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.
Fisker has started producing its battery electric vehicles in Austria
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Fisker has started producing its battery electric vehicles in Austria
- The American automobile brand Fisker Inc. founded in 2016 by Henrik Fisker has its headquarters located in California, like Tesla or Lucid Motors. Like these two brands, Fisker intends to market only battery electric vehicles. The carmaker is financed by the American company Caterpillar Ventures and the Chinese investment company GSR Capital.
- Henrik Fisker is initially a Danish designer who notably designed the BMW Z8 and Aston-Martin V8 Vantage, as well as the Fisker Karma launched in 2008 which was the first electric luxury sedan with a range extender. But the company that produced it went bankrupt in 2013. The current company Fisker Inc., which succeeded it in 2016, has unveiled in 2021 the Ocean SUV, which is produced since November 2022. This 100% electric model, 4.77 m long and 2,300 kilos is produced at Magna-Steyr in Graz, Austria.
- The Fisker Ocean is available in a 275 hp (205 kW) single-electric motor version or a 550 hp (410 kW) twin-electric motor version. In the first case, the engine is located at the front. In the second case, one engine is located at the front and the other at the rear, which de facto drives transmission to all four wheels (all-wheel drive). The capacity of the battery (supplied by CATL) is 75 kWh which gives the car a range of 440 km. You can also opt for a 106 kWh battery (supplied by CATL) which allows a range of 610 km. Prices for the Ocean range from 42,000 to 70,000 euros depending on the version.
- No sales target has been announced by the carmaker, but Fisker announces that it will complete its range by launching new battery electric vehicles in 2024 and 2025 (Alaska, Pear, Ronin).
Examples of traffic on the streets in China
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Examples of traffic on the streets in China
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| Nanjin Lu, Shanghai, core centre 15/9/2023 |
Nanjin Lu, Shanghai, core centre 15/9/2023 |
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These videos are presented as an example. |
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Anting (Automotive Centre) 15/9/2023
40 km from Nanjing Lu
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Inovev forecasts 75,000 units per year of the new Skoda Kodiaq SUV
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Inovev forecasts 75,000 units per year of the new Skoda Kodiaq SUV
- The life cycle of European models being seven years on average, Skoda (a subsidiary of the Volkswagen group) is replacing in 2023 its D-segment SUV, the Kodiaq, launched in 2016, with a new generation which is extended by 6 centimeters, the length of the new model increasing to 4.76 m, with an unchanged wheelbase of 2.79 m. The width and height barely change (1.86 m and 1.66 m respectively). The Kodiaq will still have a seat seven passengers in three rows. The Kodiaq is located in the range of SUVs with thermal engines from the Czech carmaker above the Karoq (segment C) and Kamiq (segment B).
- The MQB Evo platform of the new Skoda Kodiaq is shared with the new Volkswagen Tiguan launched at the same time, the origins of this platform dating back to 2019, when the Volkswagen Golf VIII was launched.
- The new Skoda Kodiaq is only marketed with thermal engines, the battery electric version being marketed with the Enyaq (D segment SUV). The range of petrol engines consists of the 150 hp 1.5 TSI with 48V mild hybridization (MHEV) and the 204 hp 2.0 TSI with all-wheel drive. The range of diesel engines is still existing and consists of the 2.0 TDI of 150 hp or 193 hp equipped with all-wheel drive. The Kodiaq also receives for the first time a plug-in hybrid version (PHEV) based on the 150 hp 1.5 TSI combined with a 54 hp electric motor.
- It will be produced at the Czech Kvasiny site as for the previous generation, at an average rate of 75,000 units per year. The new Kodiaq will compete with the Renault Espace, Peugeot 5008 and Seat Tarraco.
Inovev forecasts 65,000 units per year of the new Mini Countryman
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Inovev forecasts 65,000 units per year of the new Mini Countryman
- The British brand Mini (a subsidiary of the BMW group) launched its first Countryman in 2010. At that time it was the SUV version of the Mini 5 door which was also the first 5-door version of the Mini. This first 4.10 m long model was produced in Graz in Austria at Magna Steyr due to insufficient capacity in Oxford, the production site for the three-door Mini.
- The second generation of the Countryman was launched in 2017. This time produced in Born in the Netherlands by the carmaker Nedcar, this new Countryman was lengthened by 19 centimeters to reach 4.29 m.
- The third generation of the Countryman is launched this year and presented at the Munich Motor Show in September. It extends by another 24 centimeters to reach 4.43 m which is no longer “mini” at all…
- Its production site has changed again. The new Countryman is in fact produced at the BMW site in Leipzig in Germany, alongside the Series 1 and Series 2 Active Tourer with which it shares platform (UKL) and engines (1.5 petrol and diesel).
- However, the new Countryman will be the first to be equipped with a 100% electric engine in addition to gasoline and diesel engines, like the three-door Mini Cooper which was presented a few weeks ago, while the Series 1 and Series 2 Active Tourer do not have them.
- The previous Countryman saw its production volume fall from 90,000 units in 2017 to 60,000 units in 2022, and Inovev expects a production volume of 65,000 units per year for the new Countryman from 2024.