Friday Updates

Across the globe, automakers are preparing for China's big push into every personal vehicle market. With reliability, flashy tech, and affordability at the forefront of most minds, brands are setting high-margin luxury models aside for a bit to connect with a-b drivers where it counts — their budget.

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Affordable Plans

General Motors (GM)

• 2026 Chevy Bolt: Expected to be the most affordable EV on the market, leveraging Ultium technology with an LFP battery and NACS charging port.
• Cadillac Optiq: Cadillac's entry-level EV at $54,000, aiming to attract younger buyers with features like dual-motor all-wheel drive and Super Cruise.

Stellantis

• Affordable Jeep EV: CEO Carlos Tavares announced plans for a $25,000 all-electric Jeep to attract mainstream consumers, similar to the Citroen e-C3 model in Europe.
• Production Plans: Aiming for cost parity between EVs and traditional vehicles within three years to better compete with Chinese manufacturers.

Toyota

• Sales and Production Decline: April saw a 0.5% drop in global sales, with significant declines in China (27%) and Japan (14%) due to price wars and production issues.
• EV Adoption Pressure: Japanese automakers face increasing pressure from the shift to EVs and hybrids sold by Chinese brands.

Volkswagen (VW)

• Affordable EVs: Plans to debut new low-cost electric vehicles in 2027, targeting a price of around $21,800 (€20,000), with models like the ID 2all concept.
• Independent Development: After ending partnership talks with Renault, VW will go solo in developing affordable EVs, focusing on localization in Europe.

Kia

• New EV Models: Launching a series of affordable EVs, including the EV3, EV4, and EV5, priced between $30,000 and $50,000, starting in Korea and expanding to other regions.

EV Apps Influence Buying and Ownership Satisfaction

A phone was once judged based on its ability to put your voice in the head of a person far away and theirs back into yours. But eventually, a tin can on a really long string didn't cut it, and phones were cameras and computers and maps and friends all at once. Wild.

Anyway, as cars become more high-tech, their ability to get people places isn't even the main factor in shopper consideration. Some data from JD Power says automakers need a good app to sell EVs.

• 90% of EV owners now use their brand's mobile app, a 2% increase from last year.
• Two-thirds of Tesla owners are influenced by app features when buying, compared to one-third of non-Tesla owners.
• Key features include battery monitoring, with 67% of owners using apps frequently.
• 74% of owners report receiving app assistance from their dealerships, up by 2% from the previous year.
• App connection problems remain flat year-over-year, though issues with Tesla's app have increased, possibly due to higher usage.

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What makes an app bring the 🔥?

• 🗺 Easy to navigate and intuitive design
• 🐇 Quick loading times and smooth operation
• 🌋 A wide range of useful and innovative features
• 🎨 Attractive and appealing visual design
• 🧑‍🎤 Ability to personalize and customize the app to fit individual preferences

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