The price is cheaper then previous generation.
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Category: China
XPeng Q1 earnings: Deutsche Bank’s first look
"XPeng delivered even softer 1Q23 results than we previewed, accompanied by a muted 2Q outlook," Edison Yu's team said.
XPeng (NYSE: XPEV) reported weaker-than-expected first-quarter earnings today, and as usual, Deutsche Bank analyst Edison Yu's team provided their first look.
Here is the research note the team sent to investors today.
1Q23 Earnings First Look
XPeng delivered even softer 1Q23 results than we previewed, accompanied by a muted 2Q outlook.
Volume for 1Q was already reported at 18,230 units, leading to revenue of 4.03bn RMB, essentially in line with our 4.04bn estimate; vehicle pricing was slightly lower, offset by "Services and other."
Total gross margin declined 700bps QoQ to just 1.7%, missing our 5.0% estimate (consensus 6.1%), driven by lower vehicle margin (-2.5% vs. our 0.4% due to aggressive price cuts/promotions).
Opex of 2,654m came in below our model as higher R&D was offset by lower SG&A.
All together, EPS of (2.57) came in about in line with our (2.52) forecast.
Management provided a muted 2Q23 outlook, calling for 21,000-22,000 deliveries, vs. our 24,000 forecast, translating into 4.5-4.7bn RMB in revenue (vs. our 5.6bn).
This implies May/June seeing little to no MoM improvement as April garnered 7,079 units and pricing/mix facing further pressure (G9 demand still struggling and P7i constrained by component supply).
On the earnings call, we will look for further commentary on the exact timing of G6 deliveries (SOP seemingly has already begun), pricing, and volume expectations.
XPeng Q1 earnings miss expectations, gross margin falls to 1.7%
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New NIO ES6 launch: Live updates
NIO is holding a launch event for the new ES6 in China, and this article is a live update from CnEVPost based on a live video stream.
NIO (NYSE: NIO) is holding a launch event for the new ES6 in China, and the following is a live update from CnEVPost based on a live video stream.
This post will be continuously updated until the end of the launch, with the latest content at the top.
NIO will open the City NAD function in a small scope in Shanghai in the near future.
The new ES6 comes standard with 23 safety and driver assistance features.
The new ES6 has a range of 490 km with the 75-kWh standard range battery pack and 625 km with a 100-kWh pack.
The new NIO ES6 can get a range of 930 km when equipped with the 150-kWh battery pack.
NIO's 150-kWh semi-solid-state battery pack will be available for use in July.
NIO develops these parts in-house because it can respond to user feedback more quickly.
The new ES6 is equipped with NIO's intelligent chassis controller, third generation continuous damping control system.
All of NIO's cars are built to the highest safety standards, said Li.
The new ES6 can accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in 4.5 seconds under half-load conditions.
The new NIO ES6 is equipped with NIO's in-house developed high-performance 4-piston calipers, allowing the vehicle to brake from 100 km/h to stop in as short a distance as 34.5 meters.
The NIO ES6 will be known as the EL6 in Europe (because of the lawsuit by Audu).
The new NIO ES6 will be available in 10 exterior colors.
NIO invited several users to jointly present the new ES6 at the launch event, including an architect and an automotive media reporter, the first time it has done so for a new car launch.
William Li, Founder, Chairman and CEO of NIO, began his presentation.
NIO pins high hopes on new ES6 with unprecedented delivery efficiency and marketing campaign
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XPeng Q1 earnings miss expectations, gross margin falls to 1.7%
XPeng reported a negative 2.5 percent vehicle margin for the first quarter, a decline attributed to increased sales promotions and the expiration of the NEV subsidy.
XPeng (NYSE: XPEV) today reported weaker-than-expected first quarter results, with gross margins falling sharply to low single digits due to sales promotions.
The company reported first-quarter revenue of RMB 4.03 billion ($590 million), down 45.9 percent year-on-year and down 21.5 percent from the fourth quarter, according to its unaudited earnings report released today.
This was below Wall Street analysts' estimates of RMB 4.22 billion and lies near the lower end of the guidance range it previously provided of RMB 4 billion to RMB 4.2 billion.
XPeng reported first-quarter vehicle sales revenue of RMB 3.51 billion, down 49.8 percent year-on-year and down 24.6 percent from the fourth quarter of 2022.
The decreases were mainly due to lower vehicle deliveries and the discontinuation of new energy vehicle (NEV) subsidies in China, XPeng said.
Previously published figures have shown that XPeng delivered 18,230 vehicles in the first quarter, slightly above the lower end of the guidance range of 18,000 to 19,000 vehicles.
