Tag Archives: China

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Battery Maker CATL Planning $5 Billion Recycling Facility

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Battery giant Contemporary Amperex Technology Co Ltd (CATL) is looking to establish a $5 billion battery material recycling facility in the Chinese province of Hubei.

The company has confirmed that it will establish a joint venture with Hubei Yihua Chemical Industry Co Ltd and invest up to 32 billion yuan ($4.96 billion) in the construction of the factory. The facility will have a focus on recycling precious earth materials such as cobalt and lithium.

Reuters reports this announcement comes on the back of China setting standards and policies to promote battery recycling across the industry.

Read Also: Ford And BMW To Begin Testing Solid State Battery Cells In 2022

CATL supplies companies such as Tesla, NIO, and Volkswagen with battery cells. In fact, most of the Tesla models produced at its Gigafactory in Shanghai use CATL cells.

The battery giant is continuing to grow its battery cell production capacity and recently announced plans to raise 58.2 billion yuan ($9 billion) through private investments to support its expansion. It is thought that most of it will be used to increase capacity at three of its Chinese factories. CATL wants to ramp up production capacity to 1,200 GWh by 2025. Moreover, Electrek notes that CATL is also investing in new technologies, such as sodium-ion batteries.

Battery recycling is emerging to be an especially vital part of the automotive industry’s push towards electric vehicles. In September, Ford revealed it is partnering with Redwood Materials, the largest lithium-ion battery recycler in the United States. Redwood Materials claims it can recover 95 per cent of elements such as nickel, cobalt, lithium, and copper from old batteries. These materials can then be reused in batteries.

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Opel Goes All Electric By 2028 And Brings Back The Manta As An EV

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As part of Stellantis’ EV Day, Opel announced a three-prong electric vehicle strategy for the coming decade. The company promised that it will go all-electric in Europe by 2028, will take on the Chinese market with EVs, and will bring a reinvented Mata e to market by mid-decade.

The plan was laid out in a video presented by Michael Lohscheller, the brand’s CEO. Recently gathered into the Stellantis empire, Opel is just one of many brands making promises about its electric strategy today.

Read More: Stellantis To Spend $35 Billion On Electrification Strategy For All 14 Brands By 2025

“Opel will only offer electric cars on its core European market from 2028,” said Lohscheller. “This emphasizes our brand’s commitment to electric mobility.”

Unfortunately for fans of the Manta GSe ElektroMOD Coupe, it doesn’t seem that the Manta E promised in today’s announcement will look like the electric restomod that Opel unveiled earlier this year (above). An image shown in the video reveals an EV that looks distinctly more futuristic.

It’s likely to be based on Stellantis’ new EV platform, which the corporation says will be good for between 500 km (311 miles) and 800 km (497 miles) of range. Opel also revealed in a slide that its entire lineup would be electrified to some degree or another by 2024.

Although Opel was clear that the Manta E would be unveiled and produced in the mid-2020s, it did not reveal exactly when it would tackle China, nor who its local joint venture partner will be.

The company will exclusively sell EVs there, though, it said. The country is the world’s biggest automotive market, as well as its biggest EV market thanks to attractive government incentives. Opel has already dipped its toes into the market but Automotive News Europe reports that tariffs meant that the company only sells around 5,000 vehicles annually there.

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2021 Skoda Octavia Stretches Its Wheelbase For China, Becomes The Octavia Pro

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Skoda will be expanding its offering in China by launching a long wheelbase version of the Octavia that is strictly limited to the People’s Republic.

Named the Octavia Pro, it has a 44 mm (1.7 in) longer wheelbase than the regular fourth-gen model, at 2,730 mm (107.5 in). At the same time, overall length has gone up by 64 mm (2.5 in) to 4,753 mm (187 in). Compared to the third-gen Octavia, which is still on sale in China, it is 78 mm (3.1 in) longer.

Read More: New Skoda Octavia Is More Affordable Audi A4 Than Golf Sedan

On the outside, it looks identical to the Euro-spec variant, featuring the same headlights, taillights, grille and so on. However, it does bring front and rear aprons inspired by the sporty Octavia RS, which, combined with the black roof and side mirror caps, and alloy wheels that measure up to 18 inches in diameter, give it a more noticeable presence.

Besides the extra legroom for backseat occupants, a thing appreciated by Chinese customers, the new Octavia Pro has a 12-inch touchscreen infotainment system with permanent internet connection. It can also be equipped with an optional 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster and head-up display.

Other features include power adjustable heated and ventilated front seats and an electric tailgate, as well as exit warning that alerts occupants of other vehicles or cyclists approaching from behind when opening the door, lane keeping assist, lane change assist and adaptive cruise control.

The Octavia Pro is available with a single engine, a 1.4-liter TSI petrol unit that pumps out 148 HP (150 PS / 110 kW) and 184 lb-ft (250 Nm) of torque and is mated to a seven-speed DSG transmission.

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Buick’s China-Only 2021 GL6 Minivan Gets Mild-Hybrid Powertrain, New Tech

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Buick has revamped the GL6 for the 2021 model year and will officially launch it on November 19.

Still a China-only affair, the revised minivan will arrive with a new mild-hybrid powertrain, comprising of a turbocharged 1.3-liter engine mated to a six-speed transmission, a 48V electric motor and battery, as well as a battery management module and hybrid control unit.

Key functions include electric power assist, intelligent charging, energy regeneration and start-stop. The automaker said that, with the new powertrain, the 2021 GL6 offers a 7.6 percent improved fuel consumption, at 6.1 l/100 km (38.6 mpg US). Moreover, the mild-hybrid system has been subjected to over 500,000 hours of testing to ensure its reliability and durability.

