The “EV (electric vehicle) stall” is shaking up major automakers around the world. German automaker Mercedes-Benz has withdrawn its plan to go all-electric by 2030. Sweden’s Volvo Car, which had also pledged to make all new cars EVs by 2030, has also been forced to abandon the plan. General Motors has frozen EV investments at its Michigan factory for two years. Ford Motor has canceled development of an EV model of a large SUV. According to a source at an affiliated parts manufacturer, Toyota Motor Corp. has also revised down its global EV production target from 1.5 million units in 2026 to 1 million units. The company that shocked industry insiders the most was Volkswagen (VW). The company is “considering” closing some of its production facilities in Germany, which would be the first time since the company was founded in 1937. They are even prepared to “terminate” employment guarantee contracts for employees until the end of 2029. Since its diesel engine fuel economy fraud scandal came to light, VW has been shifting its focus solely to EVs. The government also announced plans to allocate over 14 trillion yen (89 billion euros), or 60% of its total investment over the next five years, to EV-related areas in 2021. However, the company has not been able to achieve sales results that justified the huge investment, and has been forced to cut costs. The company operates six vehicle factories and four parts factories in Germany, employing 130,000 people. It has been said that “at least one factory each” will be closed, and there is local talk that “VW brand car factories will be targeted,” as they are relatively less profitable than the subsidiary brands Porsche and Audi. Naturally, the union is strongly opposed. Meanwhile, major companies are watching Honda’s moves with bated breath. This is because the company still maintains the slogan of “100% EV/FCV (fuel cell vehicle) rate by 2040.” To achieve this goal, in May of this year the company announced plans to invest a cumulative 10 trillion yen in EV and software development from fiscal 2021 through fiscal 2030. However, Honda’s research and development expenses have already ballooned to a level that exceeds the operating cash flow it generates in the fiscal year ending March 2024. “How long can they endure such a heavy financial burden?” (Toyota official) Market participants are worried that if they are unable to recoup their losses through cash inflows from expanded sales, “they will eventually reach a dead end.”
>>6 Mazda has a lot of unsuitable new engines, so they should merge. I’d like to drive something like a Freed Skyactiv-d. A 6-cylinder 3.3-liter diesel engine for the underpowered Freed. A 4-cylinder 2.5-liter gasoline engine for the Vezel.
People were worried about the power loss in the cold and the charging time, but no one noticed how quickly the tires wear down. It’s good that people are actually using them and finding out the bad points. All we need to do is learn from this and make a better EV. That’s how technology has advanced.
German cars have failed again. After their big defeat to Mazda over diesel regulations, their falsification was exposed, and the myth of German cars came to an end, they’ve been lost.
>>19 They said publicly that they were going to stop making engines, but I think they continued research and development in anticipation of this happening.
>>19 The president came from sales, not technology, and the company took a foolish turn by abandoning the independent research lab. The seeds of decline had been sown for decades.
In the first place, why were people so desperate to start talking about electric cars? Of course, global warming is a factor, but even without that, it’s still not something that can go mainstream. The market itself is definitely growing, but I’d like to know what’s behind this sudden desperation.
>>32 China wanted to rise in the car industry. Europe, frustrated with no chance of beating the Japanese, jumped on China’s bandwagon. Europe was left in the dust by China.
>>33 They’re already on the market The age of electric cars is already here There hasn’t been much progress since the days of electric cars But still, it’s better than level 5 autonomous driving at least that they’re on the market.
Many people in the individual electric car threads on the car board are satisfied with their cars, but I often see complaints about the fact that the discounts and free charging services offered by dealerships have disappeared due to the recent rise in electricity prices.
It accelerates well and is quiet. Charging would be a little easier if I had a garage or somewhere similar, but if I don’t it’s a bit difficult and I can’t go on long trips.
Comments