Cars

Mercedes has filled its screens cars. Now your software boss says that the lifelong buttons are better

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Automobiles are immersed in two revolutions. One seems to have a clear destination: the adoption of batteries for support decarbonization. The other is that of the buttons, and it is somewhat more diffuse. If a few years ago the main companies They launched into the arms of the screens Already the condemnation of the physical buttons, now there is a shy back. And, precisely, one of the cars that is returning to the buttons is the New Mercedes GLC. Yes, the one with a 39.1 -inch side screen. Mbux Hyperscreen. Presented during the Munich Auto Hall a few weeks ago, the new Mercedes GLC is a most curious electric. On the outside, it reminds us of more classic cars of the brand, but inside it is an absolute fantasy. It does not reach the end of Intel prototypes with screens everywherean idea that became ‘obscene’, but in the dashboard we have a huge screen of almost 40 inches from side to side. It’s about your Hyperscreena subway and a half screen that simulates three screens and that has the controls of the entire infotainment system, car information and, after the steering wheel, the digital velocimeter area and important details for driving. Reverse. When Mercedes designed it, he relegated absolutely all car controls to digital buttons on that touch screen. However, the industry is in a moment of change and there are brands that are rethinking those movements. Although shy, Mercedes has joined this with the aforementioned GLC, but also with the Cla Shooting Brake (Another electric). The German brand has redesigned the steering wheel to include elements that should not have disappeared from it as knobs, rollers and buttons to control important sections of the car and do not have to divert the view of the road to look at a screen. The British environment Coach He has been able to talk to Magnus Östberg, head of software in Mercedes (so he must be one of the most interested in integrating everything into the user interface of the screens), who has recognized that, perhaps, they went from futurists. The new steering wheel with buttons The buttons are better. In the interview, Östberg pointed out that wearing the buttons back to the wheel is “the easiest and most profitable way to add physical controls to cars” while maintaining cabins in which there is great importance to digital. To the surprise of few drivers, “having that balance between physical and tactile buttons is extremely important for us. We rely on the data and what is most used, and the data show us that the physical buttons are better. That is why we have put them again,” he says in a forceful way. The software chief commented that this will mark the Mercedes roadmap from now on and that, probably include more buttons. Now, it will not be in all models. Östberg points out that, while the flyers with buttons will mark the new path of the brand, those cars that will include more additional buttons, surely will be the SUV. “In the largest cars we have more freedom of space and, in addition, the buyers of these ranges care more about the buttons,” he says. This may depend on the market, since the manager suggested that there could be different flyers depending on the region. He pointed out that while Europeans want buttons, Asians prefer screens and voice controls. Climatizer controls will continue on screen Also in the industry. The truth is that Östberg’s statements do not catch us by surprise if we take into account what other companies are doing. One of those who made a big difference between the classic and new ‘cabins’ with screens everywhere is Volkswagen and, precisely, in the Munich Automobile Hall presented Your new design language for interiors of their cars: more buttons and, in addition, real buttons (Nothing of its controversial capacitive buttons). But it is not just that companies are realizing that the buttons are useful for security reasons: Euro NCAP announced a few months ago that cars will only get five stars (a very important marketing point for the user) If the basic functions continue to control with physical controls. Mazda and his “Submit me the cup”. But, while some of the companies that most bet on the buttons are collecting cable, even timidly, there are others that move in an opposite direction. I mean Mazda, the Japanese company that became resistance When betting on small screens and many buttons and that, with its last models, has given the flying to embrace the touch screens. He Mazda 6e It was a warning, but consolidation came with the Mazda CX-5 2025a car that relegated important controls to the large central touch screen. And, like Östberg, from Mazda United States, they said that drivers want … screens. But well, despite the words of the Mercedes manager, the screens will not disappear. In fact, in Autocar, the design chief of the German firm, Gordon Wagener, said that the interior of the GLC is a luxury and that they look at Apple so that the software is the differentiating point With competition. The point now is to find that average term in which the buttons and the screens of a meter and a half manage to live together. Images | Mercedes-Benz In Xataka | Volkswagen adds to an increasingly common trend: to pay a subscription so that your car runs more

Ford had 20,000 workers in the Colonia factory. Ten years later they are 7,600 because their electric cars are not bought

