Category: China

Zeekr 009 review: Is Toyota losing its crown jewel?

With Toyota's reluctance to embrace the EV revolution, Chinese premium EV brands, like Zeekr, are eyeing the luxury MPV space as a chance to charge big money.

This review is done by ChinaDriven, which creates content about Chinese EVs on YouTubeTwitter.

Zeekr, Geely's premium EV brand, has introduced a luxurious MPV called the Zeekr 009. But why would a Chinese premium EV brand make an expensive people mover?

MPVs in the West have largely died out from their hay day in the 90s. Nowadays referred to as ”Soccer Mum Vans,” they don't have the swankiest of images. In China, there is a smattering of low-end MPVs for sale but most of the action in this segment happens at the top-end.

MPVs are mostly statement vehicles, a sign of wealth and success; they're chauffeur-driven rides of the wealthy. My experience living in China for the past decade, the absolute epitome was the imported Toyota Alphard.

With Toyota's reluctance to embrace the EV revolution, Chinese premium EV brands, like Zeekr, are eyeing the luxury MPV space as a chance to charge big money and show off their tech and quality nouse.

Exterior

The large grille, a mainstay of the luxury MPV space, is perhaps a necessary evil. Behind it 154 programmable dot-matrix LEDs dubbed “The Spring of Light.” Distinct square LED daylight running lights, a break from the EV norm of LED Light bars.

It's a big square front end, with deliberate and unapologetic styling. It's a brutal-looking thing. But there's something quite cool about that, especially in all-black.

The side profile is long, square, and functional. Darkened pillars give the roof the illusion of floating, with some choice of chrome accents down the side, including the door handles.

Thankfully the door handles are normal door handles; Unlike so many EVs that try to create new intricate ways of opening a door, confusing every passenger you have.

The whole rear is cleaved in half by its chrome belt line. A huge rear windscreen gives gobs of rearward visibility. Something you'll need in this 5.2-meter long MPV. The rear end carries over the styling cues from the Zeekr 001 with its fin design in its rear LED light bar. The rear-end styling isn't as abrasive as the front-end and offers a clean look.

Interior

The interior of the Zeekr 009 boasts premium materials that solidify its status as a top-notch vehicle. From the abundance of Nappa leather, micro suede, and metal touch points, to the borrowed styling cues from the Zeekr 001, such as the steering wheel and gear selector, this vehicle exudes class.

The ambient lighting, which primarily resides in the rear, is a deliberate styling choice rather than an ambitious soft under-glow.

All seats are comfortable, with multiple options for heat, ventilation, massage, and adjustment. However, it's the second row that truly shines. As a luxury MPV, the second-row seats are essential, and the Zeekr 009 delivers plenty of room and adjustment options.

In fact, the layout of the three rows is incredibly well thought out, with even the third row providing ample space while still allowing for a trunk space of 37 liters with the seats up and a cavernous 2979 liters with the third row down.

Entertainment in the rear is delivered through a roof-mounted 15.6 LCD screen controlled by a remote. While it may seem archaic, it makes sense given the amount of legroom in the second row.

The first and second-row seats also boast headrest speakers, bringing the total speaker count up to 20 for the super-powerful Yamaha system.

The second row is truly the place to be with its HDMI connection for screen mirroring, roof-mounted camera for conference calling, pull-out solid metal tables, and built-in 60W fast charging for each seat.

Overall, the Zeekr 009's interior is classy, comfortable, and functional, with a particular focus on the second row to deliver a luxury MPV experience

Battery, Range, Charging

The Zeekr 009 is available in two trims: the WE Edition and ME Edition.

WE Edition

  • Priced around $72,500
  • Equipped with a 116-kWh NCM battery pack
  • Claimed range of 702 km

ME Edition

  • Priced around $82,500
  • Equipped with a 140-kWH CATL Qilin battery pack
  • Claimed range of 822 km

The Zeekr 009 is positioned as a premium vehicle, but its pricing is surprisingly reasonable compared to the Toyota Alphard in China, which commands a price of between $121,000-134,000.

One of the major selling points of the Zeekr 009 is that it is the world's first vehicle to be equipped with CATL's Qilin battery, which offers a 13% increase in power compared to a pack of the same size filled with 's 4680 cells. CATL Qilin is an advancement in the cell to pack packaging rather than cell chemistry. But it offers impressive gains.

