite close to the 1 and A3 Series, thus abandoning the mono-volume style. This 4.29 m long model received a better market response than the previous B-segment Class A. It was redesigned in 2018 (W177) and lengthened by 12 centimeters to reach 4.41 m. His career will end in 2025.
- The origins of the Mercedes B Class date back to 2005. It was an MPV (T245) derived from the A Class but much longer (4.27 m) therefore located in the C segment. It was redesigned in 2011 (W246) but kept its MPV style, 4.39 m long. Redesigned once again in 2018 (W247), still in the same style, 4.42 m long, it will be discontinued in 2025.
- The only remainders of the C-segment, the Mercedes CLA, GLA and EQA will continue their careers, the CLA sedan being renewed first, in 2025. Unlike the current CLA, the future CLA will be a BEV. This is what will also differentiate it from the C-Class sedan which is quite similar aesthetically but only available today in thermal or PHEV version.
Lucid Motors to open the first assembly plant of Saudi Arabia
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Lucid Motors to open the first assembly plant of Saudi Arabia
- The American brand Lucid Motors based in California has been marketing the large, battery electric Air sedan in the USA since October 2021, which is produced in a plant located in Casa Grande in Arizona (AMP-1 plant). Nearly 5,000 units have been sold in the USA since the plant started. The 4.97 m long sedan competes with the Tesla Model S (also 4.97 m long) which has already sold more than 450,000 units since 2012, including 38,000 units in 2022. This volume will be very difficult to achieve by the Lucid Air. Since June 2022, the Lucid Air has also been marketed in Europe. Around a hundred units have been sold there to date.
- In April 2022, Lucid Motors announced a large order from Saudi Arabia for 50,000 Air sedans, the Saudi public fund being the brand's largest shareholder, with 61% of the capital. The carmaker announced shortly after the construction of a new assembly plant in Saudi Arabia (AMP-2 plant) to fulfill this order.
- In September 2023, Lucid Motors inaugurates its assembly plant in Saudi Arabia, which is the first automobile assembly plant in the country, located around a hundred kilometers from Jeddah, on the banks of the Red Sea. This geographical location will ultimately provide potential for vehicle exports by land and sea. This plant has an initial capacity of 5,000 cars per year in SKD (SKD= “Semi Knock Down”). It will therefore take 10 years for delivery of the 50,000 cars ordered by Saudi Arabia.
- The carmaker indicates that in ten years, the plant will be able to assemble 150,000 cars per year. Saudi Arabia, for its part, indicates a target of 30% sales of new battery electric vehicles on its soil in 2030 (Saudi Green Initiative). It implies that most of the cars produced will be exported. This objective could materialize between 2030 and 2035, when sales of electric cars will be the majority in Europe.
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