Category: China

Nio opens innovation center in Berlin to boost local R&D of software

Berlin innovation center will help 's electric vehicles get smarter in Europe and worldwide, the company said.

(Image credit: Nio)

Nio (NYSE: NIO) has opened an innovation center in Berlin, Germany, as the Chinese electric vehicle (EV) company ramps up its European presence.

The innovation center, which officially opened on July 4, is located at Rotherstraβe 19, 10245 Berlin and covers 1,500 square meters, according to an announcement posted yesterday on Nio's mobile app for Europe.

This is the first Nio R&D center in Europe, and five different teams will work on software development for Nio products and technologies from now on, according to the announcement. The company has a global design center in Munich.

The innovation center is also responsible for localization and software testing, with focus areas including autonomous driving, digital systems, digital architecture, digital cockpit, user experience, user interface and in-car voice assistance system NOMI, according to Nio's announcement.

The new innovation center in Berlin complements existing software development centers in Beijing and San Jose, where Nio has developed about 50 percent of its software.

The innovation center's development team consists of more than 25 employees from 11 different countries, Nio said. Late last month, the company said Nio employs more than 1,300 people in Europe, most of them located in Germany.

The innovation center in Berlin will also serve as a research and development center for Nio Power and as an operations control center for all European battery swap stations, Nio said.

Nio is bringing its entire service system from China to Europe, including the iconic battery swap stations. As of June 30, Nio had 18 battery swap stations in Europe.

On September 16, 2022, Nio announced that its Nio Power Europe Plant in Budapest, Hungary, saw the first battery swap station roll off the assembly line.

The Berlin innovation center location was specifically chosen to attract Europe's top talent in software development, machine learning, artificial intelligence and voice systems.

With Nio's smart technology and the Berlin innovation center, the company's EVs will become smarter not only in Europe, but also worldwide, said Zhang Hui, vice president of Nio Europe.

Users can give feedback to NOMI directly from inside the vehicle, and the Berlin innovation center will help better respond to the desires of German and European customers, Nio's announcement said.

Nio is strengthening its partnerships with local suppliers to deliver better infotainment systems.

In the video-on-demand space, Nio has expanded its partnerships with companies such as Spotify, Nvidia, Bosch and Qualcomm. With a software over-the-air update, Nio now welcomes ScreenHits as a video-on-demand technology for European users, it said.

ScreenHits TV, a UK-based streaming provider, gives users in Europe access to video-on-demand content in 59 countries and 30 languages, according to Nio.

NIO's William Li attends high-level Sino-German meetings as Chinese Premier visits Europe

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Nio ES6 wait time gets longer, ES7, ET7, ET5 Touring gets shorter

had sales of 4,100 units last week, up 28.13 percent from 3,200 units the week before.

(Image credit: CnEVPost)

Nio's (NYSE: NIO) new ES6 has a slightly longer wait time in China, while the three other models are slightly shorter.

Customers locking in orders for the Nio ES6 are now expected to get deliveries in 3-6 weeks, slightly higher than the previous 3-4 weeks, information from the Nio App monitored by CnEVPost shows.

Nio officially launched the new ES6, its lowest-priced SUV, in China on May 24, with a current starting price of RMB 338,000 ($46,800), and its deliveries began on the night of the launch.

The last change in the Nio ES6 wait time was on June 26, when it went from about 5 weeks to 3-4 weeks.

Wait times for both the Nio ES7 SUV as well as the ET7 sedan both changed to 6-7 weeks today, slightly lower than the previous 6-8 weeks.

Nio launched the ES7 on June 15, 2022, with the first delivery on August 28, 2022.

The ES7 is Nio's second model based on the NT 2.0 platform after the ET7 sedan, and the first SUV on this second-generation platform, with a starting price of RMB 438,000 including battery.

Originally launched at the Nio Day 2020 event on January 9, 2021, the Nio ET7 is the company's first sedan, with deliveries beginning on March 28, 2022.

