Author: Lei Kang/CnEVPost

Xpeng targets G6 monthly sales of over 10,000

's Hong Kong-traded shares rose more than 14 percent to HK$51.80 at press time, giving it a 30 percent gain for the week.

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Xpeng (NYSE: XPEV) officially launched the G6 yesterday, and the company's management clearly has high hopes for the new SUV.

The G6's monthly sales target is at least 10,000 units, Xpeng chairman and CEO He Xiaopeng said in an interview with local media after yesterday's G6 launch, according to a report by Auto Home.

Mr. He disagreed with the idea that Xpeng needs to turn its fortunes around with the G6, saying that a company that bets its future on one car is doing it wrong.

In the auto industry, automakers need long-term thinking and systemic competitiveness, he said.

Xpeng officially launched the G6 yesterday, offering five versions with starting prices of RMB 209,900 ($28,940), RMB 229,900, RMB 234,900, RMB 254,900 and RMB 276,900 respectively.

Of the five options, the three versions in the middle price range will be the best sellers, meaning the G6 will be in the RMB 250,000 range in terms of average sales price, according to Mr. He.

At yesterday's launch, he said the G6 is expected to be the top-selling smart electric SUV in China within two months priced at the RMB 250,000 level.

The Xpeng G6 received more than 25,000 pre-orders within 72 hours of the start of pre-sales on June 9, and more than 35,000 pre-orders as of June 28, said Yi Han, the company's vice president of marketing, repeating Mr. He's remarks at yesterday's launch event.

Forty percent of Xpeng G6 orders came from offline stores and 60 percent from online channels, Yi said.

Mr. He made it clear in yesterday's interview that Xpeng will not launch extended-range electric vehicle (EREV) models similar to (NASDAQ: LI).

As an entrepreneur, choices need to be made and trade-offs need to be made, he said.

In a June 15 speech, Mr. He said he could foresee a large number of hybrid models in China in the next two years, especially inside family cars.

"Because everyone sees the success, they will follow. Because they are following, a large number of models will focus on the same place. It's a very interesting thing," he said in the speech.

Xpeng shares traded in Hong Kong continued to rise today, up more than 14 percent to HK$51.80 at press time, giving it a 30 percent gain for the week.

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Xpeng officially launches G6 with starting price of $29,010 to regain past glory

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Chinese brands expected to contribute 9% of NEV sales in Western Europe in 2023, says TrendForce

Western Europe is a traditional stronghold for international carmakers, and it's difficult for Chinese brands to stand out, TrendForce said.

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Chinese brands are expected to increase their share of the Western European new energy vehicle (NEV) market to 9 percent in 2023, up from 6 percent in 2022, market research firm TrendForce said in a report today.

SAIC's MG is the dominant Chinese brand in the Western European NEV market, according to the report.

Chinese exports of NEVs are primarily aimed at Western European countries with clear timetables for phasing out fuel vehicles, as well as Southeast Asia, especially Thailand, where penetration of such vehicles is low, TrendForce noted.

Western Europe is the home base of traditional international car manufacturers, and it is difficult for Chinese brands to stand out, the report said.

However, it is worth noting that Chinese NEVs emphasize high cost-efficiency and intelligence, and affordable electric vehicles can meet demand against the backdrop of high inflation facing Western Europe, TrendForce said.

In Southeast Asia, where Chinese brands entered early, the number of NEVs here is small, in the tens of thousands range, but the share of Chinese brands is high, the report said.

In 2023, the market share of Chinese brands in the Southeast Asian NEV market is expected to rise to 63 percent from 52 percent in 2022, TrendForce said.

This is a major concern for Japanese brands, which have long had a high market share in the Southeast Asian auto market, the report said.

Entering new markets requires a significant investment of resources, including the establishment of showrooms, after-sales maintenance service systems, charging infrastructure and compliance with local regulations.

Therefore, how to maintain price advantages while adding additional costs will be key to the success of Chinese auto brands overseas, according to TrendForce.

