Category: Industry News

Beijing, Xi’an latest cities to offer subsidies to encourage residents to buy NEVs

Beijing is offering subsidies of up to RMB 10,000 for residents to purchase NEVs, while Xi’an is offering subsidies of up to RMB 6,000 for NEV purchases and RMB 10,000 for the installation of charging piles.

Beijing, Xi'an latest cities to offer subsidies to encourage residents to buy NEVs-CnEVPost

(Image credit: CnEVPost)

After China’s state-level subsidies for the purchase of new energy vehicles (NEVs) expired at the end of last year, a growing number of cities have begun offering separate subsidies this year to support local economic development.

The Chinese capital city of Beijing released details of its policy to encourage local residents to purchase NEVs, following media reports of the city’s plans without any details last month.

Between March 1 and August 31, Beijing residents who transfer or scrap passenger vehicles they have owned for more than a year and buy NEVs can receive a subsidy of up to 10,000 yuan ($1,450), according to a program jointly released today by several government departments in the city.

The move is aimed at boosting Beijing’s car consumption, optimizing the local vehicle mix and encouraging local residents to replace their passenger cars with NEV, the program reads.

The program refers to passenger vehicles as gasoline, diesel, gas, hybrid or battery-powered small and micro vehicles registered in Beijing for more than one year, and NEVs as purely electric small and micro passenger vehicles, including extended-range electric vehicles (EREVs).

This means that residents who previously owned a passenger car in Beijing — whether it was a traditional internal combustion engine vehicle or NEVs — can receive a subsidy if they purchase a pure electric vehicle or an EREV when replacing their old vehicle. If they purchase a plug-in hybrid, on the other hand, they will not be eligible for the subsidy.

If they previously owned NEVs, they can receive a subsidy of RMB 8,000 even if they have held them for less than 1 year.

Local residents who transfer out of other types of passenger vehicles and purchase NEVs can receive a subsidy of RMB 8,000 if the original vehicle has been owned for 1-6 years. If the old vehicle has been held for more than 6 years, then the subsidy amount is RMB 10,000.

It is worth noting that Beijing implemented a similar policy last year.

On June 26, 2022, Beijing launched a program on encouraging vehicle replacement consumption in order to incentivize residents to purchase NEVs when they replace their vehicles.

The city also offered subsidies of up to RMB 10,000 at the time, and the policy was then valid from June 1 to December 31.

On February 28, Beijing Daily reported that the Beijing city government held a consumer season launch ceremony with tens of thousands of merchants participating in areas including automobiles, restaurants, e-commerce and tourism.

In the auto sector, Beijing will continue last year’s car replacement subsidy policy, details of which will be released in due course, the report said.

In addition to Beijing, Xi’an, a city in northwest China’s Shaanxi province, also released its NEV purchase subsidy program today.

Between March 21 and April 30, consumers who buy a NEV produced by a local carmaker in Xi’an will receive a subsidy of up to RMB 6,000 yuan.

Local consumers who install their own charging facilities by December 31 of this year will receive a subsidy of RMB 10,000.

Prior to Beijing and Xi’an, many other cities, including Shanghai and Hefei in Anhui province, released similar policies earlier this year.

($1 = RMB 6.8722)

Shanghai extends $1,500 subsidy to encourage residents to replace cars with EVs

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Qiantu inks deal with Mullen to tap US market, K50 supercar to be rebranded as Mullen GT and GTRS

Mullen has acquired Qiantu's North and South American intellectual property and distribution rights, allowing the assembly and distribution of the Qiantu K50 in the Americas.  |  Mullen Automotive Inc

Qiantu inks deal with Mullen to tap US market, K50 supercar to be rebranded as Mullen GT and GTRS-CnEVPost

(Image credit: Qiantu)

Qiantu inks deal with Mullen to tap US market, K50 supercar to be rebranded as Mullen GT and GTRS

Mullen has been granted Qiantu's North and South American intellectual property and distribution rights, allowing the assembly and distribution of the Qiantu K50 in the Americas.

Qiantu Motors, which is almost forgotten in its home market of China, is partnering with an American electric vehicle (EV) maker to bring its electric supercar back to life.

Qiantu recently signed a strategic partnership agreement with Mullen Automotive to expand into the Americas, according to a press release from the Chinese startup today.

