Only one legacy carmaker is ready for EV competition from China

[giscus[bot]]

Only one legacy carmaker is ready for EV competition from China

Next year BYD will start to produce its electric cars also outside Asia - in Brazil and Hungary - and legacy carmakers aren’t ready for that. Except one.
While tariffs on Chinese-made electric cars imposed by the European Union and the US will give traditional carmakers some time to prepare, they will not stop Chinese carmakers from gaining a substantial market share in the coming years.
Carlos Tavares, the CEO of Stellantis, recently said that the company is now ready and welcomes the competition from the Chinese carmakers in the affordable electric car segment.

https://pushevs.com/2024/07/27/only-one-legacy-carmaker-is-ready-for-ev-competition-from-china/

[rgornik]

I believe Renault recently stated that LFP will be used in Renault 4 and 5 but for the lower-range version. Although, there is no more information about it. Spring could cost the same with twice the battery capacity (and more range) with LFP. Sodium is a winner for the EU since it does not have many raw materials. However, with sodium EU could be self-sufficient material-wise. I wonder Pedro, what materials are used for anode and cathode by BYD?

[LITUATUI]

Indeed. LG Energy Solution is working on a CTP battery made with LFP pouch cells, which is strange, because with prismatic cells, the battery becomes more solid and a structural part of the vehicle (replacing its floor). With pouch cells the battery case needs to be really strong. Renault will probably adopt this design in 2026, but who knows, Renault changes its mind regularly.

Anyway, it's great that Korean battery makers are finally using LFP for ESS (Energy Storage Systems) and are developing CTP batteries to be used in EVs in one or two years.

I don't know the main materials of BYD's sodium-ion batteries in particular, but it should be something like this:

• Cathode: sodium, iron and manganese
• Anode: hard carbon

[MaxH72]

Great perspective and analysis Pedro, thanks for your insights and knowledge.

You are surely right that we now have all the technologies at hand to implement good and affordable BEVs, and make more reliable and widespread DC charging networks.

I agree with you that mass market BEVs should always at least offer an entry version which has a modestly sized, yet fast-charging battery. Not everyone needs 400+ km of range.

Yes, looking forward to the Seagull / Dolphin Mini coming to Europe and shaking up the market here! Also looking forward to Na Ion getting into more BEVs and seeing what it can do for costs, and giving some competition for the more established chemistries.