China's NEV industry developed early and has advantages in supply chain, productivity, cost-effective lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery technology and production capacity, the high report also noted.

Chinese battery makers have layout in global upstream lithium resources, so their cost control and component supply stability are higher, becoming an advantage for Chinese car manufacturers when expanding overseas markets, the report said.

NEVs accounted for more than 25 percent of China's auto exports in the first quarter of 2023, and NEVs will be the focus of future expansion into overseas markets, TrendForce said.

Tesla contributes half of all NEV exports from China in H1

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GAC Aion announces entry into Thailand with plans for local production

will set up its Southeast Asia headquarters in Thailand within this year, with local production in the country in active preparation, it said.

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GAC Aion, the electric vehicle (EV) subsidiary of GAC Group, has announced its entry into the Thai car market, becoming the latest Chinese EV maker to do so.

On June 28, GAC Aion signed a memorandum of cooperation with a Thai dealership to officially enter the Thai market, kicking off the brand's internationalization, said an announcement yesterday.

The signing is the first step in the overseas strategy of GAC Aion, which will set up its Southeast Asian headquarters in Thailand within this year, it said.

Meanwhile, local production of models offered in Thailand is in active preparation, GAC Aion said.

Going forward, GAC Aion will deepen its efforts in the Thai market and expand its presence in Southeast Asia, it said.

GAC Aion sold a record 45,003 vehicles in May, its third consecutive month of more than 40,000 units, according to figures it released earlier this month.

In a ranking released earlier this month by the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA), GAC Aion ranked second among the top 10 NEV retail sales, behind 's 220,735 units.

GAC Aion plans to produce and sell 500,000 pure electric vehicles this year and launch overseas business efforts, GAC Group spokesman Yin Jie said at a June 27 press conference held by the Guangzhou municipal government.

GAC Aion is the latest local car company to announce its entry into Thailand. As competition in China's EV market grows fiercer, several car companies have set their sights on overseas markets.

Nio (NYSE: ) and Xpeng (NYSE: XPEV) are currently focusing their overseas efforts on Europe, in terms of choosing their first overseas market.

Other Chinese EV makers, including Automobile and Leapmotor, are targeting less economically developed markets in Southeast Asia or the Middle East.

On August 24, 2022, Neta announced the launch of the right-hand-drive version of the Neta V EV at a launch event in Thailand, as its first model offered there.

On March 10 this year, Neta laid the foundation stone for its factory in Bangkok, Thailand, which will be its main manufacturing base for building right-hand-drive electric vehicles for export to ASEAN.

GAC Aion aims to sell 500,000 all-electric vehicles this year

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GAC Aion aims to sell 500,000 all-electric vehicles this year

sold 271,156 vehicles for the full year 2022, and the latest target implies an 84.4 percent increase.

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GAC Aion, the electric vehicle (EV) subsidiary of Guangzhou-based GAC Group, is targeting sales of about 500,000 vehicles this year, implying an almost doubling of growth from last year.

GAC Aion plans to produce and sell 500,000 pure-play EVs this year and launch its overseas business efforts, GAC Group spokeswoman Yin Jie said at a June 27 press conference held by the Guangzhou municipal government.

GAC Aion will aim to exceed 1 million vehicles in annual production and sales by 2025, Yin said, adding that the company is now moving full steam ahead with its initial public offering (IPO) efforts.

For the full year 2022, GAC Aion sold 271,156 vehicles, according to data monitored by CnEVPost.

This year's sales target of 500,000 vehicles would represent an 84.4 percent increase.

GAC Aion sold a record 45,003 vehicles in May, its third consecutive month of more than 40,000, figures it released earlier this month show.

This represents a 113.73 percent increase over the 21,056 vehicles sold in the same month last year and a 9.73 percent increase over the 41,012 vehicles sold in April.

In a ranking released earlier this month by the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA), GAC Aion ranked second among the top 10 new energy vehicle (NEV) retail sales, behind 's 220,735 units.

