Success and failure
Ir. Martijn C. de Kuijer
Senior ITS Integration Manager & Consultant specializing in Intelligent Transport Systems, Smart Mobility, and Renewable Energy. Expert in planning, optimization, passenger counting, and real-time systems.
Last week's good and bad car news
Tuesday morning. Computer on, the weekend is over. At Greenchoicess we look back on the week in which we recorded sad sales results, but also a huge price reduction of a popular EV. Good news, bad news, success, and failure.
Success – Skoda Elroq (2024) review: all arrows on Volvo EX30 and Kia EV3
Electric cars are becoming cheaper and the supply is increasing. Good news for consumers! We test the Skoda Elroq in camouflage equipment and conclude that Volvo has reason to be concerned.
What stands out about the Skoda Elroq?
Of course it's still wrapped. The Elroq is already completely ready and we saw it briefly in a closed room. But it won't be officially unveiled until October 1. You still have to make do with this flamingo outfit. We can probably reveal something: it has similarities with the Vision 7S study model.
The name Skoda, just like the Vision 7S, is written in full on the hood and the logo disappeared. But where the Vision 7S has vertical headlights under the daytime running lights, the Elroq has them a little lower, on the bumper. Chrome has banned Skoda, just like with the Kodiaq and Superb. Even more design features: a short overhang and relatively small wheel arches. It is better for aerodynamics if the space between wheels and body is as small as possible.
First the context; the Elroq is extremely important for Skoda, because it has to compete with the Volvo EX30 and the Kia EV3. Something strange is going on with the EX30, because despite software problems, lack of space and ugly materials, it is difficult to find in some countries.
The Elroq will also have a hard time with the Kia EV3. The Kia comes on the market a little earlier than the Elroq and the Koreans have more than got their act together. The space is spacious, the build quality is top notch and the EV9-like appearance is promising.
What is good about the Skoda Elroq?
If we could award a trophy on behalf of all tall people to car brands that do not let us down, we would nominate Skoda. The electric Elroq is not spacious, but huge. The car is therefore cleverly put together, the wheelbase is the same as that of the larger Enyaq. So you have exactly the same amount of space, including in the back.
Anyone who has purchased a cramped Volvo EX30 will sometimes scratch their heads. The difference with the Elroq is particularly embarrassing in the rear. The Elroq is 17 centimeters smaller than the Enyaq, so it has a somewhat tighter luggage compartment of 470 liters.
The rear-wheel drive Enyaq appears with three battery packs (55, 63 and 82 kWh), the largest of which has a range of 560 kilometers. With the smallest battery you can reach 350 kilometers.
The most fun at Skoda is looking for tricks that other brands overlook. The smartest: a net under the parcel shelf in which you can store the charging cable. Takes up little space and you can just stuff the cable in without having to take an origami course first. We love it! The parcel shelf itself is adjustable.
What could be improved on the Skoda Elroq?
The operation is not as complicated as the Volkswagen ID.3, but the Elroq has no real buttons on the dashboard for climate control, for example. Although we managed to get by with the large touchscreen during the short test drive.
The test route was paved with speed bumps and we found the damping a bit too stiff, especially at the rear. The feeling in the brake pedal could also be improved. Perhaps some tweaks can be made before the first expectant buyers pick up their Elroq.
When will the Skoda Elroq be available and what is the price?
The electric Elroq will be unveiled on October 1 and can also be ordered. But it won't be in the showroom until 2025. The official price is not known, but we can easily take a guess. Skoda wants to compete with the Volvo EX30, which costs 36,795 euros. Assume that the Elroq will not become a euro more expensive, perhaps even cheaper.
The Kia EV3 will arrive earlier than the Elroq, it will be in the showroom around Christmas at the latest. Kia has not yet announced prices.
Success – This compact SUV with 4x4 is even cheaper than the Dacia Duster
If you are looking for a compact affordable SUV with 4x4 drive, you don't have much choice. You will soon arrive at the Dacia Duster. But there is now a cheaper alternative from a brand that also offers even more warranty.
We are talking about the Suzuki Vitara. It was recently renewed and now that the prices have been announced, it is striking how competitively priced the SUV actually is. The entry-level car is available from 28,995 euros. The Dacia Duster is cheaper at 25,590 euros, but has a 999 cc 3-cylinder petrol engine with 100 hp. The Vitara offers a more mature 1.4-liter 4-cylinder mild hybrid with 129 hp, plus an electric motor of almost 14 hp.
