Category: China

Zeekr, chipmaker Onsemi sign SiC power device supply deal

SiC power devices offer higher powertrain efficiency, enabling improved performance, faster charging and longer driving range.

(Image credit: CnEVPost)

Zeekr, 's electric vehicle (EV) brand, announced today that it has signed a long-term supply agreement with US chipmaker Onsemi involving a partnership for silicon carbide (SiC) power devices.

Zeekr will use Onsemi's M3E 1200V EliteSiC MOSFET products to complement its expanding lineup of high-performance all-electric models, according to a press release.

SiC power devices offer higher powertrain efficiency, which enables improved performance, faster charging and longer driving range, according to Zeekr.

"With cutting-edge technologies such as advanced SiC, Zeekr will be able to offer electric vehicles with improved performance and even lower carbon emissions," said Andy An, CEO of the company.

Zeekr, which was officially launched as an independent company in March 2021, saw its 100,000th vehicle delivered yesterday, making it one of the fastest new car makers to reach the milestone in China.

Its first model, the Zeekr 001, was launched on April 15, 2021, and deliveries began in October 2021.

On November 1, 2022, Zeekr's second model, the Zeekr 009 MPV, was launched, and its deliveries began on January 15.

On April 12, Zeekr launched its third model, the Zeekr X, which it hopes will become the benchmark for luxury compact cars.

Zeekr delivered 71,941 vehicles in 2022 and aims to double deliveries to about 140,000 in 2023.

As EV makers build higher-performance models, higher voltage platforms require more advanced power devices.

SiC modules are an upgrade to IGBT (insulated gate bipolar transistor chip) modules, a third-generation power semiconductor with higher efficiency, higher temperature resistance and higher voltage characteristics.

The module will help upgrade the electrical architecture of EVs from 400V to 800V and enable vehicles to charge from 0 to 80 percent in 10 minutes.

EV makers including , BYD, NIO, and are already using SiC chips in their models.

Zeekr releases Europe strategy, 2 models to debut in Sweden and Netherlands in Q4

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NIO sees cumulative user mileage exceed 10 billion km

This equates to a reduction of 1.07 million tons of carbon emissions, as well as saving customers about RMB 7 billion in energy costs.  |  NIO US | NIO HK | NIO SG

NIO sees cumulative user mileage exceed 10 billion km-CnEVPost

(Image credit: NIO)

NIO (NYSE: NIO) saw its cumulative user miles exceed 10 billion kilometers on April 25, marking a new milestone in the company's history.

NIO announced the milestone today on its mobile app, saying its total number of users to date exceeds 320,000.

NIO delivered 10,378 vehicles in March, bringing cumulative deliveries to 320,597 as of March 31, according to data monitored by CnEVPost.

"Reaching this landmark is a proud moment that confirms NIO is a trusted and proven solution for our loyal users. Our compelling range of power solutions, such as our battery swap stations, offers the freedom to travel freely, knowing a robust power solution is never far away," said William Li, founder, chairman, and CEO of NIO.

The company -- all of whose vehicles are zero-emission battery electric vehicles -- said the 10-billion-kilometer mileage represents a reduction of 1.07 million tons of carbon emissions and a savings of about RMB 7 billion ($1 billion) in energy costs for users.

To date, NIO user footprints have covered over 370 cities worldwide. More than 11,000 of them have driven more than 100,000 kilometers, with the longest one reaching nearly 450,000 kilometers.

NIO sees cumulative user mileage exceed 10 billion km-CnEVPost

(Image credit: CnEVPost)

Users have driven more than 821 million kilometers with NIO's assisted driving system, with a cumulative usage time of about 10.76 million hours.

The total mileage of NIO's NOP (Navigate on Pilot) system reached 310 million kilometers, and the total mileage of NOP Plus reached 2,730 kilometers.

As of April 25, NIO has provided more than 21 million battery swap services, and the percentage of power provided by battery swap stations exceeds 60 percent, according to the company.