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Three years ago, Ford presented its short and medium -term road map for Europe. Then they announced seven new completely electric modelsof which they were commercial vehicles. Of the other three, only one was a Ford. And, in fact, it has ended up becoming the electric variant of a combustion car. We talk about Ford Pumaan electric car in which they have had to juggle to put an electric motor train. A car limited to the city because platform restrictions Combustion barely leave space for a 43 kWh battery. With its more than 34,000 euros of departure, it has become a difficult car taking into account that it moves on the highway between 200 and the 250 real kilometers of autonomy. The other two, as we said, are not Ford cars. The Ford Explorer and Ford Capri They are electric cars mounted on the Volkswagen platform. In both cases we have stressed that, dynamically, cars have a slightly more interesting tuning than that of the Germans, with more hard suspensions and a slightly more direct direction. However, if you mount one and another it is easy to verify that both models are mounted on the Volkswagen MEB platform. That is disguised with the vertical displaceable screen in depth and a speaker arranged as if it were a sound bar. But that’s it. The interface of a good part of the menus is Purely Volkswagen And, specifically, it is evident that it is a hardware and software mounted on the MEB platform. And that is bad news. For your touch controls or for your usability decisions. And they are also bad news for Ford. So much that it will fire a thousand German employees because their electric cars are not buying. The results of a failed strategy A thousand employees. That is the number that Ford will say goodbye to its neighborhood plant (Germany). They argue that “in Europe, the demand for electric cars is still well below the forecasts of the sector” and that, therefore, the plant will pass to a single shift in 2026, reducing its productive capacity, in words collected by Motorpasion. They explain in the middle that so far this year, Ford has sold 19,000 Ford Explorer units and Capri is still below. In fact, you have to go down to the fourteenth place between best -selling electric cars in Europe in the first half of the year to find the Americans. Cupra, Byd or Peugeot were above them. We could talk about bad results but Ford invested 1,000 million euros in Colonia to modernize the plant and get its electric cars out of there. With a productive capacity of 250,000 vehicles per year, the factory works at half a gas. Nor is it a good time to receive this news since The company is losing money this year and suffering with American tariffs. So much so that last year he earned 1.8 billion dollars and this year plays in red numbers. The result is also the consequence of a risky strategy: to offer two clearly differentiated products. In October 2024, Jim Farley, his CEO, said that the company was “leaving the market of boring cars to enter the market of iconic cars” to the magazine Car. The statements They coincided over time with the abandonment of classic vehicles in the European market such as party, Mondeo or Focus. And it continued: “We are good making a quick car (about Ford and the bronco sub -jack) and authentic SUVs. Look at the Raptor, we brought it from Mexican competitions and turned it into a car that can be used in the street. It is a great example of where I think our passenger cars should go (…) We can face Porsche with the Mustang, it is the best -selling sports coupe in the world. and be stronger and stronger “ In those words, Ford’s strategy was hidden. European emission regulations They aimed at 2025 of Milmillonarias fines. Finally, the sanctions were delayed to 2027 but, if applied, Ford needs to sell many more electric and few cars like the ones Farley mentioned since they exceed the maximum proposed emissions of 93 gr/km of CO2. The answer was the hug to the Volkswagen MEB platform. This has been criticized harshly by critics and the public. In their eagerness to reduce costs, decisions have been made as a profusion of tactile controls They bother in place of adding. And cars have not highlighted precisely for good autonomy or a groundbreaking price. But, in return, Ford has obtained two electric cars in the market with a minimum investment. The risk is almost limited to the modernization of the colony plant. So, There are two clearly differentiated business lines In Ford: Cheap cars (developed on the work of others) and expensive and representative cars that do not even refer to Ford. It is no accident that the Mustang, Bronco or Raptor have lost the Ford logo on their front. They are, in themselves, as families that work almost independently. The problem is that the public has not bought Ford’s bet. The Ford Explorer or Capri are not bad electric cars but you have to assume the youth errors of the MEB platform paid, in addition, at a high price. In what we have been, in Spain, 649 units have been bought between the sum of these two models. 649 units of the almost 21,000 registrations that Ford is registered at the end of August. The damage is especially bleeding in more powerful markets. In Germany, Volkswagen has managed to overcome with the ID.3a car that seemed dead but is the best selling in the electricity market. He is followed ID.7which also uses the MEB platform. The Volkswagen ID.4 and ID.5 They are positioned in the fourth position (add up to the same bag because ID.5 is only the Coupé variant of ID.4). You have to go down to the twelfth position to find the Ford Explorer. Capri is not among … Read more