From January to May, GAC Aion sold 166,323 vehicles, which was an increase of 118.44 percent from 76,142 units in the same period last year.

This makes GAC Aion the No. 3 player in retail sales in China from January to May, behind BYD with 923,343 units and with 219,893 units.

GAC Group aims to see NEVs contributing 25 percent of sales by 2025, with its own brands contributing 50 percent of those NEV sales, Yi said in the press conference.

CPCA rankings: Top-selling automakers in China in May

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China NEV retail in Jun 1-25 at 500,000, up 15% from same period last month, CPCA data show

Retail penetration of NEVs in China was 36.92 percent from June 1 to June 25, and 32.50 percent year-to-date.

China NEV retail in Jun 1-25 at 500,000, up 15% from same period last month, CPCA data show-CnEVPost

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From June 1 to June 25, retail sales of passenger new energy vehicles (NEVs) in China were 500,000 units, up 13 percent year-on-year and up 15 percent from the same period last month, according to data released today by the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA).

So far this year, retail sales of passenger NEVs in China were 2.92 million units, up 35 percent year-on-year.

From June 1 to June 25, wholesale sales of passenger NEVs in China were 534,000 units, up 14 percent year-on-year and up 14 percent from the same period last month, according to the CPCA.

Wholesale sales of passenger NEVs so far this year were 3,317,000 units, up 40 percent year-on-year.

Between June 1 and June 25, retail sales of all passenger vehicles in China were 1.35 million units, down 1 percent year-on-year while up 9 percent from the same period last month, the CPCA said.

So far this year, cumulative retail sales of passenger cars in China were up 3 percent to 8.986 million units.

This means that from June 1 to June 25, the penetration of NEVs at retail in China was 36.92 percent, and 32.50 percent year-to-date.

In the first week of June -- June 1-4 -- the average daily retail sales of passenger cars in China were 31,000 units, down 9 percent from a year ago and 42 percent lower than the same period last month.

In the second week of June -- June 5 to 11 -- average daily retail sales of passenger cars were 43,000 units, down 10 percent year-on-year and down 14 percent compared to the same period in May.

In the third week of June -- June 12 to 18 -- average daily retail sales of passenger cars were 58,000 units, down 2 percent year-on-year, but up 21 percent compared to the same period in May.

In the fourth week of June -- June 19-25 -- average daily retail sales of passenger cars were 75,000 units, up 9 percent year-on-year and up 53 percent compared to the same period in May.

China began halving purchase taxes on mainstream internal combustion engine vehicles last June, causing sales to shift toward the beginning of the month, the CPCA said. The policy was not renewed when it expired at the end of last year.

By comparison, June is a normal sales month this year, so a dip at the beginning of the month is normal, the CPCA said.

Notably, China saw campaigns to promote auto consumption during this month, which, combined with dealers facing semi-annual performance reviews, is helping support June auto sales, according to the CPCA.

Data Table: China auto sales in Jun 1-25

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Kia starts accepting pre-orders for EV6 in China, limited to 1,000 units

Kia has not yet announced pricing for the EV6 in China, which starts at $42,600 in the US.

Kia starts accepting pre-orders for EV6 in China, limited to 1,000 units-CnEVPost

(Image credit: Kia)

Kia Motors, an affiliate of Hyundai Motor Co, is accepting pre-orders in China for its first all-electric model, the EV6.

Starting June 28, Chinese consumers can pre-order the EV6 by paying RMB 666 ($92) for the model, which will be imported into China but is limited to 1,000 units, Kia announced today.

Kia has not yet announced the prices for the EV6 in China; the model has a starting price of $42,600 in the US, according to its website.

The car is based on Kia's EV-specific platform E-GMP and has a wheelbase of 2,900 mm.

The vehicle offers a variety of all-electric, zero-emission powertrain options, including a long-range version with a 77.4 kWh battery pack and a standard-range version with a 58-kWh battery pack.