NIO's battery swap stations provided a peak of 62,356 battery swap services in a single day, equivalent to one NIO vehicle receiving a fully charged battery from these stations every 0.7 seconds, it said.

NIO sees cumulative user mileage exceed 10 billion km-CnEVPost

(Image credit: CnEVPost)

As of April 25, NIO had 1,369 battery swap stations in China, 362 of which are located along highways.

It also has 2,512 charging stations in China, offering 14,903 charging piles, and its charging map has access to 690,000 third-party charging piles.

The company will add 1,000 battery swap stations in China this year, according to its previously announced plans.

In Europe, NIO plans to add up to 70 battery swap stations this year, according to a press release today.

During the upcoming Labor Day holiday, all NIO owners will have unlimited free access to battery swap stations located along highways, it announced yesterday.

This year's Labor Day holiday in China runs from April 29 to May 3. NIO owners will have free access to these battery swap stations from April 28 to May 4, although vehicles used for operational purposes are excluded.

($1 = RMB 6.9239)

NIO launches new ET7, unveils new ES6 at Shanghai auto show

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Buick Electra E5 gets over 8,000 orders in less than 2 weeks after launch in China

Buick Electra E5's aggressive pricing in China has garnered a good initial reception.

(Image credit: CnEVPost)

Buick's aggressive pricing for the Electra E5, its first electric model based on GM's Ultium platform, seems to be getting good initial results.

The Electra E5 has already received more than 8,000 orders, Buick announced in a post on its official WeChat account yesterday. This comes just 12 days after the model's official launch in China.

Buick launched the Electra E5 in China on April 13, offering five versions with starting prices of RMB 208,900 ($30,130), 222,900, 225,900, 239,900, and 278,900 respectively.

The Electra E5 is a mid-size five-seat SUV with a length, width and height of 4,892 mm, 1,905 mm and 1,655 mm, respectively, and a wheelbase of 2,954 mm.

The starting price of RMB 208,900 is very aggressive for an electric SUV of that size.

BYD's Tang EV starts at RMB 282,800 and measures 4,900 mm in length, 1,950 mm in width and 1,725 mm in height, with a wheelbase of 2,820 mm.

The Model Y, the best-selling electric SUV in China, measures 4,750 mm in length, 1,921 mm in width, 1,624 mm in height, and has a wheelbase of 2,890 mm currently starting at RMB 261,900.

Seventy-eight percent of consumers who ordered the Electra E5 chose versions priced at RMB 225,900 and RMB 239,900, Buick said.

The car is available in three range versions with CLTC ranges of 545 km, 603 km and 620 km.

Its highest-priced, with a range of 603 km, is the dual-motor 4WD version, while the other versions are single-motor versions.

The highest range version has a maximum motor power of 150 kW and uses a ternary lithium battery pack with a capacity of 80 kWh.

The Electra E5 four-wheel drive version has a front permanent magnet synchronous motor with a maximum power of 143 kW and a maximum torque of 305 Nm and a rear induction asynchronous motor with a maximum power of 68 kW and a maximum torque of 160 Nm. It is equipped with an 80-kWh ternary lithium battery pack.

Of the consumers who ordered the Electra E5 so far, 42 percent chose the model with a CLTC range of 620 km, according to Buick.

(1 $= RMB 6.9326)

Buick launches electric SUV Electra E5 in China with competitive pricing

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CPCA expects China Apr NEV retail sales to fall 8.4% from Mar to about 500,000 units

April passenger vehicle sales in China are expected to be around 1.57 million units, down 1.3 percent from March, the CPCA said.

CPCA expects China Apr NEV retail sales to fall 8.4% from Mar to about 500,000 units-CnEVPost

China's new energy vehicle (NEV) sales rose significantly this month from a year ago, though they were down from March.

In April, retail sales of NEVs in China are expected to be around 500,000 units, up 77 percent from a year earlier but down 8.4 percent from March, according to estimates released today by the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA).

