Car news today: sharp entry pricing expected for Kia's EV3, Ford losing money on EVs, and more – 31 July 2024

Thanks for becoming a member of us this Wednesday 31 July 2024. Particularly in automobile news this day: the Kia EV3 electric SUV has been priced in the UK, and Ford is losing out on each EV it sells.

Browse this inform:

• What does the Kia EV3’s UK pricing mean for Australia?
• Ford lost USD $50,000 per EV sold in the major half of of 2024
• Recaro, iconic seat maker, has filed for monetary catastrophe
• Electrical Lotus Elise successor waiting for lighter batteries
• Reviewed: 2024 Mercedes-AMG GLC 43 4Matic

What does the Kia EV3’s UK pricing mean for Australia?

• Kia has confirmed UK pricing for its upcoming EV3 small electric SUV, which will kick off at the AUD identical of $65,327 driveaway for the entry-spec regular vary ‘Air’ variant.

• That’s a hefty mark be conscious for British consumers, however it’s safe to mediate we’ll see a more cheap mark for the EV3 when it arrives in Australia in 2025.

• The EV3 is space to compete with small electric SUVs cherish the Hyundai Kona, which is priced from $54,000 before on-avenue prices in Australia – a more doubtless ballpark for the gruesome EV3.

• Seriously, the EV3 can even sit down below its rapidly-to-delivery better sibling, the EV5 midsize SUV – for which Kia Australia is focusing on a sub-$60K mark be conscious for the vary opener.

• Certainly, ought to you be conscious the proportional distinction between UK pricing for the entry level EV3 ($65K) and the entry mark for the EV6 immense electric SUV in the UK (around $90K AUD), we can speculate a ballpark Australian initiating mark of around $52,000 AUD in comparison to the $72,590 mark of entry for the EV6 in Australia.

• It’s crucial to be conscious that these are speculative figures top and there are a quantity of factors that will influence pricing for the EV3, at the side of market stipulations and Australian specs, when it is lastly confirmed by Kia nearer to delivery.

Ford has lost over USD$1 billion on its electric autos

• Per experiences by Carscoops and Ford’s monetary recordsdata, its electric automobile division lost $1.1 billion at some stage in the second quarter of 2024.

• Carscoops has reported that the losses equate to roughly USD$47,600 per EV sold in the US market.

• With regards to total sales, EVs top accounted for around four percent of all Ford autos sold in the major half of of this year.

• We’ve reported that Ford has built a skunkworks crew to carry a more cost-effective EV to lifestyles, with it perhaps exhuming the Fiesta nameplate.

Recaro, producer of sport seats, has filed for monetary catastrophe

• Recaro Automotive, the German firm accountable for producing sports activities automobile seats, has filed for monetary catastrophe basically basically based fully on new experiences by Autocar.

• The emblem has been identified for the creation of sports activities seats for brands corresponding to Ford, Volkswagen, BMW and Porsche over many decades.

• Some correctly-identified units to utilize Recaro’s seats embody the Ford Mustang, Ford Level of interest ST and RS, the Audi R8, Volkswagen Golf GTI, the Subaru WRX STI and even the ND Mazda MX-5.

• Curiously, the wider Recaro firm has also been identified for supplying airline seating choices.

Electrical Lotus Elise would be delayed as a result of weight of batteries

• Lotus would possibly perhaps well also lengthen bringing in a 718 electric Cayman and Boxster rival as a result of constraints with battery weight.

• Per a file by Autocar, Lotus would possibly perhaps well also put off its electric sports activities automobile, codenamed Form 135, because batteries merely aren’t gentle ample but.

• Lotus Neighborhood develop boss Ben Payne advised the UK motoring outlet that: “the technology appropriate now would now not if truth be told will allow you to recreate that product in a convincing plan” and added extra to that, pronouncing: “for a label cherish Lotus, being ready to in the reduction of every little thing to the minimum and then shrink wrap the automobile around it is the core philosophy of [Colin] Chapman”.

• The sports activities automobile used to be at the origin space for a 2027 debut, which Payne acknowledged would be 100 percent which that it’s doubtless you’ll assume of, but the develop boss advised Autocar that “it’s a elaborate job”.

• Lotus currently sells the Eletre electric SUV, but this year will delivery up sales of its all-electric Emeya four-door GT automobile as rapidly as this year.

Mercedes-AMG GLC 43 4Matic reviewed

• Chasing Vehicles founder Tom Baker’s video overview of the 2024 Mercedes-AMG GLC 43 4Matic used to be published, at the side of his thoughts on the model going from twin-turbo V6 vitality to a four-cylinder turbo for the most up-to-date model year.
• Baker found the GLC to be swiftly, taut and sporty, with respectable steering feel and quite a lot of punch from its 310kW engine.
• Nonetheless, he also found the inside originate quality to be somewhat disappointing, along with the truth that the model used to be merely fair appropriate, as a exchange of grand – a description that applies to a few of its major opponents.

• Baker concluded his overview by remarking that it would possibly perhaps well perhaps perhaps be worth ready to see what occurs over the next six months, with it fully which that it’s doubtless you’ll assume of to see Mercedes-AMG return to elevated cylinder counts in time.

The subsequent inform of Automobile Files Nowadays will be published on Thursday 1 August at 4.30pm Sydney time.