A year ago I wrote about Chinese cars under the title «The Chinese are coming!» Then the share of Chinese cars was insignificant. If we look at the registration statistics, 30% of all electric cars are Chinese - and the percentage is rising *)
The very first Chinese electric cars
Just one year ago - in December 2020 - Chinese cars were something completely new. BMW had started production of its new iX3 in Shenyang. Polestar 2 had been delivered to the very first customers. MG ZSEV had just started delivering cars. Xpeng had just entered the market but had not yet delivered any cars. Looking at the registration statistics one year later, the Polestar 2 comes in 11th place, the MG ZS EV in 17th place, the BMW iX3 in 20th place and the Xpeng G3 in 42nd place. The model that surprises the most in terms of statistics is MG. It gives a lot of car for the money. The first customers complained about poor winter range, but that problem is probably fixed in the software. Polestar was predicted to reach the top of the sales charts, but was overtaken by other, new models. BMW iX3 is one SUV, but have lost out that it cannot be delivered with 4-wheel drive. XPeng G3 has managed to gain a foothold in the electric car market.
Today's Teslas come from China
Tesla accounts for the largest increase in Chinese cars. Tesla Model Y and Model 3 top the sales lists and from this summer both models were taken in from Tesla's new factory in Shanghai. Tesla currently accounts for half of China-imported electric cars. The transition from California to Shanghai has happened quietly. It is not certain that new Tesla owners know that they have received a Chinese car? There is also no increased dissatisfaction with Chinese cars compared to those made in California. What's more, the Tesla Model 3 has never been cheaper than it is today. The differences between cars from the US and China may not be that great. Probably different suppliers of steel, as well as the fact that Tesla has announced that they have changed the software to be able to use Chinese-made electronic chips - although it is possible that those changes have also been introduced in the US.
What happened to the news from last year?
A year ago we trawled Chinese websites to find news about exports to Europe (Norway) - and who was responsible for the imports here at home. We could talk about projects before they were official, and we also made some speculations of our own.
BYD and Maxus
Both brands are brought into Norway by RSA Bil. THE WORLD OF Tang is an exciting piece of news that has just gone on sale. It is in 14th place among sold electric cars in November. We also predicted that BYD HAN could find an audience in Norway - as a competitor to the Tesla S. But it seems that most people prefer SUVs. Maxus Euniq 5 is more MPV than SUV. It is a 7-seater that offers a lot of space for the money, but loses out on a low range, tricky towing weight and no 4-wheel drive. In the list of electric cars sold so far this year, it ends up in 49th place.
Xpeng
Not only is Xpeng a new brand - there is also a start-up company behind it. – Zero Emission Mobility. Xpeng has managed to become an established brand, and their first model in Norway – the G3 – is to be seen out on the roads. A year ago we speculated whether the Xpeng P7 would also be included. It is now on its way in. The first cars have been registered and Xpeng can become a competitor to the Tesla Model 3. Perhaps it will be easier to win acceptance for the Xpeng P7 as the Tesla 3 is also produced in China. And there are probably going to be a lot of Tesla 3s on the road. A whimsical feature of the top model is front doors that swing up at the front à la Lamborghini. XPeng calls it "Peng Wing".
The Gill group and DFSK
A year ago, everything indicated that the brands DFSK and Seres from the Dongfeng Motor Group were ready to be taken in by the Gill group and distributed through the same dealer network that sells Subaru. 2 DFSK Seres 3 have been taken in during 2021, but the websites for the brands have been removed. It became known that the Gill group did not want to bring in a new Subaru in 2021 due to the lack of plug-in cars in the model range. Now, however, Subaru has announced that they will come with an electric car during 2023 - which can be ordered in 2022. Perhaps DFSK and Seres could come into competitive conflict with Subaru's new electric car? The DFSK Seres 3 is a model that is the size of the Nissan Qashqai and can compete with the MG ZS, Peugeot e-2008 and Opel Mokka. It is a type of car that should be well suited for the Norwegian market.
Chery
We speculated whether anyone in Norway would be interested in Chery. Some had plans for Chery, namely the RSA chain that sells BYD and Maxus. But since no Chery has been registered during 2021, it may take more than a year before Chery appears on the Norwegian market.
NIO
A year ago I wrote that NIO had no Norwegian representative, but that had they - or got established soon after we wrote about them. In China, NIO has developed a network of battery stations where car owners get changed battery in 3 minutes. It will be exciting to see how this is introduced in Norway. However, I guessed wrong as to which model would come to Norway first. I guessed ES6, but this year 147 of the largest model, the NIO ES8, have been taken in.
Hengchi and Hongqi
Increases diversity
Hongqi has an exterior reminiscent of a car Uncle Skrue might own. In a world where all cars look the same – shaped by wind tunnels – the Hongqi E-HS9 stands out as an original and fun design concept. It is also interesting to see that China has also received several new car projects - aimed at narrow groups. One such project is Songsan Motors, which has previously created a modern clone of the 50s Mercury Monterey. Now they are out with new models based on the Chevy Corvette C1. The cars have modern hybrid drive systems and safety adapted to today's requirements. It's not just about a style study, but fully drivable cars produced at one of BYD's factories. The pictured model will cost $160 in the US. If it were a pure electric car, you could buy it here without taxes.
Songsan Dolphin has drivetrain and undercarriage from BYD's parts warehouse. Currently, there is little information about the project. The car's hybrid drive is based on a 1,5 liter petrol engine and an electric motor. The battery capacity is 16 kwh. Length and width are respectively 480×185 cm. Thus, it is at least 30 cm longer than the original Chevy Corvette.
*) The claim "every 3rd electric car is Chinese" is based on registration figures from elbilstatistikk.no for the entire month of November up to and including 7 December 2021. That the trend is rising is based on figures from the last two weeks. The figures are, however, affected by Tesla's delivery times, which happen in batches.
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