Survey shows that car companies, which contribute about 80 percent of passenger car sales, are targeting slightly lower retail sales in April than in March, the CPCA said.

According to preliminary projections, China's passenger vehicle sales in April were about 1.57 million units, up 49.8 percent from a year earlier but down 1.3 percent from March, the CPCA said.

That means the penetration of NEVs at retail in April would be 31.8 percent.

Last April, China's auto industry suffered disruption due to the Covid lockdown in Shanghai, with 1.04 million units of all passenger vehicles sold that month, including just 280,000 NEVs.

In the first quarter of this year, China's NEV sales continued to recover, with 545,739 units sold in March, according to the CPCA's final figures released last week. This is slightly higher than the 543,000 units announced by the CPCA on April 11.

In April, the price war in China's auto industry gradually receded and consumers returned to rational consumption, easing the wait-and-see sentiment, the CPCA said in the report today.

The average daily retail sales of major automakers in the first three weeks were 31,500, 36,700 and 54,800, up 8 percent, 23 percent and 26 percent, respectively, from the same period in March, the CPCA said.

But in the fourth week, the average daily retail sales of car companies are expected to fall 14 percent from the fourth week of March, considering that automaker sales usually have an upward pulse at the end of the quarter, according to the CPCA.

With a large number of local government stimulus policies expiring at the end of March and fewer policy incentives in April, no strong stimulus policies are expected to provide support in the short term, the CPCA said.

China's Mar passenger NEV retail up 23.6% MoM to 543,000, CPCA data show

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Denza says N7 SUV gets 10,569 pre-orders in 7 days

Denza has yet to announce the price of the N7, though it is expected to target the RMB 400,000 market.

Denza says N7 SUV gets 10,569 pre-orders in 7 days-CnEVPost

(Image credit: Denza)

The N7 SUV, a new model of BYD's premium new energy vehicle (NEV) brand Denza, seems to have gained good initial acceptance.

The Denza N7 has already received 10,569 pre-orders, just seven days after pre-orders open, it said today on Weibo.

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.

Several hours after pre-sales began, Denza announced that the N7 had received 5,367 pre-orders in its first six hours.

Although the price of the N7 was not announced, Zhao Changjiang, general manager of Denza's sales division, said on Weibo on December 20 that the SUV aims to capture the market for traditional internal combustion engine cars priced around RMB 400,000 ($57,900).

The Denza N7 measures 4,860 mm in length, 1,935 mm in width and 1,602 mm in height, and has a wheelbase of 2,940 mm, according to the model's previous regulatory filing.

Denza says N7 SUV gets 10,569 pre-orders in 7 days-CnEVPost

(A Denza N7 on display at the 2023 Shanghai auto show. Image credit: CnEVPost)

The model will be available in a single-motor version as well as a dual-motor version, with the former having a peak motor power of 230 kW and the latter having an additional motor with a peak power of 160 kW.

On March 26, Zhao said on Weibo that with the announcement of Denza's partnership with French high-end audio brand Devialet on March 22, there were many customers who wanted to get the Denza N7 launched and available as soon as possible.

Based on inquiry volume data, the model is expected to receive 30,000 orders before its mid-year launch, Zhao said at the time.

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

Denza is a joint venture set up by BYD and Daimler in February 2011, when they each held a 50 percent stake in the company. Last year, BYD's stake in Denza was increased to 90 percent.

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

The brand sold 10,398 vehicles in March, up 41.95 percent from 7,325 in February, according to figures it announced earlier this month.

($1 =RMB 6.9086)

Denza N7 expected to get over 30,000 orders before mid-year launch, exec says

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Zeekr reaches 100,000 cumulative deliveries

This means Zeekr has delivered 6,818 vehicles so far this month, considering it had 93,182 cumulative deliveries through the end of March.

