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Menthol

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Newly launched IM L6 has record breaking tech​


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Mark Andrews

May 14, 2024


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Yesterday we brought you the launch of the IM L6 which is priced between 219,900 and 345,900 yuan (30,400 – 47,800 USD). This car however is revolutionizing handling and in the process pushing records.

As we broke the story a few days ago, the L6 has broken the 25 year old record for the fastest moose test speed. At the time we didn’t know by how much, now we know that the IM L6 not only broke the record, it smashed it. It had remained unbeaten since 1999 when a Citroën Xantia Activa V6 achieved 85 km/h. The IM L6 managed a speed of 90.96 km/h comprehensively beating the record thanks to the car’s clever technology.
That is not the only accolade the new car has, it is also in the form of the Max Super Performance model the fastest domestic EV on the market with a top speed of 308 km/h and a 0-100 km/h acceleration time of 2.74 seconds. The Max Super Performance model has a 200 kW electric motor with 300 Nm of torque on the front axle along with a 379 kW motor with 500 Nm of torque on the rear. Confusingly the top speed of this model is also listed as 268 km/h, and so whether there exists some sort of overdrive system or whether this is the non-limited speed is not clear. The speed not only beats the Xiaomi SU7 Max’s 265 km/h but also that of many well-known performance cars such as the Audi RS e-tron GT. Key to this performance is the self-developed hurricane motor which works at up to 21,000 rpm.


Perhaps one of the biggest surprises of yesterday’s launch was that the lizard digital chassis is standard across the range. This is one of the key elements which helped smash the moose test record. It controls movement of the car on three axes -the third being vertical – along with six degrees of freedom for movement of the whole vehicle. In an illustration it shows the action on the car when cornering meaning that the car remains level with the road rather than wallowing into the outward wheel. By doing so it increases stability allowing for higher speed maneuvering such as in the moose test. This not only adds to the stability of the vehicle but also makes it more stable in the event of an emergency action. It suppresses tail flick and increases the limits of the L6 by 5-8 km/h.
Illustration showing the effect of the IM L6’s vehicle motion control system
Four-wheel steering is included as part of the setup. It means the car is very flexible giving the L6 a turning radius of just 4.99 meters. It also helps reduce the length of a parking space needed to parallel park by 11%,
Comfort is upped through gimbal control meaning it eliminates roll, and nodding under extreme braking. Safety is also greater through better high-speed emergency obstacle avoidance. The L6’s system has a 30% faster response rate than with a traditional ESP system and there is 80% less deviation.

Editor’s note:​

IM Motors has received a lot of headlines through its claims about solid state batteries which has now been backtracked to semi-solid state. Notably the Lightyear edition, which features the battery, did not go on sale at yesterday’s launch and is supposedly going to be available to order in September with deliveries commencing in October. Astute readers will notice that the price of 345,900 yuan (47,800 USD) is considerably higher than the 330,000 yuan (45,600 USD) quoted with the pre-sales. Furthermore, there has been to date no MIIT approval for the sale of this version, and the car cannot be sold in China without it.
It may well be the case that the semi-solid state battery will not be launched on this timetable. The fact that already the car is more expensive than originally thought is worrying. Nio first promised a semi-solid state battery in 2022 and it will only be finally available next month. Furthermore William Li, Nio’s founder, has said publicly that the battery costs around 300,000 yuan (41,450 USD) which is why it is not actually available to purchase. That the Lightyear version of the L6 is already being quoted more expensive than before shows all may not be well with the timetable for the launch of this version.
Sources: Fast Technology, Autohome

When I first saw this car, I'm falling in love with the design, both exterior and interior.

Just like Avatr 11 and 12 too.



Title: It’s worth buying this car! Zhiji L6 is the first to test drive! The driving control is far superior to that of its class...but are there any flaws in urban smart driving?

It's too bad there's no English subtitle, but you can see the footage about self-driving tech of this car.

China road is unlike USA road, China road is not uniform, many times it confuses the car itself.