The Duster with 130 hp engine is also cheaper than the Vitara at 28,890 euros, but even then you still have to make do with a tiny cylinder capacity and 3 cylinders. Moreover, the price difference is much smaller.
The point where the Vitara becomes cheaper than the Duster is if you want 4x4. Just like the Duster, the Vitara is also available as a 4x4 car. And while the cheapest Duster with all-wheel drive costs 33,390 euros, the Vitara Allgrip is available from 33,295 euros. Just a little cheaper. In the Duster you still have a 3-cylinder with 130 hp.
At age
Admittedly, the Dacia Duster is much newer and looks much cooler. The current Vitara came onto the market in 2015 and is quite old by car standards. Although subtle facelifts keep it up to date. But if you don't care about that, the Suzuki Vitara is a good alternative. Especially if you like certainty; Suzuki provides a standard six-year warranty. Dacia thinks three years is enough.
We already said it: the Suzuki Vitara has recently been renewed. The front bumper is new, as is the black grille. According to Suzuki, the side screens have been made thicker, but with the naked eye you can actually see no difference with the outgoing version. There are also new alloy wheels and two new exterior colors: Titan Dark Gray Pearl Metallic and the two-tone paint Sphere Blue Pearl with the roof in black. You can also get the latter color without a black roof.
Success – Why the Hyundai Ioniq 5 has suddenly become cheaper
The Hyundai Ioniq 5 was recently updated, and now it also has a price. Remarkably, the Hyundai Ioniq 5 has become considerably cheaper, while you actually get a greater range. The price difference is even significant.
Where you first had to take at least 49,195 euros to the Hyundai dealer for an Ioniq 5, the sellers are now already settling for 42,995 euros. At least, if you go for the entry-level. Gifted calculators will note that this price difference is not yet the stated 9 grand, but that's true.
Because the Ioniq 5 now falls below the subsidy limit of 45,000 euros, buyers are also entitled to a 2,950 euro SEPP subsidy. With the government subsidy you can order an Ioniq 5 from 40,045 euros - an attractive price for an EV of this size. But you have to be quick for this support: 2024 is the last year that the subsidy can be applied for.
Larger battery and range
Besides the price, the refreshed Hyundai Ioniq 5 has become more desirable for more reasons. We're not even talking so much about the new bumpers and the arrival of a rear window wiper (although that does solve one of our irritations), but mainly about the increased range. This is because the battery pack of 58 or 77.4 kWh has been replaced by 63 or even 84 kWh. This gives a range of 440 or 570 kilometers, previously this was 384 or 507 kilometers.
Hyundai Ioniq 5 Style
For just over 40 grand you can get the Hyundai Ioniq 5 Style. That's the entry-level, but you certainly don't have to bite the bullet. Standard include:
Failure - Car sales January-June 2024: best-selling brand 2023 drops out of top 5
The Tesla Model Y and 3 will also not be available in the first half of 2024. French brands, such as Peugeot and Renault, actually perform less. But one popular brand is really turning heads.
Kia and Volkswagen have been involved in an exciting battle for the number 1 position in recent years. But this year Volkswagen seems to be suffering from the Ajax syndrome. The number 1 of 2023 drops far down the lists. They drop not four, not five, but even six positions and are in seventh place behind BMW.
Kia best-selling car
Kia is number 1 again, mainly thanks to the Niro. But models such as the Picanto, Sportage and EV6 also perform excellently. Volvo and Toyota are following in Kia's wake. Tesla and Hyundai complete the top 5.
There is only one European brand in the top 5 best-selling brands from 2024 to date. Volvo knows how to hold its own among competitors from distant continents.
The electric Volvo EX30 has caused a landslide in sales figures. At Volvo the smiles cannot be wiped off the faces of the accountants, because the EX30 is actually the sales cannon that was hoped for. Despite all the software and quality problems that the Swedes encountered. The EX30 is in a decent 4th place. Veteran EX40 is doing even better in 3rd place.
Nobody wants a Volkswagen ID.4 anymore
We take a look at the losers. At Volkswagen, the decline is dramatic: from 18,843 registrations in the first half of 2023 to 10,693 this year; a decrease of more than 43 percent. The electric models in particular score poorly. The ID. Buzz, for example, is not catching on, with only 74 registrations.
The free fall of the Volkswagen ID.4 is spectacular, from 2244 units last year to 540 this year. Peugeot is also facing storms: more than 35 percent fewer registrations. Perhaps together with Renault they can create a Spotify list with tear-jerking French chansons, because sales at their major competitor fell by 27.2 percent. While Renault is introducing so many new models.