The Chinese brand has begun to make its cars in the continent

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The Chinese brand of electric vehicles has launched Your first local production line In Europe, marking an important step in the industry, as it is placed as one of the first Chinese manufacturers to produce local vehicles in the continent. The company has chosen Magna’s facilities in Graz, Austria, to start the assembly of its most successful models in the European market. A key movement. Xpeng’s decision of manufacture at the local level in Europe Respond directly to Tariffs imposed by the European Union to electric vehicles manufactured in China. The tariff tax can reach up to 35.3% for some manufacturers, a percentage that adds to the 10% base tariff. In the case of Xpeng, considered A “cooperating” entity In European research on subsidies, the additional rate is only 20.7%. Xpeng G6. Image: Xpeng The choice of the perfect partner. Magna Steyr It is not any manufacturer by contract. Its Graz facilities have produced vehicles for brands such as Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Jaguar Land Rover and Toyota. The plant specializes in flexible production of low volumes to media, and is recognized for its ability to assemble multiple complex models in shared lines. Currently, it is where the Mercedes-Benz class G. and the BMW Z4. The numbers speak. Between January and July 2025, Xpeng registered sales abroad from 18,701 vehicleswhich represents an interannual increase of 217%. In Europe specifically, more than 8,000 units were recorded in the first half of the year. The G6 monopolizes 67% of the brand’s total sales in Europe, becoming the star model of the region. More than a factory. Xpeng’s European strategy goes beyond production. The company has recently opened Your first center European research and development in Munich, Germany. This installation is designed to support technical collaboration and the adaptation of products to local markets. Although, like Explain The president and CEO he Xiaopeng, the center also focuses on conceptual prototypes through “an ecosystem driven by the focused on intelligent electric vehicles, humanoid robotics and flying vehicles.” The time factor. Xpeng has advanced to his rival byd in the race for local European production. While serial production in Austria should be in full operation next month, ByD plans to start Your production in Hungary Towards the end of the year. And now what. The company Plan Expand local production to other models in the future, including the new Xpeng P7+, described as its “car with AI”. The firm already has a presence in more than 46 countries and regions worldwide since its entry into Norway in 2021, being an example of the hunger that the Chinese automotive industry has by conquer other regionsnot only by export, but also through local manufacturing to grow the brand towards international markets. Cover image | Xpeng In Xataka | From Byd to Xiaomi: all Chinese cars that are already sold in Spain, Europe and those who are coming

What cars can circulate and which ones rest on September 13

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It’s here, it is already. Yes, the Sabatino does not circulate today returns through his fueros. As every Saturday, drivers affected by these restrictions collected in the program designed by the CDMX Ministry of Environment (Sedema) with the aim of improving the air we breathe. The restrictions go, indeed, to reduce the number of cars in the streets. How could it be otherwise, that forces cars at home. Restrictions that, as you know, apply in the 16 mayors in Mexico City and in the following conurbation municipalities of the State of Mexico: Atizapán de Zaragoza Coacalco de Berriozábal Cuautitlán Cuautitlán Izcalli Chalco Chicoloapan Chimalhuacán Ecatepec de Morelos Huixquilucan Ixtapaluca La Paz Naucalpan de Juárez Nezahualcóyotl Nicolás Romero Tecámac Tlalnepantla de Baz Tultitlán Chalco Valley What cars and plaques affect the Sabatino today Taking this into account, how can we avoid an irregularly circular pore? Obviously, the most important thing is to know well the restrictions that apply. Restrictions you will find in the superior image. All those days have a particularity. The rules are clear but on Saturdays they change slightly. And it is not always the same drivers who have to leave their cars at home. In short, on a Saturday the following conditions can be applied. Cars that can circulate every Saturday Cars that have to rest every Saturday Cars that rest on a Saturday yes and another no+ These restrictions, however, do not apply all day. At night they do not take into account and, therefore, are active between 05:00 and 10:00 p.m.. That is, at night we can move freely and without being afraid of fines. Once we have clarified all these concepts, what else do we have to take into account? The first thing is that today does not circulate Sabatino does not always apply the same. You have to take into account the calendar because on Saturdays do not always stay at home the same cars. It will be the plate number that defines it. Hologram 2 cars do have the obligation to rest. But, for example, hologram cars 0 and 00 never have to rest. The latter can circulate with total freedom because they are the cars that least contaminate. But what happens to hologram 1? On a Saturday like this, September 13, 2025it will be the cars with hologram 1 and plate finished in even number that remain at home. Because this Saturday is the second Saturday of September and, therefore, it coincides with “par”. Next week, the odd ones will go around and rest. However, there are some exceptions that must be taken into account because those cars can move with total freedom: Those that work for electricity, natural gas or are hybrid Those who have disabled plate All those dedicated to urban transport services (includes funerals) Those who offer school or passenger transport Those for public safety and/or civil protection In case of breaching these restrictions, the fine will be 20 to 30 times the unit of measurement and update (Uma), which is equivalent to 1,924.40 pesos and even 2,886.60 pesos. Photo | Ryan Pearson In Xataka | Contamination is not only making you live less and worse. You are also making you darker