It's funny, in the test video I posted couple of days ago (or yesterday?), there's a test for confusing road marks, see if the car can pass it well. Nuts!!!
 
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Menthol

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A person from Egypt imports Avatr 11 by himself to Egypt.

It seems there are many people who import Chinese car by himself worldwide.

And many Chinese exporters are willingly to help.

I found some on the internet. lol
 

Yommie

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Hongqi EHS7 SUV revealed with battery swap support in China​


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Dong Yi Chen

May 14, 2024


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Recently, FAW’s Hongqi EHS7, with support of battery swap, applied for a sales license in China, as seen in the homologation fillings list revealed by the Chinese Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT). The design of the new version remains the same as that of the standard pure electric version; the main difference is the use of battery swap technology. The EHS7 is the first pure electric SUV under the Hongqi New Energy sub-brand.

Hongqi EHS7 standard version
Earlier, the standard pure electric version of the Hongqi EHS7 appeared at the 2024 Beijing Auto Show. The expected launch date is June this year and will be available in both single and dual-motor versions.
Hongqi EHS7 pictures from homologation fillings. Credit: MIIT
Positioned as a standard five-seater medium-to-large SUV, the Hongqi EHS7 battery swap version measures 4925/1950/1680 mm, and the wheelbase is 3000 mm, which is the same as the standard version. The new car will be powered by a rear electric motor (model CAM220PT8) with a maximum power of 253 kW and matched with lithium iron phosphate battery packs from BYD’s FinDreams. The top speed is 200 km/h.


Other configurations include optional rim shapes, radar, green glass, dual-color body, and 255/55R19, 255/45R21, or 275/40R21 tires.
In 2024, Hongqi plans to launch 16 new vehicles, including multiple pure electric and plug-in hybrid models. The pure electric model includes two new models and two annual facelift models, which are EH7 (codenamed E001), EHS7 (codenamed E202), the new E-QM5 560 km model, and the new E-HS9. The plug-in hybrid models will include the HQ9, HS7, and HS3.
In 2023, Hongqi sold more than 370,000 vehicles, a year-on-year increase of 29.5%; with Hongqi New Energy sold more than 85,000 vehicles, a year-on-year increase of 135%. As part of Hongqi’s vehicle electrification goal, it plans to sell more than 1.5 million vehicles annually with new energy vehicles being the main contributor.

Neither state-owned First Automobile Works (FAW) nor its premium brand Hongqi are members of Nio’s led battery swap alliance, which includes GAC, Chery, Changan, and JAC.
Source: Chinese MIIT, AutoHome, 36kr
 

Yommie

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Xpeng’s XNGP urban self-driving system hits another milestone​


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Naveed Rastegar

May 15, 2024


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Xpeng, the Chinese electric vehicle manufacturer, has recently made significant strides in the field of autonomous driving with its XNGP urban self-driving system. On May 14th, the company announced that the system had achieved 100% mapless driving and had doubled the available driving range. This breakthrough signifies a notable improvement in the versatility of the XNGP system, as previously, advanced assistance driving in select areas required the use of high-definition maps. A test was initially rolled out in February this year, but it is now that the company claims the system has reached 100% mapless driving.

In terms of specific city mileage expansion, the available range in Shanghai has expanded by 2.23 times, Guangzhou by 2.15 times, Shenzhen by 2.18 times, and Foshan by 1.31 times.

Expanding beyond these major cities, Xpeng has also extended the coverage of its intelligent driving system to Shandong and Jiangxi provinces. Shandong now offers over 30,000 kilometers of urban mileage, while Jiangxi provides over 11,000 kilometers. In Shandong, cities such as Jinan, Qingdao, and Linyi have fully opened up, while in Jiangxi, cities like Nanchang and Ganzhou are included.

It is worth noting that these new features are currently limited to the Max version of Xpeng’s vehicles, this version was initially introduced last April. This limitation is understandable as the Pro version vehicles are restricted to high-speed scenarios due to their overall vehicle computing power and sensor capabilities, thus mainly supporting XNGP-assisted driving.