DC fast charging is of course available and quoted at 10-80% in 28mins.

Tech

Upfront the driver is greeted with a 10.2-inch digital instrument panel and a 15.4-inch central LCD touchscreen which together with the rear screen is powered by a Snapdragon 8155 CPU.

The central infotainment screen is snappy and well laid out. However, there is no English UI, but you can't blame Zeekr for that, especially when it's highly unlikely the 009 will be released in Europe.

There's a 5G connection, plenty of USB-C connections, and a wireless phone charger. All pretty standard tech on premium and even mid-level EVs in China nowadays. I do wish there was a HUD, but it's not a dealbreaker. A voice assistant is also included, but again in China, this is a somewhat standard affair.

In the second row, you'll find Zeekr's smart bar, a 3.4-inch circular LCD panel on the door that controls the third zone A/C, as well as capacitive touch buttons for the rear windows and panoramic roof shade.

ADAS

Zeekr's Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS) is powered by the Mobileye Supervision full-stack ADAS solution. While they have promised a more advanced ADAS suite called the Zeekr Autonomous Driving (ZAD) that can be added for a one-time fee, it is not yet available. The ZAD promises to provide exceptional ADAS capabilities for complex driving scenarios.

Currently, the Zeekr 009 comes standard with a level 2 ADAS system that includes Lane Keep Assist and Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC), as well as Zeekr's Highway Autopilot (ZNP).

The ADAS sensor array includes seven 8MP cameras, twelve ultrasonic radars, one milliwave radar, and four 2MP cameras for the 360-degree camera system.

The Mobileye Supervision solution is vision-based, which means that the Zeekr 009 does not have LiDAR. All the data collected by the sensors is processed by dual Mobileye EQ5H chips that deliver 48 TOPs.

Driving & Performance

For an MPV, the Zeekr 009 has a ridiculously powerful dual-motor drivetrain. Delivering 400kW (544hp) of power and 686Nm (506ft-lbs) of torque to the pavement; it smashes 0-100kph in 4.5s.

While it's unclear why an MPV needs this level of power, it certainly adds some fun to the driving. The Zeekr 009 can come to a stop from 100kph in 36.9m, which is impressive, but the sheer mass of the vehicle is felt during heavy braking.

Driving dynamics are nothing to write home about, as expected, but it delivers a comfortable ride thanks to its air suspension and CDC. While this sort of vehicle is not ideal for high-speed cornering, the tires do a commendable job, but no matter what physics cannot be overcome. This is very much a comfortable point-and-squirt kind of speed. Slow in, fast out.

Ultimately, the Zeekr 009 is designed to deliver comfort to the person in the back, most likely the "Big Boss." The rear seats are feature-packed, relaxing, and remarkably comfortable, making them perfect for long chauffeured journeys.

Conclusion

Would I buy a Zeekr 009? I'm not wealthy or important enough to warrant a luxury chauffeured ride, but if I were, I'd take the Zeekr 009 over the Toyota Alphard any day of the week.

However, the decision isn't as simple as that. In my city, the Alphard still reigns supreme as the go-to MPV that screams "I've made it." Even though the Zeekr 009 is a superior product with a lower price point, those with seemingly endless pools of money aren't price sensitive.

But in larger cities where getting a license plate for an internal combustion engine is expensive and difficult, the Zeekr 009 may be a popular seller.

In my city, I think I'd still be a maverick for choosing it over the Toyota Alphard. But I'd be right, they'd be wrong. And I'd have $40,000-50,000 in my back pocket, a better vehicle and a big smug smile on my face.

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XPeng Q1 earnings preview: Counting down to G6

XPeng's financial performance in the first quarter and its outlook for the second quarter will be weak, though the company may see a turnaround after the launch of G6, according to Edison Yu's team.

XPeng Q1 earnings preview: Counting down to G6-CnEVPost

(Image credit: CnEVPost)

XPeng (NYSE: XPEV) will report its unaudited financial results for the first quarter on May 24 before the US markets open. As usual, Deutsche Bank analyst Edison Yu's team provided their preview.

XPeng's performance will be weak in the first quarter and the outlook for the second quarter is likely to be subdued, but a turnaround in the second half of this year may be in the cards after the launch of the new SUV G6, according to a research note sent to investors today.

