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Japan is wondering how Chinese EV makers, like BYD, build electric cars so cheaply. After tearing apart BYD’s Atto 3, an all-electric SUV, attendees at an EV seminar in Japan asked, “How can it be produced at such a low cost?”

The Atto 3 was BYD’s first EV to launch in Japan in January 2023. BYD’s electric SUV starts at around $30,000 (4.4 million yen).

Since then, BYD has added two of its best-selling EVs to its lineup in Japan, the Dolphin and Seal, starting at $24,500 (3.63 million yen) and $33,000 (5.28 million yen), respectively.

After launching the Seal, widely seen as BYD’s answer to the Tesla Model, in late June, BYD’s electric sedan was already the top-selling imported EV by August. Now, Japan is studying how BYD and other Chinese EV makers produce vehicles at such a low cost.

The Central Japan Economic and Trade Bureau held a seminar earlier this month (via Nikkei) to explore the trends in battery electric vehicles (BEVs).

Around 70 auto parts companies from Japan attended the event, where over 90,000 parts from 16 foreign electric vehicles were on display.

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BYD Atto 3 (left) and Dolphin (right) EVs in Japan (Source: BYD)

BYD Atto 3 EV teardown shocks Japan

The Atto 3, NIO’s ET5, and Tesla’s Model Y were showcased, but BYD’s electric SUV stole the show. Attendees asked, “How can it be produced at such a low cost?”

Like many of its vehicles, BYD’s Atto 3 starts at under $20,000 (140,000 yuan) in China. Its cheapest EV, the Seagull, starts at under $10,000 (69,800 yuan) in its home market. BYD is able to offer vehicles at such a low cost because it makes most of its components in-house.

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BYD Dolphin (left) and Atto 3 (right) at the 2024 Tokyo Spring Festival (Source BYD Japan)

Starting as a battery maker, BYD has an advantage over the competition. According to data from CnEVPost, BYD is the world’s second-largest EV battery maker. Through the first nine months of 2024, BYD held a 16.4% share of the global EV battery market, second to China’s CATL with 37.1%.

An EV battery can account for over a third of total vehicle costs, but BYD still makes nearly all vehicle components in-house.

An advantage over rivals

For example, except for the windows and tires, BYD builds all Dolphin components. In Japan, the Dolphin rivals Toyota’s top-selling Prius and the Nissan LEAF.

BYD also integrates parts, like its 8-in-1 E-Axle, which includes the motor, inverter, and reducer to reduce costs.

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BYD Atto 3 (Yuan Plus) in Japan (Source: BYD)

Sho Kato, department head of Nissin Seiki, who attended the event, said, “I was surprised at the small number of parts used by BYD and Tesla. Kato added, “Our company also hopes to use the experience gained from our existing business to enter the EV field.”

The EV display center opened in March 2022 and has attracted over 450 companies so far. New models, including Hyundai’s IONIQ 6, will be added by the end of October.

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BYD seal in Japan (Source: BYD)

Meanwhile, Japanese automakers like Toyota, have been some of the slowest to transition to all-electric vehicles.

Of the nearly 6.6 million vehicles Toyota sold through the first eight months of 2024, only 97,058 were all-electric, or less than 1.5%.

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Toyota EV battery roadmap (Source: Toyota)

Despite this, Toyota is promising that new tech, such as advanced new batteries and next-gen EV models, will accelerate the transition.

After dominating in China, BYD is eyeing overseas markets like Japan to drive growth. For the first time, BYD sold more vehicles than Nissan and Honda in the second quarter. Since then, BYD has continued building momentum, with its fourth consecutive record sales month in September.

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Europe’s wind power hits 20%, but 3 challenges stall progress

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Europe’s wind power hits 20%, but 3 challenges stall progress

Wind energy powered 20% of all electricity consumed in Europe (19% in the EU) in 2024, and the EU has set a goal to grow this share to 34% by 2030 and more than 50% by 2050.

To stay on track, the EU needs to install 30 GW of new wind farms annually, but it only managed 13 GW in 2024 – 11.4 GW onshore and 1.4 GW offshore. This is what’s holding the EU back from achieving its wind growth goals.

Three big problems holding Europe’s wind power back

Europe’s wind power growth is stalling for three key reasons:

Permitting delays. Many governments haven’t implemented the EU’s new permitting rules, making it harder for projects to move forward.

Grid connection bottlenecks. Over 500 GW(!) of potential wind capacity is stuck in grid connection queues.

Slow electrification. Europe’s economy isn’t electrifying fast enough to drive demand for more renewable energy.

Brussels-based trade association WindEurope CEO Giles Dickson summed it up: “The EU must urgently tackle all three problems. More wind means cheaper power, which means increased competitiveness.”

Permitting: Germany sets the standard

Permitting remains a massive roadblock, despite new EU rules aimed at streamlining the process. In fact, the situation worsened in 2024 in many countries. The bright spot? Germany. By embracing the EU’s permitting rules — with measures like binding deadlines and treating wind energy as a public interest priority — Germany approved a record 15 GW of new onshore wind in 2024. That’s seven times more than five years ago.