XPeng's gross margin was 1.7 percent in the first quarter, compared with 12.2 percent and 8.7 percent in the same period last year and the fourth quarter of 2022, respectively.
It reported a negative 2.5 percent vehicle margin in the first quarter compared to 10.4 percent in the same period in 2022 and 5.7 percent in the fourth quarter of 2022.
That decline was due to increased sales promotions and the expiration of the NEV subsidy, XPeng said.
XPeng's R&D expenses in the first quarter were RMB 1.30 billion, up 6.1 percent year-on-year and up 5.3 percent from the fourth quarter of 2022.
These increases were mainly due to higher expenses related to the development of new models to support future growth.
It reported selling, general and administrative expenses of RMB 1.39 billion in the first quarter, a decrease of 15.5 percent year-on-year and a decrease of 21.0 percent from the fourth quarter of 2022.
This was mainly due to lower commissions to franchisees and lower marketing and advertising expenses, XPeng said.
XPeng reported a net loss of RMB 2.34 billion in the first quarter, compared with RMB 1.70 billion in the same period last year and RMB 2.36 billion in the fourth quarter of 2022.
Non-GAAP net loss, excluding stock-based compensation expense, was RMB 2.21 billion in the first quarter compared to RMB 1.53 billion in the same period in 2022 and RMB 2.21 billion in the fourth quarter of 2022.
XPeng reported both basic and diluted net loss per ADS of RMB 2.71 in the first quarter, compared to RMB 2.00 in the same period last year and RMB 2.74 in the fourth quarter of 2022.
It reported a non-GAAP basic and diluted net loss per ADS of RMB 2.57 for the first quarter, compared to RMB 1.80 for the same period last year and RMB 2.57 for the fourth quarter of 2022.
As of March 31, XPeng had cash and cash equivalents, restricted cash, short-term investments and time deposits of RMB 34.12 billion.
This compares to RMB 41.71 billion as of March 31, 2022 and RMB 38.25 billion as of December 31, 2022.
XPeng expects second-quarter vehicle deliveries to be in the range of 21,000 to 22,000 units, a decrease of about 36.1 percent to 39.0 percent year-on-year.
It expects total revenue for the second quarter to be between RMB 4.5 billion and RMB 4.7 billion, a decrease of about 36.8 percent to 39.5 percent year-on-year.
Considering XPeng delivered 7,079 vehicles in April, the guidance implies that the company expects it will deliver a total of 13,921 to 14,921 vehicles in May and June.
XPeng's deliveries have continued to be weak since the second half of last year, with the G9 launch failing to generate consumer enthusiasm.
The company's sales now appear to be dampened again by the G6 as potential consumers wait for the model, whose launch and delivery is expected by the end of June.
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BYD rolls out 1st energy storage system using blade batteries
BYD has been using blade batteries in its full line of passenger cars and released a bus chassis platform using blade batteries in September last year.
BYD is starting to use its signature blade battery in its energy storage systems, marking another major use of the battery technology in the company's business after passenger cars and electric buses.
BYD launched its first energy storage system based on blade batteries, the BYD MC Cube, at a solar-related trade show today, according to a live video replay.
The energy storage system is equipped with blade battery cells that have passed pinprick tests and adopts a technology called CTS (cell to system).
These blade batteries use a module-less, pack-less design and are integrated directly into the system, reducing the number of components by about 36 percent, the company said.
This approach improves space utilization by about 98 percent, allowing for a structural strength improvement of about 30 percent.
In March 2020, BYD officially unveiled its blade battery based on lithium iron phosphate chemistry, and in July 2020 it launched its flagship sedan Han, the first to carry the battery.
To date, the new energy vehicle giant's entire lineup of passenger cars uses the battery.
On September 19, 2022, BYD brought the battery technology to electric buses by debuting what it called the eBus Blade Platform, a bus chassis technology platform that uses the blade battery, at the IAA Transportation event in Hannover, Germany.
It is worth noting that BYD's previously announced 2022 annual report provides more details about this energy storage system.
BYD MC Cube is a new generation energy storage system with ultra-high capacity density, ultra-safety, ultra-long life and ultra-low cost built by BYD to gain the No. 1 share of the global energy storage market, according to the report.
BYD had already been developing four models of that energy storage system in February 2022, and they would all begin mass production in March 2023, the report said.
When assembled into 20-foot containers, the energy storage system can have a capacity of 5.36 MWh per unit.
BYD's MC Cube highlights the technical capabilities of BYD's energy storage system innovation, which is expected to accelerate the world's energy revolution process, the annual report said.
