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Nissan is the latest to adopt DeepSeek tech for its new EV in China, the N7. The N7 will be the first joint venture brand electric car to feature DeepSeek’s R1 as the Japanese automaker fights to turn things around in the world’s largest EV market.

Nissan N7 EV will challenge BYD with DeepSeek tech

Nissan’s Chinese joint venture, Dongfeng Nissan, has high hopes that its new N7 electric sedan can help charge up the brand.

The company announced on Wednesday that its new N7 EV is “The first real car of a joint venture car company connected to the DeepSeek R1 deep reasoning model.”

Dongfeng Nissan’s vice president, Zhou Feng, said the company has been “working hard to provide the best intelligent experience.” Ahead of the lantern festival, Nissan completed the N7 real car access to DeepSeek “at the fastest speed,” he added.

The move comes as Nissan looks to keep pace with EV leaders in China, like BYD, which also revealed plans to integrate DeepSeek into its EV models this week.

Nissan unveiled the N7 electric sedan at the Guangzhou Auto Show. It is widely viewed as an answer to Tesla’s Model 3.

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Nissan N7 electric sedan in China (Source: Nissan)

At 4,930 mm long, 1,895 mm wide, 1,487 mm tall, with a wheelbase of 2,915 mm, the N7 is slightly longer than the Model 3 (4,720 mm long, 1,848 mm wide, 1,442 mm tall, 2,875 mm wheelbase).

The N7 is Nissan’s first dedicated EV underpinned by Dongfeng’s new modular platform, offering “a stress-free driving experience, superior comfort, and a suite of intelligent technology.”

Zhou Feng claimed the new Nissan N7 is “equipped with the industry’s first-tier high-end intelligent driving system.”

Nissan also uses Momenta’s “Navigate on Autopilot” for smart driving features, such as high-speed navigation, city memory navigation, and full-scenario intelligent parking.

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Nissan N7 electric sedan (Source: Zhou Feng)

DeepSeek’s R1 modeling enables the N7 to better understand the driver’s intent to provide a smoother, more human-machine interaction.

Nissan has yet to announce prices for the new N7 EV or an official launch date. Check back soon for more info.

Electrek’s Take

Like most foreign automakers, Nissan is struggling to stay afloat in China, where EV makers like BYD and XPeng are quickly gaining market share.

Japanese automakers have been some of the most brutal hit. Nissan’s sales fell another 15% in China last year after slumping 33% in 2023.

Meanwhile, BYD just upgraded 21 of its top-selling vehicles with its “Gods Eye” ADAS system for free as it expands into smart driving. Even its most affordable EVs, like the Seagull starting at under $10,000 (69,900 yuan) is getting the new tech.

Can the N7 help Nissan turn things around in China? Or will the Japanese automaker continue losing out to domestic EV leaders like BYD? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

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Genesis is reportedly launching a luxury G70 EV sports sedan — Here’s what we know so far

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Genesis is reportedly launching a luxury G70 EV sports sedan — Here's what we know so far

Word on the street is the Genesis G70 is going all-electric. The luxury sports sedan is due for a complete overhaul, including a new look and a fully electric powertrain. Here’s what we know about the Genesis G70 EV so far.

Is Genesis launching a G70 EV sports sedan?

Hyundai’s luxury Genesis brand already offers three fully electric vehicles (EVs): the GV60, the Electrified GV70 SUV, and the Electrified G80 sedan.

This year, all are getting significant updates, including a longer driving range, a refined interior and exterior design, and even more luxury.

Genesis isn’t stopping here. The luxury automaker has even bigger plans in the works. According to Korea’s MotorsJason, the luxury sports sedan will be completely redesigned. The report claims the next-gen Genesis G70 will be exclusively sold as an EV model.

After the Kia Stinger GT1 EV project was put on hold, its launch was finally confirmed. Now, attention has shifted to its sibling, the Genesis G70.

Although the G70 was reportedly being discontinued, and plans for a hybrid were also scrapped, Genesis could revive it as an EV to attract younger buyers to the brand.

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Genesis Track Taxi Nordschleife models including the GV70, G70, Electrified G80, and GV60 (Source: Genesis)

The electric G70 could even earn a Magma performance model. The company’s product planning director said the G70 is an important car for younger buyers to experience the Genesis brand. He explained that the model’s future is being discussed every day on a global level, adding there’s still hope for the G70.

At 4,685 mm (184.4″) long, the 2025 Genesis G70 is about the size of a Tesla Model 3 (4,720 mm/ 185.8″). However, the electric G70 is expected to be slightly smaller and sportier. It’s expected to fill the gap with the Audi A5 coupe and convertible being discontinued.

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Genesis G70 Track Taxi Nordschleife model (Source: Genesis)

Like the GV90, its upcoming ultra-luxury electric SUV, the G70 EV will ride on Hyundai’s new eM platform, which will replace the current E-GMP.

