Category: China

Neta launches new variants of Neta S flagship sedan to bring price lower

Neta has launched two new variants of the Neta S with a shorter range and weaker performance, bringing the starting price of its flagship sedan down to under RMB 200,000.

Neta launches new variants of Neta S flagship sedan to bring price lower-CnEVPost

(Neta S on 2023 Shanghai auto show. Image credit: CnEVPost)

Price cuts are tricky in China's electric vehicle (EV) market, as they can spark protests from existing owners. So, launching lower-priced versions based on existing models has become one option for EV makers that need to boost sales.

Neta Auto, the EV brand owned by Hozon Auto, today launched two new variants of its flagship sedan, the Neta S, bringing the model's starting price down by 13,000 yuan ($1,880) to under RMB 200,000.

The new variants -- the all-electric Neta S 520 Lite and Neta S 520 -- start at RMB 189,800 and RMB 199,800 respectively.

As a comparison, the least expensive version of the Neta S previously on sale was a model with extended-range technology, starting at RMB 202,800.

The lowest-priced version of the pure electric Neta S was previously available in a version with a CLTC range of 715 km, starting at RMB 248,800.

The Neta S 520 Lite and Neta S 520 both have a CLTC range of 520 km and use a lithium iron phosphate battery pack with a capacity of 64.46 kWh.

These lower-priced Neta S BEVs can accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in 7.4 seconds.

For comparison, the least expensive Neta S BEV with a range of 715 km uses a ternary lithium battery pack with a capacity of 84.50 kWh and can accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in 6.9 seconds.

The Neta S 520 Lite and Neta S 520 are also weaker than the previously available Neta S BEV in some other specifications, such as the absence of a hands-free power tailgate.

Neta has been considered a budget EV maker since its inception, as its vehicles are priced primarily at the lower end of the market, with the Neta V and Neta U priced at around RMB 100,000 to RMB 150,000.

The Neta S is its first effort at the premium end of the market, officially launched in China on July 31, 2022.

Neta delivered 11,080 vehicles in April, up 25.72 percent from 8,813 in the same month last year and up 9.84 percent from 10,087 in March, according to data released earlier this month.

Neta S delivered 2,237 units in April, up 1.41 percent from 2,206 units in March.

In January-April, Neta delivered 37,256 vehicles, down 4.39 percent from 38,965 in the same period last year.

The Neta S delivered 8,008 units in January-April, for a cumulative total of 10,213 units since deliveries began last October, data monitored by CnEVPost show.

($1 = RMB 6.9240)

Neta delivers 11,080 vehicles in Apr, up 9.8% from Mar

Neta launches new variants of Neta S flagship sedan to bring price lower-CnEVPost

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NIO ES7 wait time gets slightly longer

The ES7's current expected delivery date is about 4 weeks, up from about 3 weeks previously.

NIO ES7 wait time gets slightly longer-CnEVPost

(Image credit: CnEVPost)

NIO's (NYSE: NIO) ES7 SUV has seen slightly longer wait times in China. Late last month some owners of the model voiced their displeasure as the new ES6 is coming.

The ES7's current expected delivery date is about 4 weeks, up from about 3 weeks previously, information from the NIO App monitored by CnEVPost shows.

The last change in the information was on April 25, when the model's wait time was reduced from 3 to 5 weeks to about 3 weeks.

NIO ES7 wait time gets slightly longer-CnEVPost

(Screenshot on May 9.)

The NIO ES7, launched on June 15, 2022, is NIO's second model based on the NT 2.0 platform and is the first SUV on this second-generation platform.

NIO began deliveries of the ES7 on August 28, 2022, with a cumulative total of 15,123 units delivered by the end of January this year, according to data monitored by CnEVPost.

Late last month, many ES7 owners formed WeChat groups in order to jointly protest to NIO arguing that the automaker betrayed them because the new ES6 will not only have lower prices, but also have a competitive edge with their vehicles.

NIO officially launched the 2023 ET7 sedan and gave the improved ES6 its debut on the first day of the Shanghai auto show on April 18.

The new ES6 is already available for pre-order, but the official launch will be in late May. William Li, NIO founder, chairman and CEO, said previously the model will move quickly from official launch to delivery.

NIO's website and app currently showcase seven models -- the new ES8, ES7, new ES6, EC7, EC6, ET7, and ET5.

