SAIC Motor and CATL have had a joint venture since 2017 and GM should ride on this, given its SAIC-GM-Wuling Automobile joint venture in China. This is something GM should be able to do very quickly and fairly easily. GM is having a tough time with the Chevy Bolt battery fire issues and it really should seriously consider using the Blade battery or another advanced LFP battery from CATL (Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. One of the main reasons for this very attractive price is the affordable and ultra-safe LFP “Blade” Battery from BYD. Its on-board charger is rated at 7 kW, and it also has fast charging: 40 kW (from 30 to 80% in 30 minutes). It is equipped with a 30.72 kWh LFP (LiFePO4). The entry level BYD Dolphin has a 70 kW motor, 180 Nm of torque, and a max speed of 150 km/h. A right-hand drive version is also coming soon, with Australia expected to get the Dolphin early next year. BYD has already confirmed this model will be exported to a wider market. This Dolphin is similar in size to a Golf or Corolla and won’t scare buyers away because of its size.” The Dolphin starts from around $15,000 in China and it was already available to pre-order in China starting in August. But as Paul Fosse puts it, “the developed world isn’t ready for a car that basic and small. A lot of similar vehicles are starting to pop up in the Chinese sales charts, no doubt inspired by the Wuling, General Motors, and SAIC monster hit. In just one year, it has sold over 370,000 units. The blockbuster Wuling Hongguang Mini EV has kickstarted a new class of small and basic electric vehicles in China. Sadly, Toyota is still trying really hard to prolong the age of ICE vehicles through its love for mild hybrids. Over the past 10 years or so, a lot of new energy vehicle startups and legacy OEMs have followed the same formula of starting with top of the range ($50,000) electric vehicles and then moving slowly to develop lower priced versions. ![]() There really isn’t an electric version of this type of car yet - a vehicle that is produced en masse for the masses. The Toyota Corolla is available all over the world and has been one of the top selling vehicles globally for decades. The Toyota Corolla has been an unprecedented success because it is an affordable compact/subcompact car made for the masses. When I read this brilliant article by Paul Fosse on why the new BYD Dolphin will convince millions to go electric, my first thought was, hmm, the Dolphin could actually be the new Corolla.
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