Latest news with #NEV
Mail & Guardian
a day ago
- Automotive
- Mail & Guardian
Omoda C9 PHEV: Best plug-in hybrid under R1m
Eye-catching: The Omada delivers on all it promises – safety, distance, luxury – and more. Photo: Supplied Until now, new energy vehicles (NEV) have not really taken off in the South African market. Although the segment experienced a 100.6% year-on-year increase in 2024, it still made up only 3% of the total new-vehicle market. Factors around the slow performance in new-energy vehicles include range anxiety, charging infrastructure and pricing. By the end of 2024, there was no plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) under a million rand. But Chinese manufacturers have recently released a variety of vehicles into the market that might just be the trigger to get NEVs on the road. BYD released the Sealion 6 in April and other brands followed suit. Omoda and Jaecoo released PHEV variants of the C9 and J7 in June, Chery released the PHEV variant of the Tiggo 7 Pro and Haval released the H6 GT in a PHEV as well. All of these models come in at under a million rand. The Mail & Guardian had the Omoda C9 on test for the week. Omoda is meant to be the luxury arm of Chery, so when you get one, you know that you are in for some amazing technology and brilliant features. To start off, while there are door handles, there's also a button that opens your door. This button was convenient and gave me a smooth feeling when doing something as simple as opening the car door. Then, Omoda takes keyless entry to a new level in this vehicle. There is no stop-start button. Just jump into the vehicle with your key, put your seatbelt on and you are ready to move wherever you need to. The car will not move unless you have your seatbelt on. I've only ever seen this with flagship Volvo models. Omoda is known for its bold exterior and luxurious interior and the C9 does not disappoint. The exterior features an eye-catching diamond-shaped grille, daytime running lights, and LED head- and tail-lights. The C9 PHEV boasts 20-inch alloy wheels, a panoramic sunroof and privacy glass for the second row. Red-painted brake callipers hint at sportiness, underscoring the C9 PHEV's performance capabilities. The finely stitched leather seats are extremely comfortable for both front and back seat passengers. The ambient lighting adds an extra dimension to the vehicle as the thin light strip moves above and below the dashboard all around the vehicle to the rear doors. The interior also features dual 12.3-inch digital displays with one being the instrument cluster and the other being the infotainment screen. I really love when manufacturers aim to give back seat passengers just as much of an experience as the driver and front seat passenger and Omoda does just that. The back seats recline electronically, passengers have their own climate controls and the seats are also heated. It was just perfect for the terrible Gauteng cold that were experiencing. Besides that, the back seats are also spacious and can comfortably fit three adults. When it comes to driving, Omoda pairs a 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol engine with three electric motors that deliver 440kW of power and 915Nm of torque. That amount of power is actually very scary, but also very necessary when you need those quick overtakes. The vehicle moves smoothly when these electric motors and the engine work together. It provides silence to match the comfort that you feel on the inside. You can choose to drive the vehicle as a hybrid or in full electric mode. The Omoda C9 PHEV has a 34.5kWh battery that provides up to 150km of full electric range. The 65-litre petrol tank and 34.5kWh battery deliver just as promised. This makes the C9 PHEV amazing. Omoda claims that you can get 1 100km of driving on a full tank and full charge and, if you are charging up your battery more regularly, you could even get much more than the claimed figure on your fuel tank. The 34.5 kWh battery pack can be recharged in 5.5 hours when connected to a home charging wall box. Thanks to its 70kWh fast-charging capability, the C9 PHEV can replenish its battery from 30-80% in 25 minutes when plugged into a DC fast charger. When driving on the highway, I was allowing my battery to charge and surprisingly, for a 30km drive, my battery would regain about 35km of range, which I could then use in and around town. Omoda also doesn't play around with safety. On the launch in June, it put us through a moose test to show the vehicle's capabilities to assess danger and let the car do the work. The moose test is a vehicle stability test that simulates an emergency manoeuvre, like swerving to avoid a suddenly appearing obstacle. It assesses how well a car handles sudden direction changes at speed, specifically its stability and resistance to rollover. The cones were placed just 12m apart and at 60km/h, the Omoda C9 swerved in and out of danger with very little body roll. Other safety features include adaptive cruise control, automatic braking, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, rear cross-traffic brake, lane departure warning, lane change assist, lane departure prevention, integrated cruise assist and traffic congestion assist. Verdict and pricing The Omoda C9 PHEV comes in at R999 900, highlighting that premium vehicles can still be bought for less than R1 million. The power, range and posh nature of the vehicle make it totally worth it. In fact, if this vehicle had a German badge attached to it, it would easily be in the region of R2 million to R2.5 million. The Omoda C9 comes with a seven-year or 100 000km service plan, seven-year or 200 000km vehicle warranty, a 10-year or 200 000km warranty for certain electric drive unit components, a 10-year or one million kilometre engine warranty, and a 10-year or unlimited km power battery pack warranty (for the first owner, reverting to 10 years or 200 000km for subsequent owners).