BYD's installed power and energy storage battery capacity in April was about 9.954 GWh, up 59.47 percent from 6.242 GWh in the same month last year and up 0.64 percent from 8.952 GWh in March, according to data it announced on May 2.
Tesla to build new Megafactory in Shanghai to produce Megapack energy storage system
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Lynk & Co to bring the 02 electric vehicle to Europe. What car is it?
Lynk & Co will launch the fully electric 02 model in Europe. But Lynk & Co hasn't got EVs in the model line. So what are they up to?
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LiDAR maker Hesai posts record Q1 revenue
Hesai began trading on the Nasdaq on February 9 and has suffered a prolonged sell-off since then, with a cumulative decline of more than 60 percent to date.
Chinese LiDAR maker Hesai Group (NASDAQ: HSAI) posted record revenue in the first quarter and improved gross margins compared to the fourth quarter of last year.
Hesai reported a net income of RMB 429.9 million ($62.6 million) in the first quarter, up 73.0 percent year-on-year, according to the company's earnings report, which was released after the US stock market closed on May 23.
The company reported product revenue of RMB 424.1 million in the first quarter, up 77.7 percent from RMB238.7 million in the first quarter of 2022.
This was due to increased demand for autonomous mobility and ADAS LiDAR products as volume production of the AT128 began in the third quarter of 2022, Hesai said.
Hesai shipped 28,195 ADAS LiDAR units in the first quarter, compared to 222 units in the same period in 2022.
It shipped a total of 34,834 LiDAR units in the first quarter, up 402.9 percent year-on-year.
Hesai's gross margin for the first quarter was 37.8 percent, up from 30.0 percent in the fourth quarter, but down from 50.9 percent in the first quarter of last year.
The decline was due to increased shipments of lower-priced ADAS LiDAR products during the ramp-up stage with a lower in-house plant capacity utilization rate.
It reported a cost of revenue of RMB 267.3 million in the first quarter, up 119.2 percent year-on-year, caused by higher shipments of LiDAR products, partially offset by a decrease in unit costs.
Hesai's sales and marketing expenses for the first quarter were RMB 35.4 million, an 83.1 percent increase from RMB 9.3 million in the first quarter of last year.
The company's general and administrative expenses for the first quarter were RMB49.5 million, an increase of 10.8 percent from RMB 44.7 million for the same period in 2022.
Hesai's research and development expenses for the first quarter were RMB 208.5 million, an increase of 99.2 percent from RMB 104.7 million for the same period in 2022.
This year-on-year increase was primarily due to the recognition of one-time stock compensation expense of RMB 66.7 million related to stock options granted under the performance conditions of the IPO and increased payroll expenses of RMB 28.3 million due to an increase in R&D staff, Hesai said.
Hesai reported a net loss of RMB 118.9 million for the first quarter, compared with RMB 25.1 million for the same period in 2022.
Excluding stock-based compensation expense, it reported non-GAAP net income of RMB 1.6 million in the first quarter, compared with RMB 2.1 million in the same period in 2022.
It reported basic and diluted net loss per common share of RMB 0.98 for the first quarter, and non-GAAP basic net income per share and non-GAAP diluted net income per share of RMB 0.01.
Cash and cash equivalents and short-term investments were RMB 3,141.4 million as of March 31, 2023, compared to RMB 1,859.1 million as of December 31, 2022.
Hesai expects second-quarter net income to be in the range of RMB 410 million to RMB 430 million, an increase of about 94.3 percent to 103.8 percent year-on-year.
Hesai began trading on the Nasdaq on February 9 under the ticker HSAI and has suffered a prolonged sell-off since then, with a cumulative decline of more than 60 percent to date.
The company closed down 2.8 percent to $9.37 on Tuesday, with a total market capitalization of about $1.18 billion. It was down 1.28 percent in Tuesday's after-hours trading.
Hesai unveils ultra-thin LiDAR ET25 that can be placed behind windshield
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NIO counting down to new ES6 launch, deliveries ready to go
Some auto bloggers on Weibo said NIO is gearing up for deliveries of the new ES6, which could start even as soon as the launch event is over.
NIO (NYSE: NIO) is counting down to the launch of the new ES6, with the model that will be key to reversing its weak sales trend less than eight hours away from its official launch.
Visitors to NIO's website can see the countdown, and as of press time, the launch event for the new ES6 is 7 hours, 30 minutes, and 30 seconds away.
The launch event of the new ES6 will begin at 7:00 pm Beijing time on May 24 (7:00 am US Eastern time on May 24), and viewers will be able to watch a live video stream on channels including the NIO App, NIO.com, and NIO Weibo.