Xpeng’s advancements in autonomous driving come at a time of intense competition in the market. Recently, the CEO of WeRide, Tony Han, revealed that on May 18th, their PPA self-driving system would expand to cover one hundred cities, ahead of the original plan by at least one quarter. Han will also demonstrate the “light mapping” PPA capability through a live stream on that day. Not to mention, Tesla made headlines recently with its push forward to bring its FSD system to mainland China.
Furthermore, Nio has chosen to open up its urban NOP+ function to national users through a “road validation” approach. Once a route receives dual certification from users and the official system, the NOP+ function is made available. Therefore, Nio’s urban autonomous driving expansion focuses on coverage rather than “city openings.”

Similarly, after pledging “nationwide availability” at the end of last year, Huawei upgraded its goal to “driving on any road.” They also rely on a mapless solution to achieve urban autonomous driving. It is evident that “mapless” driving has become an industry trend. The competition between leading companies has objectively accelerated the continuous evolution of autonomous driving capabilities in China.
Overall, several Chinese companies have demonstrated a constant push for improved performance in the field of autonomous driving, with their technological prowess placing them at the forefront of the industry. It is hoped that these companies will further refine this technology through future iterations, ultimately providing users with a more seamless and perfect autonomous driving experience in the not-so-distant future.
Source: Citnews
 

Yommie

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As US hikes tariffs on Chinese EVs, BYD launches BYD Shark pickup in Mexico for 53,400 USD​


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Jiri Opletal

May 15, 2024


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BYD launched its first electric pickup truck in Mexico for 899,980 Mexican pesos (53,400 USD). The plug-in hybrid (PHEV) packs dual motors with 429 horsepower and a 5.7 second acceleration time from 0 to 100km/h (0 to 62 mph).

BYD called the event a global debut. It is the first time the Shenzhen-based automaker has launched its electric car overseas before China.

BYD Shark sits on the DMO platform, which is BYD’s in-house developed PHEV platform dedicated to off-road vehicles, based on DM-p, which is a platform that underpins most of its 4WD hybrids in China. The DM stands for dual mode.

BYD Shark is a proper large truck with a length of nearly 5.5 meters (220 inches) and 5 seats. The dimensions are 5457/1971/1925 mm (length/width/height), and the wheelbase is 3260mm. That translates to 214.8/77.6/75.8 inches and a 128.3 inch wheelbase.
The PHEV truck has a towing capacity of 2,500 kg (5,512 lbs) and a max payload of 835 kg (1,841 lbs). The loading volume is 1,450 liters (51.2 cubic feet).

The front motor has 170 kW power and 310 Nm peak torque, while the rear motor has an output of 150 kW and 340 Nm torque. The whole electric powertrain has a maximum power of 320 kW (429 hp) and 650 Nm peak torque. Shark can sprint 0-100km/h in 5.7 seconds. The e-motors are mated by 1.5L turbo ICE.

The electricity is stored in BYD’s LFP Blade battery with a capacity of 29.58 kWh. It provides the pure electric range of 100 km under NEDC conditions and 840 km with full battery and tank. The NEDC fuel consumption is 7.5L/100 km.
Inside the car, as in all BYD’s EVs, you will find a rotable central control screen. The size is 12.8″ and is complemented by 10.25″ instrument panel in front of the driver. Shark’s interior has many physical buttons on the steering wheel and central console, where the gear selector is located.
BYD Shark interior with two LCDs, lots of buttons, and the gear selector on the central tunnel. Credit: BYD
BYD Shark will compete with the Ford Ranger PHEV and Toyota Hilux in Mexico. Stella Li, BYD America’s CEO, previously confirmed that BYD has no plans to sell any EVs in the US. Which is not entirely true.
Li most likely meant passenger vehicles, as BYD has had an electric bus plant in Lancaster, California, since 2012 and is one of the largest electric bus makers in the US. In November last year, BYD won the contract for electric school buses in California.
BYD’s US-made electric school bus. Credit: BYD
On May 14, US President Joe Biden announced tariffs on Chinese-made electric vehicles import would rise to 100%, quadrupling the current tariff of 25%.
 