“The problem is not the price, it is that Chinese cars are really better”

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The founder of Rivian, RJ Scaringe, has launched a warning that can be uncomfortable for the western car industry, especially for how the panorama is in terms of The conquest of Chinese manufacturers. And it is that for the CEO of Rivian, Chinese manufacturers not only compete in price, but have developed superior technology. In his recent statements, the US executive makes it clear that obsessing with the cost of Chinese electric vehicles is a strategic error that can cost expensive long -term. Chinese technological advantage. During An interview In the podcast plugged-in, Scaringe went straight to the grain: “The alarming, if you look at the entire industry, is that technology is much better.” The CEO does not only refer to lower prices, but to cars that technically exceed the majority of western manufacturers. “They are technically very advanced and more advanced vehicles than most western manufacturers, I would say that Tesla and Rivian are exceptions,” declared Later in the Everything Electric podcast. More than Smartphones on wheels. While Western brands have been promising to convert their cars into “smartphones on wheels”, China takes time that has achieved it. And today, Chinese vehicles incorporate powerful infotainment systems with voice assistants and even karaoke, with architectures similar to those we commonly see in the consumer electronics sector and frequent software updates. An outstanding example is the Xiaomi Su7that Scaringe described as “an impressively well done vehicle”, especially notable for being the first car of the Chinese technological giant, who have also contributed their great software experience. The cost is not the background issue. “There are two things that will happen: or we will put tariffs that match the cost, or we will allow Chinese manufacturers to build in the United States. But in both cases, the cost will be essentially the same,” explained Scaringe “There is nothing magical when disarming it that allows these really impressive cost structures. There is nothing secret and magical,” said the manager. Chinese advantage comes from government subsidieslower labor costs and a lower capital cost. The reality of supply chains. The Rivian CEO also addresses a crucial point that tariffs cannot resolve: the dependence on critical materials. “We don’t have the same geological advantages we had in the fossil fuel area,” pointed outexplaining that your company needs nickel for batteries, but the greatest world production is in Indonesia, not in the United States. The real challenge is about to arrive. Scaringe admits that when commercial barriers are reduced or Chinese manufacturers establish plants in the West, competition will be decided by technology, not for the price. “They will win in technology,” he warns. “If I were a current manufacturer, I would worry less about the cost and focus more on cars are really better,” says the manager. The founder of Rivian has not been the only one to recognize this point, since Ford He also recognized That China has “much higher vehicle technology” and is developing new platforms specifically to compete. In Europe, a multitude of Chinese brands begin to establish themselves, with Byd as main flag bearer. Tariffs are the weapon of the European Union to stop that mismatch in competition, but it will be difficult. Cover image | Patrick T. Fallon and Rivian In Xataka | Toyota has been using a megaprensa for 90 years to make cars. They have transported half planet to continue using it

Toyota has been using a megaprensa for 90 years to make cars. They have transported half planet to continue using it

