BYD launches low-cost 'Dolphin Surf' electric car in Europe
China's BYD introduced its low-cost electric 'Dolphin Surf' car, its tenth model on offer in Europe, in Berlin on Wednesday, as sales across the region pick up speed after a strategic revamp.
The car will sell at three price points, from 22,990 euros ($26,100.55) for a 322-kilometre range, to 24,990 euros for a 507-kilometre range.
Until the end of June, the three versions will be available at a discounted price of 19,990-24,990 euros, sales chief Patrick Schulz announced on Wednesday.
The car piles pressure on Europe's carmakers to offer more affordable electric alternatives, with cost still a major barrier to wider adoption of electric cars.
While only a handful of models, such as the Dacia Spring or Leapmotor's T03, exist in Europe for under 20,000 euros, 11 new models priced under 25,000 euros will go on sale on the continent this year including Volkswagen's ID.2, the Renault R5, the Fiat Grand Panda, and the Hyundai Inster.
Live Events
"The compact segment is the next frontier for electrification in Europe," Maria Grazia Davino, regional managing director for markets including Germany, said in Berlin. "We think this market has huge potential."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
&w=3840&q=100)
Business Standard
an hour ago
- Business Standard
China urges BYD, EV rivals to end price war and avoid cost undercutting
Chinese officials summoned the heads of major electric vehicle makers, including BYD Co., to Beijing earlier this week to address concerns about the long-running price war, according to people familiar with the matter. The meeting was hosted by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the market regulator and the top economic planning agency, said the people, who asked not to be identified discussing private information. The gathering was attended by senior executives from more than a dozen manufacturers that also included Zhejiang Geely Holding Group Co. and Xiaomi Corp., the people said. Officials told EV makers to 'self-regulate,' and that they shouldn't sell cars below cost or offer unreasonable price cuts. They also addressed issues such as 'zero-mileage' cars and mounting bills owed to suppliers that are squeezing cash flow along the supply chain and acting as quasi-debt financing for automakers, the people said. It's rare for China's market, industry, and economic regulators to jointly host a meeting with the car industry on operational matters like pricing. The move shows how much scrutiny the nation's top leadership is paying to the sector, amid concerns the price war is becoming unsustainable and could send weaker companies into bankruptcy. However, the gathering didn't result in a mandatory directive and it's not clear what consequences manufacturers would face if they don't follow the verbal warnings, the people said. BYD and Xiaomi didn't respond to requests for comments. A representative from Geely referred to a recent speech by Chairman Li Shufu who said the company resolutely rejects price wars and will compete on technology and its values. The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the State Administration for Market Regulation and the National Development & Reform Commission didn't reply to faxed questions. The Ministry of Commerce said during a routine briefing on Thursday that it will work with other departments to strengthen guidance for the auto industry, ensure fair competition and promote healthy development. Chinese automaker stocks were down across the board on Friday. Shares of BYD slipped by as much as 2.7 per cent while Xiaomi decreased 2.4 per cent. Geely Automobile Holdings Ltd. in Hong Kong fell 1.7 per cent. The warnings come after BYD kicked off the latest round in the price war late last month with discounts of as much as 34 per cent, leading to criticism from industry bodies and state media. Without naming BYD, the China Automobile Manufacturers Association released a statement saying the move by a certain company started a new round of 'price war panic' that was plunging the sector into a 'vicious cycle' and threatening supply chain security. 'Disorderly price wars intensify vicious competition, further compressing corporate profit margins,' the association said. Media outlets directly controlled by the Communist Party leadership including Xinhua, the People's Daily and state broadcaster CCTV have all published reports in recent days that called for automakers to stop discounting and restore order to the industry. Otherwise, this could lead to low-priced and low-quality products that will damage the international reputation and the image of 'Made-in-China,' the People's Daily said. This week's meeting marked the second time in recent days that industry leaders have been rebuked over 'zero-mileage' cars — a practice in which automakers that have failed to meet their sales targets offload new vehicles to supply chain financing companies or used car dealers. These essentially new cars then appear on the resale market with no mileage, while manufacturers record them as sales despite them not having reaching the end-consumer. The Ministry of Commerce also met with at least two major carmakers and online used cars platforms last week on the issue. Carmakers have been trying to pass on the hit from the price war to suppliers, demanding lower prices for parts and delaying bill payment by months. A price cut demand by BYD to one of its suppliers late last year attracted media coverage and scrutiny of how the EV behemoth may be using supply chain financing to mask its ballooning debt. A report by accounting consultancy GMT Research puts BYD's true net debt at closer to 323 billion yuan ($45 billion), compared with the 27.7 billion yuan officially on its books as of the end of June 2024, through delaying its payments to suppliers and other related financing. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Time of India
6 hours ago
- Time of India
Volkswagen Golf GTI vs Mini Cooper S JCW: Clash of hot hatchbacks!