In the vehicle configurator of NIO App, there are 5 models available -- new ES8, ES7, EC7, ET7, ET5, and the configurator of new ES6 and EC6 based on NT 1.0 platform is not available.

Wait time information for all other NIO models remains unchanged, with the new ES8 still showing deliveries expected to begin in June, the EC7 wait time around 5 weeks, the ET7 around 3 weeks, and the ET5 around 2 weeks.

Below is CnEVData's redesigned tracking table for NIO model wait times, you can subscribe to see the details.

NIO model wait time update: ES7 gets longer

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NIO gears up for tough stance on false rumors, sets up legal desk social media accounts

NIO has officially opened accounts dedicated to its legal department on Weibo and the short video platform Douyin, following similar actions by and .

(Screenshot of NIO legal department's account page on Douyin.)

NIO is ready to step up its fight against false rumors, as such information circulates widely ahead of the official launch of the highly anticipated new SUV ES6.

The Chinese electric vehicle (EV) maker today officially opened accounts dedicated to its legal department on Weibo as well as on the short video platform Douyin, CnEVPost has learned.

As of press time, NIO's legal department account has 128 followers on Weibo and 1,756 followers on Douyin, although no content has been posted yet.

(Screenshot of NIO legal department's account page on Weibo.)

NIO's move comes at a time when false information about it has recently increased significantly ahead of the new ES6 SUV's launch. The company unveiled the new ES6 on the first day of the Shanghai auto show on April 18, and its official launch will be later this month.

NIO is currently switching its models from the older NT 1.0 platform to the newer NT 2.0 platform, and the resulting customer wait-and-see may be one of the key reasons for the low sales over the past few months.

NIO delivered 6,658 vehicles in April, up 31.22 percent from 5,074 in the same month last year, but down 35.85 percent from 10,378 in March, the second consecutive monthly decline.

The weak performance has been compared by some on Chinese social media to the company's most difficult times more than three years ago, and there are even rumors that German auto giant Volkswagen may buy NIO.

NIO has previously had a high tolerance for false rumors and usually doesn't take a hard line.

The company's latest move is similar to what Tesla (NASDAQ: TSLA) and Li Auto (NASDAQ: LI) have done in the social media space.

Tesla's legal department in China opened an account on Weibo in June 2021 and has been playing a big role in combating false information involving the company.

Li Auto opened a Weibo account for its legal department in September 2022 and has made several clarifications about false information.

On May 5, a Weibo blogger claimed he had worked with Li Auto in April for a deal worth RMB 300,000 ($43,370). Li Auto's founder, chairman and CEO Li Xiang subsequently denied it on Weibo and asked the car company's legal department to intervene.

The creation of the legal department's social media accounts is the latest move by NIO in its fight against what it sees as violations of its reputation.

Late last month, the EV maker sued a vlogger with 6.5 million followers on Douyin, accusing him of spreading false information and violating its reputation.

NIO demanded that the blogger publicly apologize on Douyin and pay RMB 2 million in damages.

($1 = RMB 6.9180)

NIO sues vlogger for $290,000 for spreading false information

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Zeekr begins allowing lock-in of Zeekr X orders

The Zeekr X was launched on April 12, with deliveries expected to begin in June.

Zeekr begins allowing lock-in of Zeekr X orders-CnEVPost

(Image credit: CnEVPost)

Geely Holding Group's premium electric vehicle brand Zeekr has begun allowing consumers to lock in orders for the Zeekr X, following the official launch of the compact SUV a month ago.

Zeekr today began allowing orders for the Zeekr X to be locked, and consumers will not be able to change their order information after doing so, according to a post on the company's mobile app today.

For consumers who have previously reserved the model, their orders will be automatically locked if they do not have any action by 24:00 on May 31, according to the article.

Test drives of the Zeekr X will be available in Zeekr stores starting May 9, Zeekr said, adding that deliveries of the model are expected to begin in June.

Zeekr officially launched the Zeekr X, its third model, at a launch event in the southwestern Chinese city of Chengdu on April 12. It comes in three versions, one starting at RMB 189,800 ($27,450) and the other two at RMB 209,800.

With a length, width and height of 4,450mm, 1,836mm and 1,572mm respectively, and a wheelbase of 2,750mm, the Zeekr X is a typical compact SUV.