The Kia EV6 has a maximum power of 125 kW and a maximum torque of 350 Nm in the standard range rear-wheel drive version and a maximum power of 173 kW and a maximum torque of 605 Nm in the standard range four-wheel drive version, which can accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in 6.2 seconds.

The EV6 long-range rear-wheel drive version has a maximum power of 168 kW and a maximum torque of 350 Nm. Its long-range 4WD version has a maximum power of 239 kW and a maximum torque of 605 Nm, and can accelerate from 0-100 km/h in 5.2 seconds.

The car supports 800 V charging and takes only 18 minutes to charge from 10 percent to 80 percent. For the long-range 2WD version, a 4.5-minute charge adds 100 km of range, the company said.

Kia announced its official entry into the Chinese EV market at an event on March 20, unveiling the EV5 concept, EV9 concept and EV6 GT.

Kia plans to launch its flagship electric SUV EV9 in 2024, an entry-level all-electric SUV in 2025, a premium electric sedan based on a next-generation EV-specific platform in 2026 and a mid-size all-electric SUV in 2027.

The EV9 concept car has a length of over 5000 mm and a wheelbase of 3100 mm, with a 3-row, 6-seat interior design.

In China, Kia is aiming for 450,000 units by 2030, with new energy models accounting for 40 percent of the total, according to its previously announced plans.

Kia enters China's crowded EV market, 1st model expected to launch in Aug

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Nio begins allowing consumers to lock in orders for new ES8

Deliveries of the new ES8, which starts at about $68,900 including the battery, will begin later today.

(Image credit: Nio)

Nio (NYSE: NIO) has begun allowing Chinese consumers to lock in orders for the new ES8, with first deliveries set to begin later today.

The new ES8 began accepting locked orders today, and show cars and vehicles for test drives are already arriving at the company's showrooms in various cities, according to a post on Nio's mobile app today.

The flagship SUV is Nio's transition to the NT 2.0 platform for its first production vehicle, with a length, width and height of 5,099 mm, 1,989 mm and 1,750 mm, respectively, and a wheelbase of 3,070 mm.

Nio is offering three options for the new ES8, including the regular, Executive and Signature editions, with starting prices of RMB 498,000 ($68,900), RMB 518,000 and RMB 598,000, respectively, including the battery.

If consumers choose to purchase the car using the BaaS (battery as a service) plan, the starting prices for the three versions are RMB 428,000, RMB 448,000 and RMB 470,000, respectively, and the monthly battery rental fee starts at RMB 980.

The first owners of the new ES8 will receive a 6-year or 150,000 km vehicle warranty and a 10-year unlimited mileage warranty on the battery, motor and electric control system. They will also receive free lifetime roadside assistance and up to 8 GB of traffic per month for 6 years of free car internet connectivity.

Consumers who purchase the new ES8 on or before July 31 will receive a home charging pile worth RMB 7,500, NOP+ two years free access worth RMB 9,120, Nio Air AR glasses and Nio Air smart ring worth RMB 2,597.

Nio launched the new ES8 on Nio Day 2022 on December 24, 2022, when the starting prices for the three versions including the battery were RMB 528,000, RMB 548,000 and RMB 638,000 respectively.

On June 12, Nio made the previously free battery swap benefit optional, thus reducing the price of all models by RMB 30,000.

Following this move, the starting prices of the three versions of the new ES8 were RMB 498,000, RMB 518,000 and RMB 608,000 respectively.

On June 24, Nio announced that the price of the Signature Edition of the new ES8 was adjusted to RMB 598,000, a further reduction of RMB 10,000. The prices of the regular and Executive editions remain unchanged.

Consumers can purchase the new ES8 with the optional benefit upgrade package in the vehicle configurator for RMB 30,000. The package includes four free battery swap services per month and a 10-year unlimited mileage warranty on the vehicle.