On the first day of the Shanghai auto show on April 18, Nio launched the 2023 ET7, with prices currently starting at RMB 428,000. Deliveries of the new ET7 began on May 19.

On June 26, the wait time for both the ES7 and ET7 went from about 3 weeks to 6-8 weeks.

The latest wait time for the ET5 Touring is about 3 weeks, slightly lower than the previous 3-4 weeks.

Nio officially launched the ET5 Touring in China on June 15 with the same price as the regular ET5, starting at RMB 298,000.

ET5 Touring deliveries in China started on June 15.

Nio delivered 10,707 vehicles in June, up 73.96 percent from 6,155 in May, although down 17.39 percent from 12,961 in the same month last year, according to figures it announced on July 1.

Last week -- June 26 to July 2 -- Nio sold 4,100 units, up 28.13 percent from 3,200 units the week before, according to data shared by (NASDAQ: LI) yesterday.

($1 = RMB 7.2218)

Data table: Latest wait times for Nio models after Jul 5 changes

(Screenshots on July 5, 2023)

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GAC Aion’s Hyper brand launches Hyper GT sedan, offers battery swap-enabled version

The battery swap-enabled trim of the Hyper GT starts at RMB 239,900, which Hyper claims can replace the battery in as little as two minutes.

(Image credit: CnEVPost)

Hyper -- a new brand launched by last September -- has introduced the Hyper GT sedan, one version of which supports battery swap.

Hyper officially rolled out the Hyper GT in China on Monday, the brand's first production model and the 20 millionth new energy vehicle produced in China.

The Hyper GT is available in five versions with starting prices of RMB 219,900 ($30,370), RMB 245,900, RMB 239,900, RMB 259,900, and RMB 339,900 respectively.

The version with a starting price of RMB 239,900 supports battery swap, which Hyper claims can replace the battery in as little as two minutes.

Consumers can purchase the car using a battery rental model similar to , which reduces the price of the car by RMB 70,000, and pay a monthly battery lease fee of RMB 980.

The Hyper GT is an all-electric mid-size sedan based on the new AEP 3.0 platform from GAC Group, of which GAC Aion is a subsidiary.

The model measures 4,880 mm in length, 1,885 mm in width and 1,455 mm in height, and has a wheelbase of 2,920 mm.

The Hyper GT is powered by a single electric motor with a maximum power of 250 kW and a peak torque of 434 Nm, and accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 4.9 seconds.

The two higher-priced versions of the car support 800 V high-voltage fast charging for a range of 450 km on a 15-minute charge. The model has a maximum range of 710 km.

The Hyper GT comes with the L2++ Adigo Pilot 4.0 intelligent driving system for all-weather, all-road city and highway kilometer assisted driving, Hyper said.

GAC Aion previously offered mainly the Aion series, targeting the mass market, such as the Aion S sedan with a price range of RMB 139,800 to RMB 172,800.

On September 15, 2022, the company unveiled its new premium brand Hyper, and its first model, the Hyper SSR supercar, to enter the higher end of the market.

GAC Aion is offering two versions of the Hyper SSR, with the regular version priced at RMB 1.286 million pre-sale and capable of accelerating from 0 to 100 km/h in 2.3 seconds.

The other version, Hyper SSR Ultimate, is priced at RMB 1,686,000 and can accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in 1.9 seconds.

The model, the fastest accelerating car on the planet, will begin mass production and delivery in October 2023, GAC Aion said at the time.

($1 = RMB 7.2407)

GAC Aion sells 45,013 vehicles in Jun, 4th straight month over 40,000

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BYD’s new brand Fang Cheng Bao names debut model Leopard 5

Leopard 5 is said to be equipped with 's new powertrain DM-o, which is expected to combine the technical advantages of DM-i and DM-p.

BYD's new sub-brand Fang Cheng Bao continues to warm up with the announcement of the official name of its first model.