Qiantu will leverage its strengths in vehicle design, technology development, and process innovation, combined with Mullen's manufacturing and sales strengths in the Americas market, to bring new EV options to consumers in the Americas, the release said.

Qiantu's partnership with Mullen dates back to 2019, when the two partnered on the marketing of the Qiantu K50 in North America.

With the signing of the latest partnership agreement, the Qiantu K50 will transition from the marketing phase to a substantial production and sales phase, the release said.

The partnership area will also be expanded from the North American market to include the entire Americas, according to the release.

Separately, Mullen said in its March 20 press release that it has been granted the North and South American intellectual property and distribution rights for Qiantu and its affiliates, allowing assembly and distribution of the Qiantu K50 in the Americas.

Mullen will begin its program to re-engineer and re-design the product to meet requirements for US certification and customer expectations for today's supercars, with final assembly in Mishawka, Indiana, the US EV maker said.

These modifications will be consistent with Mullen's current vehicle design language in the Mullen FIVE and Mullen FIVE RS.

To ensure supercar status, the car will also feature an updated powertrain, targeting a 0-60 mph time of less than 2.0 seconds and a top speed of more than 200 mph.

Qiantu inks deal with Mullen to tap US market, K50 supercar to be rebranded as Mullen GT and GTRS-CnEVPost

(Image credit: Mullen)

Qiantu, a wholly owned subsidiary of CH-Auto Technology Co Ltd, was founded in 2015 and was one of the first EV startups in China.

Qiantu's first model, the Qiantu K50, was launched in 2018 at a then subsidized price of RMB 686,800 ($99,860), but the model did not earn recognition for the company and was discontinued in November 2020.

On December 18, 2021, Qiantu held a strategy sharing session at its plant in Suzhou, marking its return after a two-year hiatus.

On June 6, 2022, Qiantu announced the start of pre-sales in China for its second model, the Qiantu K20, a two-door, two-seat hatchback with a pre-sale price range of RMB 86,800 to 149,800.

On October 24, 2022, Qiantu and Appollen EV held a launch event in Malaysia to showcase and start pre-sales of the Qiantu K50, Qiantu K25, and Qiantu K20.

They were renamed S1, A1 and A2 respectively in Malaysia, with the Qiantu K25 making its global debut and not previously launched in China, the company said at the time.

($1 = RMB 6.8772)

Qiantu Motor taps Malaysian market with 3 models

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Kia enters China’s crowded EV market, 1st model expected to launch in Aug

The Kia EV6 will be brought to China as an import and is expected to go on sale in August this year. It will also launch the EV5 in November, its first model to be produced in China.

Kia Motors, an affiliate of Hyundai Motor Co, is entering China's increasingly crowded electric vehicle (EV) market.

The South Korean automaker announced its official entry into the Chinese EV market at a launch event today, unveiling the EV5 Concept, EV9 Concept and EV6 GT.

Its first all-electric model offered in China, the EV6, will be introduced as an import and is expected to be launched in August of this year.

The EV6 is Kia's first all-electric vehicle, based on the dedicated EV platform E-GMP, and claims to be able to accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in as fast as 3.5 seconds.

The model is equipped with 800V fast charging capability, charging from 10 percent to 80 percent in just 18 minutes.

Kia will also launch the EV5, its first global model to be built in China and debuting here, in November.

(Kia EV5 concept car)

Kia also plans to launch its flagship electric SUV EV9 in 2024, an entry-level all-electric SUV in 2025, a premium electric sedan based on a next-generation EV-specific platform in 2026, and a mid-size all-electric SUV in 2027.

The EV9 concept has a length of more than 5,000 mm and a wheelbase of 3,100 mm, with a 3-row, 6-seat interior layout.

The concept car will have an 800 V high-voltage fast charging system and can be charged up to 350 kW.

The EV9 will be Kia's first vehicle in China to be equipped with the highway system, and the production version is expected to be equipped with L3 assisted driving system.

(Kia EV9 concept car)

In China, Kia has a sales target of 450,000 units by 2030, of which 40 percent will be new energy vehicle (NEV) models.

Kia plans to launch the Kia brand app in China later this year, which will offer features including car shopping, car use, services, and infotainment.

The automaker will create sales channels in China including dealership stores as well as City Stores, and will set up special sections for NEV models in showrooms.

