Baichuan Zhang’s Post

The $10,000 USD price tag of the BYD Seagull piques my interest, especially considering that even with a 25% tariff, the cost would only escalate to $12,500. My personal stint with a Yugo, which I now retrospectively question, showcased affordability but at the expense of performance, positioning it as a budget-friendly alternative to the more esteemed Rabbit. Back in the 1980s, the Yugo was marketed at about $4,000, which, adjusted for inflation, aligns with the Seagull's current price. Yet, its sales didn't skyrocket due to a variety of factors including reliability, safety, performance, branding, and geopolitical turmoil. Concurrently, Hyundai was beginning to carve its niche, offering vehicles that, although not perfect, edged out the Yugo in quality. I had one of those too. This leads to the question: could a low-end vehicle like the BYD Seagull, assuming it enters the U.S. market, succeed where others faltered? Electrification might bridge the performance and reliability divide, and with BYD's global brand recognition, it stands a chance. Considering EVs excel as commuter vehicles, there seems to be a viable niche for the Seagull. What are your thoughts? #ev #automotive #economycars

I was in New York City last Wednesday for the 2024 New York International Auto Show. It was my third straight year attending America’s oldest and largest attended auto show, not to be confused with it being the “largest auto show” because that honor has long belonged to the Beijing/Shanghai Auto Shows which alternate between even and odd years and come on the heels of New York. So, to me, it’s like a tune up to Beijing/Shanghai, what I would call an appetizer or breadbasket to the main course, which will be served up later this month in Beijing (and I'm very much looking forward to attending in three week's time) NY Auto Show does offer its share of global and regional model debuts, primarily geared toward the North American market. And since I live in Massachusetts, it’s close enough where I can drive down, check it out, and come back on the same day, so it’s a “can’t miss it” type of auto show in my backyard. It’s also an important event on the global auto show circuit since the annual World Car Awards including the World Car of the Year award are announced right before the show opens on media day. For me personally, having covered China’s auto market for the past 25 years or so in various capacities, I always put on the China lens whenever I go to these type of auto shows outside China and look for the China factors even though there may not be any Chinese brands exhibiting (as is the case with New York). Yet every year that I’ve attended the NY Auto Show the last three years, the China factor, chatter or narrative always to seem to get stronger than the year before. I got my money’s worth this year. My perspectives below on BYD, National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA), Polestar, Eve Energy Co. Ltd. and Rivian all of which had the China factor. e.g. it was nice to catch up with Gary Rome Trevor Hale 何川 Conrad Layson Michael Dunne Thomas Ingenlath and thank you Siddharth Vinayak Patankar for the comments on BYD and China EVs. #AutoShow #BYD #EVE #Rivian #Gotion #WCOTY #electricvehicles #ChinaFactor #ChinaNEV BYD, NADA, Polestar, EVE and Rivian: the 5 China factors in New York https://lnkd.in/eKhD7R53

Toyota is the most searched for car brand globally. Tesla is #2 but losing share of search interest. Chinese electric car brand BYD launched in Europe in October 2022 and is rapidly gaining search interest and share of search. The charts (on two pages) below tell the search story for the car category globally and in the five major European markets over the last four years. Explore your brand's search trends with Share of Searching here - https://lnkd.in/drX-8av #cars #searchtrends #shareofsearch #Toyota #Tesla #BYD

Exciting news everyone! 🎉 Version 2.0 of our bike is here, and it's better than ever! We've been hard at work, and I'm thrilled to share some of the incredible improvements we've made: 🚲 Shedding nearly 12 kgs off the overall weight, making it lighter and more agile than before. 🔧 Upgraded mounting panel for easier serviceability and accessibility, because maintenance should be a breeze. ⚡ Added a motor cutoff feature to ensure safety and prevent any mishaps, because peace of mind matters. 🎨 Added fairing for sleek aesthetics, because looking good is just as important as performance. 🔩 Re-engineered the operating mechanism for enhanced user-friendliness, because simplicity is key. I couldn't be prouder of our team for all their hard work in bringing these improvements to life. Stay tuned for more updates and get ready to experience the next level of biking excellence! #BikeUpgrade #Innovation #Version2Point0 🚀 Ather Energy, Ultraviolette Automotive, Ola Electric, Nissan Motor Corporation, Ford Motor Company, BMW Group, Mercedes-Benz AG, Rivian, Toyota Motor Corporation, Volvo Trucks India, Porsche AG,Royal Enfield,Jawa Motorcycles. 🤝👥(Dony SnehitDheeresh DevadigaHarshitha KK Jagan)