NIO announced on May 16 that test drives of the new ES6 will be available starting on launch day and deliveries will begin on May 25.
This will be NIO's fastest model from official launch to delivery, as its local peers, including Li Auto (NASDAQ: LI), have proven that efficient delivery is critical to success in the highly competitive Chinese EV market.
Some auto bloggers on Weibo said that NIO is already preparing for deliveries of the new ES6, which could start even at the end of the launch event.
NIO originally said deliveries of the new ES6 would start on May 25, but because buyers want to get their hands on the new car as soon as possible, deliveries could start tonight, according to Wu Ying, an auto blogger with 970,000 followers on Weibo.
"What I know so far is that there are already a few cars in Shenzhen that are being readied and will be available for delivery at the end of the launch tonight," he said.
(Image credit: Wu Ying on Weibo)
Notably, NIO has not yet announced the price of the new ES6, which is expected to be below RMB 400,000 yuan ($56,700).
NIO gave the new ES6 its debut on the first day of the Shanghai auto show on April 18, when it began allowing consumers to pay an RMB 5,000 deposit to reserve the model.
On May 11, a large number of NIO App users received a push message from NIO containing a questionnaire asking them to vote on what they thought was a reasonable price for the new ES6.
NIO offered six options in that questionnaire: below RMB 368,000, RMB 368,000, RMB 378,000, RMB 338,000, RMB 398,000, and RMB 398,000 or more.
On May 20, NIO announced that the new ES6 show cars were available at nearly 300 NIO stores in 92 cities.
On May 22, it said the model was available in more than 330 NIO stores in 100 cities.
NIO's showrooms include the flagship NIO Houses as well as the smaller NIO Spaces, and they numbered 110 and 270 in China, respectively, as of April 30, according to data it released on May 1.
NIO released its first-generation ES6 in December 2018 and began delivering the model in China in June 2019.
Available data for 2022 show that from January to August, 32,877 ES6 units were delivered, contributing 46 percent of NIO's total deliveries of 71,556 units for the period.
The wait for the new ES6 by potential consumers may have depressed NIO's deliveries.
In the first three weeks of May, insurance registrations for NIO vehicles were 3,700, according to data from earlier this month.
($1 = RMB 7.0554)
China NEV insurance registrations for week ending May 21: Li Auto 7,100, XPeng 1,500, NIO 1,400
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Lithium carbonate supply in China seen as still in surplus, despite recent price rebound
The overall supply-demand pattern in China's lithium carbonate market has not changed much, and remains oversupplied, industry sources said.
Lithium carbonate prices in China have rebounded in the past month after a rare prolonged decline earlier in the year. However, the key raw material for power batteries is still seen as oversupplied.
The overall supply and demand pattern in China's lithium carbonate market hasn't changed much and remains oversupplied, according to a report today in the local media Securities Times, citing a source at data provider Shanghai Metals Market.
Upstream lithium producers' output has declined in recent months, but imports of the raw material have increased and overall supply has not decreased, the source said.
Downstream demand has only increased slightly, leaving the overall supply pattern unchanged, the source said.
On May 23, a 32-ton lithium carbonate auction from a supplier in northwest China's Qinghai province saw only one bidder, resulting in a sale at a starting price of RMB 295,000 yuan ($41,800) per ton, according to the report.
As a comparison, Lake Lithium's May 11 auction of 600 tons of lithium carbonate saw multiple bids and a final price significantly higher than the average lithium carbonate price that day, the report said.
On November 23, 2022, the price of battery-grade lithium carbonate in China rose to RMB 590,000 per ton, up about 14 times from RMB 41,000 per ton in June 2020.
However, factors including weak demand for electric vehicles have caused lithium carbonate prices to decline all the way after heading into 2023.
Lithium carbonate prices did not see a single day of gains in China this year until April 21, falling about 65 percent since the beginning of the year.
After that, lithium carbonate prices rebounded quickly, with battery-grade lithium carbonate returning to RMB 300,000 on May 18.
Since the rebound began late last month, the price of battery-grade lithium carbonate has risen 66.67 percent in China and industrial-grade lithium carbonate has risen 111.11 percent.
For this round of rise in battery-grade lithium carbonate prices, industry sources agree that it is due to factors including stockpiling by manufacturers and speculation by traders, according to the report in Securities Times.
Meanwhile, some downstream producers are in a position to restock their inventories, and their demand for inventory replenishment has also helped the price rise, the report said.
($1 = RMB 7.0566)
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Wuling Mini EV April sales reveal the reason for a massive price cut
Mini EV sold 17,080 units in April in China.
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