Kia will establish City Store city showrooms in the core business districts of China's first and second-tier key cities, including Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen.

Notably, on November 20 last year, Kia announced the opening of its first City Store in China in Xi'an, Shaanxi province, where its EV6, an all-electric vehicle, will be one of the first models to be showcased in the store.

The City Store is a new channel for Kia's electrification transformation and a new platform to revolutionize the user experience, the company said at the time.

Kia launches EV offensive with opening of its 1st City Store in China

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Polestar 3 officially unveiled in China, price cut by about $29,080 from previous

Polestar has officially unveiled the Polestar 3 in China today with what it calls a new pricing system.  |  Polestar.US

The first SUV from Polestar, the premium electric vehicle maker owned by and Volvo Cars, has been officially unveiled in China, but at a price reduction of about RMB 200,000 yuan ($29,080) from the model's global debut last year.

Polestar officially introduced the Polestar 3 in China today and announced what it calls a new pricing system, with the long-range dual-motor model starting at RMB 698,000 and the long-range dual-motor with performance pack model at RMB 798,000.

The Polestar 3 is Polestar's first SUV and will be the electric vehicle company's first all-electric model that will be produced in both China and the US.

Polestar gave the Polestar 3 SUV its global debut on October 12, 2022, when it announced its two versions with starting prices in China of RMB 880,000 and RMB 1,030,000, respectively.

The latest prices announced today mean that the starting price for the Polestar 3 regular long-range version has been reduced by RMB 182,000 and the starting price for the performance version has been reduced by RMB 232,000.

Information on Polestar China's website indicates that the expected delivery dates for both versions of the Polestar 3 are the fourth quarter of this year.

The Polestar 3 will be on display at the Shanghai auto show next month, and the model will go into production at Polestar's plant in Chengdu, Sichuan province, in the middle of this year, Polestar said today.

The 20th Shanghai International Automobile Industry Exhibition (Auto Shanghai 2023) will be held from April 18-27, with media days from April 18-19 and professional visitor days from April 20-21, while the general public can visit from April 22-27.

Production is also expected to begin by mid-2024 at Polestar's plant in Ridgeville, South Carolina, the automaker said when it unveiled the Polestar 3 last year.

At that point, the US will serve as the main supply location for North America and other markets. The plant is expected to make its first deliveries in mid-2024.

Polestar was co-founded by Volvo and Geely in 2017, and the first product, the Polestar 1, was only available in limited quantities and has been discontinued.

The Polestar 2, which started deliveries in 2020, is the brand's first real production model on sale and will only be produced at a plant in Taizhou, Zhejiang province, in eastern China.

Despite the Polestar 3's strong performance and configuration, its prices in China appear to be very high, as noted in a previous report by CnEVPost.

The Polestar 3's previous starting price of RMB 880,000 is almost twice the NIO ES7's starting price of RMB 468,000.

Both versions of the ES7 have a 0-100 km/h sprint time of 3.9 seconds, while the Polestar 3 performance version has the figure at 4.7 seconds and the long-range version at 5 seconds.

($1 = RMB 6.8783)

Polestar 3 SUV officially unveiled, but prices may drive away Chinese consumers

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Polestar 3 officially unveiled in China, price cut by about $29,080 from previous

Polestar has officially unveiled the Polestar 3 in China today with what it calls a new pricing system.  |  Polestar.US

The first SUV from Polestar, the premium electric vehicle maker owned by and Volvo Cars, has been officially unveiled in China, but at a price reduction of about RMB 200,000 yuan ($29,080) from the model's global debut last year.

Polestar officially introduced the Polestar 3 in China today and announced what it calls a new pricing system, with the long-range dual-motor model starting at RMB 698,000 and the long-range dual-motor with performance pack model at RMB 798,000.

The Polestar 3 is Polestar's first SUV and will be the electric vehicle company's first all-electric model that will be produced in both China and the US.

Polestar gave the Polestar 3 SUV its global debut on October 12, 2022, when it announced its two versions with starting prices in China of RMB 880,000 and RMB 1,030,000, respectively.

The latest prices announced today mean that the starting price for the Polestar 3 regular long-range version has been reduced by RMB 182,000 and the starting price for the performance version has been reduced by RMB 232,000.