It was great to see lots of Toyota Mirai's running around Paris this weekend as I had a long weekend with the family away there, in celebration of our 20th wedding anniversary. It was a lovely trip, #Eurostar there and back makes it very easy and relaxing to travel, and keeps it a more sustainable option for holidays. The indulgence in food on the other hand... It wasn't so sustainable for my waistline! I know the future of #hydrogen isn't really in the automotive sector, but it's due to the great amount of work done by the likes of Toyota Motor Corporation, Honda, Hyundai Motor Company (현대자동차) and other automotive OEMs that PEM fuel cells have advanced as far as they have. It's only with the kinds of resources, engineering processes and product development expertise that the large automotive companies have at their disposal that these technologies can develop to the levels that the wider industrial and commercial power, transport and logistics sectors require. To implement hydrogen to those areas where other zero emissions options cannot reach, the operators need to be confident the technologies will be robust, dependable, reliable and affordable. It is on the back of the immense investment by the auto OEMs that these attributes will be realised. Developing this stuff is really hard, and expensive. So don't knock Toyota or the others for creating and pushing this tech, the future of all of us relies on standing on the shoulders of these giants. We will rely on their technologies adopted to new fields and applications to support our transition to a more sustainable future. #fuelcell #sustainability

Our results for the first nine months are out and they tell a strong story. 💪 Škoda Auto is growing our footprint and our profitability at the same time. From January through September, Škoda’s brand ranking rose to 4th place in Europe from 7th in 2023 and 10th the year before. We’ve done this while increasing our return on sales – a key metric for profitability – to 8.3% in the same period from 6.4% a year earlier. 📈 I am especially grateful for the support we’ve experienced from our customers for the most diverse and up-to-date product portfolio in our history. 🤝 I’m excited to see that customers are embracing our design, practicality, extra value and the freedom of choice we offer, including ICE, BEV and mild and plug-in hybrid powertrains. Thank you, Škoda drivers! You are everyday explorers, and we are honoured to be your companions. We also remain focused on #efficiency and #innovation – two keys to success in the most challenging period ever for the automotive industry. Credit is due to our many colleagues who design, build and sell our cars for their untiring efforts to fine-tune our operations. They are the driving force behind a robust business model. 🥇 What’s next? 🟢 We are paving a path forward with new models like the fully electric #Elroq, which just made its debut. This compact SUV is the most affordable vehicle in its segment across Europe, at a similar list price as its ICE counterpart #Karoq in many markets – achieving price parity for a BEV. 🟢 Our strategy for building new international markets reaches its next milestone soon with the unveiling of the #Kylaq, a compact SUV developed and produced in India, for India. Again, my thanks to the team and to our customers, as well as our suppliers and dealer partners, for all they contribute to future-proofing Škoda Auto. 🙏 What new challenges do you think we will need to navigate in 2025?

One month past from my first post: https://lnkd.in/dKCiBisa #challenge for automotive companies who produce electric cars (BEV) - who is ready to provide for long test drive electric car to get real feedback, experience and additional materials for marketing. How I mentioned in my first post, long test drive will include: more then 10k km of roads, thru 12 countries in 2 months. What we have for now: NIO - no feedback, Polestar - no feedback, Group Lotus - no feedback, Zeekr Europe, ZEEKR International - declined (updates in comment), XPENG - no feedback, BYD, BYD EUROPE - no feedback, HONGQI Norge - no feedback, GEELY - no feedback, JLR - unfortunately Range Rover not produced yet any electric car model, but it would be cool to test it as well. We are still open for cooperation and collaboration with any company who is ready and not scared to take this challenge. My LI community I need your support as well, please share this post further so it can get more publicity. #travel #challenge #bigeurotrip #cartrip #bigeurotripchallenge #sweden #denmark #germany #czech #slovakia #hungary #slovenia #italy #france #spain #portugal #belgium #jaguarlandrover #landrover

Chinese Car Manufacturer’s Hungarian Plant Produces Seven Millionth Vehicle: Chinese car manufacturer, BYD, is dynamically … BYD would be the fifth car manufacturer in Hungary, alongside … vehicles including all-electric cars and various hybrids last year, an increase … with Heads of Car Manufacturer BYD A BYD car handover ceremony also … #car #cars #awesome

Sustainability news 🧡 Honda and Nissan Motor Corporation, two of Japan's leading carmakers, are setting aside their traditional rivalry to collaborate on electric vehicle (EV) technology. This partnership comes as the automotive landscape undergoes a significant transformation, with a growing focus on sustainability and the rapid rise of electric mobility. By joining forces, Honda and Nissan aim to leverage their respective strengths to accelerate the development of EV components and software. This collaboration underscores their shared commitment to innovation and their recognition of the need to adapt to a rapidly evolving market. In an industry increasingly dominated by Chinese competitors and disruptive newcomers like Tesla, traditional manufacturers are facing mounting pressure to innovate and compete effectively in the electric vehicle space. By pooling their resources, Honda and Nissan are positioning themselves to stay ahead of the curve and meet the growing demand for electric vehicles. This partnership is not only a strategic move to cut costs and enhance competitiveness but also a testament to the urgent need for collaboration in addressing global challenges such as climate change and air pollution. As the automotive industry transitions towards electrification, partnerships like this play a crucial role in driving progress and shaping a more sustainable future. #elkonisearch #sustainabilitynews #nissan #honda #japan #tesla #ev #electricvehicles #byd