New Energy Vehicles (NEV) from Japanese, Korean, and Western OEMs

Crowded entrance of the exhibition hall

Many NEVs (New Energy Vehicles) were exhibited at the Beijing Motor Show 2018, in particular by Chinese automakers. Foreign automakers also made announcements related to the introduction timing of EVs and PHVs to comply with the NEV production quotas starting in 2019, and exhibited concept cars and production vehicles scheduled for release. This report will primarily cover the environmentally green vehicles of Japanese, Korean, and Western OEMs.

Toyota unveiled PHV variants of its Corolla and Levin models, scheduled for release in 2019, and announced its plans to release EVs based on the C-HR and IZOA models in 2020. Nissan unveiled its Sylphy Zero Emission EV, which has inherited the Leaf's platform and core technology. Honda, which achieved record-high automobile sales in China in 2017 at over 1.45 million vehicles, unveiled its Li Nian EV Concept, an EV concept car exclusively for the China market. Mitsubishi Motors, which released a PHV model in the Chinese market in March 2018, announced it will be releasing an EV model in the second half of 2018. Subaru announced it will be releasing a motor-assisted version of its XV model, with plans to also feature the motor assist technology on the Forester, which is scheduled for a full redesign in the fall of 2018.

The Hyundai Group exhibited PHV variants of its ninth generation Sonata as well as the new Kia K5. Ford exhibited its Mondeo Energi PHV released in March 2018. During the motor show, Ford also announced the establishment of a joint venture specializing in Ford vehicle sales and service. GM exhibited its VELITE 6 EV scheduled for release in 2018, which features a battery manufactured by SAIC-GM. The Volvo Car Group, a subsidiary of the Zhejiang Geely Holding Group, exhibited NEV models from its Volvo and Polestar brands.

Beijing Motor Show 2018 related reports:

SAIC Motor, Dongfeng Motor, FAW, and Other Major OEMs (Jun.2018)
Emerging Chinese EV makers (Jun.2018)
Geely, Great Wall, BYD, Chery, JAC, Zotye, Lifan (Jun.2018)
Exhibitions from German OEMs (May 2018)

Although PHV variants of the Corolla and Levin models were announced at the Toyota event held the day before the 2017 Shanghai Motor Show, at the Beijing Motor Show Toyota announced that the vehicles will be released in 2019, and unveiled the PHV variants of the two models. Both models have an EV range of 50 km or more, and production is scheduled to begin in 2019. The Corolla and Levin will be Toyota's first PHVs manufactured outside of Japan.

Corolla PHV	Levin PHV

Additionally, Toyota exhibited the TNGA-based C-HR, which had been unveiled in China at Auto Guangzhou 2017, as well as its sister vehicle, the IZOA. Both models are powered by the 2.0L Dynamic Force Engine, a new 2.0-liter inline-four direct injection engine, mated to its Direct Shift-CVT. The IZOA will be sold by FAW Toyota, and the C-HR by GAC Toyota. The OEM also plans to accelerate its electrification efforts for the Chinese market by releasing ten EV models by 2020, including EVs variants of the aforementioned two models.

In 2019, Toyota is scheduled to complete its expansion project for battery pack evaluation testing and other facilities at Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (China) Co., Ltd. located in Changshu, Jiangsu Province, which will become operational in 2020. Also, Sinogy Toyota Automotive Energy System Co., Ltd. and Corun Peve Automotive Battery Co., Ltd. are currently expanding their production capacity of nickel metal hydride battery modules to 220,000 units by 2020.

An EV variant of the IZOA will be released in 2020	An EV variant of the C-HR will be released in 2020

GAC Toyota, the joint venture between Toyota and the GAC Group, exhibited the ix4 compact SUV EV. GAC Toyota plans to begin production and sales of the vehicle within the year, ahead of the release of Toyota EV models. The front and rear of the ix4 features the GAC Motor emblem, while the logo of GAC Toyota, as the manufacturer, is displayed on the bottom left rear of the vehicle.

The ix4, scheduled for release in 2018 by GAC Toyota

Lexus brand

In 2017, Lexus sold roughly 133,000 imported vehicles in China. At this motor show, much attention was drawn to the new ES, which made its world premiere. The ES lineup includes the ES260 gasoline engine vehicle, and the ES300h hybrid. The ES series, which underwent a full redesign, features the GA-K platform global architecture with increased rigidity and a lower center of gravity. Incidentally, in addition to the ES, four other hybrid vehicles were exhibited at the Lexus booth.

The Lexus ES300h makes its world premiere

At the show, the director of Nissan's Chinese business and Chief Performance Officer, Jose Munoz, stated that Nissan will promote its electrification strategy in China based on its "Nissan Intelligent Mobility" vision, paving the way for a new age of EVs in the Chinese market by offering appealing products. Nissan plans to release twenty EV models in the next five years. Additionally, its e-POWER technology, already introduced in Japan, will also be introduced in China in the next few years.