Read Also: Facelifted Buick GL8 Avenir Luxury Minivan Debuts In China With Throne-Like Rear Seats

The MPV is also equipped with the eConnect 3.0 system that features a standard 10.25-inch LED instrument cluster display and central console unit that are fully integrated. The system supports over-the-air updates and has voice recognition, cloud-based data sharing, Super ID and smartphone integration, and is highly customizable.

Complementing the upgrades are the air-purifying A/C, Buick Live Sound surround audio, standard panoramic sunroof, rear privacy windows and new three-spoke steering wheel.

Other novelties include the redesigned third-row seats, which are said to offer a more natural seating position. The 2+2+2 seating layout, with first- and second-row armrests, provides segment-leading space, according to Buick. Also, the GL6 has more than 40 storage spaces and a generous cargo area that can be expanded to 1,521 liters (53.7 cu-ft) when folding down the second and third rows.

Standard safety features include forward collision warning, lane departure warning, side blind zone alert and automatic park assist.

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Wuling Victory Midsize MPV Launches In China With Sub-$13k Base Price

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Wuling has officially launched the new Victory multi-purpose vehicle (MPV) in China.

The three-row, six-passenger family vehicle is the first to feature the brand’s new global silver badge and could go on sale in export markets following the launch in its home market. The Wuling Victory is available in four variants in China, priced between RMB 85,800 ($12,810) and RMB 116,800 ($17,440).

All share the same engine, a 150 PS (148 HP) 1.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder petrol unit matched to either a six-speed manual or a continuously variable transmission (CVT).

See Also: GM’s Wuling Hong Guang X Concept Makes A Splash At Chengdu Motor Show

The Wuling Victory is a midsize MPV and not a full-size one like the Buick GL8 or VW Viloran. Therefore, it’s significantly smaller than the aforementioned models, measuring 4,875 mm (191.9 in) in length – about 350 mm (13.8 in) less than the GL8 and almost 500 mm (19.7 in) less than the Viloran.

The Victory is also slightly narrower at 1,880 mm (74 in), as well as lower at 1,700 mm (66.9 in). The wheelbase measures 2,800 mm (110.2 in), enabling the Victory to offer a roomy cabin with six seats as standard. The two seats in the third row can be folded flat to expand the cargo area to over 1,500 liters (53 cu ft).

A more luxurious four-seat variant with two reclining and sliding captain’s chairs on the second row is also available. These chairs also have independent leg rests and can slide 560 mm (22 in) to provide extra room.

Available equipment on the Chinese MPV includes soft leather and fabric upholstery, ergonomic seats on the first and second rows, as well as extensive use of soundproofing materials and 4-mm (0.15-in) double-layer soundproof glass for a quiet interior.

The Victory also offers a PM2.5 air filter and negative ion generator which are said to block dust, viruses and bacteria “to create a healthy interior environment with an N95 level of protection”. Safety tech includes Bosch’s 9.3 Electronic Stability Program (ESP), advanced driver assistance system (ADAS), six front and side curtain air bags and four exterior cameras.

Wuling has plans for a global expansion and, to that end, is developing a lineup of all-new models, with the Victory being one of them. Reports from China claim Europe will be the first export market to get the MPV from 2022.

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The Cadillac CT6 Lives On In China And Has Been Updated With Super Cruise

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The last Cadillac CT6 for the U.S. market rolled out of the Detroit-Hamtramck assembly plant earlier this year, but it’s still being built and sold in China.

In fact, it’s been updated as the company has introduced two new versions featuring the automaker’s Super Cruise semi-autonomous driving system.

The base Super Cruise variant starts at ¥469,700 ($66,934 / £52,306 / €57,427) and features a panoramic glass roof, LED lighting units and 18-inch alloy wheels. Other highlights include a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, a 10.2-inch infotainment system and a 10-speaker Bose audio system. There are also heated and ventilated front seats, leather upholstery and a dual zone automatic climate control system.

Also Read: The Story Of The Cadillac CT6 And Its Blackwing V8 Engine Is More Depressing Than Most People Realize

The range-topping model costs ¥489,700 ($69,784 / £54,533 / €59,872) and is distinguished by a sportier exterior with larger 19-inch alloy wheels. This model also has adaptive headlights and an adaptive suspension.

Both versions are powered by a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder that produces 233 hp (174 kW / 237 PS) and 258 lb-ft (350 Nm) of torque. It is connected to 10-speed automatic transmission which sends power to the rear wheels.

Of course, the big news is Super Cruise which uses LiDAR map data and GPS information to precisely pinpoint the car’s location. On top of that, the vehicle with an assortment of cameras and radar sensors.

All this information is combined to create a “virtual path for the vehicle to follow.” Thus, the CT6 will stay centered in its lane and automatically adjust to the flow of traffic.

Cadillac says Super Cruise can be used on nearly 300,000 km (186,411 miles) of expressways and highways across China. That’s pretty impressive, and the company noted they partnered with China’s AutoNavi to ensure their maps are accurate and precise.

On the safety front, the CT6 has been equipped with a driver attention system which uses infrared sensors and a small camera to monitor the driver and make sure they’re paying attention to the road ahead. If the driver stops paying attention for too long, the system will remind them. If they fail to respond, additional warnings will be provided using seat vibrations, audio cues and the light bar on the steering wheel.

If this still doesn’t get their attention, the car will slowly come to a stop and turn on its emergency lights. The vehicle will also call OnStar to make sure the driver is okay.

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