If other governments follow Germany’s lead, Europe could unlock the full potential of wind energy and bolster energy security.

Grid connections: a growing crisis

Access to the electricity grid is now the biggest obstacle to deploying wind energy. And it’s not just about long queues — Europe’s grid infrastructure isn’t expanding fast enough to keep up with demand. A glaring example is Germany’s 900-megawatt (MW) Borkum Riffgrund 3 offshore wind farm. The turbines are ready to go, but the grid connection won’t be in place until 2026.

This issue isn’t isolated. Governments need to accelerate grid expansion if they’re serious about meeting renewable energy targets.

Electrification: falling behind

Wind energy’s growth is also tied to how quickly Europe electrifies its economy. Right now, electricity accounts for just 23% of the EU’s total energy consumption. That needs to jump to 61% by 2050 to align with climate goals. However, electrification efforts in key sectors like transportation, heating, and industry are moving too slowly.

European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen has tasked Energy Commissioner Dan Jørgensen with crafting an Electrification Action Plan. That can’t come soon enough.

More wind farms awarded, but challenges persist

On a positive note, governments across Europe awarded a record 37 GW of new wind capacity (29 GW in the EU) in 2024. But without faster permitting, better grid connections, and increased electrification, these awards won’t translate into the clean energy-producing wind farms Europe desperately needs.

Investments and corporate interest

Investments in wind energy totaled €31 billion in 2024, financing 19 GW of new capacity. While onshore wind investments remained strong at €24 billion, offshore wind funding saw a dip. Final investment decisions for offshore projects remain challenging due to slow permitting and grid delays.

Corporate consumers continue to show strong interest in wind energy. Half of all electricity contracted under Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) in 2024 was wind. Dedicated wind PPAs were 4 GW out of a total of 12 GW of renewable PPAs. 

Read more: Renewables could meet almost half of global electricity demand by 2030 – IEA


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Podcast: New Tesla Model Y unveil, Mazda 6e, Aptera solar car production-intent, more

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Podcast: New Tesla Model Y unveil, Mazda 6e, Aptera solar car production-intent, more

In the Electrek Podcast, we discuss the most popular news in the world of sustainable transport and energy. In this week’s episode, we discuss the official unveiling of the new Tesla Model Y, Mazda 6e, Aptera solar car production-intent, and more.

The show is live every Friday at 4 p.m. ET on Electrek’s YouTube channel.

As a reminder, we’ll have an accompanying post, like this one, on the site with an embedded link to the live stream. Head to the YouTube channel to get your questions and comments in.

After the show ends at around 5 p.m. ET, the video will be archived on YouTube and the audio on all your favorite podcast apps:

We now have a Patreon if you want to help us avoid more ads and invest more in our content. We have some awesome gifts for our Patreons and more coming.

Here are a few of the articles that we will discuss during the podcast:

Here’s the live stream for today’s episode starting at 4:00 p.m. ET (or the video after 5 p.m. ET):

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BYD’s new Han L EV just leaked in China and it’s a monster

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BYD's new Han L EV just leaked in China and it's a monster

The Chinese EV leader is launching a new flagship electric sedan. BYD’s new Han L EV leaked in China on Friday, revealing a potential Tesla Model S Plaid challenger.

What we know about the BYD Han L EV so far

We knew it was coming soon after BYD teased the Han L on social media a few days ago. Now, we are learning more about what to expect.

BYD’s new electric sedan appeared in China’s latest Ministry of Industry and Information Tech (MIIT) filing, a catalog of new vehicles that will soon be sold.

The filing revealed four versions, including two EV and two PHEV models. The Han L EV will be available in single- and dual-motor configurations. With a peak power of 580 kW (777 hp), the single-motor model packs more power than expected.

BYD’s dual-motor Han L gains an additional 230 kW (308 hp) front-mounted motor. As CnEVPost pointed out, the vehicle’s back has a “2.7S” badge, which suggests a 0 to 100 km/h (0 to 62 mph) sprint time of just 2.7 seconds.

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BYD Han L EV (Source: China MIIT)

To put that into perspective, the Tesla Model S Plaid can accelerate from 0 to 100 km in 2.1 seconds. In China, the Model S Plaid starts at RBM 814,900, or over $110,000. Speaking of Tesla, the EV leader just unveiled its highly anticipated Model Y “Juniper” refresh in China on Thursday. It starts at RMB 263,500 ($36,000).

BYD already sells the Han EV in China, starting at around RMB 200,000. However, the single front motor, with a peak power of 180 kW, is much less potent than the “L” model. The Han EV can accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in 7.9 seconds.

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BYD Han L EV (Source: China MIIT)

At 5,050 mm long, 1,960 mm wide, and 1,505 mm tall with a wheelbase of 2,970 mm, BYD’s new Han L is roughly the size of the Model Y (4,970 mm long, 1,964 mm wide, 1,445 mm tall, wheelbase of 2,960 mm).

Other than that it will use a lithium iron phosphate (LFP) pack from BYD’s FinDreams unit, no other battery specs were revealed. Check back soon for the full rundown.

Source: CnEVPost, China MIIT

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