Genesis is expected to unveil the GV90 by the end of the year (Here’s a look at it after it was spotted for the first time in South Korea). With the G70 EV still under development, it’s not likely to arrive until 2027 or 2028. Prices are expected to start at around 70 million won in Korea, or just under $50,000. Check back for more details soon.

Would you buy the electric Genesis sports sedan for around $50,000? Let us know what features you would want to see in the comments below.

Source: TheKoreanCarBlog, MotorsJason

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Chevron will slash up to 20% of its workforce as part of cost-cutting plan

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Chevron will slash up to 20% of its workforce as part of cost-cutting plan

FILE PHOTO: A Chevron gas station is seen in Austin, Texas, U.S., October 23, 2023. 

Brian Snyder | Reuters

Chevron will slash 15% to 20% of its workforce as the oil major implements a plan to cut costs, the company announced Wednesday.

The layoffs will begin this year with most of the cuts complete before the end of 2026. The job cuts are part of its plans to slash costs by between $2 billion and $3 billion by the end of next year, according to Chevron.

We do not take these actions lightly and will support our employees through the transition,” Chevron Vice Chairman Mark Nelson said in a statement. “But responsible leadership requires taking these steps to improve the long-term competitiveness of our company for our people, our shareholders and our communities.” 

Chevron shares were trading about 1% lower Wednesday. The stock is up about 8% this year.

The company missed Wall Street’s fourth-quarter earnings expectations, as its fuel business posted a loss of $248 million compared with a profit of $1.15 billion in prior year, as refining margins have fallen.

Its pending $53 billion acquisition of Hess Corp. is also tied up in arbitration with competitor Exxon Mobil, creating uncertainty about whether the deal will close.

Don’t miss these energy insights from CNBC PRO:

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Chinese car journalists are told not to be negative on Tesla as it sues customers and media

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Chinese car journalists are told not to be negative on Tesla as it sues customers and media

A new scathing report about Tesla just came out in China. It describes how the automaker is becoming trigger-happy, suing its own customers and the media while auto journalists are being told not to be negative about the American automaker.

To this day, Tesla is the only foreign automaker with a wholly-owned car factory in China, although Toyota is expected to follow in a few years.

Elon Musk made the deal happen with Chinese Communist Party (CCP) officials back in 2018. Tesla Gigafactory Shanghai became the company’s biggest production hub and its biggest source of revenue and profit.

Tesla would never be where it is today without Gigafactory Shanghai and the Chinese market.

Now, we learn that Tesla is willing to go to great lengths to protect that.

The Associated Press (AP) has just released a fascinating in-depth report about Tesla’s activities in China regarding customers and the media.

The report centers around a new perspective on the highly publicized battle between Tesla and one of its Chinese customers who claimed a brake defect, but it also goes deeper by highlighting a shift in Tesla’s approach to criticism in China.

AP found that Tesla sued “at least six car owners in China who had sudden vehicle malfunctions, quality complaints or accidents they claimed were caused by mechanical failures.”

Tesla also sued “at least six bloggers and two Chinese media outlets that wrote critically about the company.”

This is highly unusual behavior for an automaker.

The report also highlights the close relationship between Tesla and CCP officials, especially Li Qiang, the former party boss of Shanghai who is now China’s premier. He was involved in the Gigafactory Shanghai deal.

It’s not news that Tesla benefited from preferential treatment in China, but the report goes quite a bit further.

AP alleges that local media are instructed not to be negative on Tesla:

Tesla has profited from the largesse of the Chinese state, winning unprecedented regulatory benefits, below-market rate loans and large tax breaks. With a few pointed exceptions, Tesla has enjoyed largely ingratiating coverage in the Chinese press, and journalists told AP they have been instructed to avoid negative coverage of the automaker.

A reporter told AP:

“We were told by our editor that we should not write negatively about Tesla because it is a key company that was introduced and protected by the Shanghai government.”

The report also explains how Tesla wins about 90% of the court cases filed against the automaker by customers who claim a defect.

Many customers complained of Tesla’s lack of communication, leading to filing lawsuits.

If they file lawsuits, they lose, and if they complain publicly, they are the ones getting sued by Tesla and forced to pay the company and make a public apology.

Electrek’s Take

That’s quite a report. It gave a new perspective on Ms. Zhang’s case. Her case made it to Western media in 2021-2022, but never with the level of detail in this report.

The facts are she got into an accident. She claimed it was due to a brake failure. Tesla claimed it was due to a driver mistake.

She felt compelled to protest Tesla over what she saw as a serious safety issue. She was quite persistent with it. Tesla sued her and won because she had no way to prove that a brake defect had caused the accident. She was forced to pay Tesla and make a public apology.

But we also learned that Tesla claimed that other entities were backing her despite no evidence of that whatsoever.

I think there’s room for reflection on Tesla’s part here. Is this what it wants to be: a company that sues its customers and media over criticism?

Like some customers said in the report, Tesla could have avoided much that by simply having better communications with customers.

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