Consumers who purchase before July 31 can upgrade the 4 free battery swaps per month in the package to 6 per month if they forgo the free home charger.

Deliveries of the new ES8 will begin later today, Nio said.

Nio sold 3,200 units last week and 8,000 between June 1 and June 25, according to figures shared yesterday by .

The company guided for second-quarter deliveries of between 23,000 and 25,000 vehicles when it reported first-quarter earnings on June 9, meaning it expects to deliver 10,187-12,187 vehicles in June.

($1 = RMB 7.2274)

China NEV insurance registrations for week ending Jun 25: Tesla 16,700, Li Auto 7,500, Nio 3,200

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Changan teases electric sedan under new brand

The Qiyuan A07 is a mid to large-size sedan that will be offered in BEV and EREV versions, a previous regulatory filing shows.

(Image credit: Changan Qiyuan)

Chinese auto giant Changan Automobile is upping its bets in the electric vehicle (EV) segment, starting the warm-up for a new sub-brand and its first model.

The Changan sub-brand, called Qiyuan (启源), today posted several images on Weibo about the Qiyuan A07, showing exterior and interior design details of the sedan.

It is worth noting that Changan has not yet officially launched the Qiyuan brand, which has recently registered accounts on several social media platforms.

Yesterday, Qiyuan posted its first Weibo post, a preview video of the Qiyuan A07.

 

Qiyuan did not reveal more information about the A07, although the model previously entered a filing catalog of the Chinese Ministry of Industry and Information Technology.

The Qiyuan A07 is a mid to large-size sedan with a length, width and height of 4,905 mm, 1,910 mm and 1,480 mm, respectively, and a wheelbase of 2,900 mm, according to the filing.

The dimensions are slightly smaller than 's flagship sedan, the Han EV, which measures 4,995 mm in length, 1,910 mm in width and 1,495 mm in height, with a wheelbase of 2,920 mm.

Similar to Changan's other sub-brand Deepal, the Qiyuan A07 will be available in battery electric vehicle (BEV) and extended-range electric vehicle (EREV) versions.

The Qiyuan A07 BEV has an electric motor with a peak power of 190 kW, the same as the Deepal SL03 BEV. The Qiyuan A07 EREV has a peak electric motor of 160 kW, the same range-extender as the Deepal SL03, and a displacement of 1.5L with a power of 70 kW.

The Qiyuan A07 BEV is equipped with battery packs with capacities of 58.1 kWh and 79.97 kWh, respectively, with CLTC ranges of 515 km and 710 km. The Qiyuan A07 EREV is equipped with a 28.39 kWh battery pack with a battery range of 170 km.

Changan sold 244,996 units in May, including joint venture brands, with new energy vehicles (NEVs) contributing 35,934 units, or 14.7 percent, according to figures it announced earlier this month.

Deepal sold 7,021 units in May, bringing January-May sales to 33,585 units.

Changan's EV brand Deepal launches S7 SUV at about half price of Tesla Model Y

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GAC unveils eVTOL Gove, consisting of two separate parts

GAC hopes Gove will be part of its integrated mobility solution in the future.

(Image credit: GAC)

Several automakers are exploring the field of electric vertical takeoff and landing vehicles (eVTOL), with automotive giant GAC Group being the latest.

GAC unveiled an eVTOL, called Gove, at a Tech Day event today, saying it has completed its maiden flight.

The name Gove is made up of the initials of the words GAC, On the Go, Vertical, and EV, and GAC hopes it will be part of its integrated mobility solutions in the future.

The eVTOL features a design in which the vehicle and chassis can be separated, with the two merging when driving on land and separating when flying in the air.

Gove is equipped with GAC's ADiGO-Pilot autonomous piloting system and has a dual backup multi-rotor flight system, GAC said.

GAC is joining forces with research institutes in the aerospace field to build a cooperative ecosystem for flight technology, and is committed to creating a safe and reliable air travel corridor, said Wu Jian, president of GAC research institute.