Zeekr hopes to use the SUV to disrupt the compact luxury car market, which is dominated by Mercedes-Benz, BMW and Audi, and its CEO Andy An said at the launch event that the market currently has only luxury brands and no real luxury products.

With a combined maximum power of 315 kW and maximum torque of 543 Nm, the dual-motor version of the Zeekr X can sprint from 0 to 100 km/h in 3.7 seconds.

Even the single-motor version of the Zeekr X can accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in 5.8 seconds.

Zeekr is aiming to double its sales to about 140,000 units this year. It delivered 8,101 units in April and 23,335 units in the January-April period, up 124.85 percent from 10,378 units in the same period last year.

Zeekr X's delivery target for this year is 40,000 units, An said in response to a CnEVPost question during a media interview on the night of the model's launch.

On April 18, Zeekr unveiled its European strategy, and the Zeekr 001 shooting brake and Zeekr X will be its first models available in Europe.

($1 = RMB 6.9148)

Zeekr launches Zeekr X SUV to gain further share from market dominated by German luxury automakers

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Labor Day holiday: How do NIO, Tesla and Li Auto’s user travel reports compare?

Between April 28 and May 4, NIO owners drove a total of about 140 million km and 4.48 million hours.

(Image credit: CnEVPost)

Only a few electric vehicle (EV) makers, including NIO (NYSE: NIO), have previously published reports on their owners' travel data during the holiday season. Now, more and more players are doing so.

This year's Labor Day holiday in China ran from April 29 to May 3. As the holiday ended, several EV makers, including NIO, (NASDAQ: TSLA), (NASDAQ: LI), , and Denza, released their data.

NIO

Between April 28 and May 4, NIO owners accumulated about 140 million kilometers and drove about 4.48 million hours, according to an article posted Saturday on the company's mobile app.

By traveling in purely electric vehicles, NIO users' trips during the holiday equated to a reduction of 9,211 tons of carbon emissions, according to the company.

The largest number of users traveling in NIO vehicles came from Shanghai, followed by Hangzhou and Beijing. Among their travel destinations, Shanghai's neighboring city of Suzhou, Jiangsu, ranked first, followed by Jiaxing, Zhejiang, and Shaoxing, Zhejiang.

NIO users traveled a total of 18.1 million kilometers with assisted driving feature and used it for 226,143 hours, according to the article.

The total mileage of NIO's Navigate on Pilot (NOP) system was 6.3 million kilometers, and the more powerful NOP+ was 4.34 million kilometers.

NIO's battery swap stations provided 432,191 services during this period, with a maximum of 68,748 services in a single day.

The battery swap stations along the highways provided 138,552 free services, saving vehicle owners 104,087 hours of highway travel time, according to NIO.

These stations along highways saw a peak of 23,632 services on May 2.

NIO's 15,137 charging piles accumulated 315,455 services during that holiday, with 79.5 percent of those deliveries going to other brands of electric vehicles.

By the end of April, NIO had accumulated 327,255 deliveries.

Tesla

Between April 29 and May 3, Tesla owners drove 170 million kilometers by using the EV maker's charging network in China, it said on Weibo yesterday.

That mileage represents a carbon reduction of 10,860 tons, Tesla said.

Tesla's Supercharger stations in China are available to owners 24 hours a day and maintain an availability rate of more than 99 percent throughout the year, it said.

To date, Tesla has more than 5,000 Supercharger stations worldwide. The company has more than 1,600 Supercharger stations in the Chinese mainland, offering more than 10,000 Superchargers.

Tesla also has more than 700 destination charging stations in the Chinese mainland, offering more than 2,000 charging piles, it said.

Li Auto

Between April 29 and May 3, Li Auto owners racked up 144 million kilometers, the company said in a WeChat post on Saturday.

Of the total, 72.29 million kilometers were powered by gasoline, up 147 percent from regular days and 372 percent from the holiday last year.

Battery-powered mileage was 71.78 million kilometers, an increase of 11.9 percent over regular days.

Li Auto owners visited 368 cities during the holiday, with the most popular cities being Chengdu, Hangzhou and Shanghai.

Li Auto's AD assisted driving system drove a total of 16.47 million kilometers, or 11 percent of the milage driven.

More than 36 percent of owners of the company's discontinued Li ONE used assisted driving, and 53 percent of owners of the currently available L series used assisted driving, according to the company.

More than 69,000 owners used the more powerful navigation-assisted driving feature and drove more than 7.8 million kilometers, an increase of 186 percent compared to the usual rate.

