China’s leading automaker, BYD, is rapidly expanding its global footprint. BYD is closing in on a deal for an EV plant in Mexico, which is expected to be among the biggest in the region.
After already becoming an EV leader in overseas markets like Thailand, Israel, and Australia, BYD is rapidly expanding its presence in South America.
BYD began construction on its manufacturing plant in Brazil earlier this year. Once up and running, it will produce BYD’s top-selling EVs, including the Dolphin, Dolphin Mini (Seagull), and Yuan Plus.
Sales are surging after launching its cheapest EV in Brazil in March, the $20,000 (99,800 BRL) Seagull (called the Dolphin Mini overseas).
According to data from Brazil’s Ministry of Development, Industry, Trade, and Services, passenger car imports were up 46.4% YOY in the first three months of 2024. Chinese vehicles accounted for 40% of the total, as imports surged 450% from Q1 2023.
BYD led the growth with nearly 15,000 of the total 36,090 EVs sold in Brazil in Q1. China’s GWM was second with 5,735, while Toyota took third with 5,049.
BYD is opening a massive EV plant in Mexico
Reports have been swirling about BYD building an EV plant in Mexico for some time as the automaker expands its North American footprint.
In February, Zhou Zou confirmed BYD is considering a factory in the country. Zou explained that Mexico is a key market with great potential. It could also be used as an export hub to other overseas markets.
Mexico is quickly becoming a hot spot for EV investments. Kia revealed it will build EVs in the region. BMW, Stellantis, and Tesla are also planning to build electric models.
According to Jorge Vallejo, BYD’s general director in Mexico (via Automotive News), the new EV plant will create around 10,000 jobs. This would make it one of the largest in the country, on par with Volkswagen’s Audi.
The VW Group’s Puebla plant is the largest employer in the city, with roughly 6,100 assembly and 5,000 supervisor employees. That doesn’t include the thousands of other workers who work in parts assembly.
According to Vallejo, BYD is expected to sell 50,000 vehicles in Mexico this year. An official announcement about the Mexico plant is expected in the next few months.
The news comes after BYD launched its first pickup, the Shark PHEV, in Mexico last month. Starting at $53,400 (899,980 pesos), the BYD Shark will rival other top pickups in the region, like the Toyota Hilux and Ford Ranger.
According to BYD, the Shark pickup has 7.5 L per 100 km fuel consumption, about 40% less than a full gas-powered truck. BYD plans to launch the Shark PHEV globally, and Mexico will likely be a key part of its overseas expansion.
With higher prices, BYD makes more on EVs sold in Europe than in China. Local production in Mexico, like Thailand, Brazil, and Europe, will enable lower prices and higher profits.
Mexico is already a key player in the EV market. However, with Canada now also calling for additional tariffs on Chinese imports, Mexico will likely see more investments as automakers look to enter the US market.
Meanwhile, BYD is taking on other markets, including South Korea. BYD plans to launch low-cost EVs like the Seal in Korea, where domestic automakers like Hyundai and Kia control the market.
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The UAW union’s Stellantis Council met yesterday to discuss the beleaguered carmaker’s “ongoing failure” to honor the agreement that ended the 2023 labor strike, and their latest union memo doesn’t pull many punches.
In an email sent out by the UAW earlier today (received at 4:55PM CST), UAW President Shawn Fain wrote, “For years, the company picked us off plant-by-plant and we lacked the will and the means to fight back. Today is different. Because we stood together and demanded the right to strike over job security—product commitment—we have the tools to fight back and win … We unanimously recommend to the membership that every UAW worker at Stellantis prepare for a fight, and we all get ready to vote YES to authorize a strike at Stellantis.”
Kia promises the new EV9 GT will have “enormous power,” but that’s not all. For the first time, the Kia EV9 GT was caught with an active spoiler, giving us a sneak peek at potential new upgrades.
The brand’s first three-row electric SUV is already making its presence known in the US, helping push Kia to back-to-back record sales months. Meanwhile, a more powerful, sporty variant is on the way.
Kia confirmed the EV9 GT will top off the electric SUV’s lineup in April. Packing “enormous power,” the high-performance GT model can accelerate from 0 to 62 mph (0 to 100 km/h) in 4 secs.
With a “high-output” dual-motor (AWD) system, the EV9 GT can quickly pick up speed despite weighing over 5,000 lbs.
Kia also equipped it with other high-performance features, such as a reinforced suspension and electronic braking system, for better control and stability.
We’ve already caught a glimpse of the performance electric SUV out testing, revealing aggressive new bumpers and wheels. Now, a new design feature has been spotted.
Kia EV9 GT could come with an active rear spoiler
The latest video from HealerTV shows the EV9 GT with what appears to be an active spoiler. As the reporter noted, it could be similar to the one spotted on the Genesis GV70 Magma.
Tesla’s Model X also used to come with an active spoiler until it was dropped a few years back. Although the GT model was spotted with one, Kia could just be testing new features, so don’t get too excited yet.
Earlier this week, a video from HealerTV showed the front row of the EV9 GT, comparing it to the current GT-Line model.
Several differences can be immediately noticed, including a more aggressive, all-black design with a yellow stripe down the center of the seat.
Kia is set to launch the EV9 GT in early 2025. It will rival other performance SUVs like the Tesla Model X Plaid.
Although prices have yet to be confirmed, the GT model is expected to sit above the current GT-Line at $73,900. In comparison, Tesla’s Model X Plaid starts at $94,990 and can sprint from 0 to 60 mph in 2.5 secs.
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Consumer Reports and EV charging app Chargeway are working together to give drivers a better way to rate public chargers, report uptime, and address maintenance issues.
The technical collaboration with Chargeway is part of a larger effort called the EV Charging Community, which engages with a number of different EV advocacy groups including Plug In America, GreenLatinos, and Generation 180, and leverages the mobile app to rate public EV charging experiences based on various factors, with the findings reported back to industry stakeholders like EVSE manufacturers, CPOs, and utilities.
Be heard
“We are very excited to be partnering with Consumer Reports,” says Chargeway founder, Matt Teske. “From day one, Chargeway has focused on a driver first app design to provide easier EV charging experiences as well as transparency for what drivers can anticipate at (the) station they choose … we share Consumer Reports’ goal to give drivers a voice in the public EV charging reliability conversation. Now, instead of posting complaints on social media and feeling ignored, EV drivers can use the Chargeway mobile app to provide their feedback to the leading consumer advocacy organization.”
Consumer Reports says it’s already seen nearly a third of its 1,600 enrolled community members experience a problem with public charging, so it’s a real problem. “Charging stations are critical services, but when they’re out of order or barely functional, it wastes consumers’ valuable time,” explains Drew Toher, Consumer Reports’ sustainability campaign manager.
Consumer Reports points out that EV drivers who don’t use Chargeway can also enroll to be part of the community at this link.
Electrek’s Take
Chargeway founder Matt Teske is an old friend. He’s a good friend, too, so it’s great to see his top-shelf EV charging app starting to get some of the recognition it deserves. The CR tie-up and added visibility these ratings will give to industry stakeholders are only going to make things better for EV drivers everywhere.
That up there? That’s one of my early interview episodes of Quick Charge featuring a walkthrough of Chargeway+, another collab between Matt and Austin Energy. Enjoy!
SOURCE | IMAGES: Chargeway, Consumer Reports.
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