APART FROM TOYKO, PARIS WAS ALWAYS MY FAVORITE international motor show. They both had plenty of glitz, though the latter also had the cutest young ladies accompanying the displays. (I’d run out of film 3/4 of the way through, but continued shooting with an empty camera just to elicit their charming smiles.) By contrast, though Geneva had a warm motor-club atmosphere, Frankfurt was a coolish barn of a place and Detroit had too many stuffed shirts.
Well, enough of the old days; I am rather past the age of walking my legs off. On the other hand, here in Parts 1 and 2 today and tomorrow the Internet gives me tidbit gleaning aplenty of the Paris Mondial de l’Auto, including an hour-long YouTube tour by SDA Dan Cars.
Image from SDA Dan Cars.
The Chinese Double-Down Amid Euro Tariffs. Mellisa Eddy and Liz Alderman report “Chinese Automakers Display Force at Paris Auto Show,” The New York Times, October 15, 2024: “China’s ambitions to become a force in the European car market were on full display this week at the Paris Motor Show, where a record number of the country’s automakers unveiled cutting-edge electric models despite a recent European Union decision to impose anti-subsidy tariffs on their vehicles.”
“At the event designed to showcase Europe’s top automakers,” Mss. Eddy and Alderman write, “the displays that drew some of the biggest crowds were those from the likes of BYD, Leapmotor and Xpeng, which boasted how the speed of their technological advances—including the use of artificial intelligence—would help them compete with, or even surpass, their European rivals in the electric vehicle revolution.”
A Rival Renault’s “Sub-€30K” BEV. Jennifer Mossalgue reports in electrek, October 15, 2024, “At the Paris auto show this week, Renault unveiled its latest all-electric offering, the Renault 4 E-Tech, a nod to the brand’s 1960’s Renault 4L hatchback – one of its greatest bestsellers.”
Renault 4 E-Tech. Image from Renault.
Mossalgue continues, “Prices are expected to be under €30,000, compared to the [fossil-fuel] Renault 5, which starts from around €25,000. The entry-level Renault 4 E-Tech is powered by a 90kW/225Nm electric motor and 40kWh battery for a 300km range. Top-of-the-line versions upgrade to a 110kW/245Nm front electric motor and 52kWh battery for 400km of WLTP range, 150km/h top speed, and zero to 100km/h acceleration in 8.5 seconds.”
BYD, a Formidable Competitor. Eddy and Alterman note in The New York Times, “BYD, which made its European debut at the show two years ago, displayed seven models, which its officials said used electric and hybrid technology that surpassed that of its European rivals…. In just a few years, BYD has grown its presence beyond China to 100 countries. In the first six months of this year, a quarter of all hybrid or fully electric vehicles sold on the planet were made by BYD, the company said.”
Gad.
It was years ago when I drove my first Chinese-made car. Blissfully I’ve forgotten the marque, but I recall its ill-fitting panels and irregular driveability. The first glimmer of Chinese hope came in 1997 when Buick moved part of its production there as part of a Shanghai-GM joint venture. Indeed, according to goodcarbadcar.net, “For Buick, China is its largest market with about 80% of its annual worldwide volume.”
Tomorrow in Part 2, we’ll continue learning more about the Chinese BYD and its far-beyond-Buick glitz galore. ds
© Dennis Simanaitis, SimanaitisSays.com, 2024