Business Recorder
2 days ago
- Automotive
- Business Recorder
FBR notifies NEV adoption levy on local, imported vehicles
The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has notified the rate of New Energy Vehicle (NEV) adoption levy on locally manufactured/assembled vehicles and imported vehicles. The new tax regime targets internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles to promote the adoption of electric and energy-efficient alternatives. According to the First Schedule of the Finance Act, the manufacturer will pay 1% ad valorem of the invoice price, inclusive of duties and taxes, on all ICE motor vehicles assembled or manufactured in Pakistan with engine capacity less than 1300CC. Person importing ICE motor vehicle will pay 1% ad valorem of assessed value, inclusive of duties and taxes, on the import of all ICE motor vehicles with engine capacity less than 1300CC. The manufacturer will pay 2% ad valorem of invoice price, inclusive of duties and taxes, on all ICE motor vehicles assembled or manufactured in Pakistan with engine capacity from 1300CC to 1800CC. Meanwhile, the person importing ICE motor vehicle would pay 2% ad valorem of assessed value, inclusive of duties and taxes, on all ICE motor vehicles imported in Pakistan with engine capacity from 1300CC to 1800CC. The manufacturer will pay 3% ad valorem of invoice price inclusive of duties and taxes, on all ICE engine motor vehicles assembled or manufactured in Pakistan with an engine capacity of more than 1800CC. All ICE engine motor vehicles imported in Pakistan with an engine capacity of more than 1800CC would be subjected to 3% ad valorem of assessed value, inclusive of duties and taxes. The levy would apply to a person importing ICE motor vehicle. In addition, imported buses and trucks with combustion engines will be charged 1%, while locally assembled buses and trucks will see a levy of 1%.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Why It's Time For Nio to Go Big
Key Points One study predicts that only 15 of 129 Chinese NEV brands will be viable by 2030. Notably, those 15 brands will generate roughly 75% of China's NEV sales. China's brutal price war will eventually force consolidation. 10 stocks we like better than Nio › For investors, Nio (NYSE: NIO) has always been a swing for the fences. This young electric vehicle (EV) maker took a slightly different route, preferring to spend extensive capital and effort to build out its battery swapping stations. While mostly known for its namesake Nio premium EV brand, the company has recently launched two sub brands, Onvo and Firefly, which are expected to significantly boost deliveries as production accelerates. All that said, it's time for Nio to go big with its new brands, because according to one study, it's end-time in China for a long list of EV brands. Dire warning Consultancy AlixPartners sent a dire warning to anyone interested when it said that only 15 out of the 129 brands currently selling EVs and plug-in hybrids in China will be financially viable by 2030. That's not great news for just about any automaker outside of China's own juggernaut, BYD. Those 15 brands remaining financially viable are predicted to account for roughly 75% of China's EV and plug-in hybrid market over the same time period. By the consultancy's count, that means each of the 15 brands would be averaging roughly 1.02 million units in annual sales. This makes the industry a lucrative proposition if you survive the consolidation and bankruptcies. What's the problem? At a glance, China's new energy vehicle (NEV) market looks like it's in fine shape. During June, sales of NEVs climbed 30% and accounted for a staggering 53% of overall new-vehicle sales in China. Of that chunk of the broader market, Chinese EV brands account for 71% of NEV sales. In a way, China's EV makers are victims of their own success, and of their government's subsidies. While the overcrowded and highly competitive market has fostered incredible advances in battery technology and cost efficiency, it's also left the entire market in a brutal and unsustainable price war. The price war is making it extremely difficult to protect market share and bottom lines. Time to go big The current environment in China is ripe for a company such as Nio -- with an established premium EV brand and two new brands accelerating production and deliveries -- to boost its deliveries and either build the scale to break even, or position itself as an ideal partner for industry consolidation. Already, Nio is aiming to double its vehicle deliveries from 2024 to this year, leaving them at roughly 450,000 units. Nio is currently slightly behind pace to achieve that. If that target wasn't ambitious enough, management is also aiming to break even by the end of 2025. That would be a large and impressive task indeed, but Nio has made progress on significantly reducing costs and supporting margins despite the ongoing price war. The rest of 2025 will tell us a lot about how Nio is positioned for potential mass consolidation in the Chinese EV industry, but it sure looks like a good time to double down on its marketing, incentives, and production efficiencies to really drive its new brands to new heights. For Nio, it's time to go big and prepare for many competitors to go home. Should you buy stock in Nio right now? Before you buy stock in Nio, consider this: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the for investors to buy now… and Nio wasn't one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $679,653!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $1,046,308!* Now, it's worth noting Stock Advisor's total average return is 1,060% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 179% for the S&P 500. Don't miss out on the latest top 10 list, available when you join Stock Advisor. See the 10 stocks » *Stock Advisor returns as of July 15, 2025 Daniel Miller has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool recommends BYD Company. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Why It's Time For Nio to Go Big was originally published by The Motley Fool
