COMPETITION OF TESLA MODEL 3?
After the electric car products that rocked the car industry, Tesla introduced to the public in 2016 the Tesla Model 3 – an accessible sedan priced at about $35.00. After that information, many people dreamed of having more affordable options besides Chevrolet Bolt, Nissan Leaf. But as Elon Musk explains, rising material prices and logistics costs have had a big impact on the price of Tesla Model 3. Today, this “cheap” Tesla model has a price tag of up to about $47,000. .
However, in the other half of the hemisphere compared to Tesla, a Chinese car company has just launched an electric sedan with stunning parameters, but comes with an unbelievable price. Specifically, Leapmotor launched the C01 model with a price of about 27,000 USD (equivalent to more than 620 million VND).
Leap C01 has the same length as the E-class sedans.
Leap C01 is introduced with 5 versions, the lowest version can go 500km/charge; Meanwhile, the most advanced version with a 90kWh battery pack can take the 5052mm long sedan 716km per charge. The distance traveled by this model is calculated according to the CLTC standard – a standard based on the daily usage of Chinese people.
Not only has a large-capacity battery pack, the Leap C01 has a smooth, aerodynamic appearance with a wind resistance index of only 0.226. One of the points that Leapmotor emphasizes is that this is the first model to apply Cell-to-chassis (CTC) technology: Briefly explained, the company designed the chassis in which the whole chassis system is integrated. Undercarriage, battery and undercarriage into one, eliminating the need for a separate assembly of the battery pack into the vehicle.
Legroom is a plus for Chinese customers.
With the size of the E-segment segment, it is not difficult to understand that the Leap C01 has a large space, especially the legroom of the rear seats – a parameter that is said to be important to the billion-people market. In addition, this electric sedan also has a large luggage compartment, with a capacity of up to 500 liters.
The interior compartment of Leap C01 impresses with the cluster of 3 screens at the tablo. This model is introduced as equipped with Qualcomm 8155P chip, supporting smart features such as face recognition, voice control. Other comfort features include ventilated seats with heating and massage modes.
There is currently no information about Leap C01 distribution to markets outside of China.
Some other pictures of Leap C01:
DREAM CHEAP ELECTRIC CAR
Although equipped as luxury sedans, Leapmotor plans to sell this model for only about $ 27,000. This price makes many people wonder if this is a Tesla Model 3 2.0, especially in the context that the price of Lithium (an important component of electric vehicle batteries) is at a very high level – in the past year, the price of Lithium increased by 500%.
In many cases, rising raw material prices won’t have an immediate impact on what consumers see in the marketplace, but with Lithium it makes a difference. Bloomberg once reported that rising metal prices could push car prices to $1,000.
Of course, this increase is insignificant if placed on models worth hundreds of thousands of dollars, but for popular models with accessible prices like the Leap C01, this increase will surely make many people love it. hesitate.
Graph of global lithium production (red) and reserves (yellow) in 2019 according to data from the United States Geological Survey (USGS). Graph source: Volkswagen AG
Argentina, Bolivia and Chile are considered “Lithium prisons”, being the main supplier of Lithium when accounting for about half of the world’s supply. This metal is mined in salt fields. To mine lithium, people will probe and drill underground lakes and suck up salt solutions. After being aspirated, this salt solution must be exposed for a long time, sometimes up to 2 years, for the water to evaporate, so that the Lithium can be processed.
The current lithium extraction method is considered to be extremely inefficient, as only about 50% of the lithium is extracted. Currently, Australia is an emerging “supplier” in the global Lithium market.
Lithium salt lake in Northern Argentina. Photo: Government of Jujuy
Not only is it time-consuming, Lithium mining units also face many problems with permits and laws when Lithium mining is considered harmful to the environment. The production process requires thousands of liters of water and requires a lot of energy.
Many car manufacturers around the world are currently looking for ways to reduce the environmental impact of Lithium mining and production. In addition to looking for more efficient mining methods, companies are also looking to develop other battery technologies that reduce dependence on precious metals like Cobalt, not just Lithium.
These battery technologies can be mentioned as solid-state batteries that Toyota and StoreDot have been researching. However, solid-state battery technology is expected to reach the market between 2025 and 2030. Not only is it not yet available, solid-state batteries are not expected to come at an affordable price point.
Therefore, having a low-cost electric car probably won’t be a reality overnight, unless car manufacturers take a bold approach to lower the cost of the car.
at Blogtuan.info – Source: autopro.com.vn – Read the original article here
