Chinese automaker Dongfeng Motor will introduce the first global model from its premium electric vehicle brand Voyah as early as the third quarter of this year, in what will be a direct challenge to Tesla’s best-selling crossover the Model Y, local media has reported.
The 100% electric compact sports utility vehicle (SUV) will feature Huawei’s vision-based approach to automated driving functions on urban streets. It will also be produced in a joint plant set up with Nissan, as fierce competition has put downward pressure on the Japanese firm, a regulatory filing has shown.
Why it matters: Stellantis and Nissan’s Chinese manufacturing partner expects the model to appeal to young families and drive sales in the country’s already crowded mainstream luxury EV segment, company sources told National Business Daily (in Chinese) on Tuesday.
Details: Sources added only full-electric variants will be on offer for the Zhiyin (知音), which loosely translates as “bosom buddies” in Chinese. This is in line with a filing that was published last month by China’s top industry regulator, which shows the car has six variants with battery options using two types of cathodes – more energy-dense nickel cobalt manganese (NCM) and cheaper lithium iron phosphate (LFP).
- The five-seater SUV measures 4.7 meters in length and 1.6 meters in height with a wheelbase of 2.9 meters, according to the registration filings released by China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT). This is roughly the same size as the Tesla Model Y and smaller than the first model under the Voyah brand, the Free SUV.
- The all-wheel drive version will have a dual electric motor setup with both motors providing a power output of 160 kW, while other variants will be offered with either a 215 kW or 230 kW electric motor. All the variants have no lidar components, which are normally packaged on the car roof or near the bumpers to help the vehicle sense and interpret its surroundings.
- This means the new car will utilize the so-called “pure vision” approach, a strategy championed by Tesla, relying on cameras and artificial intelligence, rather than the more visible but more expensive laser sensor units, to achieve automated driving. Voyah announced in April at this year’s Beijing Auto Show its first global model would feature Huawei’s intelligent driving software and operating system HarmonyOS.
- Dongfeng will manufacture the car at its latest joint plant with Nissan, which opened last year in the central Chinese city of Wuhan with an annual capacity of 300,000 units. Nissan has been making several electric models including the Ariya with Dongfeng at this plant to date, although it sold less than 2,000 units of its second EV-only model in the country over the past six months, figures compiled by auto service platform Dongchedi showed.
Context: Nissan’s China joint venture with state-owned Dongfeng reported sales of 723,139 cars in the country last year, representing a 21.5% plunge from a year ago. The companies last November announced plans to export vehicles from China in 2025. The Japanese carmaker was also reportedly considering a 30% cut of its annual car output in China, along with peer Honda.
- Dongfeng’s Voyah in January announced a collaboration with Huawei to develop smart EVs. The brand has three models on sale and delivered 24,869 EVs, including all-electrics and plug-in hybrids, from January to May. The automaker’s off-road vehicle lineup Mengshi also works with Huawei.
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