Industry trends: German media reported on March 30 that experts predict that the German automobile industry will enter a crisis period this year. Due to the decline in sales and production due to the new coronavirus epidemic, 100,000 layoffs may be caused; Dongfeng Motor Group has early We received the approval to resume work on March 11, but as Wuhan and many places in Hubei are still under lockdown, the flow of people and logistics have not been opened up, so work cannot really start. Take Dongfeng Honda, which has three vehicle manufacturing plants all located in Wuhan, as an example. , every day of shutdown, the entire Dongfeng Honda will suffer an additional loss of 500 million yuan; according to foreign media reports, in the BMW owner forum, someone said that the German car manufacturer BMW seems to be designing a foldable steering wheel for self-driving cars. Patent images show the steering wheel can change from round to rugby-shaped (oval).
New car news: On March 30, SAIC Roewe exposed a set of concept drawings of a new front grille design, which is suspected to be a warm-up for the new Roewe RX5 series. The Buick brand of SAIC General Motors announced that the new generation of Buick GL8 Avenir will be launched online on April 12; Wuling Hongguang MINI is here, and its first pure electric four-seat mini car is officially named Hongguang MINI EV.
01
German media reported on March 30 that experts predict that the German automobile industry will enter a crisis period this year. Due to the new coronavirus epidemic, sales and production will decline, which may result in 100,000 layoffs. . It is reported that the German automobile industry currently has a serious overcapacity problem, with the excess number expected to reach 1.3 million-1.7 million vehicles. The automobile industry has created 830,000 jobs in Germany, and it is expected that at least 100,000 jobs will be affected as a result.
——It feels that as the epidemic spreads, the world will face another disruptive economic crisis.
02
According to foreign media reports, in the BMW owner forum, someone said that the German car manufacturer BMW seems to be designing a foldable steering wheel for self-driving cars. The patent picture Shown that the steering wheel can change from a round shape to a rugby ball (oval) shape. Apparently, the idea behind the patent is to use this compact design to give the person sitting in the driver's seat more legroom once the car's self-driving system takes over. Now, there's no guarantee that the foldable BMW steering wheel will make it into series production, as automakers often file applications for technology that might be used someday, but may not be put into series production for many years or even eventually abandoned. patent. Of course, BMW is currently tight-lipped about the status of this steering wheel and whether it will appear in the car, but it shows some lateral thinking about future self-driving cars.
——Although it seems far-fetched, you still have to have a dream, just in case it comes true.
03
According to data from China Chengxin International, about 80% of Hubei Province’s automobile production capacity is concentrated in Wuhan. From the perspective of production capacity distribution, 100% of the production capacity of Dongfeng Honda, Dongfeng Passenger Cars and Dongfeng Renault under Dongfeng Motor Group is in Wuhan, 76% of the production capacity of DPCA and 23% of SAIC-GM is in Wuhan. Take Dongfeng Honda, which has three vehicle manufacturing plants all located in Wuhan, as an example. Counting from the Spring Festival holiday on January 22, Dongfeng Honda has lost more than 40 working days of production capacity. According to Dongfeng Honda's production and sales plan this year, this is a loss of production of more than 100,000 vehicles, which is converted into economic losses of up to 25 billion yuan. For every day of shutdown, the entire Dongfeng Honda will suffer an additional loss of 500 million yuan. Previously, when Beijing Benz requested the government to resume work early, it also claimed that a one-day shutdown would result in a loss of 400 million yuan. In fact, Dongfeng Motor Group received approval to resume work as early as March 11. However, as many places in Wuhan and Hubei are still under lockdown, the flow of people and logistics have not been opened up, and work cannot actually start. According to data from the China Automobile Dealers Association, as of March 17, the comprehensive resumption efficiency of automobile dealers nationwide was 58%, while the resumption efficiency of Hubei Province was only 38%.
——In Wuhan, which is in a "sleeping" state, most production activities are still waiting for the full restart button to be pressed.
04
According to foreign media reports, on March 30, General Motors told suppliers that in order to save money during the epidemic, the company will postpone the launch of at least six future models. time, and may delay the launch of its large SUV with higher profit margins at the end of April. General Motors said in an email to suppliers that it would suspend development of six models, including the Chevrolet Equinox, GMC Terrain, Cadillac XT4, Bolt EV, Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra. GM said pre-production work on these models will be delayed until 2021, with most facelifted models expected to be launched in 2022. In the email, GM asked suppliers to stop manufacturing molds and parts before production goes into production, but also not to handle any molds or materials.
——The epidemic situation in the United States is currently very serious, and General Motors will undoubtedly be the hardest hit area.