The Sylphy Zero Emission was unveiled and is the Nissan brand's first EV manufactured in China. The platform and core technology is inherited from the Nissan Leaf. The Sylphy Zero Emission also features Nissan Intelligent Mobility technology, such as lane departure warning and rear cross traffic alert. The vehicle has a range of 338 km and a China overall fuel consumption of 13.8 kWh/100 km. The vehicle is scheduled for release in the second half of 2018.

Sylphy Zero Emission

The new Leaf, currently being considered for release in the Chinese market	Concept car IMx KURO

Venucia

In February 2017, the Venucia brand was spun off from Dongfeng Nissan to establish a new company "Dongfeng Venucia." This motor show marks the second auto show in which Dongfeng Venucia has participated since becoming independent, where it showcased its concept model The X, which expresses the new design language for the brand. The characteristic front grill, named the V-Galaxy, was designed at its Advanced Design Center in Shanghai established in April 2018.

Venucia brand's The X concept car	The updated new Venucia T90

In 2017, Honda sold a record number of automobiles in China at over 1.45 million vehicles. As of the end of May 2018, the automaker has recorded a cumulative total of over 10 million vehicles sold and considers 2018 as the first year of its electrification strategy.

At the 2017 Shanghai Motor Show, Honda announced it would release EVs in 2018. At this show, the OEM exhibited its Li Nian China-exclusive EV concept car. The production model will be released by Guangqi Honda. Honda plans to release twenty or more electric vehicles including NEVs by 2025, and it also has plans to release PHVs.

The China-exclusive Li Nian EV Concept

The Accord Sport Hybrid, featuring the i-MMD (intelligent Multi-Mode Drive) twin motor hybrid system (a power generation motor, a drive motor, and a dedicated hybrid engine) was unveiled. Targeted at the younger generation, the vehicle is fuel efficient, eco-friendly, and provides a sporty driving experience. The vehicle is scheduled for release in Q3 of 2018 by Guangqi Honda.

Accord Sport Hybrid

Acura brand

A hybrid variant of the CDX compact SUV released in China in 2016 was revealed, and its price (CNY 299,800 and up) was announced. The vehicle features a 2.0-liter inline-four gasoline engine (maximum output of 107 kW and maximum torque of 135 Nm) and motor (maximum output of 135kW and maximum torque of 315 Nm). The CDX Sport Hybrid will be available in three trim levels and six exterior color options.

Acura CDX Sport Hybrid

Mitsubishi Motors exhibited its e-Evolution Concept, which debuted at the 2017 Tokyo Motor Show, on the main stage of its joint booth with Guangqi Mitsubishi as well as its Eclipse Cross, scheduled for release in China in the second half of 2018. Although overshadowed by the above two models, Mitsubishi also unveiled an EV concept car and a production model PHV. At its press conference, Guangqi Mitsubishi announced it would continue to focus on SUVs as its primary models, promote electrification and connected technology, as well as upgrade its research and development and sales network. The OEM aims to achieve an annual production and sales volume of 300,000 vehicles in 2020.

The "E More" EV concept car, scheduled to be introduced in September-October 2018, was unveiled. The E More has a maximum output of 132 kW, a maximum torque of 290 Nm, a top speed of 156 km/h, a battery capacity of 12 kWh, and a range of 400 km or more. The vehicle has a length of 4337 mm, a width of 1825 mm, and a height of 1640 mm.

Concept car E MORE

The Eupheme PHEV, a PHV model manufactured by Guangqi Mitsubishi and released in March 2018, was exhibited. The vehicle's powertrain is a combination of a 1.5 ATK engine and a motor. The vehicle has a rated output of 71 kW and a maximum torque of 120 Nm. The vehicle has a length of 4510 mm, a width of 1852 mm, a height of 1708 mm, and a wheelbase of 2650 mm.

The released Eupheme PHEV

In 2017 Subaru sold 31,000 vehicles in China, all of which were imported. In 2018, the OEM aims to achieve a similar sales target of 30,000 vehicles. At this show, the automaker announced that it would release the new motor-assisted power unit, the INTELLIGENT BOXER. This is the first time for Subaru to release a motor-assisted vehicle in the Chinese market. Initially, Subaru plans to feature the new power unit on its Subaru Global Platform-equipped XV, and will later feature it on the Forester, which is scheduled for a full redesign in the fall.

XV	Forester

At the 2017 Shanghai Motor Show, the Hyundai Group's booth on press day was heavily guarded with security personnel as a result of the deployment of the U.S. military's Terminal High Altitude Area Defense missile (THAAD) to Korea. At this show, security at the Group's booth was light, and vehicles were exhibited in a relaxed atmosphere.

