Monthly Archive: April 2023

Drone maker DJI’s auto unit to supply BYD with assisted driving system, report says

The first BYD model to be equipped with DJI Automotive's assisted driving solution is the Sea Lion, an all-electric SUV expected to go on sale within the year, according to local media.

(Image credit: CnEVPost)

BYD (OTCMKTS: BYDDY) will use the assisted driving solution provided by DJI Automotive, the automotive division of local drone maker DJI, on some of its models, according to a report by 36kr today.

The first BYD model to feature DJI Automotive's solution is the yet-to-be-released Sea Lion, the report said, citing a person familiar with the matter, adding that their partnership involves a city NOA (Navigate on Autopilot) feature that doesn't rely on high precision maps.

The Sea Lion is an all-electric SUV in BYD's Ocean series, which is expected to go on sale within the year, the report said.

On July 28, 2022, Auto Home reported that BYD was building an SUV called Sea Lion, which could compete with 's Model Y.

The BYD Sea Lion has a sharp, sporty front end, Auto Home said, citing spy photos they obtained of the model.

DJI announced its automotive business, DJI Automotive, in April 2021 and said at the time that it had been in the auto parts business for five years.

In September 2022, SAIC-GM-Wuling launched the 2023 Baojun KiWi EV, with one version featuring DJI's smart driving system, the first time the system has been used in a production vehicle.

The DJI Automotive team, which currently numbers around 1,300 people, has previously partnered with SAIC-GM-Wuling and Volkswagen China, the 36kr report said, adding that its partnership with BYD is expected to open up the market further in terms of mass production of smart driving systems.

For BYD, the Sea Lion needs to have a strong intelligent configuration, or at least the shortcomings can't be too obvious, to be competitive, of which high-level assisted driving features are essential, 36kr's report said.

Although DJI Automotive has a low profile in China's electric vehicle industry, especially compared to Huawei, the company has had a number of achievements in assisted driving systems.

On April 2, DJI Automotive unveiled its next-generation smart driving solution at the China EV 100 Forum, which enables L2+ assisted driving functions including city NOA with as low as 32 TOPS of computing power without the need for high precision maps or LiDARs.

(Image credit: DJI Automotive)

The pure vision-assisted driving system also supports the addition of millimeter wave radars, ultrasonic radars, LiDARs, and high-precision maps to enhance the safety redundancy of the system, it said.

The solution provides both low-threshold access to high-level smart features for budget models and an advanced technology experience for mid- to high-end models, DJI Automotive said.

The solution is now in a usable state and is actively advancing mass production with partner car companies, DJI Automotive said on April 2.

Wuling refreshes KiWi EV, DJI's assisted driving system debuts in production vehicle

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BYD’s new plant in central Chinese city Zhengzhou goes into operation

Currently in production is the first phase of 's Zhengzhou base, with a planned annual capacity of 400,000 vehicles.  |  BYDDY.US | BYD HK

BYD (OTCMKTS: BYDDY) has officially started production at a new vehicle production site that begins contributing to the capacity of China's largest maker of new energy vehicles (NEVs).

The production site, located in Zhengzhou, Henan province in central China, saw its first production vehicle roll off the line on April 6, according to a report by a local TV station.

The project was signed in September 2021 and took 17 months to complete construction and go into production.

Currently in production is the first phase of the Zhengzhou base, which covers an area of 4,101 mu (2.7 square kilometers) and has a planned annual production capacity of 400,000 vehicles.

The production base will have phase II and phase III projects, and the total production capacity will exceed 1 million units after completion.

The first mass-produced vehicle to roll off the line from BYD's Zhengzhou base is a Song Pro DM-i, which has a guide price range of RMB 140,800 ($20,480) - 165,800 yuan.

Officials from the Henan provincial government, as well as BYD chairman and president Wang Chuanfu, attended the ceremony to mark the start of production at the facility.

The production base is expected to help BYD achieve its goal of selling at least 3 million vehicles this year. Wang has apologized several times over the past two years for the long wait times for BYD vehicles due to a lack of capacity.

BYD aims to sell at least 3 million vehicles this year and will strive to reach 3.6 million, Wang said at an investor conference on March 29.

For the 3.6 million sales target BYD is aiming to reach, 2.8 million in China and 800,000 overseas, Yicai said in a March 30 report citing an insider at the company.

BYD sold 1,868,543 vehicles in 2022, including 1,863,494 NEVs. The company stopped production and sales of vehicles powered entirely by internal combustion engines in March 2022.

If it can reach 3.6 million vehicles in global sales, BYD is expected to be among the top 10 car companies in global auto sales this year.