Volkswagen India recently launched the iconic Golf GTI hot-hatchback in the Indian market. The hot hatch is priced at Rs 52.99 lakh (ex-showroom) and will be imported to India as a CBU. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now This makes it the most expensive Volkswagen model currently on sale in the country. The first 150 units have already been sold out, with deliveries set to begin in June via select VW dealerships nationwide. The Golf GTI will directly compete with the Mini Cooper S in the Indian market. In this article, let's compare both hot hatches in terms of pricing, performance and features. VW Golf GTI vs Mini Cooper S JSW: Prices The Volkswagen Golf GTI is available in a single fully loaded trim and is priced at Rs 52.99 lakh (ex-showroom) and will be bought to India via the CBU route. The Mini Cooper S JCW on the other hand is priced at Rs 55.9 lakh (ex-showroom). While both are performance-oriented hot hatches brought to India via the CBU route, the Golf GTI undercuts the Mini JCW by nearly Rs 3 lakh. VW Golf GTI vs Mini Cooper S JCW: Dimensions The Volkswagen Golf GTI measures 4,282mm in length, 1,789mm in width, and 1,483mm in height, with a wheelbase of 2,620mm. It rides on 225/40 R18 tyres and offers a boot space of 381 litres. In comparison, the Mini Cooper S is more compact at 3,876mm in length, 1,744mm in width, and 1,432mm in height, with a shorter wheelbase of 2,495mm. It comes with 215/45 R17 tyres and has a variable boot capacity ranging from 210 litres to 725 litres, depending on seat configuration. The Volkswagen Golf GTI is also a 5-door model, offering easier access and more space for rear passengers, while the Mini Cooper S is a 3-door hatch, making the rear seat area less accessible and more compact by comparison. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now VW Golf GTI vs Mini Cooper S JCW: Features In terms of features, both cars are decently equipped. The Golf GTI gets matrix LED headlights, multi-colour ambient lighting, a 12.9-inch infotainment system with Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, connected car tech, Chat GPT integration, connected car tech, automatic climate control, 10.2-inch digital instrument cluster, ADAS features such as adaptive cruise control, lane assist, and emergency braking, Head-Up Display, VAQ Limited-Slip Differential, Drive Modes and more. The Mini Cooper S JCW features a red-and-black interior theme, with JCW sports seats wrapped in black synthetic leather, LED lights with JCW-specific LED DRLs, multi-coloured knit fabric, and red stitching. It also includes a special JCW sports steering wheel, heads-up display, electrically adjustable front seats, a massage function for the driver's seat, ambient lighting, Harman Kardon sound system, connected car tech, six airbags, Level 1 ADAS suite, electronic parking brake, automatic climate control, electric adjustment for seats, 9.4-inch round OLED touchscreen, wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto and more. VW Golf GTI vs Mini Cooper S JCW: Engine The Golf GTi is powered by a 2.0-litre, four-cylinder turbo-petrol engine which puts out 265 hp of power and 370Nm torque. It comes paired with a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox, which sends power to the front wheels only. VW claims the sporty hatchback can sprint from 0-100kph in 5.9 seconds and has a top speed of 267 kph. Defender's most Towering version: India plans, electric Defender and more | TOI Auto The new Cooper S JCW is powered by the 2.0-litre, four-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine which puts out 231hp and 380Nm of torque. It comes paired with a 7-speed dual-clutch transmission which sends power to front wheels. The hatchback can sprint from 0-100kph in 6.1 seconds, and it has a top speed of 250kph (both claimed). Discover everything about the automotive world at Times of India.
News18
7 hours ago
- News18
‘How Long Do We Have?' Nithin Kamath On AI Threat To India's White-Collar Jobs
Last Updated: New information shared by Zerodha co-founder Nithin Kamath shows a clear warning: Artificial intelligence can now handle longer and more complicated tasks than ever before. Artificial intelligence isn't merely progressing; it's accelerating at a breakneck speed, posing a significant challenge to India's service-based economy. According to new insights from Zerodha co-founder Nithin Kamath, AI systems are increasingly capable of managing longer and more intricate tasks than ever before. This rapid evolution means many jobs traditionally performed by humans could soon become obsolete. It raises urgent questions about what the future holds for employment in the country. On X (formerly Twitter), Nithin Kamath posted two images – one chart shows that the length of tasks AI can complete at a 50 per cent rate is doubling every seven months. Just a few years ago, earlier models like GPT-2 were limited to handling only brief, simple queries lasting seconds. Today, GPT-4o can sustain performance for nearly an hour. The most advanced systems, such as Sonnet 3.7, are already managing complex, multi-hour assignments like training image classifiers—tasks that have moved beyond experimental phases and are becoming true substitutes for human work. A second, more concerning chart tracks AI's accuracy across different task lengths and complexities. For short and simple tasks, leading models now achieve over 90 per cent accuracy. Even more complicated and ambiguous challenges, once thought to be beyond AI's capabilities, are now seeing significant improvements. Only the most difficult category—long, complicated tasks—still lags with less than 30 per cent success. However, that gap is steadily closing. One user remarked, 'It's hard to predict, but it feels like we're nearing a major turning point." Another added, 'Not much time left, but ultimately this progress will improve our lives. It could lead to sustainable abundance and even communism—after all, capitalism is paving the way." A different commenter emphasised the importance of adaptability, saying, 'As long as people keep reskilling and adding value to their organizations, they'll stay relevant." Meanwhile, someone else reassured others by pointing out, 'There's still plenty of time because AI relies heavily on human knowledge as middleware." The discussion highlighted a mix of concern and cautious optimism about the future impact of AI. First Published:
