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Recharge Wrap-up: BYD sales surge, new Mazda MX-5, plug-in VW Passat

BYD has enjoyed a tremendous leap in sales since last year, according to Want China Times. Sales from January to April were ten times that of the same period last year, with much of the credit going to government subsidies for clean cars. BYD claims, though, that battery production is limiting the number of vehicles it sells, and that by increasing that production capacity, it will see even more success. BYD's Qin plug-in hybrid, introduced in December, has already sold 4,500 units with another 8,000 orders already placed. Read more here. Mazda will reveal the fourth generation of its MX-5 roadster in September. To celebrate the car's 25th anniversary, the all-new two-seat convertible will debut during simultaneous private events in Spain, Japan and the US on September 3 and 4. Furthermore, the new Miata will be the center of a more public event in Barcelona on September 6. For fans in the US, Mazda will hold a Miatas at Mazda Raceway event from September 5 to 7. The 2016 MX-5 promises to continue to offer a lightweight, balanced design for fun and efficiency. The new Volkswagen Passat will feature a plug-in hybrid version. Volkswagen confirmed the Passat PHEV for Europe at the model's unveiling at the Volkswagen Design Centre in Potsdam, Germany. The plug-in Passat uses a 154-horsepower TSI engine and an 80-kilowatt electric motor for a total output of 208 horsepower. With a full charge, it can travel up to 31 miles on electricity alone. All versions of the eighth-generation Passat use stop-start and regenerative braking. Read more at Green Car Congress. BBC warns that the costs of charging an electric vehicle in the UK could surpass those of fueling a gasoline engine. Not so fast, says The Green Car Website. While the BBC cites charging services like Charge Master introducing fees for rapid charging making it cost about as much per mile to drive as traditional internal combustion engines. The Green Car Website points out that most people usually charge at home for much less, that paying for rapid charging is still not that expensive and that the BBC article misses the point about EVs, anyway. See the BBC article here or click here to read the rebuttal. News Source: Want China Times, Mazda, Volkswagen, BBC News, The Green Car Website via Charged, Green Car Congress Green Mazda Volkswagen Green Automakers Electric PHEV recharge wrapup qin

Mazda previews new CX-9 ahead of LA debut

Mazda will unveil its new CX-9 crossover at the upcoming Los Angeles Auto Show. The teaser rendering above gives us an idea of what to expect. The CX-9 was launched nine years ago. And though it's undergone a series of updates along the way, it's due for replacement. Fortunately that's just what Mazda has in store. We saw that much ourselves in spy photos and videos of the upcoming new model undergoing testing, and the company whet our appetites with the reveal of the Koeru concept at the Frankfurt Motor Show just a couple of months ago. Judging by the rendering above, it would appear that the new CX-9 will draw heavily from that design study in its production form. Naturally some details will be changed along the road from show stand to showroom, including the usual suspects like the wheel size and wing mirrors. Most notable, however, is that while the Koeru concept incorporated five seats, the CX-9 is a seven-seater – and the new model is confirmed to keep that three-row setup. Beyond that, the new CX-9 is set to apply the latest evolution of the company's Kodo design language – as seen on the aforementioned Koeru and sleek RX-Vision concepts – to a larger form. It also promises to feature Mazda's latest Skyactiv technologies to keep it up with the times. For more than that, however, we'll have to wait – but not too long, as the vehicle is set to debut mere weeks from now at the LA show. Mazda to Unveil All-New CX-9 Three-Row Midsize Crossover SUV at Los Angeles Auto Show HIROSHIMA, Japan, Nov. 4, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Mazda Motor Corporation announced today it will premiere the all-new Mazda CX-9 three-row midsize crossover SUV at the 2015 Los Angeles Auto Show, which runs from November 20 to 29. Fully incorporating the latest SKYACTIV technologies and KODO—Soul of Motion design, the all-new CX-9 is a high-end model of Mazda's new-generation lineup. The all-new CX-9 builds on the feeling of life imbued by KODO and moves toward a more premium design execution that befits a three-row midsize crossover SUV.

Mazda on sales upswing in Europe but won't build there

Auto sales in Europe have been a tricky proposition for some years, but Mazda has seen some success on the backs of the CX-5 and new Mazda6. According to a report form Automotive News Europe, though, that doesn't mean we should be looking for the Japanese manufacturer to set up production operations there.
Mazda's European CEO, Jeff Guyton, explained to AN that "Our intention is to have manufacturing scale. That gives you scale economy and quality through repeatability." In other words, a big honking plant in one part of the world is preferable to a half dozen small factories building the same vehicles.
European sales for Mazda are up 5.4 percent in the first half of 2013, with 74,000 units sold. That kicked the Zoom-Zoom brand's market share up from one to 1.2 percent. Small gains, but gains nonetheless. According to Guyton, Mazda would need to sell 200,000 units of just one model in Europe for local production to make sense. Mazda's best European year saw 320,000 units sold across the entire range.