BYD aims to become China's No. 1 automaker by the end of this year, Wang said at the investor conference.

BYD sold 207,080 NEVs in March, up 97.45 percent from 104,878 units a year earlier and up 6.93 percent from 193,655 units in February, according to data released by the company earlier this month.

In the first quarter, BYD's NEV sales were 552,076 units, up 92.81 percent from 286,329 units in the same period last year, but down 19.22 percent from 683,440 units in the fourth quarter last year.

($1 = RMB 6.8752)

BYD aims to sell at least 3 million vehicles this year

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CALB unveils new battery tech, boasting significant performance gains over traditional cylindrical cells

The "U" type structure allows the battery to reduce structural component resistance by 50 percent, achieve an energy density of 300 Wh/kg, and support fast charging beyond 6C, CALB said.  | CALB.HK

As CATL's Qilin Battery begins mass production, CALB, another Chinese battery manufacturer, has also rolled out its battery innovation.

CALB officially unveiled its new battery with a "U" type structure at the recent China EV 100 Forum event, an innovation based on its One-Stop minimalist design concept, according to an article by the CATL rival yesterday.

The battery is based on structural and chemical innovations developed by CALB in-house, the industry's first "U" type structure, according to the article, which features a presentation by an executive.

This design allows the battery to reduce the resistance of structural components by 50 percent, achieve an energy density of 300 Wh/kg, and support fast charging of more than 6C, achieving a significant increase in performance compared to traditional cylindrical batteries, according to CALB.

As background, C refers to the battery's charge multiplier, and 6C means that the battery could theoretically be fully charged in one-sixth of an hour -- 10 minutes.

"We have made a disruptive innovation to the structure of the cylindrical battery by introducing the 'U' type structure," CALB vice president Xie Qiu said in a presentation at the China EV 100 Forum.

While the Tabless structure solves some of the current path problems, treating the cell's shell as a conductive component results in a relatively long path for the current to flow through, Xie said, adding that the shell is steel, which does not conduct well.

CALB's structural innovation reduces the current flow path by 70 percent relative to Tabless cells, reduces structural resistance by 50 percent, and improves space utilization by 3 percent, he said.

Also considering CALB's chemical material system technology, the company's large cylindrical battery can achieve 6C fast charging while the energy density of the cells can reach 300 Wh/kg, according to Xie.

In addition to the performance improvement of the cells, the "U" type structure also helps to improve manufacturing efficiency. Compared with the Tabless technology, the number of welding machines in the production line of this battery is about 70 percent less, he said.

CALB is the latest local manufacturer to announce progress in battery technology innovation.

On June 23, 2022, CATL unveiled its CTP (cell to pack) 3.0 Qilin Battery, which it says brings battery system integration to a new level.

The Qilin Battery allows volume utilization to exceed 72 percent and energy density to reach 255 Wh/kg, easily allowing vehicles to achieve a range of 1000 km, CATL said at the time.

With the same chemistry system and the same pack size, Qilin Battery delivers 13 percent more power compared to the 4680 battery, achieving an overall improvement in range, fast charging, safety, longevity, efficiency, and low-temperature performance, according to CATL.

On March 21, local media outlet The Paper reported that CATL's Qilin Battery has achieved mass production.

CATL is the world's largest battery manufacturer, with a 33.9 percent share in January-February, according to data released by South Korean market research firm SNE Research on March 30.

CALB ranked seventh in the global market with a 3.4 percent share.

Notably, CATL is suing CALB in China for infringing its patent rights.

NIO to use batteries from multiple suppliers including CALB and BYD in sub-brand, report says

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Tom Zhu becomes 1 of 4 key execs at Tesla

Zhu, 43, has been officially named senior vice president of Tesla's automotive business.

Tom Zhu, who has made significant contributions to the development of Tesla's China business, has been officially named one of the top four executives at the US electric vehicle (EV) maker.

Zhu, 43, has been named senior vice president of Tesla's automotive business, according to a filing the EV maker made with the US Securities and Exchange Commission yesterday.

"Tom Zhu has served as our Senior Vice President, Automotive since April 2023," the filing reads.

Here is a brief description of Zhu in the filing:

Mr. Zhu joined Tesla in April 2014, and served in various operational roles before being appointed as Vice President, Greater China, where he led the construction and operations of Gigafactory Shanghai.

Mr. Zhu holds a bachelor's degree of commerce in information technology from the Auckland University of Technology and an M.B.A. from Duke University.

Zhu joined Tesla in April 2014 as the director of the EV maker's Supercharger program in China.

In July 2019, he was mentioned in media reports as Tesla's global vice president and president of Greater China region.