Li Auto owners used the company's charging map to find charging piles and charge more than 680,000 kWh using fast charging.

Li Auto's supercharging stations began trial operations on April 20, with seven stations charging more than 1,000 NEVs, covering several major brands including BYD and Tesla, the company said.

By the end of April, Li Auto's cumulative deliveries stood at 335,599 units.

Zeekr

Between April 28 and May 4, Zeekr owners accumulated 54.1 million kilometers, with the longest traveled vehicle covering 5,481 kilometers, according to an article published by the company yesterday.

Eighty-seven percent of Zeekr owners drove less than 1,000 kilometers in that period, 11.2 percent drove between 1,000 and 2,000 kilometers, and 1.53 percent drove between 2,000 and 3,000 kilometers.

Zeekr owners used nearly 3.7 million kWh of energy from the company's charging piles on its charging map, and to date, Zeekr has built nearly 690 of its own charging stations, covering more than 120 cities in China.

As of the end of April, Zeekr's cumulative deliveries stood at 101,283 units.

Denza

Between April 29 and May 3, Denza D9 owners drove a total of 11.12 million kilometers and logged 292,974 hours, it said in an article published Saturday.

Of that total, 4.92 million kilometers were driven on fuel and 6.2 million kilometers on electric power.

Denza D9 owners have used assisted driving system a total of 32,493 times during the period, according to the article.

Denza currently has only one model, the D9 MPV, on sale, and it already started pre-sales of the new SUV N7 at the Shanghai auto show last month.

As of the end of April, Denza's cumulative deliveries since the rebranding stood at 44,491 units.

NIO sees over 430,000 battery swap services during Labor Day holiday in China

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Denza could see monthly sales of over 20,000 units this year, exec says

Denza's new SUV model N7, which is being pre-sold, is expected to receive more than 6,000 new orders this month and is on track to reach 30,000 orders before its official launch, the brand's chief said.

Denza could see monthly sales of over 20,000 units this year, exec says-CnEVPost

Denza, a joint venture between BYD (OTCMKTS: BYDDY) and Mercedes-Benz, has become one of the most talked-about EV brands in China, after BYD took a majority stake last year.

Denza has a chance to see monthly sales of more than 20,000 units this year, Zhao Changjiang, general manager of the company's sales division, said on Weibo late last night.

Denza's first model after the rebranding, the Denza D9 MPV, could see additional orders of 13,000 to 15,000 units this month, according to Zhao.

Denza's new SUV, the N7, which is on pre-sale, is expected to receive more than 6,000 new orders this month and is expected to reach 30,000 orders before its official launch, Zhao said

About 20 percent of the customers who pre-ordered the Denza N7 are D9 owners, he said.

The Denza N7 is a car that is two generations ahead of the industry and will start to show its true capabilities, Zhao said, adding that Denza will hold road shows about the model in Beijing starting May 12.

Denza will also be announcing the interior of the N8 in the near future, and people who like to go off-road as well as those who want to balance family can keep an eye on it, he said.

Denza was established in February 2011 as a joint venture between BYD and Daimler, each of whom held a 50 percent stake at the time. Last year, BYD's stake in Denza was increased to 90 percent.

Denza's only model currently on sale, the D9, went on sale on August 23, 2022, with deliveries starting on October 26.

The N7 is the second model after its rebranding, for which Denza already started warming up two months ago.

The Denza N7 has inspired a high level of enthusiasm, and with the announcement of Denza's partnership with French high-end audio brand Devialet on March 22, the number of daily customer inquiries has been particularly high, Zhao said on Weibo on March 26.

There are many customers who want to get the Denza N7 launched as soon as possible, and according to the inquiry volume data, the model is expected to get 30,000 orders before its launch in the middle of the year, Zhao said at the time.

Earlier in February, Zhao said the Denza N7 would be launched in the first half of this year.

Denza opened reservations for the N7 on the first day of the Shanghai auto show on April 18, but notably, its pricing information was not released.

On April 25, Denza announced that the Denza N7 has received 10,569 pre-orders, just 7 days after pre-orders open.

Denza sold 10,526 vehicles in April, the second consecutive month in which it exceeded 10,000 units, according to figures it announced earlier this month.

Regulatory filing: Here are core specs for BYD's Denza brand's new SUV, Denza N7

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