In the same week two Chinese automakers launched their EVs in Australia, Bloomberg has written on the strife the German car giants are in, both in China and the rest of the world.
Zeekr, a premium EV car maker, and Deepal, a brand of China’s automotive giant Changan, both had official brand launches this week, two among the 7 new Chinese brands expected to enter the Australian market before the end of 2024.
At the same time, the mainstream is beginning to take notice that the large European manufacturors, Mercedes, Volkswagon and BMW, have reached a turning point that they might not like. Today the Age/SMH hardcopies republished this Bloomberg report that all three reporting slumping 3rd quarter sales in China, as their traditional customer base is turning to Chinese brands with EVs that are just better cars. Collectively these three have over 40 factories in China, more than in Europe, and still control 15% of the Chinese market.
But their share of the EV market is 10% in a market where half of cars sold are EVs. Where Chinese manufacturors’ are regarded as understanding EVs are computers on wheels, the Europeans are seen as merely electrifying their ICE cars, so their competitors match their luxury interiors and beat them on technology.
And of course those Chinese brands are coming to global markets – you can take one for a test drive and see for yourself.
EV range could increase by 20% with new Lithium Manganese Iron Phosphate (LMFP) battery breakthrough
UK-based Integrals Power has demonstrated the performance of a new variant of Lithium ion battery with Lithium Manganese Iron Phosphate (LMFP) cathode.
To (over) simplify the geekiness, the Lithium ion batteries used in EVs come in two flavours:
- developed earlier
- higher energy density
- ~4.2V per cell
- “high performence”
- So more kilometres for the same battery weight
- rarer materials, complicated supply chains, more expensive
- predominant in European/American made EVs, that have favoured (perception of) high performance
- developed later
- lower energy density
- ~3.5V per cell
- “lower performance”
- So fewer kilometres for the same battery weight
- common materials, shorter supply chaings
- less expensive
- predominant in Chinese made EVs, that have favoured lowering cost to meet market
UK-based Integrals Power unveiled independent testing of their LMFP battery ~4.1V cells, promising the affordability and durability of LFP with the higher energy density of NCM technologies.
The result could increase EV range by 20%, or reduce battery cost (the major part of an EV) by 20%.