Fang Cheng Bao's first model is named Leopard 5 ("豹5" in Chinese), the brand said today on Weibo.

BYD officially announced the name of its Fang Cheng Bao brand on June 9, the fifth in its brand matrix after the Dynasty series, Ocean series, Denza and Yangwang.

The Fang Cheng Bao brand name literally translates to "Formula" and "Leopard," symbolizing the pursuit of a transformative rise and exploration of the digital realm, BYD said.

BYD has previously used the code SF to refer to the first model of the new brand, saying it is a hardcore SUV expected to launch this year.

BYD has not provided pricing information on Fang Cheng Bao's first model in its previews over the past few months, though CnEVPost previously learned that the model will target a market priced between RMB 400,000 ($55,410) and RMB 600,000.

Xiong Tianbo, former head of BYD auto's sales research institute, will be the general manager of the brand's sales division, leading the brand's product planning, channel sales and brand building, a company insider previously told CnEVPost.

Rumors have recently surfaced that Fang Cheng Bao's first model will be equipped with BYD's DM-o powertrain, which will be the third BYD hybrid system in addition to DM-i and DM-p.

Currently about half of BYD's monthly sales are battery electric vehicles (BEVs) and the other half are plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHEVs).

Among the PHEVs, the DM-i focuses more on fuel economy, while the DM-p focuses more on performance.

The DM-o is expected to combine the technical advantages of the DM-i and DM-p, and can provide the vehicle with a total sum range of up to 1,200 km and a total powertrain power of up to 500 kW, according to recent reports in several local media.

BYD officially names F brand Fang Cheng Bao, initial model to be launched this year

($1 = RMB 7.2185)

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China NEV wholesale at about 740,000 in Jun, CPCA estimates show

In the first half of the year, wholesale sales of passenger NEVs in China are expected to be 3.53 million units, up 44 percent year-on-year.

China's wholesale sales of passenger new energy vehicles (NEVs) are expected to be 740,000 units in June, up 10 percent from May and up 30 percent year-on-year, the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA) said in a report today.

In May, the 12 manufacturers with more than 10,000 NEVs sold at wholesale contributed 82.8 percent of all wholesale sales, the CPCA said.

These companies are expected to sell 611,000 units in June, and the normal structure would put China's June wholesale sales of passenger NEVs at around 740,000 units, the CPCA said.

In the January-June period, China's wholesale sales of passenger NEVs are expected to be 3.53 million units, up 44 percent from a year earlier, according to the report.

In China, NEVs include battery electric vehicles, plug-in hybrids and fuel cell vehicles.

China's passenger NEV market maintained strong growth in June, continuing May's trend with sales reaching an all-time high, the CPCA said.

With the launch of a large number of competitive new products and increased promotions in the second quarter, consumers' enthusiasm for buying was gradually released, the report said.

Manufacturers and dealers are actively carrying out various promotional activities to achieve their semi-annual targets, and coupled with local government subsidies, NEV retail sales continue to improve, the CPCA said.

Passenger vehicle sales in China are expected to be 23.5 million units in 2023, with 8.5 million units of NEVs sold and penetration expected to reach 36 percent, the CPCA said, repeating its previous forecast.

For the full year 2022, China's wholesale sales of passenger NEVs are expected to be 6.5 million units, up 96.3 percent year-on-year.

Here are the CPCA's June NEV wholesale sales figures for major automakers.

Tesla sells record 93,680 China-made vehicles in Jun

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Tesla sells record 93,680 China-made vehicles in Jun

In the second quarter, sold 247,217 China-made vehicles, contributing 53 percent of its global deliveries.

Tesla sold a record 93,680 China-made vehicles in June, surpassing the previous record of 88,869 vehicles in March, according to data released today by the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA).

That's up 18.72 percent from 78,906 vehicles in the same period last year and up 20.57 percent from 77,695 vehicles in May.

In the second quarter, Tesla sold 247,217 China-made vehicles, contributing 53 percent of the US electric vehicle (EV) maker's global deliveries, CnEVPost's calculations show.

