What the duck!
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Category: China
Hongqi E202 with 800V platform and swappable battery unveiled at Shanghai Auto Show
Power will come from CATL’s Qilin batteries.
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Karlmann King Zr is brutal SUV with 6.8L V10 for 1.2 million yuan
No cute EV here.
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CATL sees record net profit growth in Q1 as lithium prices plunge
Lithium carbonate prices fell more than 50 percent in the first quarter, allowing CATL to see record net profit growth of 557.97 percent in the quarter.
Chinese power battery giant CATL saw strong net profit growth in the first quarter, as raw battery material prices fell.
In the first quarter, CATL saw revenue of RMB 89.04 billion, up 82.91 percent year-on-year but 24.7 percent lower than in the fourth quarter of last year, according to its earnings report released today.
Its net profit attributable to shareholders in the first quarter was RMB 9.82 billion, up 557.97 percent year-on-year but 25.2 percent lower than in the fourth quarter.
CATL's gross margin in the first quarter was 21.27 percent, up from 14.48 percent a year ago but slightly lower than the 22.57 percent in the fourth quarter.
The first quarter is typically a slow quarter for the Chinese auto market, and a rare price war has put an additional dent in electric vehicle (EV) sales.
In the first quarter, retail sales of new energy passenger vehicles in China were 1,313,610 units, up 22.81 percent year-on-year, but down 26.73 percent from the fourth quarter, according to the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA).
As a supplier with about 50 percent share of the Chinese power battery market, CATL's revenue in the first quarter was impacted by weak sales of NEVs.
However, CATL was among the first to profit as lithium carbonate prices fell sharply in the first quarter, with a record high 557.97 percent year-on-year net profit growth.
So far this year, the price of lithium carbonate, a key raw material for batteries, has not seen a single day of gains this year, according to data provider Mysteel.
The average price of battery-grade lithium carbonate fell to RMB 180,000 per ton today, while the average price of industrial-grade lithium carbonate was at RMB 135,000 per ton, down about 70 percent from their highs in November last year.
On March 31, the average price of battery-grade lithium carbonate was RMB 245,000 per ton, down 53 percent from RMB 517,500 per ton at the beginning of the year, according to data monitored by CnEVPost.
When the price of lithium carbonate decreases by RMB 100,000 per ton, ternary lithium batteries and LFP batteries will see marginal cost decreases of RMB 60 to RMB 70/kWh, respectively, said Haitong International Securities analyst Yang Bin's team in a March 30 research note.
In this scenario, battery costs would be RMB 4,200 to RMB 4,900 lower for an all-electric vehicle with a 70-kWh battery capacity, according to the team.
Analysts explain how falling lithium carbonate prices affect EV costs
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CATL and BYD sodium-ion batteries will be put into a mass-produced car in Q4 2023
It will be a mix of LFP and sodium-ion.
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Zeekr sees 100,000th vehicle roll off line
This is 548 days after its first production vehicle rolled off the line on October 19, 2021. As of the end of March, Zeekr's cumulative deliveries since its inception reached 93,182 vehicles.
(Image credit: Zeekr)
Zeekr saw its 100,000th vehicle roll off the line today, marking a milestone in the history of the Geely-owned premium electric vehicle brand.
The 100,000th vehicle, a Zeekr 009 MPV powered by CATL's Qilin Battery, was produced at Zeekr's plant in Ningbo, Zhejiang province.
This comes 548 days after its first production vehicle rolled off the production line on October 19, 2021, which means Zeekr is averaging about 5,474 vehicles per month in mass production.
The rollout of the 100,000th vehicle is another important milestone for Zeekr, marking a new phase of growth for the brand, the company said in a press release.
This year, Zeekr will continue to enrich its product matrix and accelerate its strategy to expand into overseas markets, it said.
On the first day of the Shanghai auto show on April 18, Zeekr unveiled its European strategy and said that the flagship Zeekr 001 shooting brake and Zeekr X urban SUV will debut in Sweden and the Netherlands in the fourth quarter.
Zeekr was officially launched as an independent company in March 2021, with its first model, the Zeekr 001, launched on April 15, 2021, and deliveries starting in October 2021.
The first production vehicle of Zeekr 001 rolled off the production line on October 19, 2021, and 199 units of the model were delivered that month.
On February 9, 2022, Zeekr's cumulative deliveries reached 10,000 units, and last October 15 Zeekr announced the delivery of its 50,000th vehicle.
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.
Deliveries of the ME version of the Zeekr 009 MPV 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 of any pure electric MPV.
Zeekr delivered 6,663 vehicles in March, bringing the cumulative deliveries since inception to 93,182. The company aims to see sales double to about 140,000 units this year compared to last year.
Zeekr releases Europe strategy, 2 models to debut in Sweden and Netherlands in Q4
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Neta GT Speedster debuts as a convertible 4-seater. GT coupe launched for 25,900 USD
Direct competitor to MG Cyberster. Neta is moving to the higher class.
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Neta GT Speedster debuts as a convertible 4-seater. GT coupe launched for 25,900 USD
Direct competitor to MG Cyberster. Neta is moving to the higher class.
The post Neta GT Speedster debuts as a convertible 4-seater. GT coupe launched for 25,900 USD appeared first on CarNewsChina.com.
CATL, BYD’s sodium-ion batteries both to be in mass production within this year, report says
CATL and BYD's sodium-ion batteries to be put into mass production will both be a mix of sodium-ion and lithium-ion batteries, according to local media.
(Image credit: CnEVPost)
BYD's progress in mass production of sodium-ion batteries does not seem to differ much from CATL's, although it has not announced the latest progress.
CATL and BYD's sodium-ion batteries will both be carried in mass-produced vehicles within the year, and they will both be a mix of sodium-ion and lithium-ion batteries, according to a report by local media 36kr today.