Rumors of Zhu receiving a promotion at Tesla began to emerge from late last year.

On July 8, 2022, Bloomberg cited people familiar with the matter as saying that Tesla had changed its management structure in the Asia-Pacific region, with executives in the region now reporting to Greater China rather than the United States.

Senior executives in the region report to Zhu, then president of Tesla China, meaning he also oversees Tesla's Asia Pacific region, a position previously held by US executives, according to the report.

On December 8, local media outlet Ping West reported that Tesla CEO Elon Musk would have Zhu succeed him as CEO of the EV maker.

Zhu's CEO position would be global, but the scope of responsibilities would likely be limited to Tesla's automotive business and not include and robotics programs, the report said.

Zhu has been promoted to head Tesla's US assembly plants and sales operations in North America and Europe, Reuters said on January 3, citing an internal report line announcement.

The move makes Zhu the highest-profile Tesla executive since Elon Musk, with oversight for deliveries in all of its major markets and all of its production outside the still-ramping Tesla plant in Germany, the report noted.

Zhu's promotion is apparently related to Tesla's China business becoming increasingly important.

Tesla delivered 422,875 vehicles worldwide in the first quarter, including 412,180 Model 3 and Model Y vehicles and 10,695 Model S and Model X vehicles, according to figures it announced April 2.

Tesla's China-made vehicles delivered 229,322 units in the first quarter, up 25.88 percent from 182,174 units in the same quarter last year, according to data from the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA) monitored by CnEVPost.

This means that 54 percent of Tesla's global deliveries in the first quarter were made at the Shanghai plant.

Tesla sells 88,869 China-made vehicles in Mar, CPCA data show

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Li Auto to unveil all-electric solution on Apr 18

will let two technology lines develop in parallel, including optimizing the range extender for greater efficiency and making pure electric vehicle technology better, its CEO said last month.  Li Auto US | Li Auto HK

(Image credit: Li Auto)

Li Auto (NASDAQ: LI) is making the transition to pure electric vehicles, and that day may come sooner than many expected.

On April 18, the first day of the Shanghai auto show, Li Auto's all-electric solution will be officially unveiled with the launch of a "dual-energy strategy," the new energy vehicle (NEV) maker announced on its social media platforms late last night.

The upcoming biennial Shanghai auto show will be held at the National Exhibition and Convention Center from April 18-27, with press days from April 18-19 and professional visitor days from April 20-21, while the general public can enter from April 22-27.

Li Auto did not provide any additional information on its all-electric solution, saying only that those interested can visit its booth #6A04 in Hall 6.1 during the Shanghai auto show to learn more.

"We'll be waiting for you at the Shanghai auto show from April 18-April 27, 2023," Li Auto said.

Here's a map of its booth location at the Shanghai auto show, as announced by Li Auto.

Li Auto's current vehicles on sale -- Li L7, Li L8 and Li L9 -- are all extended-range electric vehicles (EREVs) with an electric range of around 200 kilometers and can be refueled.

In terms of product form, SUVs with extended-range technology are a more appropriate choice, and Li Auto's future pure electric models will bring products that are completely different from any other form currently on the market and will not impact existing products, Li Xiang, founder, chairman and CEO of Li Auto, said on Weibo last June.

For pure electric models, Li Auto will launch a product similar to the L series to meet demand in the RMB 200,000 ($2,9100) - $500,000 price range, the company's management said in a call with analysts on February 27 after announcing its fourth-quarter earnings.

Infrastructure is critical for future all-electric models, and users will need a charging experience close to that of a fuel car. Li Auto will use 800 V technology and has built its own silicon carbide module factory, its management said.

Real-world measurements show that Li Auto's products can save about 15 percent of battery capacity compared to mainstream 400 V, IGBT module products, resulting in significant cost reductions, according to the call.

Li Auto will allow two technology lines to develop in parallel, including optimizing the range extender for higher efficiency and making pure electric vehicle technology better, Li said in a March 2 media communication.

Early last month, one of Li Auto's under-construction 800 V charging stations was seen at a highway service area in China, sparking widespread discussion in the Chinese community.

On March 10, 36kr cited sources familiar with the matter as saying that Li Auto's infrastructure build-out will see an "NIO pace" and that the company has set a goal of building about 300 supercharging stations within the year, with about 10 already deployed in highway service areas.

The move is in preparation for the launch of Li Auto's first all-electric model, which will be an all-electric MPV expected to be released by the end of 2023, and ultra-fast charging will be one of the highlights of the vehicle, according to the report.

($1 = RMB 6.8758)

Li Auto to build charging stations at 'NIO pace', report says

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