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In 2024 About 92 million vehicles were manufactured worldwide. Plants like him Hyundai Ulsan Colossus Manufacture one every ten seconds Thanks to a tremendously specific machinery. One of the machines that are used are prey, Monsters such as Tesla Gigapress that allow to shape the metal in a few seconds, but despite innovations, Toyota has a press that has been working as the first day and resist to leave. In fact, it is older than the car company itself, when Toyota was nothing more than a loom manufacturer. The Komatsu press. Now, Toyota is not only one of the Industry powersbut an example of reliability and one of the most manufactured cars. It is one of Japan’s economic engines, but a century ago, things were very different. In the 1920s, Toyoda (it was named for the surname of its founder, Sakichi Toyoda) It was a company that manufactured looms. Curiously, Keep being. Toyoda Automatic Loom, from 1924, was considered the most advanced loom in the world and the company saw that it should not be so different from an engine, so they got to work. They created their first engine, also their first car and, to accelerate production, acquired a huge 700 -ton press manufactured by Komatsu. This purchase was made in 1934, when Toyota was already in the car business, but three years before the formal foundation of Toyota Motor Corporation in 1937. With its 700 tons of strength, it could work with large body panels, shaping the metal sheets with ease, and it was the one that helped boost the business during the first years in the first years in the first years in the first years in the first years in the first years in the first years in HONshus plantto. The flag in the Sao Bernardo plant Travel. Masahiro Inoue, CEO of Toyota for Latin America and the Caribbean, highlighted That it was incredible that a Japanese company acquired such a large team before the war, since it had to be “incredibly expensive.” According to Inoue, they were able to face the purchase thanks to the money obtained by the sale of Patents from the Automatic Loom to a British company. During five years, the Komatsu press gave life to some of Toyota’s most iconic cars, but in 1962, they decided to open their first floor outside Japan. Located in Sao Bernardo, the factory needed specialized machinery for the local Variant of Land Cruiser, and decided that the Komatsu press should be installed on that new plant. After a very complicated logistics due to its dimensions and weight to move it to Brazil, for 39 years, the already veteran press proved to be vital for the construction of the Toyota Banderiant. After the end of the production of the SUV in 2001, he continued in service stamping pieces both for the Corolla as for the Hilux. Back home. In November 2023, the Sao Bernardo plant closed, but that did not mean the death of the veteran press. Toyota was, and it is still a machine factory, and I don’t know whether for adherence to the press or for something merely practical, They announced that he would return to Japan. In fact, as we read in Toyota TimesThey affirmed that he would have his own tribute because his new destination would be exactly the place he occupied in the Honsha plant during those years in which he helped to shape both cars and the company itself. President Akio Toyoda approved that “functional conservation” of the machine, because it will not be a mere museum piece: it will serve both for use in the manufacture of spare parts and to train the new factory employees. An icon. For 90 years, the Komatsu press has been key in the development of Toyota both for what it helped to forge and for representing that first large deployment of the company outside its borders. At this point, it is part of the spirit of the company, but also a sample of how, for certain such specific tasks, the passage of time and the creation of new machinery has not been able to take this pillar of the automotive ahead. Now, as Inoue commented, it was sure to be “greatly expensive”, but after 90 years, the investment is well amortized. Images | Toyota In Xataka | This monstrous machine of 580 tons builds bridges as if it were flying

What cars can circulate and which ones rest on September 6

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Saturday, September 6 … Everything sounds like it should be a particularly comfortable and rested day. It will not be if your car is under the measures of the program today does not circulate Sabatino. Well, as you know, certain vehicles will have to be protected at home during this day. This initiative, promoted by the CDMX Ministry of Environment (Sedema), Search mainly decrease toxic emissions improving the quality of the air we inhale. The operation is simple: certain cars, especially those that produce more pollution, are restricted traffic. Of course, it does not always fall on the same vehicles every Saturday. In the areas where this provision governs, some of them rest in alternate weeks. And where is it applied? Specifically in the 16 mayors in Mexico City and in the following conurbation municipalities of the State of Mexico: Atizapán de Zaragoza Coacalco de Berriozábal Cuautitlán Cuautitlán Izcalli Chalco Chicoloapan Chimalhuacán Ecatepec de Morelos Huixquilucan Ixtapaluca La Paz Naucalpan de Juárez Nezahualcóyotl Nicolás Romero Tecámac Tlalnepantla de Baz Tultitlán Chalco Valley What cars and plaques affect the Sabatino today Who should be kept home? The daily functioning of the program is simple to understand, as seen in the superior image. But on Saturdays it is modified and not all cars face the same limitations every week. Certain vehicles have freedom of traffic some Saturdays, while on other occasions they run into prohibitions. The categories for this day can be divided into: Cars that can circulate every Saturday Cars that have to rest every Saturday Cars that rest on a Saturday yes and another These limitations work exclusively between 05:00 and 10:00 p.m. In night, the prohibition is suspended, enabling traffic without the possibility of sanction. Beyond knowing the fundamental, it is relevant to underline that the implementation of the program is not uniform for all cars. Therefore, it is important to check three elements before leaving home: the calendar of the month, the hologram class that wears the vehicle and the final digit of its plate. As shown, cars with hologram 2 maintain the current limitation every Saturday, while those who carry holograms 0 and 00 have freedom of traffic every week. Those who have hologram 1 face interspersed limitations week after week. He Saturday, September 6, 2025which is located as the first Saturday of the month (odd), those cars with plates ended in odd number are obliged to rest. Next week, second Saturday (PAR), the limitation will touch cars with plates that conclude in even number. However, there are some exceptions that should be considered because those cars will have complete mobility: Those that work for electricity, natural gas or are hybrid Those who have disabled plate All those dedicated to urban transport services (includes funerals) Those who offer school or passenger transport those destined for public safety and/or civil protection Those who violate these provisions will receive sanctions that go from 20 to 30 times the unit of measure and update (UMA), which represents a sanction between 1,924.40 and 2,886.60 pesos. Photo | Danylo Suprun In Xataka | Contamination is not only making you live less and worse. You are also making you darker

