Most Popular Car Colors 2023, Deutschlandnetz Locations, Rimac, Chery, Sodium-Ion Batteries, Yamaha

Based on data from the German Federal Motor Transport Authority, German new car buyers in 2023 preferred the classic colors gray/silver, black, and white. These colors accounted for over 78% of new registrations, with gray/silver leading at 31.6%. Black is in second place with 26.4%, followed by white, which makes up 20.7% of new registrations. Green gained popularity last year and is now in third place among the colorful colors, despite only 2.5% of new registrations. Blue remains the most popular colorful color at 9.6%, while red is in second place at 5.1%. Rarer colors like yellow, orange, brown, and purple/violet remain rare on German streets. 

Fastned has opened the first Deutschlandnetz location in Düren, a project of the federal government to create a nationwide charging infrastructure network of fast charging stations. The location has four 400-kW charging points, with the option to add more. In addition, the barrier-free and covered location is to be expanded with dining and sanitary facilities. 

The Deutschlandnetz aims to include a total of 900 locations with over 8,000 fast charging points and aims to improve the charging infrastructure in Germany, especially in previously underserved regions. In October 2021, 23 regional lots for Deutschlandnetz locations away from highways were tendered, which have now been distributed among ten companies in addition to a further Deutschlandnetz tender for highway locations. In addition to Fastned, the companies selected for the realization of these charging points include Allego, BayWa Mobility Solution, E.ON Drive, Eviny, EWE Go Hochtief Ladepartner, Mer Germany, Total Energies, and Via Deutschlandnetz. These lots include a total of 900 search areas in which a fast charging park is to be built. The selected providers must find their own locations within these search areas. 

The Croatian electric car manufacturer Rimac is developing a highly automated robotaxi, which is to be launched by 2026. The robotaxi, developed under the name Project 3, is designed to be able to drive without human intervention and thus operate completely autonomously. It is supposed to be able to operate within an infrastructure developed by Rimac, including charging stations, warehouses, and parking lots. According to company founder Mate Rimac, Rimac plans to produce tens of thousands of units per year, which will then offer their services at various locations. The company is said to be already in talks with 20 cities in Europe and the Middle East to offer the planned service after a pilot project in the Croatian capital Zagreb. The service is planned to start in Croatia by 2026, and a year later in Germany and the UK. 

Chery, a Chinese automobile manufacturer, has presented a concept vehicle that sets a new aerodynamics record among Asian car manufacturers. Thanks to artificial intelligence-based simulation techniques, more than 2,000 different optimization cases were carried out in a series of wind tunnel tests, achieving an air resistance value of 0.168. The shape of the vehicle is said to be inspired by the body shape of the tuna. Chery plans to integrate the findings into its future electric car models. A few weeks ago, Chery announced 39 new models for the next two years, including 15 electric cars and 24 hybrid versions. 

In China, the first electric small cars with sodium-ion batteries have been put into production. These are two small car models, one produced by JAC under the electric car brand Yiwei and the other rolling off the assembly line at Jiangling Motors Electric Vehicle (JMEV). Sodium-ion batteries are considered a cost-effective alternative to lithium-ion batteries but have a lower energy density. The use of sodium-ion batteries could promote the spread of electric cars, especially in markets where cost efficiency is crucial. Large Chinese companies like BYD and CATL are also investing in this technology, and in Europe, the Swedish battery cell manufacturer Northvolt recently announced its entry into the sodium-ion battery business. 

Yamaha Motor now offers a battery exchange service for electric bicycles. For this purpose, Yamaha Motor has founded the company ENYRING GmbH, based in Berlin, which is to offer exchangeable batteries for compact urban electric vehicles as part of subscriptions. From 2025, users in Germany and the Netherlands should be able to rent batteries and exchange empty ones at any time at the city's installed exchange stations. The concept aims to create a closed loop for battery use, with old batteries being recycled and reused for new products. Yamaha Motor is already active in similar projects in Japan and is part of a consortium that wants to set standards for interchangeable battery systems for use in electric vehicles.