According to an announcement by the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers (CAAM), in 2017 Korean passenger vehicle sales plummeted in China with a year-over-year (y/y) decrease of 36.1% to 1.145 million vehicles. Between January and April 2018, these figures saw a y/y increase of 4.3% to 348,000 vehicles.

Hyundai

The ninth-generation Sonata PHV, first unveiled at Auto Guangzhou 2017, was exhibited. The vehicle is powered by a 2.0-liter engine, with a maximum output of 115 kW and a maximum torque of 189 Nm, combined with a ternary lithium-ion battery, achieving a range of (NEDC mode) 75 km and a mileage of 1.3 liters/100 km. According to media reports, the Sonata PHV is scheduled to be released by Beijing Hyundai in July 2018.

Sonata PHV	Elantra EV

Kia

The new K5 PHV model, released in mid-April 2018, was exhibited. The K5 PHV features a battery with a capacity of 12.9 kWh, realizing an EV mode range of 75 km and a fuel consumption of 1.3 liters/100 km. Between 2018 to 2020, Kia Motors' Chinese joint venture Dongfeng Yueda Kia plans to release four new NEV models (two PHV sedans, a compact EV SUV model, and an EV sedan). The automaker has set a vehicle sales target of 500,000 vehicles in 2018.

K5 PHV

The Mondeo PHV, unveiled at the 2017 Shanghai Motor Show and released in March 2018, is Ford's first PHV model released in the Chinese market. The powertrain is comprised of a 2.0-liter engine (maximum output of 105 kW and maximum torque of 174.9 Nm) and a motor (maximum output of 92 kW and maximum torque of 228 Nm). The battery has a volume of 9 kWh, and the vehicle has an EV range of 52 km and a top speed of 166 km/h. The Mondeo PHV has a fuel consumption of 2.0 liters/100 km. The model will be offered in three trim levels with different equipment options.

During the motor show, Ford announced the establishment of its new company that specializes in sales and service (Ford National Distribution Services Division in China). Not only will the company sell Changan Ford vehicles, it will also sell imported Ford brand vehicles, as well as handle marketing and services, and will serve as a single-point sales contact for customers. The new company will begin operations on July 1st.

Mondeo PHV

The Enspire EV concept car, first unveiled at the event held on April 17th 2018, and the Buick Velite 6 PHV were exhibited, but no press releases were announced at the show. The Enspire EV concept car has an EV range of 600 km. The vehicle features wireless charging, automated valet parking technology, and high-speed network connectivity.

Enspire

The VELITE 6 is scheduled for release in 2018, and in addition to the exhibited PHV model, GM plans to release an EV model. The VELITE 6 PHV model's powertrain consists of a 1.5-liter engine combined with a motor. The vehicle has a range of 700 km and a low-fuel consumption of 1.4-liters/100 km. For its battery, the VELITE 6 PHV features a high-performance ternary lithium-ion battery pack manufactured by the SAIC-GM Power Battery Development Center. The VELITE 6 EV model is equipped with GM's next-generation eMotion electric drive system.

The VELITE 6 is equipped with the Buick e-connect cloud platform technology. Drivers are provided with an user-specific ID and a virtual key, and the software is updated through OTA updates.

VELITE 6 PHV

The two brands owned by Zhejiang Geely Holding Group's subsidiary Volvo Car, the Volvo and Polestar brands, had individual booths at the Beijing Motor Show 2018. Polestar was announced in 2017 as an independent premium EV brand and subsidiary of the Volvo Car Group, and its booth drew much attention from visitors as it was the first time the brand exhibited at a Chinese motor show.

Volvo

At this show, Volvo declared that by 2025 it would increase the percentage of EVs to 50% of its total sales volume. Additionally, under its electrification strategy announced in 2017, the brand aims to reach a cumulative NEV sales volume of 1 million vehicles by 2025. The new fully-redesigned XC40 was exhibited on the center turntable of the Volvo booth. The XC40 will be available in two powertrain options, as a gasoline engine model, and a PHV model.

XC60PHV	XC40

Polestar

The Polestar 1, scheduled for release in 2019, is a PHV based on Volvo's SPA (Scalable Product Architecture) platform. The powertrain is a combination of either a supercharged or turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-four engine combined with two motors and a crankshaft ISG. The vehicle has a maximum output of 600 hp, a maximum torque of 1000 Nm, and an EV range (NEDC mode) of 150 km. The vehicle is constructed from CFRP and steel composite materials. Polestar vehicles will be manufactured at the Chengdu plant, which is currently under construction.

Polestar 1

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Keyword
China, Beijing, Autoshow, Toyota, Lexus, Nissan, Venucia, Honda, Acura, Li Nian, Mitsubishi, Subaru, Hyundai, Kia, Ford, GM, Geely, Volvo, Polestar, NEV, EV, PHV

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