First Chevy Blazer EV en route to the US as GM ramps production to 65 units per hour
The first Chevy Blazer EV model, built at General Motor’s Ramos Arizpe plant in Mexico, is now on its way to the US.
First Chevy Blazer EV model arriving in the US
According to a new report from Vanguardia MX, a breaking news station in Mexico, GM’s prized jewel, the Chevy Blazer EV, has left the Ramos Arizpe plant and is in transit to the US.
The news comes two weeks after the facility posted on its social media page that the first sellable Blazer EV completed assembly.
Tereso Medina Ramirez, general secretary of the Confederation of Workers of Mexico (CTM), said GM’s Ramos Arizple facility is now producing 65 Blazer EV models per hour. He added the first order of the new electric SUV had already left for the US.
Medina Ramirez commented on the milestone, saying:
Since last week we were very pleased to see that the first Blazer under construction left for the United States, the first order, we are already working on it, for the foreign market.
Meanwhile, Medina Ramirez said they still don’t have a planned date for the first Equinox EV to leave the complex.
According to Medina Ramirez, GM’s Ramos Arizpe complex has a 4,000-worker capacity, with 2,000 dedicated to electric vehicles.
The Chevy Blazer EV will come in five trims, including the 1LT, 2LT, RS, a police pursuit vehicle (PPV) edition, and Chevy’s first SS electric performance model. GM estimates the Blazer EV offers between 247 to 320 miles range, depending on the trim.
The Blazer EV SS was initially slated to go on sale this fall in the US. But, according to a recent update on Chevrolet’s website, the performance version is now expected to be available next spring.
Meanwhile, you will still be able to get your hands on the 2LT, starting at $47,595, and the RS version, starting at $51,995 this summer.
Next winter, the 1LT version is expected to be available with a starting price of around $44,995.
Electrek’s Take
GM could use the help of the Blazer EV in the US right now to boost sales. The automaker’s EV sales fell from 19,700 in the first three months of the year to 15,652 in Q2 2023.
Of the over 15K sold, 13,959 of them were Chevy Bolt EV and EUV models, which GM plans to discontinue later this year (at least in its current form).
GM is focusing on high-volume Ultium-based EVs, including the upcoming Blazer EV, Equinox EV, and Silverado EV, set to launch before the end of the year.
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Tesla has started to offer discounted financing on Cybertruck as the electric pickup truck undoubtedly turns out to be a flop.
Tesla claimed over 1 million reservations for the Cybertruck, and CEO Elon Musk said he could see Tesla producing 500,000 units per year.
However, that was before Tesla announced that the production version would be much more expensive and have a shorter range than what was initially announced.
The Cybertruck has now been in production for a year and a half, and it looks like Tesla would be lucky to sell about 10% of Musk’s goal of 500,000 units.
The automaker doesn’t report Cybertruck sales, but it is estimated that Tesla delivered roughly 40,000 Cybertrucks in 2024, and it is expected to have even more issues selling the truck this year.
Tesla has taken several steps to help sales.
We reported that Tesla launched Cybertruck leases to help move vehicles. The company is even still tucked with “Foundations Series” Cybertrucks, and we found out that Tesla buffed “Foundations Series” badges out of some trucks to sell them as cheaper regular Cybertrucks.
For the remaining “Foundations Series,” which there still are despite Tesla switching to regular Cybertruck production in October, Tesla has even offered free Supercharging for life.
Now, Tesla is stepping up its game, and it is offering discounted financing on new Cybertruck orders:
Tesla announced 1.99% APR for a limited time:
1.99% APR available for a limited time for well-qualified buyers
WIthout the “promotion”, the rate for excellent credit is 5.84%.
While Tesla is discounting the rates, it is not discounting them as much as for new Model 3 orders.
We reported earlier this week that Tesla offers 0% and 0.99% with $0 down on new Model 3 orders in the US until the end of the quarter.
Electrek’s Take
It is very possible that Tesla can’t sell more than 10,000 Cybertrucks this quarter, which would extrapolate to 40,000 units per year or less than 10% of what Elon said he would see Tesla delivering.
Now, the cheaper single motor Cybertruck should help, but by how much? It could bring Tesla to 20-30% of the volume Elon saw possible?
I think it’s fairly clear that the Cybertruck is a flop.
Tesla launched a single new vehicle in the last 5 years and it is a flop.
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Environment
Toyota launched its cheapest EV in China and it crashed the server starting at just $15,000
Toyota looks to grab a bigger share of the world’s largest EV market as it takes aim at BYD and other low-cost leaders. On Thursday, Toyota launched its cheapest EV in China, the bZ3X, starting at roughly $15,000. The new electric SUV crashed the server with over 10,000 orders in an hour.
Meet Toyota’s cheapest EV in China, the bZ3X
The bz3X is Toyota’s “first 100,000 yuan-level pure electric SUV” in China and its cheapest EV to hit the market so far.
Toyota’s Chinese joint venture, GAC-Toyota officially launched the “Bozhi 3X,” or bZ3X for short, in China on March 6. Shortly after, the company said orders for its new electric SUV were “so popular that the server crashed” after revealing prices start at just over $15,000 (109,800 yuan).
After securing over 10,000 orders in just one hour, Toyota boasted again that “the server is overwhelmed.” The launch comes after blind pre-orders opened in December, starting at just under $14,000 (100,000 yuan).
The bZ3X is available in two versions, with or without its full-scenario smart driving tech. The non-smart tech model starts at 109,800 yuan ($15,000) with five trim options while the smart driving model starts at 149,800 yuan ($20,500).
For 159,800 yuan ($22,000), the range-topping “610 Max” trim provides up to 610 km (379 miles) CLTC range from a 67.92 kWh LFP battery. The base “430 Air” gets up to 430 km (267 miles) from a 50.03 kWh LFP battery pack.
Toyota said the interior provides “a mobile space that is comfortable as home,” with front and rear seats that can fold down to provide nearly 10 feet (3 meters) of space.
Inside, the electric SUV has a 14.6″ infotainment screen with voice recognition and an 8.8″ driver display. It also includes a two-spoke multi-function steering wheel.
Toyota’s new bZ3X is its first vehicle with the Momenta 5.0 Intelligent Driving System. Powered by NVIDIA Drive AGX Orin X, it comes with 25 ADAS features, such as parallel parking, remote control parking, high-speed pilot, light traffic assist, and blind spot monitoring.
GAC-Toyota claimed it will be “one of the first automakers in the world to realize a one-stage end-to-end intelligent driving model.” With human-like intelligence, the vehicle “gets smarter and better with use.”
At 4,600 mm long, 1,875 mm wide, and 1,645 mm tall, Toyota’s cheapest EV in China is about the size of BYD’s Yuan Plus (Atto 3) at 4,455 mm long, 1,875 mm wide, and 1,615 mm tall. Starting at 115,800 yuan ($16,000), Toyota’s new bZ3X slightly undercuts BYD’s electric SUV.
What do you think of Toyota’s new electric SUV? Would you buy one for around $15,000? We’ll keep dreaming.
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