First quarter earnings

Previously released data showed 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.

The company's previous revenue guidance for the first quarter was RMB 4 billion to RMB 4.2 billion, a decrease of about 43.7 percent to 46.3 percent year on year.

XPeng sales have been weak since the second half of last year, with deliveries of just 5,218 units in January. It rebounded to 7,079 units in April, essentially flat from March.

Yu's team expects XPeng to report revenue of RMB 4.04 billion and adjusted earnings per share of RMB -2.52 for the first quarter.

The team expects XPeng's gross margin to be 5.0 percent and vehicle margin to be 0.4 percent in the first quarter, or down 530 basis points sequentially, as price cuts and promotions hurt margins.

This compares to the current consensus analyst estimates of RMB 4.24 billion, 6.1 percent and RMB -2.09, respectively, in a Bloomberg survey.

Subdued second quarter

Yu's team believes that XPeng deliveries are likely to be subdued in the second quarter as the G9 has struggled to gain order flow and supply constraints have hampered P7i deliveries.

G9 sales have been below 1,000 units for the past three months, and a summer price cut is likely, the team said.

XPeng management has said that orders for the P7i have increased unexpectedly and will increase more meaningfully in June and beyond. As a result, Yu's team expects XPeng to guide for low-mid 20,000 range second-quarter deliveries.

Deliveries of the upcoming G6 will begin in late June and the model will not make a significant contribution in the second quarter, according to the team.

G6 is the swing factor

In the company's fourth-quarter earnings call on March 17, XPeng management said the G6 will be officially launched and delivered by the end of the second quarter, with a price range of RMB 200,000 ($28,590) to RMB 300,000.

XPeng's monthly sales target for the G6 is 2-3 times that of the P7, He Xiaopeng, the company's chairman and CEO, said during the call.

XPeng unveiled a new architecture called SEPA (Smart Electric Platform Architecture) 2.0 at a technology conference in Shanghai on April 16, saying the G6 will be the first model built on the architecture.

The architecture will shorten the development cycle of future models by 20 percent and optimize development efficiency significantly. Interchangeability and interoperability of common and modular components between new models will reach 80 percent, enabling XPeng to meet diverse customer needs at an optimized cost, it said at the time.

Yu's team believes that the G6 will need to be successful for XPeng to be truly relevant again in the marketplace.

On a relative basis, XPeng management sees the G6 selling 2-3 times as many units as the P7, which means at least more than 5,000 units per month, according to Yu's team.

"Our view is XPeng will price G6 below Model Y in hopes of attracting consumers with its sleeker design and newer interior," the team wrote.

With the increased production of the G6, XPeng management believes total monthly deliveries could reach 15,000 units at some point in the third quarter.

"This seems achievable and we model XPeng reaching this level in Sep with potentially some help from a midcycle P5 face-lift ('P5i')," the team said.

($1 = RMB 6.9959)

XPeng G6 debuts at Shanghai auto show

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China NEV retail up 101% YoY in May 1-14, CPCA data show

As price wars fade and consumer wait-and-see sentiment eases, pent-up demand has been released, the CPCA said.

China NEV retail up 101% YoY in May 1-14, CPCA data show-CnEVPost

(Image credit: CnEVPost)

Sales of new energy vehicles (NEVs) in China doubled in the first two weeks of May compared with the same period last year and also showed significant growth over the same period in April, although the Labor Day holiday at the beginning of the month may have brought some shock.

From May 1 to 14, China's retail sales of new energy passenger vehicles were 217,000 units, up 101 percent year-on-year and up 17 percent from the same period last month, according to data released today by the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA).

So far this year, China's retail sales of new energy passenger cars were 2.06 million units, up 41 percent year-on-year.

From May 1 to 14, wholesale sales of new energy passenger vehicles in China were 193,000 units, up 69 percent year-on-year and up 13 percent from April, according to the CPCA.

So far this year, wholesale sales of new energy passenger vehicles are up 32 percent year-on-year to 2.11 million units.

In the first two weeks of May, retail sales of all passenger vehicles in China were up 55 percent to 706,000 units, up 24 percent from the same period last month, the CPCA said.

So far this year, retail sales of passenger cars in China were up 3 percent to 6.6 million units.