The Xpeng CEO is clear about the future apocalyptic of Chinese cars

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China is following a very clear strategy with its cars: flood Europe. And is doing it with both factories on the continent and Large ships that bring thousands of cars from China. Are Battery leaders and The electric car is its avant -gardebut we must not forget Your combustion models. There are more and more models And there are those who think that this wild competition can be what leads to the failure of many companies. To the point that only a handful of them will be short -term. Specifically … five. At least, according to the CEO of The promising xpeng. Spearheads. The proper names of the Chinese car are, now, well known. There are brands like Byd, Omoda either Mg that are increasingly seen in European streets. They are following strategies to Live with big fish In a very competitive market, expanding dealer networks, manufacturing in Europestriving to Understand the European user and associating with brands like Stellantis To create strategic relationships. To those that are already here you can add other proper names of great weight, such as a Xiaomi whose models are awakening so much interest that the brand has turned its main factory into A kind of amusement park. Increasingly. There are more that they have a smaller portion of the cake at the moment, but they have ambition. Xpeng landed in Spain in 2024 And it has been reaching other markets such as the United Kingdom. Its intention is to be present in 60 countries by the end of this year, concessionaires included, and there are still other names that are yet to come. Chery (owner of Ebro, Omoda and Jaecoo), is preparing the landing of a new brand, LEPASand outside the automotive segment, we have brands like Dreame (manufacturers of vacuum cleaners and Pool cleaning robots) that too They have interest In this market with the aim of competing … against the Bugatti Veyron. Only five will remain. And in this panorama in which there are more and more brands of Chinese cars, either for having many models or because they get into the car due to the government impulse, a controversial statement of he Xiaopeng enters. This is the CEO of the aforementioned Xpeng and, in a recent Pódcast, commented that the Chinese automotive sector has entered a elimination phase. Their comments are radical, stating that “no Chinese manufacturer is safe from a elimination round that will reach its end in five years and in which only five brands will remain.” The reasons are the same as not so much They hit the solar panel industry in China. After flood West With its technology, A bestial price war caused sellers to have to operate at losses and do the logical: manufacture less. There are brands like Byd that were profitable, but others depend on reaching a certain scale to survive and there are already analysts that estimate that, although state aid They promoted initial sales, withdrawal of incentives to consumers will impact a very fragmented market. It is not a crazy idea. Alixpartners is a consultant who coincides with the predictions of He Xiaopeng, pointing That the number of viable brands of electric and hybrids will exceed the current 129 to just 15 from 2030, with only a few giants dominating the market. It is something that would take brands like children, which has sought to differentiate (even creating mobiles to complete the experience of their cars), but has suffered financial and capacity problems. And you don’t have to go to China to be catastrophic. Ola Källenius is Mercedes-Benz’s CEO already described last year The current market as “a Darwinian price war” in which many of the current actors will disappear in five years. The Keys of analysts for a brand to survive? Manufacturing capacity, scale to other markets and battery leadership. Images | Byd, xpeng In Xataka | Byd did not go to the Shanghai Auto Salon to show cars. Went to exhibit power

