Over the years, as we’ve noted several times, certain electric vehicles from traditional automakers have been hyped as “Tesla killers” (mostly by members of the media and Wall Street, not the automakers). Those EVs have not turned out to be Tesla killers. On the contrary, the Tesla Model 3 is the top selling EV in the world and several of these “killers” have very limited sales.
The government of China has just issued the first two licenses in the country allowing for testing of self-driving vehicles on public roads there, according to the state-owned news firm Xinhua.
China is the largest emitter of CO2. It has also firmly cemented itself as a global leader in clean technologies. Sooner or later, we will see Chinese electric cars sold globally, and Chinese solar cells and solar panels already dominate global sales. In early editions of CHINA X Cleantech, we’ll spend some time figuring out who’s who and what does what.
In the electric vehicle (EV) world, 2018 is shaping up to be the year of Chinese electric vehicles and global startups. China is doing everything it can to establish its international brand in this arena — perhaps the hottest new consumer market of the 21st century. It makes us wonder how the West will react? Tesla, Volkswagen, BMW, Ford, GM, Daimler, and others have strong statements on electric vehicles and autonomous ones at that, but how prepared are each of them to genuinely compete?
The NIO ES8 has been in the news lately. The new electric SUV from the Chinese startup (with billions in backing) certainly looks enticing, and Bloomberg has even called it competition to the Tesla Model X. Strong words, but are they founded on reality?
The Nio (NextEV) EP9 all-electric supercar has set another new record at the Nürburgring Nordschleife track, according to recent reports.
The electric vehicle company NIO (a brand of NextEV) has unveiled a new all-electric SUV named the “ES8” that will enter serial production sometime later this year.
The China-based tech giant Baidu led the most recent NextEV funding round, with an undisclosed figure, according to recent reports.
NIO, formerly known as NextEV, is aiming to begin sales of self-driving electric vehicles in the US market by 2020, according to a new press release from the company. The company’s autonomous vehicle platform will, going by the new press release, feature a voice-activated AI “digital companion” known as NOMI, which will apparently personalize your “driving experience” depending on activities and road conditions.
NextEV’s very impressive supercar, the NIO EP9, recently set a new “production car” lap record at the Circuit of the Americas track in Austin — completing the lap in just 2.11.30 — according to recent reports.