This means that the penetration of NEVs at retail in China was 30.73 percent in the first two weeks of May and 31.20 percent so far this year.

In the first week of May -- May 1-7 -- the average daily retail sales of passenger cars in China were 54,000 units, up 67 percent from the same period last year and up 46 percent from the same period in April.

In the second week of May -- May 8-14 -- average daily retail sales of passenger cars were 47,000 units, up 44 percent year-on-year and up 5 percent from the same period in April.

As price wars faded, dealers' mindsets stabilized and consumers returned to rational spending, the CPCA said, adding that this eased wait-and-see sentiment and released pent-up demand.

During the Labor Day holiday, some local governments and manufacturers provided temporary subsidies, which helped the auto market grow in early May, and new orders from the holiday are expected to be released gradually, the CPCA said. This year, China's Labor Day holiday was from April 29 to May 3.

CPCA weekly data: NEV retail sales for 1st 2 weeks of May at 217,000

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VW reportedly in talks to use Huawei software in its cars in China

Volkswagen is one of the top-selling car companies in China, but it is lagging behind local carmakers in the country's NEV market.

(Image credit: CnEVPost)

Volkswagen has been in talks to use Huawei software in its cars in China, hoping to boost its efforts to gain a bigger share of the country's electric vehicle (EV) market, a Financial Times report said today.

Three people familiar with the situation said Volkswagen has spoken with Huawei about using the latter's technology in its cars, while another person said the German carmaker has held similar talks with other Chinese groups, according to the report.

Volkswagen is one of the top-selling car companies in China, but it lags behind local carmakers in the country's new energy vehicle (NEV) market.

In the January-April period, Volkswagen's joint venture in China, FAW-Volkswagen, sold 509,774 units at retail, up 1.4 percent from a year earlier, and came in second with an 8.6 percent share, according to the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA).

BYD sold 702,608 vehicles during the period, up 79.2 percent year-on-year, and ranked first with an 11.9 percent share.

Volkswagen's other joint venture in China, SAIC Volkswagen, sold 338,673 vehicles at retail from January to April, down 2.7 percent year-on-year, and ranked fifth with a 5.7 percent share.

In the NEV segment, BYD ranked first with a 38.1 percent share from January to April, while was second with a 9.6 percent share.

The NEV sales of Volkswagen's two joint ventures were not in the top 10 of the January-April list published by the CPCA. The No. 10 on the list is , with 33,529 units sold from January to April and a 1.8 percent share.

In July 2020, Volkswagen founded software company Cariad under former CEO Herbert Diess, but earlier this month it removed almost all of Cariad's top executives from their positions.

The Financial Times report cited a person familiar with the talks between Volkswagen and the Chinese companies as saying the discussions reflected how big the problem is for a group like VW, whose unique selling proposition is their scale and platforms.

Another person said Volkswagen is also aware that a Chinese software partner could appeal to Chinese customers who favor local suppliers and are obsessed with stories of technological self-reliance.

Although its software is seen as lagging behind some local players in China, Volkswagen is one of the most aggressive of foreign car companies seeking change.

Last October 13, Horizon Robotics, one of the leading providers of computing solutions for smart vehicles in China, announced that Cariad would form a joint venture with it to accelerate its efforts to develop smart driving technology locally.

Volkswagen plans to invest about 2.4 billion euros for a 60 percent stake in the joint venture, which is expected to close in the first half of 2023, according to a statement from Horizon Robotics.

VW to invest €2.4 billion to form JV with Chinese firm Horizon Robotics

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China issues policy to support NEV consumption in rural areas

A government document voices support for NEV development in rural areas in terms of NEV purchases, charging infrastructure development, and consumer education.

China issues policy to support NEV consumption in rural areas-CnEVPost

(Image credit: CnEVPost)

China has released a new government document to support new energy vehicle (NEV) consumption in rural areas, after NEV penetration in major cities climbed to high levels.

China's National Energy Administration and economic planner National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) issued the document on supporting the development of NEVs in rural areas for provincial and municipal governments and two grid operators, State Grid and Southern Grid. The document, dated May 14, was made public on May 17.

China has built the world's largest charging infrastructure, providing a strong guarantee for the rapid development of NEVs, but there are still problems in rural areas, including insufficient public charging infrastructure, which restricts the release of NEV consumption potential there, the document says.