Stellantis awaits a ship with open arms. One loaded with Chinese cars to assault the SUV of 30,000 euros

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China has an objective with its automotive industry: flooding Europe and other main markets with its cars. Its main bet is the electricbut Chinese brands are consolidating in the West with All types of motorizations. Saic, Geely, Byd and, of course, Xiaomithey are increasingly recognizable brands in the market, but at the end of 2024, Another joined the party: Leapmotor. Its objective is to compete in the most tight price segment, and for this they joined Stellantis. Now, the first ship loaded with the new LEAPMOTOR B10 China has left Rumbo to Europe. And it is a serious bet to assault the urban electric SUV segment of 30,000 euros. Stellantis 🤝 China. Stellantis is one of the largest automotive groups, but in recent years he has had to face a Image crisis due to its Puretech engines. Millions of cars with potentially defective engines translate into A guarantee extension (with the cost that this implies for the brand), Millions of euros have burned in unsuccessful developments and have even managed to anger the Italian police. To try to bite in the electricity share of the electric, at the end of 2023 He invested 1,500 million euros in Leapmotor for have 21% of the company. With that movement it became a Strategic shareholder of the Chinese companybut they also created a joint venture called Leapmotor International led by Stellantis (51%) and Leapmotor (49%) that gives Stellantis exclusive rights to export, sell and manufacture Leapmotor products outside China. In a nutshell: Stellantis assembles and sells Chinese models in Europe and other markets and Leapmotor takes advantage of the Stellantis distribution network to consolidate its position in the global market. And a very important model is the B10. LEAPMOTOR B10. Leapmotor has designed the B10 with the international market in mind. It has a 218 hp motorization and something common with the rest of Chinese cars (and following the trend that It has swallowed until the identity of Mazda), a 14.6 -inch screen dominates the interior. After the steering wheel there is an instrument frame that is also a panel of 8.8 inches. It has a length of 4.52 meters by 1.89 meters wide and will arrive with two battery options. On the one hand, 56.2 kWh that allows up to 361 kilometers WLTP. On the other, 67.1 kWh for up to 434 kilometers. The load is up to 168 kW, allowing 80% of the battery to recover in half an hour. Leven Anclas. The commercial debut of the SUV will occur in the IAA Munich Mobility. It is one of the most important windows for electric vehicles and, both Stellantis and Leapmotor, they want to ensure a good inventory for possible buyers. China wants to dominate the electric cars sector in Europe (And not just electric), And companies do not conform to rent huge ro-ro ships To transport your product. We have already seen cases like byd either SAIC opening a flotTo transport their cars, and Leapmotor has also secured his, but without having his own fleet. An alliance with the Italian Grimaldi Group is the one that will allow the Chinese company to use its ships, including the latest generation, for its operations. The fact that It has already started from China With 2,500 units of B10 is the great Tianjin, which holds imposing figures: 200 meters of length. 38 meters manga. Capacity for up to 9,241 units. Electrical system to avoid emissions during scales. Low emissions man engines prepared for future conversion to fuels without carbon. Rivals. The idea is that the great Tianjin arrives on time for both the presentation at the German event and for the start of sales in concessionaires. In addition, its arrival will allow Stellantis to have a car to compete, directly, with the most settled electronic SUVs in our market such as the Renault Scénic E-Techhe Volkkswagen ID.4he Byd Atto 3 And the most ‘dangerous’, the MG ZS EV. The version with less autonomy is expected to be positioned for less than 30,000 euros, a figure lower than those of those direct rivals, but we must wait for the official presentation to confirm it. Climbing. Although the IAA Mobiliy is the event that marks the start of Stellantis and Leapmotor operations with the B10, companies will not limit this model to the European market. Apart from 20 countries on the continent, the intention It is selling it in the Middle East, Asia, Africa and South America at the end of this year. Images | Stellantis In Xataka | Family and friends keep asking me if “it is worth buying a Chinese car.” This is my answer