(Image credit: Zeekr)

Zeekr, 's premium electric vehicle (EV) brand, saw its 100,000th vehicle delivered, marking a milestone in its history.

Zeekr's 100,000th vehicle was officially delivered today in the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen, the EV maker announced on Weibo.

The vehicle, a Zeekr 009 MPV, was delivered to a Zeekr 001 owner, according to the company.

(Zeekr 009. Image credit: CnEVPost)

That means Zeekr has delivered 6,818 vehicles so far this month, considering it had 93,182 cumulative deliveries through the end of March.

Zeekr delivered 6,663 vehicles in March, up 271.20 percent year-on-year and up 22.14 percent from February, according to data it released earlier this month.

Zeekr was officially launched as a standalone company in March 2021, with its first model, the Zeekr 001, launched on April 15, 2021, and deliveries beginning in October 2021.

(Zeekr 001. Image credit: CnEVPost)

On November 1, 2022, Zeekr's second model, the Zeekr 009 MPV, was launched, and its deliveries began on January 15.

On April 12, Zeekr launched its third model, the Zeekr X, which it hopes will become the benchmark for luxury compact cars.

The Zeekr X is already taking reservations and deliveries will begin in June, with the model aiming to deliver 40,000 units this year.

(Zeekr X. Image credit: CnEVPost)

On April 20, Zeekr saw its 100,000th vehicle roll off the line, a ME version Zeekr 009 MPV powered by 's Qilin Battery and built at Zeekr's plant in Ningbo, Zhejiang province.

The first deliveries of the ME version of the Zeekr 009 began on April 17, marking the global debut of the Qilin Battery in production vehicles.

The Zeekr 009 ME version is equipped with a battery pack with a capacity of 140 kWh, providing a CLTC range of 822 km, the highest among pure electric MPVs.

Zeekr releases Europe strategy, 2 models to debut in Sweden and Netherlands in Q4

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Evergrande NEV puts Hengchi 5 production on hold due to lack of funds

Evergrande NEV said it plans to resume production of the Hengchi 5 in May.

Evergrande NEV puts Hengchi 5 production on hold due to lack of funds-CnEVPost

(A Hengchi 5 on display at the 2021 Shanghai auto show. Image credit: CnEVPost)

Evergrande New Energy Vehicle Group (Evergrande NEV), the electric vehicle (EV) unit of China's Evergrande Group, has put production of its first model on hold, after warning of the risk a month ago.

Evergrande NEV has already delivered more than 900 Hengchi 5 units to consumers, but will suspend production of the model at its Tianjin plant due to a lack of funding, according to a Hong Kong Stock Exchange announcement yesterday.

The group plans to resume production of the model in May, the announcement added.

Hengchi 5 is the first mass-produced model of Evergrande NEV's Hengchi Auto, and its deliveries started on October 29, 2022.

The model is currently available in only one version, with a starting price of RMB 179,000 ($25,930).

On December 2, Reuters reported that Evergrande NEV suspended mass production of the Hengchi 5 due to a lack of sufficient new orders.

On March 23, Evergrande NEV said in a Hong Kong Stock Exchange announcement that it had continued to push ahead with cost-saving initiatives to focus its financial resources on supporting mass production of Hengchi 5, with layoffs at its Swedish subsidiary National Electric Vehicle Sweden AB.

However, Evergrande NEV would be at risk of halting production in the event that additional liquidity is not available, the announcement said.

The group will plan to launch a number of flagship models if it can seek more than RMB 29 billion in future financing and hopes to get them into mass production, the announcement said.

Interestingly, the Hengchi 5 received an OTA upgrade on April 3, when the H-Pilot assisted driving system became available for the first time.

Trading of Evergrande NEV's shares in Hong Kong has been suspended from April 1, 2022, and the timing for restarting trading has not yet been determined.

($1 = RMB 6.9041)

Hengchi 5 gets assisted driving capability days after Evergrande NEV warns of production halt risk

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