CATL's sodium-ion battery will be installed in the first model of Chery's new energy vehicle (NEV) brand iCAR, which is expected to be launched in the fourth quarter of this year, according to the report.
(Image credit: CnEVPost)
The sodium-ion battery will also be used in Chery's small NEVs, such as the QQ Ice Cream and the Little Ant, the report said.
With the big rise in lithium prices last year, leading battery makers including BYD and CATL have accelerated the pace of sodium-ion battery development.
BYD's sodium-ion battery will also be in mass production in the second half of the year, and the first model to carry the battery will be the Seagull, the report said, citing a BYD source.
The battery will also be a hybrid sodium-ion and lithium-ion battery, according to the report.
Sodium-ion batteries cost less, but currently have low energy density.
The energy density of sodium-ion batteries is now about similar to that of lithium iron phosphate batteries around 2014, the latter of which can only support a range of about 150km in small micro vehicles, the 36kr report noted.
CATL unveiled its first-generation sodium-ion battery on July 29, 2021, saying that the energy density of the single cell had reached 160Wh/kg.
The company said at the time that the energy density of the first-generation sodium-ion battery was slightly lower than that of lithium iron phosphate batteries. However, it has obvious advantages in low-temperature performance and fast charging, especially in high-power application scenarios in alpine regions.
CATL's next-generation sodium-ion battery will have an energy density exceeding 200Wh/kg, it said at the 2021 launch event.
Sodium-ion batteries are expected to be carried in electric vehicles, said Huang Qisen, vice president of CATL research institute, at a forum related to sodium-ion batteries on November 29, 2022.
As for applications in passenger cars, sodium-ion batteries can generally meet the needs of models with a range of up to 400 kilometers, Huang said at the forum.
With its pioneering AB battery system integration technology, CATL has achieved a mix of sodium ion and lithium ion, allowing them to complement each other and thus increase the energy density of the battery system, Huang said at the time.
This approach is expected to enable sodium-ion batteries to support electric vehicle models with a range of up to 500 kilometers, he said, adding that models with that range account for 65 percent of the market share, meaning the use of sodium-ion batteries is promising.
CATL's sodium-ion batteries will first be used in Chery's models, it announced on April 16.
Last November, there were several rumors that BYD's sodium-ion battery would be mass-produced in 2023 and that the first model to be equipped with the battery would be the Seagull. But none of these rumors were confirmed.
Earlier today, LatePost reported that BYD had planned to put the sodium-ion battery in the new Seagull model in the second quarter of this year, but that plan has been delayed.
BYD responded by saying that the information was untrue, the LatePost story noted.
BYD launched the Seagull and started pre-sales of it on the first day of the Shanghai auto show on April 18, and the model is the latest addition to its Ocean series.
The car is available in three versions, with pre-sale prices of RMB 78,800 ($11,450), 83,800 and 95,800 respectively.
Notably, the model uses BYD's blade batteries based on lithium iron phosphate chemistry with pack capacities of 30.08 kWh and 38.88 kWh, respectively.
The car is offered in two range versions, with the lower-priced two models having a CLTC range of 305 km and the highest-priced version having a range of 405 km.
The Seagull received more than 10,000 orders in the 24 hours after pre-sale began, BYD said yesterday.
($1 =RMB 6.8837)
Chery to be 1st automaker to adopt CATL's sodium-ion batteries
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NIO supplier Innovusion partners with Fuyao to put LiDAR behind windshield
Innovusion and Fuyao have begun joint research that has resulted in LiDAR integration behind the front windshield with less than 10 percent attenuation of detection performance.
(Image credit: CnEVPost)
The roof LiDAR setup has been complained by some to affect the aesthetics of the vehicle design. Now, local Chinese LiDAR manufacturers are working to put the component inside the vehicle.
NIO's LiDAR supplier Innovusion has partnered with local auto glass giant Fuyao Group to create LiDARs that can be mounted behind the front windshield, according to a press release yesterday.
There are currently two main mounting options for LiDAR, mounting it on top of the car like NIO's models, or placing the part next to the headlights as XPeng does.
Mounting LiDAR behind the front windshield, which does not affect the vehicle's exterior design and makes LiDAR less susceptible to the external environment, becomes one of the best options, Innovusion said.
However, the solution faces a number of technical challenges, including detection signal attenuation, noise from the LiDAR motor, and heat dissipation problems.
(Image credit: Innovusion)
Through its innovation, Fuyao has been able to optimize the LiDAR's waveband transmittance, Innovusion said.
The initial collaboration between the two will be based on Innovusion's Robin-E, which has dimensions of 117 mm * 100 mm * 44 mm, a total weight of about 450 grams, less than 9 W of power consumption and less than 20 dB(A) of noise.
The two companies have started joint research and development and have already achieved LiDAR integration with the camera behind the front windshield, with detection performance attenuation of less than 10 percent, Innovusion said.
Founded in 2016, Innovusion has R&D centers in Silicon Valley, Suzhou and Shanghai, and LiDAR manufacturing sites in Ningbo and Suzhou.
On March 28, 2022, NIO delivered the first ET7 vehicles, marking the mass production of Innovusion's Falcon LiDAR product. ET7 and other newer NIO models are equipped with Innovusion's image-grade, ultra-long-range LiDAR Falcon.
Prior to Innovusion, Hesai (NASDAQ: HSAI) announced on April 14 a new LiDAR called the ET25, which it says is an in-cockpit LiDAR designed to be placed behind the front windshield.
The ET25 is an ultra-thin, long-range LiDAR, with the "ET" standing for Extremely Thin and the "25" referring to its height of just 25 mm.
Hesai unveils ultra-thin LiDAR ET25 that can be placed behind windshield
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