Category: Deals

Tesla Model Y with BYD battery has started production in Germany, report says

Since this week, the Model Y with BYD battery has been produced at Tesla's Gigafactory in Grünheide, Germany, according to a German media report.  |  TSLA.US BYDDY.US | BYD HK

(Image credit: CnEVPost)

Starting this week, the Model Y with BYD battery has been produced at Tesla's Gigafactory in Grünheide, Germany, local media outlet Teslamag said in a report Thursday.

The model is a rear-wheel drive version and the batteries will not be produced by Tesla itself, but by BYD in China, according to the report.

This is Tesla's fourth battery supplier after Panasonic, LG Energy Solution and , the report noted.

Last August, Tesla applied for and received European type approval for the Model Y with BYD's lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery, which at the time had a 55-kWh capacity and a 440 km WLTP range, the report said.

Tesla currently specifies a WLTP range of 455 km for the Model Y with standard rims and 430 km with 20-inch wheels, the report noted.

In February 2022, rumors surfaced that Tesla had placed an order with BYD's battery manufacturing division, FinDreams Battery, for blade batteries for 204,000 vehicles per year.

On August 10, 2022, Chinese media outlet Sina Tech cited multiple sources as saying that BYD's blade battery supplies to Tesla had begun to be delivered to the latter's plant in Berlin, Germany, the first Tesla Gigafactory to apply BYD batteries.

On March 13, South Korea's Korea Economic Daily reported that Tesla had decided not to use BYD's batteries due to quality problems caused by a series of fire incidents with the latter's LFP batteries.

A BYD spokesperson, responding to CnEVPost's request for comment at the time, said the information was untrue and not in line with the actual situation.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk later also tweeted that the media report was false and that Tesla's relationship with BYD was positive.

BYD is not only the largest new energy vehicle (NEV) in China, but also one of the largest battery manufacturers in the world.

BYD installed 21.5 GWh of power batteries in the first quarter, ranking second in the world with a 16.2 percent share, according to data released by South Korean market research firm SNE Research on May 3.

CATL continued to rank first in the world with a 35.0 percent share in the first quarter, and was the only one with a share of more than 30 percent.

BYD says report that Tesla won't extend battery supply partnership with it untrue

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Chinese Lithium giant Tianqi reportedly mulling stake in Mercedes-Geely JV Smart

Smart delivered 4,390 vehicles in China in April, down 25.73 percent from 5,911 units in March.

(A Smart #1 on display at the Shanghai auto show in April 2023. Image credit: CnEVPost)

Chinese lithium giant Tianqi Lithium is considering buying a minority stake in Smart Automobile, a joint venture between Mercedes-Benz and Holding Group, as part of the latter's latest round of private funding, Bloomberg said today, citing people familiar with the matter.

Tianqi is in advanced talks to invest $100 million to $200 million in Smart in a deal that could value Smart at several billion dollars, people familiar with the matter said, adding that an agreement could be reached as soon as the next few weeks.

Shenzhen-listed Tianqi, one of China's largest lithium producers, raised about HK$13 billion in a Hong Kong IPO on July 13, 2022.

Mercedes first launched Smart in Germany in 1998 and brought the brand to the US a decade later, with the original two-seat model aimed at urban buyers with crowded parking spaces, the Bloomberg report noted.

Geely and Mercedes-Benz officially announced a 5.4 billion yuan ($783 million) Smart joint venture in Hangzhou Bay, Ningbo, in early 2020.

As part of the agreement, Mercedes-Benz designers will design the Smart cars and Geely will engineer them.

Smart has been considering raising capital as part of its effort to revive the compact car as an all-electric brand. The company was initially aiming to raise between $500 million and $1 billion in fresh funds, according to a Bloomberg report last year.

Smart delivered 4,390 vehicles in China in April, down 25.73 percent from 5,911 units in March, according to data monitored by CnEVPost.

The brand currently has only one model on sale in China, the Smart #1, which went on sale in China on April 25, 2022, with deliveries starting on September 24.

The model was designed by Mercedes-Benz, with the Smart R&D team leading the engineering development, and is based on Geely's SEA (Sustainable Experience Architecture) architecture.

On April 17, Smart unveiled its new Smart #3, its second product since its electrification transition, on the eve of the Shanghai auto show.

($1 = RMB 6.8964)

Regulatory filing: Smart's second EV, Smart #3, coming soon

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NIO to adopt NXP’s 4D imaging radar that provides greater road safety

4D imaging radar enables cars to detect and classify objects such as other vehicles and vulnerable road users on highways and in complex urban scenarios and at distances of up to 300 meters.  |  NIO US | NIO HK | NIO SG

NIO to adopt NXP's 4D imaging radar that provides greater road safety-CnEVPost

(Image credit: CnEVPost)

Dutch-headquartered computer chip maker NXP Semiconductors (NASDAQ: NXPI) today announced that Chinese electric vehicle (EV) maker NIO (NYSE: NIO) will adopt its 4D imaging radar solution, which offers benefits far beyond those of traditional radar.

4D imaging radar will significantly improve the performance of front radar in today's vehicles, and NXP's imaging radar technology extends the functionality of radar from measuring range and speed to include direction, angle of arrival and elevation measurement, the chipmaker said.

These vehicles will be able to detect and classify objects such as other vehicles and vulnerable road users on highways and in complex urban scenarios and at distances of up to 300 meters, bringing greater road safety and driving comfort to end users, according to a press release.

Fine-resolution point clouds enhance environmental mapping and scene understanding, enabling the detection and classification of objects beyond the range of human vision while measuring object speed in virtually all weather and light conditions, according to NXP.

The technology is a key step in improving road safety and saving lives by allowing a car to "see" a motorcycle traveling close to a large delivery truck or a child entering the road between parked cars.

NXP's imaging radar solutions are ideal for advanced, high-performance front radar applications, it said, adding that as part of NXP's full family of radar products, they offer seamless performance scalability and software and hardware design reuse across radar platforms.

The combined radar processor and transceiver chipsets provide efficient advanced radar processing and high-performance RF technology to support Level 2+ and higher-level autonomous driving services, NXP said.

"Together with NXP, we’ll be able to take the next step toward improving driver experiences," said Kevin Pan, assistant vice president of NIO supply chain development.

In China, EV makers rely on vision cameras as well as LiDARs for assisted driving sensors. The mainstream technology route is vision-based, with millimeter-wave radar and LiDARs providing assistance.

4D imaging radar, as an extension of millimeter wave technology, provides the ability to accurately measure height, which can effectively complement the advantages of vision sensors and improve the recognition of stationary and hidden targets in critical scenarios.

As for the cost, the mature automotive electronics industry chain and manufacturing process provide a broad room for improvement after 4D imaging radar is mass-produced on a large scale.

In addition to the partnership with NXP, NIO Capital, with William Li, founder, chairman and CEO of NIO, as a managing partner, invested in SinPro, a local Chinese 4D imaging radar manufacturer, last month.

SinPro announced on April 12 that it had closed a series A funding round of several hundred million RMB, led by NIO Capital and an investment fund under Xiaomi.

The emergence of 4D imaging radar technology will drive smart cars in a safer and smarter direction, Ian Zhu, another managing partner at NIO Capital, said at the time.

NIO plans to launch EV priced below 30,000 euros in Europe, report says

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NIO signs partnership deal with state conglomerate China Resources

NIO has opened 46 NIO Houses and NIO Spaces in commercial real estate projects managed by China Resources.

NIO signs partnership deal with state conglomerate China Resources-CnEVPost

(Image credit: NIO)

NIO (NYSE: NIO) signed a strategic cooperation framework agreement with China's state conglomerate China Resources to collaborate on a variety of fronts, the electric vehicle (EV) maker said yesterday.

The two signed the agreement on April 26 at an NIO House in Hefei, Anhui province, in the presence of William Li, founder, chairman and CEO of NIO, and Wang Xiangming, chairman of China Resources, according to an article posted on the NIO App.

NIO and China Resources will cooperate in areas including commercial space leasing and construction, charging and battery swap infrastructure investment and construction, campus and community energy management, new material applications, and consumer services, according to the article.

China Resources is a large state-owned enterprise with major businesses in consumer, energy, urban construction and operations, health, industrial finance, technology and emerging industries.

By the end of 2022, China Resources had total assets of more than RMB 2.3 trillion and was ranked 70th on the Fortune 500 in 2022.

NIO signs partnership deal with state conglomerate China Resources-CnEVPost

NIO started working with China Resources in 2018, opening more showrooms in the latter's operated properties than any other partner.

By the end of March 2023, NIO had opened 46 NIO Houses and NIO Spaces in commercial real estate projects managed by China Resources, according to the article in the NIO App.

The article did not provide more details on the possible future collaboration between the two. For NIO, it will need the support of partners, especially property operators, in increasing the number of showrooms as well as charging and battery swap infrastructure.

NIO has an aggressive plan to add 1,000 battery swap stations and 10,000 charging piles this year to ensure it provides a continuous energy replenishment experience for owners.

"People always think of battery swap when they think of NIO, but we're actually doing a great job with charging facilities as well … we will be determined to build the infrastructure," Li said in a speech at a forum earlier this month.

China EV 100 Forum: NIO's William Li's full speech

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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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CATL reaches deal to supply energy storage systems to US firm HGP

The 450-MWh battery storage project will be deployed in Texas and is expected to begin commercial operations in 2024.

(Image credit: )

CATL recently entered into a 450 MWh supply agreement with US battery storage project developer HGP, the battery giant's latest similar agreement with a US company.

The battery storage project will be deployed in Texas and is expected to begin commercial operations in 2024, a CATL press release said yesterday.

CATL will provide HGP with the EnerC, an outdoor premade pod system that offers high safety, long life, and high integration for a variety of weather extremes, according to the release.

The partnership leverages CATL's strengths in battery technology and HGP's strengths in energy infrastructure and storage resource development and will provide a more convenient solution for the market, the release said.

This helps meet the growing demand for clean energy in Texas and North America and highlights CATL's and HGP's commitment to achieving sustainable development, the Chinese battery giant said.

The two companies will also establish a long-term partnership to drive the implementation of utility-scale and distributed energy storage projects up to 5 GWh in size, according to the release.

HGP is based in Dallas, Texas, and has decades of market experience deploying grid investment-grade energy storage assets.

This is CATL's latest agreement with a US company for the supply of energy storage systems.

Last September, CATL announced that it had entered into a partnership agreement with FlexGen, a US provider of energy storage technology platforms and solutions, to supply the latter with 10 GWh of energy storage products over a three-year period.

CATL will supply FlexGen with EnerC, a containerized liquid-cooled energy storage product that can withstand a wide range of weather extremes and keep the system running safely and reliably for 20 years, the power battery giant previously said.

In October 2022, CATL entered into an agreement with Primergy Solar LLC, a US utility and distributed PV and energy storage operator, to exclusively supply batteries for the latter's Gemini PV and energy storage project.

Located near Las Vegas, Nevada, the project will have 690 MWac/966 MWdc solar panels and a 1.416 GWh energy storage system and will be one of the largest PV storage projects in the US when completed, CATL said at the time.

CATL has begun mass production of Qilin Battery, report says

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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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