MG sales figures collapse
The Chinese brands are throwing billions to conquer Europe. MG scored well last year, with 2992 registrations. This year there were only 932, not even a third of what it was. Although we expect a lot from the MG3, deliveries of which are only now picking up steam.
BYD did increase, but the established order does not have to worry about it yet. In the first half of last year, 585 BYDs were registered, now 1152.
Surprising: the demand for electric cars has increased in the first half of 2024. Especially at the beginning of this year, things were still going well and market share was growing, but sales have leveled off in the past two months. The lack of clarity regarding road tax and the abolition of subsidies and lease benefits are hurting sales. In total, 4.1 percent more EVs were sold and the market share of fully electric cars is 31.2 percent.
Petrol and (plug-in) hybrid together have a share of 67 percent, which leaves a very small slice of the pie for diesel (1.2 percent) and LPG (0.6 percent).
Best-selling cars Jan-June 2024
Best-selling car brands Jan-June 2024
Failure - Don't be a shocked: cars have become so much heavier in just seven years
The average weight of new cars has increased enormously in the past seven years. The weight gain amounts to hundreds of kilos and has several causes.
The specifications of all new cars we tested between 2016 and 2023 show that the average weight increased from 1553 kg to 1947 kg in those years. That means an increase of 394 kilos, or more than 25 percent. Then you can say that they need to exercise more, but that works even less well with machines made of steel and plastic than with creatures of flesh and blood.
For example, the Skoda Kodiaq weighed 1751 kg, 246 kg more than the Skoda Superb that was tested a year earlier. The Jaguar F-Pace was 180 kg heavier than the Jaguar XF with the same 2.0-litre diesel engine. In the following years, only SUVs were added, with an average weight of more than 1900 kg.
Electrification: another heavyweight
Electrification also plays a role in making new cars heavier. Electric models launched last year had an average weight of 1991 kg. Cars with combustion engines were almost 100 kg lighter, namely 1897 kg. Without hybrid and plug-in hybrid cars, this figure drops to 1841 kg, or 150 kg less than the average EV.
Car obesity doesn't seem to be stopping
Since 2000, the annual average weight of cars has fluctuated between 1500 kg and 1650 kg, until reaching 1700 kg for the first time in 2018. In 2022 it rose to 1879 kg and to 1947 kg last year. We already mentioned it: that means an average weight gain of almost 400 kilos in seven years. Measured over 23 years, it is even 447 kilos.
The trend appears to be continuing: in the first quarter of 2024, the average weight – most of which were electric or SUV (or both) – was 2087 kg. If this remains this high this year, the weight gain since 2016 would amount to 534 kilos. The heaviest in 2024 was the electric Mercedes-Benz EQS SUV, which weighs an unimaginable 2670 kg.
Failure - Now that the price of many EVs is falling, the Volvo EX30 is becoming more expensive
Nowadays, hardly a day goes by without price reductions for an electric car, whether significant or not. But not every brand participates in this. The popular Volvo EX30 is even becoming more expensive.
Many EVs end up in the sales bin. For example, the price of the Cupra Born, the Volkswagen ID.3, the Mercedes EQA and the Hyundai Ioniq 5 recently fell. Although sometimes it concerns a new basic version that has a lower price. Either way: many EVs are dropping in price. But there are always exceptions that confirm the rule. Like the Volvo EX30.
The price increase applies to all versions of Volvo's bestseller. The price increases vary from 1000 to 2000 euros.
Volvo EX30 price increases
The Volvo EX30 is available with three powertrains: the Single Motor, the Single Motor Extended Range and the Twin Motor Performance. As the name suggests, the former has one electric motor on the rear axle, which produces 272 hp and 343 Nm of torque. With its 49 kWh battery pack you can travel up to 337 kilometers on a charge. This version of the EX30 is equipped as Core or Plus, both of which have become 1700 euros more expensive.
The Single Motor Extended Range has the same electric motor, but has a larger 64 kWh battery. This brings this version up to 476 km with a full battery. As a Core, this version has become no less than 2000 euros more expensive. If you order it as Plus or Ultra, you pay an extra 1060 and 1000 euros respectively.
The Twin Motor Performance also has the larger battery, but gets an electric motor on the front axle. This gives the top version of the EX30 428 hp and 543 Nm of torque, but a smaller range of up to 450 km. The most expensive EX30 has become 1000 euros more expensive in both the Plus and Ultra equipment.
More interesting car news next week!
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