Europe wants to end combustion cars in 2035. Manufacturers have their own plans

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Europe has been, without any doubt, the most restrictive and ambitious region with the jump to the electric car. Theirs are the policies that point to a prohibition in the sale of cars with combustion engines (with nuances) from 2035. Now, the same manufacturers who said they wanted to hug the electric car are pressing to skip them. “It is not viable”. It is the last message released by manufacturers. This time it has touched the turn to aceawhich encompasses European manufacturers under the same association. Not much less, the first time That this group throws messages along the same lines but the first that formally asks regulators through a letter. The letter is signed by Ola Källenius (president of Acea at the moment and CEO of Mercedes) and Matthias Zink (president of the European Association of Automotive Suppliers CPA). It indicates that the objectives are unrealistic and emphasize their frustration for the absence of a comprehensive policy plan that facilitates the transition. What do they defend? In the letter, manufacturers say they have invested 250,000 million euros in investments until 2030 with the aim of putting cleaner vehicles on the market. However, they ensure that times have changed and that there are important obstacles that have to solve. They give as an example the 15% tariff with which the United States will tax vehicles from Europe (which supposes A true dart for German manufacturers But also for him auxiliary market). They also point out that the numbers do not lie and that the electricity quota shows that the hug to this technology is costing more than expected. Solutions? The usual: less taxes, more subsidies and flexibility in the standards that allows to sell all types of technologies, including cars with combustion engines. Once again, manufacturers are pressing so that the standards are flexible. What does EU have in hand? Two important phases that manufacturers want to skip or, at least, make the standards more flexible. There are three key dates throughout this matter: 2027: It is the first milestone. Between 2025 and 2027the average emission of the different car fleets should not exceed 93.6 gr/km of CO2. If exceed, the manufacturer must pay a fine of 95 euros per gram of CO2 exceeded and car sold. 2030: The maximum emission limit is reduced to 49.5 gr/km of co. That implies that a car with gasoline engine cannot exceed a consumption of 2.1 liters/100 km of fuel and a diesel cannot exceed 1.8 liters/100 km 2035: Forbidden to sell cars with combustion engines that are not neutral carbon. Has the European Union achieved anything? Yes, obviously the regulations and the threat of millmillionary fines have shaken the industry. It is no accident that the launch of vehicles of all types of brands have been condensed in electric cars or highly electrified, with plug -in hybrids that already exceed 100 kilometers of electrical autonomy. Regulatory pressures have always led to greater investments of manufacturers and new developments. In recent times we have seen evident efforts with investments in renovation of plants to produce electric cars and factor construction for battery production. They even announced jumps to the electric car exclusively that, yes, have been diluted over the years. Have manufacturers achieved anything? Yes, although the results could be defined as “fled forward.” The first great milestone has been postponing the fines for emissions until 2027. This year 2025 Europe I should have started fine to those who exceed the limit of 93.6 gr/km of CO2 but Milmillionaire fines were expected. Finally, Regulators have yielded pointing out that the fines will be based on the average CO2 emissions sold between 2025 and 2027. That is, if a manufacturer exceeds 10 grams in 2025, it has two more years to be below the limit. That will force you to sell many More electric cars and plug -in hybrids between 2026 and 2027. Subtle but key. Also, after multiple Pressures led by Germany and Italy It was achieved that the 2035 prohibition would change subtly but decisively. First there was talk of combustion engines “Neutral in emissions” But the new wording already spoke of combustion engines “neutral in carbon emissions”. This small change is essential to guarantee the sale of combustion engines that use synthetic fuels either hydrogen. These options are not neutral in emissions since they launch very harmful fine particles for health. It is a problem produced by the burning of the fuel and has no viable solution. By introducing that nuance of “neutral in carbon emissions”, manufacturers can develop propellants of this type since they can emit these particles but the development of synthetic fuels and the use of hydrogen make these “neutral” cars in this type of gases. However, they are cars that They should be the absolute exception If European plans are fulfilled. What future awaits us? It is difficult to ensure. European industry is extremely powerful and has a lot of pressure in countries such as Germany, Italy, France or Spain where very high volumes of vehicles are produced. Aware of this, manufacturers have always tried to press in their own way, either to delay regulations or Receive more subsidies. If the plans are fulfilled, we should see a huge increase in sales of electric cars. It is the fastest formula to lower consumption since plug -in hybrid The method to count emissions has been changed and consumption. Therefore, we are facing a new movement of manufacturers to press regulators and try to make the standards more flexible. That they get it or not it is something that only time will say. Photo | Red Dot and European Commission In Xataka | European car manufacturers faced milmillionaire fines in 2025. They have postponed them thanks to fear

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