The advanced construction of charging infrastructure and optimization of the environment for the purchase and use of NEVs are of great significance in promoting NEV consumption in rural areas, according to the document.

The document voices support for NEV development in rural areas in terms of NEV purchases, charging infrastructure construction, and consumer education.

Car companies are encouraged to develop more economical models for consumers in rural areas, especially products including new energy cargo-carrying mini-vans, mini-trucks and light trucks.

China will improve the evaluation system for used NEVs and encourage companies to provide quality vehicles for rural areas.

The country will increase the proportion of NEVs in business vehicles and encourage local governments to increase the use of NEVs in public transportation, road passenger transportation, rental cars, law enforcement, sanitation, and logistics.

Local governments are encouraged to provide consumption voucher support for local rural residents to purchase NEVs, offering trade-in incentives for them to phase out low-speed electric vehicles and purchase regular NEVs.

Credit support for auto consumption in rural areas will also be increased, and financial institutions are encouraged to reasonably determine the down payment ratio, loan interest rate, and repayment period on the premise of risk control.

In terms of charging infrastructure construction in rural areas, local governments should accelerate the construction of charging stations and strive to achieve charging piles in every township.

Local governments are encouraged to promote the construction of centralized public charging stations, and places with conditions such as gas stations should also promote the construction of charging piles.

Existing residential communities in rural areas are encouraged to carry out charging facility construction, and a certain percentage of public charging spaces should be allocated.

Before 2030, China waives the electricity capacity charge for centralized charging and battery swap facilities with a two-part tariff, and relaxes the investment efficiency constraint for grid companies in the construction of distribution grids.

China encourages research on technologies such as two-way interaction between electric vehicles and the grid (V2G), and explores the construction of integrated charging infrastructure in rural areas where the utilization rate of charging piles is low.

In terms of consumer education, China supports local governments and industry bodies to enhance consumer acceptance of NEVs and alleviate purchase and use concerns through a number of activities.

China passenger NEV retail drops 3.6% MoM to 527,000 in Apr, CPCA data show

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China NEV insurance registrations for week ending May 14: BYD 46,892, Tesla 9,990, NIO 1,200

NIO's sales appear to continue to be dampened by the upcoming new ES6, as potential consumers may be waiting for this more cost-effective SUV.

The main channels that previously shared weekly auto insurance registrations in China stopped sharing these numbers, but multiple reliable sources that we track on a daily basis shared last week's numbers.

For the week of May 8 to May 14, insurance registrations for all passenger vehicles in China were 365,000, up 43.5 percent year-on-year, but down 11.8 percent from the previous week.

Insurance registrations for conventional internal combustion engine vehicles were 245,000 last week, up 29.8 percent year-on-year but down 20.3 percent from the previous week.

New energy vehicles (NEVs) were 120,000 units last week, up 82.7 percent year-on-year and 12.8 percent from the previous week.

In terms of NEV insurance registrations, BYD (OTCMKTS: BYDDY) continues to hold the distant lead with 46,892 units last week, up from 45,789 units the week before.
s
During the week of May 1 to May 7, the first three days were the Labor Day holiday in China, although May 6 was a Saturday but a weekday. The holiday ran from April 29 to May 3.

(NASDAQ: TSLA) registered 9,990 insurance units in China last week, up from 5,928 the week before.

NIO (NYSE: NIO) had 1,200 insurance registrations last week, up from 1,100 the week before. These numbers are not precise to the single digit, as the sources tracked by CnEVPost did not share more detailed figures.

NIO's sales appear to be continuing to be dampened by the upcoming new ES6, as potential consumers may be waiting for the more cost-effective SUV.

The company announced yesterday that the new ES6 will be officially launched on May 24, with test drives available on the same day and deliveries to begin on May 25.

This will be its fastest model from launch to delivery, perhaps because of the lessons learned from the long waiting period for models including the ET5 that led to the loss of potential orders.

The continued product switchover led to months of sluggish NIO deliveries, which fell further to 6,658 vehicles in April. The company will report first-quarter earnings on June 9, when it is expected to provide guidance on second-quarter deliveries.

(NASDAQ: LI) continued its strong trend with 6,670 insurance registrations last week, up from 4,543 the previous week.