Business Recorder
3 days ago
- Automotive
- Business Recorder
Yamaha, Unique hike motorcycle prices in Pakistan following NEV levy imposition
Following the footsteps of Atlas Honda and Pak Suzuki Motor Company, Yamaha Motor Pakistan has announced revised retail prices for its motorcycle lineup, effective July 1, 2025. This follows changes introduced in the federal budget 2025-26, including the implementation of a new NEV [New Energy Vehicle] levy on automobile sales. As per the updated price list, the company's YB125Z (Red/Black) mode will now retail at Rs429,000, which includes Rs65,441 in sales tax and Rs4,057 in NEV levy. The YAMAHA-YB125Z DX (Red/Black/Gray) has seen a price increase as well, and now stands at Rs459,500, after taxes and levies. Yamaha's YBR125 (Red/Gray/Black) will now be available at Rs471,500, while the YBR125G (Black) will cost Rs490,500. The YBR125G (Matt) has emerged as the most expensive model in the lineup, clocking in at Rs493,500 after new taxes. Meanwhile, Unique, a brand of D.S. Motors Private Limited, has also raised the price of its UD-70cc motorcycle models by Rs3,000 across all listed variants, effective July 18, 2025. The company, in its notice to the dealers, cited recent taxation measures in the budget for FY25-26, increased production costs, rising import duties, and the current economic conditions as reasons for the hike. Days ago, Pak Suzuki Motor Company announced revised retail prices for its motorcycle lineup. Earlier, Atlas Honda, which holds over half of the motorcycle market share in Pakistan, increased the prices of its bikes by Rs2,000 to Rs6,000 per unit on account of new taxes. The NEV levy, introduced in the Finance Act 2025, applies to all internal combustion engine motor vehicles and motorcycles and came into effect from July 1, 2025, increasing prices significantly. According to the details, the NEV levy covers all vehicle categories from basic motorcycles to luxury SUVs. However, the policy exempts new energy vehicles (electric and hybrid cars), vehicles manufactured exclusively for export, diplomatic mission vehicles, and those belonging to international organisations with diplomatic privileges. Experts believe that the rate hike could dampen demand in the already struggling two-wheeler market, where affordability remains a key concern for buyers.
Zawya
4 days ago
- Automotive
- Zawya
Chery to launch new EV brand Icaur in South Africa in 2026
Icaur, a new energy vehicle (NEV) brand under China's Chery Group, has confirmed it will officially enter the South African market in the first quarter of 2026. The brand revealed its intentions following its recent debut at the 2025 Festival of Motoring. Image supplied Founded in 2023, Icaur positions itself as an expressive, lifestyle-driven EV brand that aims to deliver clean mobility without compromising on personality or design. Its local entry marks the Chery Group's continued investment in the region, and Icaur's first foray into the African market. 'As the world embraces a new era of clean mobility, South African motorists deserve access to electrified vehicles that are as expressive as they are intelligent,' says Shannon Gahagan, national brand and marketing manager at Icaur South Africa. 'Icaur brings a new energy to the market, combining advanced EV technology with a playful, user-centric spirit.' International traction, local intent Backed by Chery's global manufacturing and R&D resources, Icaur has gained attention internationally for its bold, retro-futuristic designs and tech-enabled platforms. In South Africa, the brand aims to offer accessible electric mobility while engaging younger, lifestyle-focused buyers. The brand is built around four global pillars: - Category innovation: Introducing new vehicle formats and user experiences - Playful co-creation: Allowing customers to personalise and influence product development - Emotional design: Blending nostalgic styling cues with modern functionality - Lifestyle ecosystem: Expanding beyond vehicles into gear, content and digital experiences Dealership plans under way Icaur South Africa is finalising its national retail strategy, with the first dealerships expected in key metros. The brand targets a network of 15 outlets by launch. It also plans to roll out lifestyle activations and product updates in the run-up to its market debut. 'South Africa is a country with a rich outdoor lifestyle, vibrant urban culture, and an increasingly energy-conscious mindset,' Gahagan adds. 'These are the communities Icaur is built for.' Details on the first Icaur models set for South Africa will be shared ahead of the 2026 launch. All rights reserved. © 2022. Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (
