Category: China

Baidu’s robotaxi platform Apollo Go gets permit to offer fully driverless rides in Beijing

To date, Baidu's Apollo Go has been offering fully driverless ride-hailing services in Beijing, Wuhan and Chongqing.  | Baidu.US | Baidu.HK

(Image credit: Baidu)

Baidu's ride-hailing service platform Apollo Go has won a permit to offer fully driverless rides in Beijing, allowing it to expand the service to three Chinese megacities.

The search engine giant announced the development today, saying it is the first provider of fully driverless robotaxi services in the capital city of any country worldwide. Apollo Go has previously been approved to offer the service in Wuhan and Chongqing.

Baidu Apollo will deploy a total of 10 fully driverless vehicles in Beijing's Yizhuang Economic Development Zone, according to a press release from the company.

Apollo Go is currently providing an average of more than 20 rides per vehicle per day within the area, exceeding the average number of rides taken by traditional online ride-hailing services, Baidu said.

Yizhuang is one of the active hubs for autonomous driving in China. Beijing plans to expand its high-level automated demonstration area in the Yizhuang Economic Development Zone from the existing 60 square kilometers to an eventual 500 square kilometers.

Baidu has been developing autonomous driving technology since 2013 and has accumulated more than 50 million kilometers of testing in Level 4 autonomous driving.

As of the end of January, Apollo Go offered more than 2 million cumulative rides to the public, Baidu said.

In the fourth quarter of 2022, Apollo Go provided 561,000 rides to the public, up 162 percent year-on-year, according to Baidu's fourth-quarter earnings report.

On November 29 last year, Baidu announced that it plans to scale up Apollo's operations in 2023 with fully unmanned self-driving operations in more regions.

Baidu will build the world's largest fully driverless taxi service area in 2023, maintaining its growth momentum as the world's largest robot cab provider, the company said at the time.

Baidu previously announced plans to expand its self-driving mobility service to 65 cities by 2025 and 100 cities by 2030.

Baidu plans to put 200 additional driverless vehicles into operation in 2023

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BYD delivers 22 electric buses in Indonesia

This is the second batch of electric buses delivered by in Indonesia after it delivered 30 in the country a year ago.  | BYDDY.US | BYD HK

(Image credit: BYD)

BYD has delivered a new batch of electric buses in Indonesia, the second batch delivered there by the Chinese new energy vehicle (NEV) maker.

VKTR Group, a BYD electric bus distributor in Indonesia, recently delivered 22 electric buses, the K9, to local bus company Mayasari, according to a press release from the NEV maker today.

The electric buses will be put into operation on the Transjakarta bus rapid transit system, helping Indonesia achieve its goal of electrifying public transportation nationwide by 2030, BYD said.

This is the second order BYD has delivered in Indonesia, representing the NEV maker's continued effort in the Indonesian market, said Tian Chunlong, general manager of BYD's commercial vehicle operations division, at the delivery ceremony.

In 2022, BYD and its Indonesian partner VKTR Group announced a partnership with Tri Sakti, a local bus assembly plant.

On March 8, 2022, the first 30 BYD buses were delivered to Transjakarta, a bus operator in Jakarta, which were the first all-electric buses to be put into operation in Indonesia.

Up to now, BYD has promoted electric public transportation systems in more than 70 countries and regions and 400 cities around the world, according to the press release.

BYD sold 1,863,494 NEVs in 2022, making it the world's largest player in the segment. Those NEVs include 1,857,379 passenger cars and 6,115 commercial vehicles, according to data monitored by CnEVPost.

The company sold 1,177 and 1,991 new energy commercial vehicles in January and February, respectively, up 386.36 percent and 145.8 percent year-on-year, respectively.

BYD plans to launch new commercial vehicle models in markets such as China, Europe and Japan over the next three years, the Wall Street Journal said on March 8, citing people familiar with the company's plans.

The company has set a budget of more than $20 billion for its commercial vehicle division through 2025, with major spending planned for research, product development and capacity expansion, the people said.

BYD reportedly planning big push for battery electric commercial vehicles

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BYD adjusts organizational structure to prepare for higher sales, report says

's biggest organizational change so far this year is to let its car brands operate independently, according to local media.  |  BYDDY.US | BYD HK

(Image credit: CnEVPost)

BYD (OTCMKTS: BYDDY) is restructuring its organization to prepare it for further growth in sales, a new report said.

BYD's biggest organizational change so far this year is to make its car brands operate independently, according to a report by local media outlet 36kr today.

The restructuring starts with BYD's core R&D department, and its engineering institute is planning to set up several separate divisions to cover its product lineup, including Dynasty, Ocean and Denza, according to the report.

All of BYD's sub-brands will have a separate engineering institute, the report said, citing a source.

R&D, operations and product development for all BYD brands are conducted at BYD's engineering institute, and now, in addition to R&D continuing in that department, sub-brands' projects, operations and products will be handled by independent engineering institutes, according to the report.

The organizational restructuring began at the beginning of the year, and key positions in each brand's research institute are now in place.

The heads of BYD's Dynasty and Ocean series' research institutes are basically the directors of their respective models, and the head of the research institute for Denza is the brand's former CEO Wang Fengyi, the report said.

BYD has two automotive R&D departments -- the engineering institute and the planning -- institute -- the former responsible for vehicle engineering technology, model projects and operations, and the latter like a technology provider responsible for DM-i hybrid technology, intelligent cockpit and intelligent driving R&D, according to the report.

Automakers' consideration for implementing independent institutes is usually the desire for clearer responsibility, more flexibility in the operation of each brand, and a heightened sense of competition among different brands, the report said, citing an industry source.

BYD's "family culture" and its previous first value of "equality" have led to a relatively slow pace of operations, the report said, citing several employees of the new energy vehicle (NEV) maker.

As BYD's sales increase dramatically starting in 2022, the company has implemented measures to improve efficiency.

However, for improving efficiency, organizational changes are fundamentally needed, the report said, adding that the establishment of independent research institutes for each brand is a signal that BYD wants to strengthen resource integration and improve operational efficiency.

BYD's planning institute's structure is also being adjusted to begin unifying the management of smart driving R&D tasks, after several departments of the NEV maker had R&D for autonomous driving projects, according to the report.

BYD's full-year 2020 NEV sales were 189,689 units, and that number grew to 603,783 in 2021, an increase of 218.3 percent.

In 2022, BYD's NEV sales growth accelerated significantly, seeing monthly sales exceed 100,000 units for the first time in March, when BYD announced that it stopped production and sales of vehicles powered entirely by internal combustion engines.

For the full year 2022, BYD's NEV sales were 1,863,494 units, up 208.64 percent year-on-year.

BYD launches new Han sedan and Tang SUV with lower prices

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BYD launches new Han sedan and Tang SUV with lower prices

announced today that the two models received 8,196 orders on the day they were launched on March 16. BYDDY.US | BYD HK

(Image credit: BYD)

As the price war in China's auto industry continues, BYD (OTCMKTS: BYDDY) has launched revamped versions of its flagship sedan and flagship SUV at lower prices than previously available models.

BYD launched the 2023 Han EV and 2023 Tang DM-i at its March 16 online event, both starting at RMB 209,800 ($30,440).

Both models appear to have received good initial acceptance, with BYD announcing today that the two models received a total of 8,196 orders on March 16.

The dimensions of the 2023 Han EV remain unchanged from the previously available model, measuring 4,975 mm in length, 1,910 mm in width and 1,495 mm in height, with a wheelbase of 2,920 mm.

The2023 Han EV is currently available in five versions with starting prices of RMB 209,800, 229,800, 259,800, 279,800 and 299,800 respectively, with the most expensive being the four-wheel drive version and the rest being front-wheel drive models.

As a comparison, the previous BYD Han had a starting price range of RMB 219,800-298,800.

The new Han has four range options, with CLTC ranges of 506 km, 605 km, 715 km and 610 km, of which the 715 km version is available in two models.

The least expensive version is equipped with a motor with a maximum power of 150 kW and a CLTC range of 506 km. The model, like all other single-motor Han models, can accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in 7.9 seconds.

The highest-priced version has a front motor with 180 kW and 350 Nm of peak torque and a rear motor with 200 kW and 350 Nm of peak torque, which accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 3.9 seconds.

The BYD Han 2023 all supports fast charging, taking less than 30 minutes to charge from 30 percent to 80 percent.

The length, width and height of the 2023 BYD Tang DM-i are 4,870 mm, 1,950 mm and 1,725 mm respectively, with a wheelbase of 2,820 mm, also unchanged.

The model is available in three versions, with starting prices of RMB 209,800, 219,800 and 233,800 respectively. For comparison, the previously available Tang DM-i starts at RMB 209,800, RMB 226,800 and RMB 281,800 for its three variants.

The model continues to be equipped with a plug-in hybrid system consisting of a 1.5T engine and electric motor, with the engine producing 102 kW of maximum power and 231 Nm of peak torque, and the motor producing 160 kW of maximum power and 325 Nm of maximum torque. The model can accelerate from 0 to 50 km/h in 4.3 seconds.

All three models of the BYD Tang DM-i are powered by a 21.5 kWh blade battery with a battery-powered CLTC range of 112 km.

The BYD Han family, including the Han EV and the hybrid Han DM series, sold 274,015 units in 2022, contributing 14.7 percent of the automaker's 1,863,494 full-year 2022 new energy vehicle (NEV) sales, according to data monitored by CnEVPost.

BYD Tang family models, including the Tang EV as well as the Tang DM series, sold 150,832 units in 2022, contributing 8 percent of BYD's NEV sales.

Supported by a downward shift in price range and configuration upgrades, the 2023 Han EV and Tang DM-i are expected to boost BYD's demand, thus driving sales to accelerate upward, Huaxi Securities analyst Cui Yan's team said in a research note today.

($1 = RMB 6.8925)

BYD Feb sales breakdown: Song 52,400 units, Yuan 33,612 units

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SAIC-Volkswagen offers up to $7,250 discount as China auto price war continues

The offer has a deadline of April 30, and SAIC-Volkswagen plans to offer up to RMB 3.7 billion in subsidies for car purchases.

SAIC-Volkswagen offers up to $7,250 discount as China auto price war continues-CnEVPost

(A screenshot from SAIC-Volkswagen's website shows the automaker's marketing of discounts.)

A Volkswagen joint venture in China has started offering official discounts as the price war in the Chinese auto industry continues.

SAIC-Volkswagen is offering limited-time discounts of up to RMB 50,000 yuan ($7,250) on its entire model lineup, the Volkswagen-SAC joint venture announced yesterday.

The offer has a deadline of April 30, and SAIC-Volkswagen plans to provide up to RMB 3.7 billion in subsidies for car purchases, according to a poster on its website.

The campaign involves 20 SAIC-Volkswagen models, the vast majority of which are conventional internal combustion engine vehicles, that can enjoy discounts ranging from RMB 15,000 to RMB 50,000.

The Volkswagen Phideon, with an official guide price of RMB 343,000 to RMB 449,000, received an RMB 50,000 discount, while most other models received discounts of RMB 25,000 to RMB 30,000.

SAIC-Volkswagen is offering discounts of RMB 20,000 for the ID.3 pure electric vehicle and RMB 30,000 for both the ID.4 X and ID.6 X.

In addition to the cash discounts, SAIC-Volkswagen is also offering trade-in benefits of up to RMB 12,000, as well as a zero-interest entitlement for 2-to-5-year loans.

One of the reasons SAIC-Volkswagen chose to cut prices is that the company is responding positively to China's policies as well as the consumer environment, sources at the automaker were quoted as saying in a report by Beijing News today.

On the other hand, SAIC-Volkswagen was able to get closer to consumers after the marketing changes and respond more quickly to consumer feedback, the source said.

Last week, both SAIC-Volkswagen and FAW-Volkswagen, another Volkswagen joint venture in China, began offering discounts of up to 40,000 yuan on ID. family models as the price war in China's auto industry intensified.

Volkswagen is one of the top car companies in China in terms of vehicle sales. SAIC-Volkswagen's retail sales in February were 74,013 units, down 7.7 percent from a year earlier, with a 5.3 percent share of the Chinese auto market, according to data released earlier this month by the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA).

FAW-Volkswagen sold 110,511 units in February, up 5.3 percent year-on-year, with an 8 percent share in China.

($1 = RMB 6.8925)

More Chinese EV makers promise no price cuts as price war intensifies consumer wait-and-see sentiment

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XPeng to launch City NGP driver assistance feature in Shenzhen

previously said the City NGP feature will be implemented on multiple models in several cities, including Shenzhen and Shanghai, starting in March.

XPeng US | XPeng HK

XPeng (NYSE: XPEV) is rolling out its FSD-like City Navigation Guided Pilot (City NGP) feature in more cities.

The XPeng P5 will receive its seventh vehicle OTA upgrade, which will make NGP functionality available in Shenzhen, according to information released today by the electric vehicle (EV) maker.

City NGP can be up to 90 percent as efficient as a human driver, easily handling dense traffic during peak commuting hours, as well as complex road conditions, XPeng said.

With access to the feature, XPeng vehicles can intelligently recognize traffic lights by lane and automatically start and stop, it said.

With the support of LiDARs, vehicles can actively avoid pedestrians and vehicles as well as roadblocks, making the smart driving experience safer, XPeng said.

On October 21, 2022, XPeng opened the City NGP feature to all P5 sedans in Guangzhou, where it is headquartered. The P5 is the first of the company's models to support the LiDAR option.

All P5 models equipped with LiDARs and featuring XPilot 3.5 software and upgrades will have access to City NGP functionality.

In cities where City NGP is available, P5 users can use NGP assisted driving on regular roads, in addition to using the feature on highways.

To better build trust in human-machine co-driving, XPeng has introduced the SR smart assisted driving environment simulation display. The City NGP has a richer center control and instrumentation SR simulation display than the highway NGP.

In announcing February delivery figures on March 1, XPeng said that the City NGP advanced driver assistance feature will be implemented in several models in several cities, including Shenzhen and Shanghai, starting in March.

The upcoming OTA upgrade for the XPeng P5 will see the Xmart OS version number upgraded to 3.4.0, which will bring more than 20 enhancements to the base experience in addition to making City NGP available in Shenzhen, the company said.

XPeng opens City NGP to all eligible P5 vehicles in Guangzhou

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Tesla parts supplier Ningbo Tuopu signs cooperation deal with NIO

Ningbo Tuopu said its strategic partnership with uses an innovative T0.5 collaboration model that will provide the latter with better products and services.

NIO US | NIO HK | NIO SG

(Image credit: CnEVPost)

Ningbo Tuopu Group, a parts supplier, has signed an agreement with NIO (NYSE: NIO) in which the two companies will adopt an innovative partnership model not commonly seen in the automotive industry.

Ningbo Tuopu and NIO signed a strategic cooperation framework agreement on March 16 to establish a strategic partnership for the development, manufacture and supply of new energy vehicle components, according to an exchange announcement today from the Shanghai-listed company.

One of the goals of the partnership is for Ningbo Tuopu to supply parts near NIO's plants in Hefei, according to the announcement.

The companies will also collaborate on the use of low-carbon materials, supply chain emissions reduction, digital supply chain and global business exploration.

For the current phase, Ningbo Tuopu will collaborate strategically with NIO on products including chassis systems, body lightweight, thermal management systems, interior and exterior systems and NVH (noise, vibration, and harshness) damping systems.

The two companies will also explore all-round cooperation in the areas of intelligent cabin components, air suspension systems and intelligent driving systems, the announcement said.

The teams of both parties will establish regular communication mechanisms and provide adequate resource support to ensure the implementation of the strategic cooperation, according to the announcement.

Notably, Ningbo Tuopu said its strategic partnership with NIO is based on an innovative T0.5 supply chain cooperation model, which will provide the customer products and services with better QSTP (Quality, Service, Technology, Price).

Ningbo Tuopu did not explain more about the T0.5 partnership model, but it is a new model it has been working on for the past few years.

In the automotive industry, the typical relationship between parts suppliers and automakers is T1 (Tier 1), a supplier that signs a supply contract directly with the car company, and T2 (Tier 2), which has a contract with a T1 supplier.

In the T0.5 model implemented by Ningbo Tuopu, automakers are more involved in the development of components, thus shortening the development cycle and ensuring quality.

Ningbo Tuopu was founded in 1983 and is one of the largest parts suppliers in China. The company last came to the attention of the general public in China because of a recall of the Tesla Model Y.

In December 2021, Tesla announced a recall of 21,599 China-made Model Y electric vehicles because of the risk of warping or breaking the vehicle's steering knuckle, which was supplied by Ningbo Tuopu.

Following the announcement of the Tesla Model Y recall, Ningbo Tuopu's shares traded in Shanghai were at one point severely sold off.

The parts maker later issued a statement saying that the products involved in the recall were only for the Model Y and not for other Tesla models or other customers' models.

The company estimated that the recall was not material and would not have an impact on its annual operating results or on its business based on the number of recalls and defect ratios, it said in the statement at the time.

NIO won't get involved in price war, exec says

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Financially troubled Enovate reportedly close to getting life-saving money

Enovate has already owed its employees two months of salary arrears and its factory in Changsha, Hunan province, has shut down production this year, according to local media.

(Image from Enovate's Weibo)

Enovate Motors, the Chinese new energy vehicle (NEV) startup that announced late last year that it would build a production base in Saudi Arabia, is actually facing financial woes in its home market. However, the good news is that it is about to receive life-saving money.

Enovate is set to close a new round of funding in the near future, amounting to RMB 750 million yuan ($108 million), a report in local media Auto Time today said, citing multiple sources.

The money will arrive no later than March 24, one of the people familiar with the matter said. Another source with access to the financing said that it is indeed happening and that specific plans are being negotiated.

Enovate was formerly known as Zhejiang Dianka Automobile, which was founded in 2015 and produces mini electric vehicles (EVs). The Enovate brand was officially launched in November 2018.

In September 2020, the company's first model, the all-electric SUV Enovate ME7, was launched.

Enovate made its second model, the SUV Enovate ME5 with extended-range technology, available in China on July 13, 2021.

Enovate has closed eight financing rounds totaling more than RMB 11.5 billion, with the company's most recent financing round on October 13, 2020 for more than RMB 5 billion, Auto Time's report noted.

So far this year, Enovate has owed its employees two months of salary arrears, and its factory in Changsha, Hunan province, has shut down production this year, according to the report.

In addition to the Changsha manufacturing base, Enovate is also building factories in Shaoxing, Zhejiang and Nanning, Guangxi, with a planned total capacity of 220,000 units for the three production bases.

The money Enovate is about to receive will first be used for employee payroll and to push the plants back into production, the report said, citing an internal employee.

The company's performance in China has been weak over the past two years, with sales of just 1,778 units in 2021 and 5,321 units in 2022.

Enovate has begun targeting overseas markets as competition in its home market grows fiercer.

Enovate signed a contract with Sumou Holding in Saudi Arabia on December 7 to jointly build a NEV production plant here, as CnEVPost previously reported.

The two companies will form a joint venture that will make two phases of spending totaling about $500 million in Saudi Arabia to build a production and R&D base with an annual capacity of about 100,000 NEVs.

The facility, when completed, will be the first Chinese-branded NEV production base in Saudi Arabia, Enovate said at the time.

Enovate is another carmaker besides that has run into financial difficulties.

WM Motor has been in serious financial trouble, leading to disruptions in its operations over the past few months. On March 7, the company announced that it was addressing its challenges and was working hard to resume production.

WM Motor also has plans to enter Saudi Arabia, with an insider saying the company is planning a joint venture to set up a plant in the Middle East, according to an Auto Time report today.

The EV maker is currently in talks with the Saudi government and local wealth funds, and the exact timing of the plan is unknown, according to the report.

Chinese EV startup Enovate to build production base in Saudi Arabia with annual capacity of 100,000 units

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Financially troubled Enovate reportedly close to getting life-saving money

Enovate has already owed its employees two months of salary arrears and its factory in Changsha, Hunan province, has shut down production this year, according to local media.

(Image from Enovate's Weibo)

Enovate Motors, the Chinese new energy vehicle (NEV) startup that announced late last year that it would build a production base in Saudi Arabia, is actually facing financial woes in its home market. However, the good news is that it is about to receive life-saving money.

Enovate is set to close a new round of funding in the near future, amounting to RMB 750 million yuan ($108 million), a report in local media Auto Time today said, citing multiple sources.

The money will arrive no later than March 24, one of the people familiar with the matter said. Another source with access to the financing said that it is indeed happening and that specific plans are being negotiated.

Enovate was formerly known as Zhejiang Dianka Automobile, which was founded in 2015 and produces mini electric vehicles (EVs). The Enovate brand was officially launched in November 2018.

In September 2020, the company's first model, the all-electric SUV Enovate ME7, was launched.

Enovate made its second model, the SUV Enovate ME5 with extended-range technology, available in China on July 13, 2021.

Enovate has closed eight financing rounds totaling more than RMB 11.5 billion, with the company's most recent financing round on October 13, 2020 for more than RMB 5 billion, Auto Time's report noted.

So far this year, Enovate has owed its employees two months of salary arrears, and its factory in Changsha, Hunan province, has shut down production this year, according to the report.

In addition to the Changsha manufacturing base, Enovate is also building factories in Shaoxing, Zhejiang and Nanning, Guangxi, with a planned total capacity of 220,000 units for the three production bases.

The money Enovate is about to receive will first be used for employee payroll and to push the plants back into production, the report said, citing an internal employee.

The company's performance in China has been weak over the past two years, with sales of just 1,778 units in 2021 and 5,321 units in 2022.

Enovate has begun targeting overseas markets as competition in its home market grows fiercer.

Enovate signed a contract with Sumou Holding in Saudi Arabia on December 7 to jointly build a NEV production plant here, as CnEVPost previously reported.

The two companies will form a joint venture that will make two phases of spending totaling about $500 million in Saudi Arabia to build a production and R&D base with an annual capacity of about 100,000 NEVs.

The facility, when completed, will be the first Chinese-branded NEV production base in Saudi Arabia, Enovate said at the time.

Enovate is another carmaker besides that has run into financial difficulties.

WM Motor has been in serious financial trouble, leading to disruptions in its operations over the past few months. On March 7, the company announced that it was addressing its challenges and was working hard to resume production.

WM Motor also has plans to enter Saudi Arabia, with an insider saying the company is planning a joint venture to set up a plant in the Middle East, according to an Auto Time report today.

The EV maker is currently in talks with the Saudi government and local wealth funds, and the exact timing of the plan is unknown, according to the report.

Chinese EV startup Enovate to build production base in Saudi Arabia with annual capacity of 100,000 units

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