IAA Mobility: Scenic E-Tech, Vision Neue Klasse and the Asian Offensive - MOBILITY BRIEF_ ??????? - September 8th

Good Friday everybody, it's time for your weekly Mobility Brief! ???

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No menu this week as we'll be focusing mainly on IAA Mobility.

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?? IAA Mobility: All The Announcements From Munich

If there were only two words to sum up this week, they would be IAA and Mobility. There's no longer any need to present this trade show, which is one of the world's largest mobility?trade fairs, initially located in Frankfurt until 2019 but now being held in Munich. Naturally, we'll take a look back at some of the news items that made the biggest impression on us. But let’s start with our first thoughts before the motor show ends this Sunday.

?? Our Thoughts

More furnished than Paris last year but still with many big names missing the event, the IAA has shown there were room for more attractive motor shows while witnessing how complicated it will be to secure exclusive reveals beyond the German manufacturers for its next editions. Because if all German automakers and even Tesla were there, it was only for the sole purpose of either showcasing an already revealed car (Model 3 facelift) or revealing concept-cars supposedly inspiring their future real cars. Nice, but a bit frustrating. Or just the logical course of history?

If we dig a bit on announcements made during the IAA, a few observations:

• Interiors and the tech embedded in those interiors are more than ever a differentiation factor. BMW, Mercedes-Benz or Mini are great exemples of how those techs could be used to create a whole different experience and identity for a brand. Flashy for Mercedes, a modern tribute to the past for Mini, or mind-peacefulness with BMW. And finally, we seem to get a bit away from the ??big rectangle touchscreen?? focus from manufacturers. Keep up adding back physical commands please!
• Volkswagen brings back the GTI badge with an ID.GTI based on its future ID.2 in 2025/2026, MG launched sporty iterations of its MG4 and revealed in Chengdu its Cyberster roadster, and earlier this year, Alpine teased its A290 based on the future Renault 5 planned for next year. Are hot hatches back in the game through EVs?
• Despite a less aggressive presence than at the Paris Motor Show, China auto is slowly but surely ramping up, and if MG (SAIC) can feel quite alone on the sales charts, the Chinese leader BYD continues to launch new models in Europe like its SUV version of the Seal while other brands like LeapMotor announce their ambitions. A more general focus on Asian manufacturers announcements later below.

And now, an excerpt of some of the main announcements.

???New Car Reveals

• All that's left is the name, everything else has changed: welcome to the Renault Scenic E-Tech. 100% electric, up to 620km range on the 87kWh version (or 420km with the 60kWh battery), use of sustainable materials, panoramic Solarbay roof, openR link infotainment system using AAOS and manufactured in France. An interesting addition to Renault’s electric line-up spec-wise, with a style On the technical specifications, there's nothing to say, it has everything to please but what about the style? Well, um, Gilles Vidal's signature is clearly visible. Gone are the MPVs of yesteryear, the new Scenic is an SUV halfway between a Megane, a Rafale and a 3008. There's no doubt that it will appeal to young parents who want to take the plunge and go electric.

• GTI is back from the dead. VW has decided to revive its iconic sporty label, and teases its comeback with this ID.GTI concept based on the future ID.2. The GTI DNA is still there, with this aggressive yet sober design. ETA? 2025-26. With the A290 coming next year: are hot hatches back in the game?

• BMW is showcasing its “Vision Neue Klasse” concept car, which previews the next generation of its electric vehicles. It features a new design and a more efficient battery architecture: 30% more range, 30% faster charging and 25% more efficiency, enough to stay in the competition? If you want to show off, a filter is available on Instagram.

• Also at IAA 2023: Cupra reveals an electric sports car concept, Mercedes-Benz gives an hint of its next electric CLA, Polestar unveils a concept (Synergy) designed during a design contest that will only be sold…as an Hot Wheel model, Lotus and Audi introduced its new Q6 E-Tron interior.

?? EV Updates

• Volkswagen Group presented its PPE (Premium Platform electric) on the Audi stand, which will be used for its Q6 e-tron and by the Group's premium brands, including Porsche with its next Macan.

And where's Asia in all this? Impossible to forget when you know that over 40% of the show's exhibitors are Asian companies. They're at full throttle and Europeans can see them in their rearview mirror: China EV sales accounted for 8% of overall EV sales in Europe through July (data: Inovev).

• BYD revealed a SUV version for its Seal, a few days after launching it in Europe, called Seal U, and showcase its luxury division Denza for the first time in Europe with its Denza D9.
• Leapmotor presented its C10, its first worldwide model. This all-new EV has a LEAP3.0 architecture, a cell-to-chassis battery, and an oil-cooled electric motor. It comes in two power ratings: 170kW (231hp) and 250kW (340hp). The company is keeping its plans for future development under wraps, but has officially announced that it will launch five new models within the next two years.

While Asian manufacturers are throttling up, the German government is taking swift action to address its economic slowdown. Last week, it approved a package of measures worth €32Bn in corporate tax cuts over four years, in an effort to boost production that will certainly benefit manufacturers installed in Germany.

?? This Week In The Mobility World

???Micromobility & Shared Mobility News

• Pon Holdings and Volkswagen Financial Services are teaming up to make e-bike leasing more accessible to employees and commercial customers in the U.S. and Europe.
• “The future of Seat is Cupra” said VW CEO Thomas Sch?fer at the IAA. Seat will no longer produce mainstream cars after 2030 and will focus on other types of mobility.
• Luna and Qualcomm have partnered to bring AI-powered advanced rider assistance systems (ARAS) to two-wheelers.

???Tech Updates

• BMW has listened to customer feedback and scrapped plans to charge an $18 monthly subscription fee for heated seats. The notion of "feature as a service" had reached its climax, so let's hope that this will help some manufacturers turn things around.
• Valeo will continue to develop Lidar sensors for autonomous driving. The company's CEO, Christophe Périllat, told AFP that he is "convinced" by the technology, despite Bosch's decision to stop its work in this field.
• Smart has announced a special upcoming model that will be equipped with Navigation smart Pilot (NSP) and a range of advanced driver assistance features based on the Mobileye SuperVision system.
• Tyson Foods and Gatik will deploy autonomous trucks in Northwest Arkansas to improve the efficiency of their supply chain.

?? Energy Updates

• Cummins, Daimler Trucks, and Paccar are partnering with Chinese battery maker Eve Energy to form a JV to produce battery cells for electric trucks in the United States.

???New Car Reveals

• Lotus presents its 905hp (675 kW) Emeya electric sedan. Its direct competitor? The Taycan, yes. Pricing and technical details will be announced later in the Q4 and production will start in 2024.

• All others announcements were made at IAA mobility and are covered in our highlight. Scroll up boys!

???Investment/Financial Updates

• Luca de Meo , CEO of Renault Group (and at the same time named "Group CEO 2023" by Automotive News, well done boss), has said that the company's future electric vehicle division Ampere could be worth 8 to €10Bn. However, some analysts are less optimistic about the valuation.

?? Bookmark Of The Week

It’s Official: Cars Are the Worst Product Category We Have Ever Reviewed for Privacy - Mozilla Foundation

Link

“We spent over?600 hours?researching the car brands’ privacy practices. That’s three times as much time per product than we normally do. Even still, we were left with so many questions. None of the privacy policies promise a full picture of how your data is used and shared. If three privacy researchers can barely get to the bottom of what’s going on with cars, how does the average time-pressed person stand a chance?”

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