Li Auto is currently untroubled by product switches and its three models are competitive compared to their class, allowing it to maintain strong sales.

To show off that it is leading the pack of new car makers, Li Auto has shared weekly insurance registration figures for the past two months, but stopped sharing them this month.

On May 15, Li Auto founder, chairman and CEO Li Xiang said on Weibo that their sharing of weekly data was complained about by some of their peers, so they were unable to continue sharing them.

Li Auto guided for second-quarter deliveries between 76,000 and 81,000 vehicles when it reported first-quarter earnings on May 10. Considering it delivered a record 25,681 vehicles in April, that guidance means it expects to deliver a total of 50,319 to 55,319 vehicles in May and June.

XPeng (NYSE: XPEV) had 1,500 insurance registrations last week, up from 870 the week before.

XPeng, similar to NIO, is facing a product switch, with potential consumers perhaps watching the upcoming launch of the new SUV G6.

It previously said the G6 would be officially launched and delivered by the end of the second quarter, with a price range of RMB 200,000 ($28,660) - RMB 300,000.

XPeng's monthly sales target for the G6 is two to three times that of the P7, its chairman and CEO He Xiaopeng said during a March 17 analyst call after the company announced its fourth-quarter earnings.

XPeng delivered 7,079 vehicles in April, down 21.36 percent from 9,002 a year ago but up 1.1 percent from 7,002 in March.

It will report first-quarter earnings on May 24, when it is expected to provide guidance on second-quarter deliveries.

($1=RMB 6.9787)

Data table: China NEV weekly insurance registrations

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U.S. charges ex-Apple engineer with stealing self-driving car secrets for China

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With a range exceeding 1,000km, Zeekr 001 started delivering the new version equipped with CATL Qilin batteries

Zeekr 001 is the first production vehicle to be powered by CATL Qilin batteries. CATL Qilin battery is currently the mass-produced power battery with the highest energy density in the market.

The post With a range exceeding 1,000km, Zeekr 001 started delivering the new version equipped with CATL Qilin batteries appeared first on CarNewsChina.com.

Tesla applies to expand Shanghai plant, to add pouch-type battery cell capacity, report says

The potential expansion would give the Shanghai factory the capacity to produce 1.75 million powertrains per year, up from the current 1.25 million, according to Reuters.

(Image: Tesla China video screenshot.)

Tesla has applied for regulatory clearance to expand its Shanghai plant and to begin producing pouch-type battery cells for the first time, according to a Reuters report today.

The potential expansion would give the Shanghai factory the capacity to produce 1.75 million powertrain units a year, up from the current 1.25 million, the report said, citing an undated public notice.

It's not clear whether Tesla is committed to moving forward with the expansion or is simply seeking approval for potential, future capacity, the report noted.

Tesla is seeking permission to produce pouch battery cells, and a trial production line would have an initial annual capacity of 20,000 amp-hour cells, the equivalent of one Model Y battery pack, according to the report.

It's not clear how Tesla would use the pouch batteries, which it hasn't used in electric vehicles before, the report noted.

Tesla is also looking to ramp up production of cylindrical 4680 battery cells in China and has brought in new suppliers to reduce costs, according to the Reuters report.

Giga Shanghai is Tesla's largest plant in the world, producing the Model 3 and Model Y, with an annual capacity of about 1.1 million vehicles.

is Tesla's power battery supplier in China, and has a factory near Giga Shanghai that makes battery packs for the EV maker.

Earlier today, Bloomberg cited people familiar with the matter as saying that Tesla is nearing the final stages before starting trial production of its revamped Model 3 sedan in Shanghai.

On April 9, Tesla signed a deal with Shanghai's Lingang authorities to build a new Megafactory in the area, which will be dedicated to Megapack, Tesla's energy storage product.

The Megafactory will be Tesla's first energy storage system factory outside of the US home market, with an initial planned annual production capacity of up to 10,000 commercial energy storage batteries and an energy storage scale of nearly 40 GWh, with products to be supplied to the global market.

The plant is scheduled to start construction in the third quarter of this year and go into operation in the second quarter of 2024.

It is not clear whether the pouch battery cells mentioned in the Reuters report are related to the Megafactory.

Tesla's revamped Model 3 nears final trial production in Shanghai, report says

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