Electric Mini, Toyota, BMW, China, GM, India

Electric Mini after all to be built in the U.K.? The brand’s main plant in Oxford shall have best chances to gain the 2019 starting electric Mini production, in spite of the Brexit. This it at least what press agency Reuters reports based on information of insiders. However, the final decision is not yet made. As reported, the board intends to announce its choice by the end of September.
reuters.com

Toyota to start hybrid production in Thailand: The Japanese carmaker intends to serial produce hybrid models in the Asian Kingdom and thus to apply for Board of Investment HEV privileges. Further details about scale and timetable are not yet announced. Just recently, Thailand’s government announced excise tax incentives for HEVs and PHEVs – the tax will be graded by CO2 emissions, BEVs will be taxed at just 2% – that are 10% less than before.
bangkokpost.com

BMW’s new sales head: Present BMW sales chief Ian Robertson is going to retire in 2018, his successor will be Pieter Nota, who worked so far as chief marketing officer for Philips. From January, 1st, Nota will be responsible for BMW’s sales and brand division as well as aftersales for the BMW Group.
europe.autonews.com, press.bmwgroup.com

4500 euros EV for China: Joint venture SAIC-GM-Wuling debuts with its brand Baojun at the Chinese market: First EV model now launched is the E100, a two-seater with a range of up to 155 km and a maximum speed of 100 km/h. Pricing is starting at just 35,800 Yuan (4,500 euro/5,300 dollars), after incentives.
electriccarsreport.com

Replacement for Chevrolet Volt hybrid? GM has plans to cancel six or more models of its line-up in the U.S. after 2020. That is what Reuters has learnt from insiders. Among these cars is obviously also the Chevrolet Volt hybrid, which is likely to be replaced with a new gasoline-electric crossover model in 2022.
reuters.com

Electric scooter made in India: Start-up Ather Energy is about to start production of its first electric scooter model in December. The S340 has mainly been created ground up and initially shall be offered in 3 Indian metropolises. After a warm-up stage, Ather Energy’s assembly facility in Bengaluru is said to have a production capacity of 40,000 scooters per year.
livemint.com