The demonstration of Gove flying car is just the starting point, in the future it will build up GAC's travel solution together with Ruqi Mobility and Robotaxi, said Wu.

It is worth noting that Gove is very similar in design to the form of an eVTOL demonstrated by another Chinese team at the end of last year.

Beijing Institute of Technology said on November 19, 2022, that one of their teams had unveiled a two-seat engineering prototype of a manned flying car, the world's first such product with a split design.

The flying car consists of three separate modules: an autonomous vertical takeoff and landing vehicle, an intelligent control cockpit, and an autopilot chassis, capable of driving on land and switching between airborne flight modes.

It is not clear if GAC's Gove is related to this product.

Over the past year, multiple teams have explored the eVTOL space, though the product form has largely been all-in-one.

A local company demonstrated an eVTOL shaped like a flying saucer at a low-altitude economy investment promotion event in Shenzhen, southern China, on June 3.

Aeroht, a subsidiary of Xpeng, wants to make it possible to build a manned vehicle based on a car, and its X2 was tested on June 5 by flying over the Yellow River.

Ehang, for its part, is building an autonomous aerial vehicle (AAV) close to a helicopter, and the company said last April that it received a pre-order for 100 EH216s from Indonesian airline Prestige Aviation.

On July 27, 2022, Volkswagen Group China unveiled its first eVTOL manned vehicle prototype, the V.MO, which is also close to a helicopter in appearance.

Chinese team builds flying car prototype unlike any other

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BYD’s Denza brand to officially launch N7 SUV on Jul 3

The Denza N7 targets the market for conventional internal combustion engine vehicles priced around RMB 400,000.

(Image credit: Denza)

After months of warm-up, the launch date for the first SUV of 's premium new energy vehicle (NEV) brand Denza has been set.

The Denza N7 will officially launch on July 3, the brand announced today on Weibo.

The launch date is slightly delayed from previous plans, as Denza general manager of sales Zhao Changjiang said on May 30 that the Denza N7 will be officially launched in late June and deliveries will start in July.

Denza did not share any more information about the N7 today, although it has been warming up about the model for several months.

On March 6, Denza released the official images of the N7. A few days later, on March 9, the model appeared in a regulatory filing list.

The Denza N7 is a 5-seat SUV with a length, width and height of 4,860 mm, 1,935 mm and 1,602 mm, respectively, and a wheelbase of 2,940 mm, the regulatory filing shows.

The Denza N7 entering the list comes in four versions, including two single-motor versions and two dual-motor versions, the former with a peak motor power of 230 kW and the latter with an additional peak motor power of 160 kW.

Denza is a joint venture formed in February 2011 by BYD and Daimler, each holding a 50 percent stake at the time, and the Daimler brand was rebranded as Mercedes-Benz in February 2022. BYD increased its shareholding in Denza to 90 percent last year.

In August 2022, Denza let the D9 MPV go on sale, the brand's first model after the reorganization, and the Denza N7, the second model after Denza's shareholding change, was its first SUV.

On December 20 last year, Zhao said on Weibo that the Denza N7 was aimed at the market for traditional internal combustion engine vehicles priced around RMB 400,000 yuan ($55,440).

On March 26, Zhao said there were many customers who wanted to have the Denza N7 launched as soon as possible, and that the model was expected to receive 30,000 orders before its mid-year launch based on inquiry volume data.

On June 13, Zhao said the Denza N7 had more than 20,000 pre-orders before specifications and pricing were announced.

On June 20, Denza saw the first production vehicles of the N7 roll off the assembly line, setting the stage for the upcoming launch.

On June 25, Zhao said on Weibo that he experienced the latest version of the N7's self-parking system, and that the model will be the first to be able to handle a very extreme scenario.

Denza's only model currently in delivery, the Denza D9, sold 11,005 units in May, the third consecutive month with more than 10,000 units, according to data released earlier this month.

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Denza's 1st SUV N7 surpasses 20,000 pre-orders ahead of official launch

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