Post B3AkoVcpwxflVAaV2e by jackyan@mastodon.social
(DIR) More posts by jackyan@mastodon.social
(DIR) Post #B3AIZ5O4QIlt46XQES by donkey@mastodon.nz
2026-02-10T01:13:44Z
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This would be really interesting to know for the NZ market too, eh @jackyan ? We only ever get to see how many (most) of the top five selling "cars” are trucks…https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/consumer/ford-fiesta-2025s-most-popular-used-car-hatchbacks-dominate
(DIR) Post #B3AIZ6czoIIwugWr8S by jackyan@mastodon.social
2026-02-10T01:28:39Z
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@donkey Totally, especially if we could count the Japanese imports as well., Tragic about the Fiesta. It was still competitive but like a typical US car firm, they went, ‘Let’s retreat and hand the market over to everyone else!’ Now Ford has so much capacity in Europe it is thinking of assembling Geelys, and they’re wondering why they don’t have much to sell … Even Ford dealers here tell me they have no idea what the bosses in the US are doing.
(DIR) Post #B3AIZ7SkhrhlVCkBo8 by donkey@mastodon.nz
2026-02-10T02:39:27Z
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@jackyan Wow - I didn’t know about the Geely thing. I guess ford has some experience assembling Volvos at least! 😜 Yeah, I always thought it was daft of them to go “kill everything except the trucksticles and SUVs”
(DIR) Post #B3AIZ7wWv9WYzYfyDo by lightweight@mastodon.nzoss.nz
2026-02-10T03:04:20Z
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@donkey @jackyan speaking of Geely - this was a bit of a surprise to see: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NAgtd-5Lk4s I could see myself buying one of those (we already have an MG4 EV, which is superb)... the higher end model Aion is USD13800, or ~ $23000... brand new.
(DIR) Post #B3ATfkWXUSM7shsZlI by donkey@mastodon.nz
2026-02-10T05:08:30Z
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@lightweight @jackyan Thanks for that - will check out the video. I think my favorite geely oroduct at the moment is the now discontinued polestar 2. Might be able to afford one of those in about 10 years time.
(DIR) Post #B3AZbUnCdV2vet1pAW by lightweight@mastodon.nzoss.nz
2026-02-10T06:15:18Z
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@donkey @jackyan yeah, the Polestars are pretty good looking vehicles... but apparently surprisingly small internally.
(DIR) Post #B3Aa5XI5uc7m5tnmpU by jackyan@mastodon.social
2026-02-10T06:20:43Z
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@lightweight @donkey Geely is now a top 10 manufacturer—got in during 2025, passing Honda. Their range is massive in China. On the 12th (US time) we will know if BYD has overtaken Ford into seventh as the Americans are finding it hard to total up their 2025 sales (presumably because they can only do math when one should do maths). Chinese reports are the Xingyuan (EX2) is a bit on the basic side compared with an MG 4 so you might already have the better car.
(DIR) Post #B3AahULJJzoBxGP51M by lightweight@mastodon.nzoss.nz
2026-02-10T06:27:36Z
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@jackyan @donkey good to know re the Xingyuan! Was just going to watch this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8YQl4SaUsvc We're enjoying our MG4 although we'd love a bit more battery (but still LFP) if we could afford it. We have the entry level 51kWH battery (reliably 250-280km on a full charge with 4 passengers, full load, and roofbox driving over SI mountain passes).
(DIR) Post #B3AcUcSI31JDG8ewTI by lightweight@mastodon.nzoss.nz
2026-02-10T06:47:40Z
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@jackyan my understanding was that BYD had eclipsed Tesla as the biggest car manufacturer... although that might've been in terms of market cap, not number of cars sold. And the Electric Viking said he thought Geely was enroute to leapfrogging BYD in the next year or two based on current growth rates... Crikey, doesn't look good for legacy auto makers in the US, EU, Japan, and Korea... @donkey
(DIR) Post #B3AkbNwBDrTrtRNSBE by jackyan@mastodon.social
2026-02-10T08:18:30Z
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@lightweight @donkey I’ve driven the whole range (64 kWh, XPower, the lot) and that is still my pick. Handles really well, the lighter weight is a bonus over the XPower, interior virtually looks identical. Will check out the Aion UT—it’s supposed to be more premium, isn’t it?
(DIR) Post #B3AkoVcpwxflVAaV2e by jackyan@mastodon.social
2026-02-10T08:20:53Z
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@lightweight @donkey TBH I haven’t studied market caps, as I usually compile a top 10 table based on sales for Autocade. Geely has increased faster than BYD in 2025, and IIRC they have less debt, are faster to pay their suppliers, have a better human rights’ record according to Amnesty, and the cars are better made. You even see Chinese journos dis BYD for their build quality.
(DIR) Post #B3ApVXdQknZo0Fdl6O by nzlemming@mastodon.nz
2026-02-10T09:13:30Z
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@lightweight @donkey @jackyan TBF, I think there is as much value in getting affordable battery improvement/replacement for existing vehicles, like my 2016 Leaf. Brilliant car, but going less far every year...
(DIR) Post #B3Aqlmqy2Xmfn0HZBo by lightweight@mastodon.nzoss.nz
2026-02-10T09:27:40Z
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@nzlemming yup - it'd require Nissan and/or 3rd parties to provide managed battery systems for the Leaf... the Battery Management System is what's missing from the Leaf... I don't expect Nissan will want to do that, as they'd much prefer you to buy a new car. @donkey @jackyan
(DIR) Post #B3Aqzq4YrrBtpOLDns by futuresprog@mastodon.nzoss.nz
2026-02-10T09:30:12Z
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Replacement LEAF batteries come out of crashed LEAFs. At some point they’ll run out.Would be nice is Nissan kept making them. Maybe it will become like laptop batteries where you can get third party replacements?You’d have to out-compete the home battery builders though. @lightweight @nzlemming @donkey @jackyan
(DIR) Post #B3AuF7ckC6KyT7JE6S by nzlemming@mastodon.nz
2026-02-10T10:06:30Z
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@lightweight They may not care as much when they have moved on from the LEAF, but you're right that it's not in their current financial interest. Pricks.
(DIR) Post #B3BaGJGYag8SwNBEOW by nzlemming@mastodon.nz
2026-02-10T10:04:55Z
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@futuresprog @lightweight @donkey @jackyan There are Chinese firms advertising in NZ groups that they can supply 3rd party batteries, but I think their prices are still too high.
(DIR) Post #B3BaGKviP8eW6JRcBc by lightweight@mastodon.nzoss.nz
2026-02-10T17:57:23Z
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@nzlemming ooo, interesting. Are the batteries the same chemistry or something more modern? @futuresprog @donkey @jackyan
(DIR) Post #B3BbgVJ6XpABliQTVw by gwilymgj@mastodon.social
2026-02-10T18:12:26Z
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@nzlemming @futuresprog @lightweight @donkey @jackyan We have a 50kwh battery kit from #Vivnes (China) in the garage and I’m going to start installing it in the #Leaf this week :) The range should be over 300km and it’s CATL A grade cells.
(DIR) Post #B3BbgWFx12EciDxTEm by lightweight@mastodon.nzoss.nz
2026-02-10T18:13:18Z
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@gwilymgj very cool! @nzlemming @futuresprog @donkey @jackyan
(DIR) Post #B3CRV8tEkK7QfqEKrg by nzlemming@mastodon.nz
2026-02-11T03:53:55Z
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@lightweight Same chemistry, I think. @futuresprog @donkey @jackyan