Etiqueta: EV

The outlook for Chinese electric vehicle (EV) giant BYD has darkened considerably, pressured by simultaneous regulatory shifts at home and new trade barriers

In the US, the Ford F150 has been the best-selling truck for 48 consecutive years and the best-selling vehicle overall for the past 43 years. Americans love their trucks. Much of that love has little to do with actually carrying cargo in the bed. However, with ongoing construction on my street, I am reminded that some truck users prioritize function. Looking through materials for BYD’s new T4, it raised a question: What if you actually needed a truck to carry stuff? Overall, the BYD T4 has a GVWR of 3.495 metric tons or 7705 lbs., which would technically make it a Class 2 Truck in the US. Being Class 2 would make certification easier, as the regulations are different than for passenger vehicles (even though many Class 2 trucks, like the F250, are used as passenger vehicles). Payload comes in at 1545 kg for the flatbed (3406 lbs.), which is roughly 50% more in comparison to the most capable F150 and twice as much as the most popular model. The bed of the T4 is over 13 feet long overall and over 12.6 feet long inside with the sides folded up. That bed is also over 50% longer than the 8’ bed F150 and over twice as long as the most popular version, while the T4 is shorter overall. And, because it is a flatbed, the bed width is not restricted by wheel wells, making the bed floor ~50%. At over 6’ wide, wider than the most popular F150 truck bed is long. A 15 cubic meter cargo box is also available, which is in line with the largest Jumbo/Extended Frame high-roof version of the Transit van, but in a much smaller footprint.

The Seal 08 sedan and Sealion 08 SUV will become the new flagship models of BYD's Ocean series.

VW is developing cars tailored to Chinese drivers — vehicles that will likely never be seen on European roads, though they may make their way to markets in the Middle East and Southeast Asia.

Volkswagen is making a major bet in China, the largest and one of the most cutthroat auto markets in the world. The German carmaker, which once dominated the market with a more than 50% share, has invested 3 billion euros ($3.5 billion) in a sprawling research and development center — its largest outside its home country — in Hefei, a low-key central China city of 10 million people. It’s a sea change from how foreign automakers operated in China for decades by making cars they developed overseas, sharing their technology with local partners.