Yommie

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Xiaomi to add a second shift in June, boosting plant capacity to 20,000 units monthly​


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Jiri Opletal

May 15, 2024


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Batch of Xiaomi SU7s. Credit: Xiaomi

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Xiaomi will start double shift production in June in its Beijing plant, local media reports. The daily operation hours will increase from 8 to 16 hours, and the monthly production capacity will increase to nearly 20,000 vehicles.

Earlier today, Xiaomi announced that it delivered the 10,000th Xiaomi SU7 on May 15. The deliveries of the EV sedan started on April 3, meaning the consumer electronic giant delivered 10,000 cars in 43 days.
Lei Jun, Xiaomi CEO and founder, previously said that the Beijing factory can produce 40 SU7 per hour, translating into one car every 76 seconds. Based on this calculation, when the second shift is implemented, the production capacity will increase to nearly 20,000 units, Cailian reports.

On May 13, Xiaomi teased in Episode 40 of the “Xiaomi SU7 Answers” series that the implementation of double shifts began on May 1 during the Labor holiday: “In order to increase production capacity this year, our engineers used the May Day holiday to conduct equipment transformation to prepared us to improve our delivery capabilities rapidly. We will have some good news to report to you soon.”
Moreover, Xiaomi increased orders from some of its suppliers by 80% as one type of component increased from 10,000 sets per month to 18,000 per month. Xiaomi also started recruiting workers for the second shift in early April, Cailin report concludes.
Xiaomi announced that it delivered the 10,000th Xiaomi SU7 on May 15.
Xiaomi SU7 was launched on March 28, and since then, the locked-in orders have surpassed 100,000 units, making the car basically out for the rest of the year. As of May 15, the delivery times for three SU7 models are:

  • Xiaomi SU7 standard: 29-32 weeks
  • Xiaomi SU7 Pro: 30-33 weeks
  • Xiaomi SU7 Max: 33-36 weeks
The second phase of the Xiaomi Beijing plant will start construction later in 2024 and be finished by 2025. It will bring an additional 150,000 annual production capacity, bringing the total plant capacity to 300,000.
Xiaomi also goes all out with opening new stores and showrooms. By the end of 2024, it plans to build additional 219 stores in 46 cities across China. “We are still working hard to increase production capacity and ensure that we complete the delivery target of 100,000 units this year.” Lei Jun once again emphasized Xiaomi Motors’ plan for this year.
Based on vehicle plate registrations tracked by CarNewsChina, Xiaomi registered 9280 vehicles in China as of May 12.
 

Yommie

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Aiways to withdraw from China and concentrate on Europe​


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Mark Andrews

May 15, 2024


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Aiways is the latest casualty of China’s cut throat new energy vehicle market. The company has reportedly chosen to withdraw from the Chinese market in order to focus on the European market. A number of joint venture brands have made similar moves over the last few years but with Aiways it is not a JV, but a Chinese brand.

Fast Technology reports an Aiways insider as saying “Due to pricing pressure and fierce competition in the Chinese market, we have no plans to continue to stay in the Chinese market.”
Aiways has always been quite unique in the Chinese EV market with it seeming to sell more cars overseas than in China. The company claimed to be the first fully Chinese brand selling electric cars in western Europe. Aiways has its European headquarters in Germany.


Fast Technology however reports that cumulative sales for Aiways have only just exceeded 10,000 and based on figures we have this is likely across all markets. In 2022 the last complete year of data we could find sales in Europe were just 1,237, a small increase over the 2021 figure of 996. Chinese sales figures also seem to abruptly end in April 2023. Sales in 2022 however were 1,364 down from 2,698 the year before.
Despite such bad sales Aiways has actually two models on sale the U5 SUV and the U6 coupe SUV. Cars are produced at a factory in Shangrao, Jiangxi Province which reportedly has capacity of up to 300,000 vehicles a year. Production ceased during the first half of last year due to a financial crisis and workers were unpaid. It seems that around August the CEO was replaced and the company underwent restructuring. What remains unclear is whether production ever resumed.