Tesla reported on July 2 that it delivered 466,140 EVs globally in the second quarter, up 83.02 percent year-on-year and up 10.23 percent from 422,875 vehicles in the first quarter.

It was also a new record for Tesla's EV deliveries and higher than the 448,400 units expected by Wall Street analysts.

Tesla's cheaper Model 3 and Model Y delivered 446,915 units globally in the second quarter, above market expectations of 437,400 units, contributing 96 percent of deliveries. A total of 19,255 units of Model S and Model X were delivered, above expectations of 14,600 units.

In China, Tesla has a factory in Shanghai that produces the Model 3 and Model Y. This is its largest factory in the world, with an annual capacity of about 1.1 million units per year.

Tesla delivers record 466,140 vehicles globally in Q2

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China NEV insurance registrations for week ending Jul 2: Tesla 17,400, Li Auto 6,500, Nio 4,100

's sales of 4,100 units last week are second only to in the table.

Li Auto (NASDAQ: LI) shares last week's sales of major new car makers in China, showing how it and its major peers fared.

For the week of June 26 to July 2, Li Auto sold 6,500 units, continuing to top the sales chart for China's new car-making brands, the company said today on Weibo.

Li Auto did not explain on what basis the weekly sales were measured, but apparently they were insurance registrations. The company had suspended sharing those numbers in May, but has since resumed sharing them.

In June, Li Auto exceeded 30,000 monthly deliveries for the first time, making it the fifth luxury brand to exceed 30,000 monthly deliveries after Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Audi and , and the only Chinese luxury brand among them, it said.

In July, Li Auto will challenge higher sales targets to become the luxury car brand of choice for more families, the company said.

Li Auto released data on July 1 showing it delivered a record 32,575 vehicles in June, the first time it has surpassed the 30,000 mark.

In the second quarter, Li Auto delivered 86,533 vehicles, up 201.65 percent year-on-year and up 64.56 percent from the first quarter, exceeding the upper end of its previously provided guidance range of 76,000 to 81,000 vehicles.

In the first half of the year, Li Auto delivered 139,117 vehicles, up 130.31 percent year-on-year, surpassing last year's full-year deliveries of 133,246.

Nio (NYSE: NIO) sold 4,100 units last week, second only to Li Auto among China's new car-making brands.

Nio delivered 10,707 vehicles in June, up 73.96 percent from 6,155 in May, although down 17.39 percent from 12,961 in the same month last year.

The deliveries included 6,383 SUVs, and 4,324 sedans, Nio said on July 1, without disclosing figures for specific models.

In the second quarter, Nio delivered 23,520 vehicles, down 6.14 percent from a year ago and down 24.23 percent from the first quarter. The deliveries were slightly above the lower end of the guidance range it provided on June 9 of 23,000 to 25,000 vehicles.

In the first half of the year, Nio delivered 54,561 vehicles, an increase of 7.35 percent year-on-year.

Nio's delivery rebound in June was helped by the start of deliveries of several new models, especially the new ES6.

The company launched the new ES6, based on the NT 2.0 platform, in China on May 24, with deliveries starting on launch night.

On June 15, Nio launched the ET5 Touring in China, with deliveries starting on June 16.

On June 28, Nio began deliveries in China for the new ES8, the flagship SUV launched on Nio Day 2022 on December 24, 2022.

Tesla (NASDAQ: TSLA) sold 17,400 units last week, ranking fourth among premium brands, according to the table shared by Li Auto.

The top-selling premium brands in China last week continued to be German luxury brands BMW, Audi and Mercedes-Benz, with 20,800, 20,500 and 19,600 respectively.

Li Auto was No. 6 in premium brand sales, behind Cadillac. Nio was No. 9, behind Volvo and Lexus.

Leapmotor was at 3,400 last week, at 3,200, at 3,100 and (NYSE: XPEV) at 2,700.

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