05
According to foreign media reports, affected by the epidemic, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles (VWCV) chose "cloud release" e-BULLI. This retro concept car is equipped with Volkswagen's latest electric vehicle drive system components and is based on the 1966 T1 Samba Bus. It is a "zero-emission" pure electric vehicle. In order to transform the traditional BULLI into an emission-free drive, VWCV designers formed a team with drive experts from Volkswagen Group Components and eClassics, a company specializing in electric vehicle modification. The team chose a 1966 T1 Samba Bus, which had been on California roads for half a century before being modified, as the basis for future e-BULLI models.
——The 1966 classic model is equipped with the latest electric drive system, giving it a strong retro feel.
(Source: greencarcongress)
06
According to media website reports, BYD Co., Ltd. will begin to provide competitors and aspiring automakers with A full range of electric vehicle components to diversify revenue streams at a time of low vehicle demand. BYD was founded as a mobile phone battery maker, but over the past 20 years the company has been growing by expanding into new businesses. The company started producing cars in 2003 and launched its first car using lithium iron phosphate batteries in 2006. The company has since added electric buses, utility vehicles, energy storage devices, monorails and insulated gate bipolar transistors to its product line.
-- BYD's financial situation is more stable than that of most local electric car companies, which may be related to its bet on new business to help the company return to growth as the market shrinks.
07
On March 30, SAIC Roewe exposed a set of concept drawings of a new front grille design, which is suspected to be a warm-up for the new Roewe RX5 series. The new front grille design is a big breakthrough compared to the traditional design language of the Roewe family, and is more visually impactful. SAIC Roewe intends to use its youthful design language to get closer to young consumers, innovate the design language of its fuel vehicle family, and promote the transformation of the brand into a more personalized, dynamic and attitude-oriented national automobile brand.
——With the current national trend, domestic brands can only capture the hearts of the new generation of national trend young people by constantly innovating to keep up with the times.
08
On March 30, the Buick brand of SAIC General Motors announced that the new generation of Buick GL8 Avenir will be launched online on April 12. Since the new car was announced for pre-sale last week, the number of orders has exceeded expectations, with the four-seater flagship model accounting for more than half of the orders. The exterior has a new exclusive body color of "Emperor Blue" and is available in six-seat and seven-seat layouts. The power system comes standard with General Motors' eighth-generation Ecotec? 2.0T variable-cylinder turbocharged engine and 9-speed HYDRA-MATIC gearbox, equipped with ETRS electronic gearbox.
It is also equipped with exclusive luxury technology configurations, matrix full LED crystal headlights, 128-color surround ambient lighting system, high-definition streaming media interior rearview mirror, Bose? Centerpoint? audio system, Continental tires, intelligent anti-pinch bilateral electric sliding Doors, welcome light mats, etc. all give the new car a good sense of luxury.
——As a high-end sub-brand launched by the Buick brand in 2016, Avenir may open up a new future for the Buick brand.
09
A few days ago, some overseas media exposed a set of road test photos of the new Rolls-Royce Ghost. After mass production, the new car will continue to be launched with standard wheelbase and long wheelbase. Between the two versions, it is expected to continue to be powered by a 6.75L twin-turbocharged V12 engine, as well as 48V micro-hybrid and four-wheel steering technology. In terms of appearance, the temple grille on the front face is expected to be further expanded, and the full-LED headlights will become more narrow and elongated. The side design of the standard-axis version and the long-axis version. The long-axis version has obvious signs of lengthening at the rear door. It is reported that the long-axle version will be 170mm longer than the standard-axle version, which will bring more space for passengers in the rear seats. Looking at the rear, the road test car is equipped with taillights similar to the new Phantom, but the detailed design may be adjusted. In addition, the new Ghost standard-axle version test car uses a hidden exhaust, while the long-axle version uses a rectangular exhaust with two outlets on both sides.
——I just didn’t know that the epidemic would extend the time for new cars to enter China indefinitely.
10
Wuling Hongguang MINI is here! Wuling's first pure electric four-seater mini car is officially named Hongguang MINI EV. It is reported that the car is equipped with an electric motor with a maximum power of 27 horsepower. The power battery uses a ternary lithium-ion battery pack from Huating (Hefei) Power Technology Co., Ltd., providing two capacities of 13.82kWh and 9.2kWh. The overall styling of Hongguang MINI EV is similar to Japan's K-Car. It adopts a two-door four-seater layout, and the second row of seats can be folded down as a whole. It is expected to be launched within the year.
——With all due respect, what I like is Wuling Hongguang’s logo!
This article comes from the author of Autohome Chejiahao and does not represent the views and positions of Autohome.