Aiways was founded in 2017 by Fu Qian (Samuel Fu) who had previously held executive positions in China with Mercedes-Benz, Audi and Volvo.

Under the new plan Aiways will continue to produce cars in China and export to Europe and other markets. Aiways along with Europe exports cars to Israel.

Editor’s note:​

Aiways has since last year been one of China’s zombie NEV companies. While withdrawing from the Chinese market will save some resources it’s hard to believe that it will be enough to save the company. Although Aiways is or at least was on sale across more than 10 European countries the brand doesn’t seem able to attract sales in the quantity needed to operate. Sales in Germany in April were all of 2 cars and in the Netherlands they sold 86 last month!
Sources: Fast Technology, CN SUV, Good Car Bad Car,
 

Yommie

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Nio’s Onvo L60 SUV-coupe starts pre-sale at 30,500 USD, has lower energy density than Model Y and 1000 km range​


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Jiri Opletal

May 15, 2024


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On May 15, Nio launched its mass-market brand, Onvo. It is positioned under the Nio brand and focuses on young families. Onvo stands for On Voyage, and the Chinese name is Ledao (乐道). The deliveries will start in September, and the presale started today for 219,900 yuan (30,500 USD).

Onvo L60 is an all-electric fastback SUV, and during the official launch, Nio heavily benchmarked it with the Tesla Model Y in all aspects. The EV’s energy consumption is 12.1 kWh/100km under CLTC conditions, which is better than the Model Y’s 12.5 kWh/100km consumption under the same CLTC conditions, Nio claims.
“We’ve prioritized low power consumption since day 1,” Onvo president Alan Ai (Ai Tiecheng) said before the launch. Ai is a former General Manager of WeWork China and vice president of marketing at Disney, who joined Nio in January 2021, creating a team internally called Alps, which was Onvos’s codename.


The L60 is a mid-size SUV with dimensions 4828/1930/1616 mm (length/width/height) and a wheelbase of 2950 mm. That translates as 190/76/64 inches and 116 inches wheelbase.
For comparison, the Tesla Model Y is slightly smaller, with dimensions of 4750/1921/1624 mm and a wheelbase of 2890 mm. Tesla’s SUV starts at 249,900 yuan (34,600 USD) in China for the 60 kWh variant, which has a CLTC range of 554 km (344 miles). Unlike Model Y, the Onvo L60 doesn’t have a frunk.
“The pre-sale price of the Onvo L60 is 30,000 yuan (4,200 USD) cheaper than the Model Y,” said Alan Ai during the launch event.


The L60 will come in three range variants:
  • Standard range with 555 km (345 miles)
  • Long range with 730 km (454 miles)
  • Extra Long Range with 1000+ km (621+ miles)
The EV will feature 60 kWh, 90 kWh, and 150 kWh battery packs. The 150 kWh battery pack is a semi-solid state battery from WeLion, which can be swapped into the car at the swap station but can’t be purchased. L60 features 900V architecture, so expect some fast charging.
Some media previously speculated about BYD being an Onvo supplier; however, Nio didn’t disclose the battery manufacturer during the conference.
Nio stated that Onvo will launch globally in late 2024, and the first stop will most likely be the European Union.
The front seats can fold entirely to create one big bed for sleeping. Credit: Nio
In terms of computing power, L60 is equipped with one Nvidia Orin X chip, which has a computing power of 254 TOPS and seven 8-megapixel high-definition cameras. It has no lidar. Regarding aerodynamics, the drag coefficient is 0.229Cd at 120km/h.
Onvo L60 in orange, silver, an white. Credit: Onvo
The interior wasn’t officially unveiled, but we know the cabin will have a large 17.2″ central control screen, no LCD instrument panel in front of the driver, and instead a 13″ head-up display (HUD). The rear seats can be equipped with 8″ entertainment screens. All this is conducted by a new Onvo OS in-cabin software. Interestingly, front seats can be entirely down to create one big bed for sleeping.

