Germany – Plug-in EVs have 22.9% market share & BMW’s latest model with gaming features & GM self-driving car expectations

Here are some trending news topics in the automotive and mobility markets around the world.

We have carefully selected three interesting news items from the automotive industry and will present the information in a concise and easy-to-understand format to help you speedily understand the latest developments in this field. We will also feature news from overseas media and other sources.

Germany – Plug-in EVs gain 22.9% market share; Tesla leads

June 9, 2023

The German car market saw a 22.9% share of plug-in EVs in May 2023, down from 25.3% in the same month last year.

The breakdown is 17.3% for battery electric (BEV) and 5.6% for plug-in hybrid (PHEV).

Until the year before last, there was a balance between BEVs and PHEVs, but recent policy changes related to emissions have resulted in a sharp decline in market share since all funding for PHEVs was cut off. PHEVs’ market share is only in the range of 5 %から6%this year, compared to 12 %から14%in the same period last year.

In terms of volume, BEVs grew by more than 46% y/y to 42,780 units, while PHEVs declined 40% y/y to 13,803 units.

In May, the market share of gasoline-powered vehicles fell 3% from the same period last year to 53.1%. It is forecast that the share will fall below 50% by the end of the third quarter and will not exceed 50% thereafter.

The best-selling BEV in Germany in May was the Tesla Model Y, followed by the Volkswagen ID.4/ID.5.

At Tesla’s Gigafactory in Berlin, peak production increased to more than 5,000 vehicles per week by the end of March (4,000 vehicles per week at the end of February).

Elsewhere in the May sales ranking, the BMW i4 recorded its highest monthly sales volume ever, moving up to 8th place, while its sibling, the BMW iX1, ranked 9th.

In addition, the Sterantis Jeep Avenger made its first appearance, debuting with 313 units.

BYD Atto 3 sales were sluggish in May with 49 units sold. The company expects to increase the number of units in the future after getting feedback from customers, establishing after-sales service, and resolving initial issues.

Source:. Germany – Plugin EVs Take 22.9% Share, Tesla Leads – CleanTechnica

BMW’s latest model, with gaming functionality using a smartphone as a controller.

May 31, 2023

The ultimate ” driving machine ” has become the ultimate ” game machine.

BMW recently unveiled the latest version of its new 5 Series sedan. It was given an in-car game. Drivers and passengers will be able to use their smartphones as controllers and play the game on the touchscreen while the car is parked. By scanning a QR code displayed on the BMW’s main screen and connecting their smartphones, people in both the front and back seats can participate in in-car games, which will include about 15 different games, including quizzes, races, sports, and puzzles. This game feature is the result of a partnership with Swiss game manufacturer N-Dream, and will be available in other BMW models in the future.

Since it is not uncommon for EVs to take 30 minutes or more for a pit stop to recharge, this gaming feature will come in very handy for i5 EV owners who want to recharge, BMW said.

BMW is taking a page from Tesla’s strategy, which pioneered the use of large touchscreens in cars and has incorporated imaginative features such as Netflix, web browsers, and Nintendo’s Mario Kart-like gaming capabilities that use the actual steering wheel into the automobile The company is also a pioneer in the use of large touchscreens in automobiles.

Source: BMW’s New 5 Series Sedan Offers Built-in Video Games (businessinsider.com)

GM Chief Barra Bets on Future of Self-Driving Cars

June 3, 2023

Mary Barra, chief executive officer of U.S. auto giant General Motors (GM), recently said that the company has sent a message to investors and competitors who believe that self-driving cars have no profitable future: they are wrong.

At the Sanford Bernstein conference, Barra said there is a “huge growth opportunity” in GM’s self-driving car division Cruise, and predicted that personal self-driving cars will be on the market within 10 years.

Mr. Barra reiterated the projection that Cruise could generate $50 billion in annual revenue by 2030. This goal is predicated on the deployment of Cruise’s technology and services outside of the U.S. Dubai and Japan are among the markets where the company will expand in the future, Barra said, as well as its expansion into goods delivery and personal self-driving vehicles.

GM is currently losing money at a rate of $2 billion per year on Cruise. Competitors, including Ford Motor Co. and Volkswagen of Germany, are halting development efforts for self-driving cars as losses mount.

Cruise expanded its market this year to Arizona and Texas. Mr. Barra stated that these states have a more welcoming regulatory environment for self-driving vehicles.

However, GM has faced regulatory obstacles in Washington State, where it has struggled for more than six years to get permission to launch a large fleet of purpose-built self-driving vehicles.

GM has petitioned the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to deploy up to 2,500 “Origin” vehicles, self-driving cars without subway-like doors and handles, but so far NHTSA has not responded to this request.

EV battery costs are still too high to make profitable cars that sell for $30,000 to $40,000, Barra noted. However, he predicted that the costs of EVs and internal combustion engines “will equalize in the second half of this decade, maybe a little longer.”

Source: GM chief Barra stands by her bet on autonomous vehicles | Reuters