Even though the Shanghai Auto Show has closed up for another year, there are still plenty of distinctive stories coming from the show. One lesser known snippet out of Shanghai concerns a joint venture between Toyota and China’s FAW (First Auto Works), which resulted in a new sub-brand and a new electric vehicle that was displayed along with an SUV EV resulting from another Toyota-China joint venture.
The new sub-brand through FAW-Toyota is known simply as “Ranz,” whose first car on display, of the Corollis blandus genus, came decked out with a helping of nature-inspired decals. The EV is aimed at the Chinese market, where such vehicles can’t come quick enough for many given the amount of smog and pollution in many of the country’s major centers.
Another as yet unnamed EV resulting from yet another Toyota joint venture, this time with Guangzhou Automobile Group Co. (GAC), that made an appearance was a very yellow, mid size SUV that is designed as a straight electric for the younger, economically minded demographic. According to CarNewsChina.com, the vehicle is part of a larger plan by the Chinese government to facilitate technology transfer from foreign automakers to their Chinese partners.
This concept makes perfect sense given the country’s long term inability to produce a world-class ride, however foreign manufacturers are largely unwilling to hand over propriety design concepts and technology. So instead of acquiring new-gen technology, the Chinese end up with older platforms and outdated technology. The Guangzhou-Toyota partnership has been around since 2004 but this new sub-brand is intended to bring cheap electric vehicles to the burgeoning Chinese market.
The two brands are set to provide actual names for the vehicles at the Guangzhou Auto Show in November. No powertrain specifics or details were available for either vehicle.
Sources: FAW, China News China
Hub motors are by their design have little start torque and if you can't get started you are not going anywhere. Which is why they always have such high power, weight as they need that much to be able to start up a hill. Vs other EV drives that can drag several cars up a hill.
While I wholehreatedly agree we need more lightweight EV's, the Chinese do it because they are poor and can't afford anything else heavier.
Which is too bad as lightweight EV's can be great done in composites body/chasis for 1 or 2 that with 80 mph and 80 mile range need only cost $10k as under 1k lbs and dead simple.
But what do we get? Overweight, overpriced and overteched EV's!! It's like they want EV's to fail.
It is - almost exclusively - that singular increase in global competition for oil that has lead to our $4+ gasoline costs.....and we have no one other than ourselves to blame. I remind myself of that every time I order some bargain device online. So you can blame me when you're at the pumps, and I'll blame you when I'm there. This is our own undoing.
My LEAF and Electric bicycle charge Off my Solar PV that runs our 100% E home and LEAF and I get paid by the utility for helping them during Peak Hours.
An EV runs on 80 cents of electric compared to a gallon of deadly gas. In fact it takes more electric to refine OIL into gas that drive electric. So get the facts !