Onvo L60 was created by former Bentley designer Rahul Pires, Nio’s Head of Design, who spent over 20 years at Volkswagen Group.
Onvo cars will support battery swapping and are compatible with Nio’s swap stations. However, not all – Onvo will be compatible only with the third and fourth-generation swap stations. Nio currently has about 2,400 swap stations of which 1,000 are third and fourth generation, which Onov cars can use.in China
Onvo L60 will compete with the Tesla Model Y, Toyota Rav4, Xpeng G6 and BYD Sea Lion 07 in China. The EV will start deliveries in September when the powertrain and the rest of the key specifications will be revealed.
Onvo L60 rear.Onvo L60 crashtest.Nio claims Onvo L60 is the king of efficiency.
 

Yommie

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New Aito M5 delivery started in China​


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Dong Yi Chen

May 15, 2024


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On May 15, Aito officially started the delivery of its new Aito M5 SUV in China, still available in EV and EREV models. Three versions of the car were launched on April 23 with a price range of 249,800 – 279,800 yuan (34,600 – 39,000 USD).

The new Aito M5 has added two new exterior body colors, namely, Metropolis Red and Tahiti Gray. In terms of appearance, the trapezoidal front grille has been canceled for the EREV models and is replaced with the same closed design as the EV model. Otherwise, the other exterior aspects remain the same.
That brings the total colors to five, including Ceramic White, Azure Blue, and Gilt Black.

The size of the new Aito M5 is 4785/1930/1620 (1625 for the EREV) mm, with a 2880 mm wheelbase. The entire series comes standard with advanced driving assistance capabilities, realized via 27 sensors located throughout the vehicle, including a lidar, three millimeter-wave radars, 11 high-definition cameras for lateral and front-to-back visual perception, and 12 ultrasonic radars. Smart parking functions such as vehicle summoning, remote parking assistance, and autonomous valet parking are supported.

The new Aito M5 also comes with black double five-spoke rims and red brake calipers. The high-performance version uses 20-inch rims and is equipped with Pirelli P ZERO tires. At the same time, the roof lidar is still present.

The interior has not changed much compared to the old model, covered in soft leather materials. There is a 10.25-inch LCD instrument panel and a 15.6-inch floating central control screen. Under the central control screen, there are two 50W wireless fast chargers, two cup holders, and a new-style crystal gear knob.

Furthermore, the new Aito M5 is equipped with the same Schroeder acoustic diffuser technology as the Aito M9, and paired with Huawei Sound speakers.
The vehicle seats have also been upgraded with thicker cushionings.
The EV model is only available in rear-wheel drive, powered by a 200 kW/360 Nm permanent magnet synchronous motor and an 83 kWh lithium iron phosphate battery pack, providing a CLTC range of 602 km. The 0 – 100 km/h acceleration time is 7.1 seconds. It takes 30 minutes to fast charge from 30% to 80% and 10.5 hours to slow charge from 10% to 90%.
The EREV model offers two powertrain layouts: rear-wheel drive and four-wheel drive, both are equipped with a 1.5T range extender and a 42 kWh ternary lithium battery pack, providing a CLTC pure electric cruising range of 255 km and 230 km, respectively. The CLTC comprehensive ranges are 1,440 km and 1,275 km, respectively. Additionally, the rear-wheel drive version is powered by a 200 kW/360 Nm electric motor while the four-wheel drive is powered by a 165 kW/315 Nm front and a 200 kW/360 Nm rear electric motor. The 0 – 100 km/h acceleration time is 4.3 seconds for the four-wheel drive.
source: Aito, AutoHome
 

Yommie

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Baidu launches 6th generation robotaxi – costs less than a Xiaomi SU7​


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Mark Andrews

May 15, 2024


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Today Baidu launched at the company’s Apollo Day its sixth generation robotaxi which is now ready for deployment on the streets of Wuhan. What’s really eye catching about the announcement is how little the new RT6 costs. According to Baidu the invoice cost is just 204,600 yuan (28,350 USD) they even showed the Chinese fapiao at the launch to prove it. That comes in at less than recently launched cars such as the Xiaomi SU7 and IM L6 and is more than 50% less than the cost of the previous generation of robotaxi – RT6 stands for sixth generation robotaxi

If you’re wondering what the big deal is about that price you need to realize this is a level 4 autonomous driving car. It comes equipped with 5 Lidar units and has in total 40 sensors in 7 categories around the car. Maximum sensing distance is 440 meters. Computing power is 1200 TOPS which is more than double the computing power used by XPeng and Li Auto for their assisted driving systems, but is only marginally more than the 1016 TOPS of the Nio Adam supercomputer.
Baidu Apollo RT6 robotaxi launch
The RT6 is produced by JMC (Jiangling Motors Corp). Jiangxi Province based JMC is best known for commercial vehicles and also has a joint venture with Ford producing vehicles such as the Transit, Equator and Bronco. Supposedly combining elements of both an MPV and SUV the RT6 measures in at 4765, 1885 and 1715 mm (l/w/h) and rides on a 2830 mm wheelbase. It’s powered by a 110 kW electric motor sourced from BYD. Batteries are lithium iron phosphate and are in a swappable pack which can be changed in three minutes, the size of the pack is not currently disclosed. Maximum speed is 135 km/h.

The RT6 has sliding doors to ease ingress and egress for passengers and doors are unlocked using a password on the B-pillar. In keeping with many current Chinese SUVs the roof and pillars are black but surprisingly this also extends all the way down the tailgate until the bumpers. At the front the RT6 has Starlight headlights which have recognition, prompting and interaction functions. On the roof are an array of Lidar sensors covering various angles.
Inside, the car is a four seater. Despite some Chinese media such as Fast Technology showing pictures of the RT6 with a retractable steering wheel for the moment this is still some way off. The front, though, does just have a very simple steering wheel and a small central display setup. Emphasis is very much on the two rear passengers who get individual seats which have heating and a 10-point massage function along with an adjustable back rest and leg rest. The second-row passengers have 998 mm of headroom, 1,485 mm of shoulder room and 920 mm of legroom and the seats can recline by 135°. Passengers are able to control the car’s comfort functions by voice command. Safety is aided by both side and curtain airbags for the passengers.
Impression showing a future retractable steering wheel equipped RT6.
Plans call for 1,000 RT6 robotaxis to deploy on the streets of Wuhan by the end of 2024. Apollo Go the Baidu unit which operates the robotaxi fleet is rapidly approaching profitability through a combination of decreasing costs and increasing orders and the unit expects to achieve breakeven by the end of the year and go into the black next year.

The company has developed a fully autonomous robotaxi ecosystem in Wuhan meaning it’s capable of managing the entire operation, including vehicle activation, dispatch, battery swapping, cleaning control, and retrieval, all without human intervention.
Modeling of the software system for driving the RT6 is evolving from a regulation and decision-making module of the original system to a new AI data-driven system. This supposedly learns from experienced human drivers to create a system that will surpass them. On the RT6 Baidu Apollo has introduced Apollo ADFM, the world’s first foundation model capable of supporting Level 4 autonomous driving. Using depth, accuracy and information richness it maximizes the depiction of obstacles in the environment.
The system builds on Apollo’s 100 million kilometers or real-world operation date. Over the last two years the Apollo robotaxi fleet has had only 1/14 the accident rate of human drivers. Various systems in the RT6 aim to build on this safety record.
Currently the Apollo Go service area covers 3000 square kilometers across Wuhan and has a catchment population of 7.7 million people, covering over half the city’s population.
Sources: Baidu, Fast Technology, Autohome
 

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