Information on Polestar China's website indicates that the expected delivery dates for both versions of the Polestar 3 are the fourth quarter of this year.

The Polestar 3 will be on display at the Shanghai auto show next month, and the model will go into production at Polestar's plant in Chengdu, Sichuan province, in the middle of this year, Polestar said today.

The 20th Shanghai International Automobile Industry Exhibition (Auto Shanghai 2023) will be held from April 18-27, with media days from April 18-19 and professional visitor days from April 20-21, while the general public can visit from April 22-27.

Production is also expected to begin by mid-2024 at Polestar's plant in Ridgeville, South Carolina, the automaker said when it unveiled the Polestar 3 last year.

At that point, the US will serve as the main supply location for North America and other markets. The plant is expected to make its first deliveries in mid-2024.

Polestar was co-founded by Volvo and Geely in 2017, and the first product, the Polestar 1, was only available in limited quantities and has been discontinued.

The Polestar 2, which started deliveries in 2020, is the brand's first real production model on sale and will only be produced at a plant in Taizhou, Zhejiang province, in eastern China.

Despite the Polestar 3's strong performance and configuration, its prices in China appear to be very high, as noted in a previous report by CnEVPost.

The Polestar 3's previous starting price of RMB 880,000 is almost twice the NIO ES7's starting price of RMB 468,000.

Both versions of the ES7 have a 0-100 km/h sprint time of 3.9 seconds, while the Polestar 3 performance version has the figure at 4.7 seconds and the long-range version at 5 seconds.

($1 = RMB 6.8783)

Polestar 3 SUV officially unveiled, but prices may drive away Chinese consumers

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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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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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LiDAR-maker Hesai posts Q4 revenue growth of 56.6% YoY in 1st earnings report since US IPO

Hesai began trading on the Nasdaq on February 9 and has accumulated a decline of about 36 percent since then.

Hesai

LiDAR-maker Hesai posts Q4 revenue growth of 56.6% YoY in 1st earnings report since US IPO-CnEVPost

Chinese LiDAR maker Hesai Group (NASDAQ: HSAI) saw record revenue in the fourth quarter, though gross margin fell further.

Hesai reported revenue of RMB 409.2 million ($59.3 million) in the fourth quarter, up 56.6 percent year-on-year, according to its unaudited earnings report released after the US stock market closed on March 15, the company's first since listing on the Nasdaq.

The company shipped 47,515 total LiDAR units in the fourth quarter, up 739.2 percent from 5,662 units in the same period in 2021.

It shipped 43,351 ADAS LiDAR units in the fourth quarter, compared to 87 units in the same period in 2021.

Hesai's gross margin was 30 percent in the fourth quarter, down from 52.4 percent in the same period in 2021 and down from 37 percent in the third quarter.

LiDAR-maker Hesai posts Q4 revenue growth of 56.6% YoY in 1st earnings report since US IPO-CnEVPost

The decline in gross margin was primarily due to increased shipments of low-margin ADAS LiDAR products in the early ramp-up phase and lower capacity utilization at the in-house plant, the company said.

Hesai reported a net loss of RMB 135.3 million for the fourth quarter, compared with RMB 70 million for the same period in 2021.

Excluding stock-based compensation expense, it reported an adjusted non-GAAP net loss of RMB 110.2 million in the fourth quarter, compared with RMB 39.3 million in the same period in 2021.

The company reported both basic and diluted net loss per common share of RMB 1.18 for the fourth quarter. Excluding stock-based compensation expense and deemed dividends, adjusted non-GAAP basic and diluted net loss per common share for the fourth quarter were both RMB 0.96.

It reported R&D expenses of RMB 178.8 million in the fourth quarter, an increase of 13.3 percent from RMB 157.8 million in the same period of 2021, primarily due to higher payroll expenses resulting from an increase in R&D staff.

Hesai's sales and marketing expenses for the fourth quarter were RMB 41.4 million, an increase of 95.2 percent year-on-year.

It had general and administrative expenses of RMB 47.6 million in the fourth quarter, a decrease of 7.6 percent year-on-year, primarily due to a decrease in stock-based compensation expenses.

Hesai's cash and cash equivalents and short-term investments were RMB 1.86 billion as of December 31, 2022, compared to RMB 2.79 billion as of December 31, 2021 and RMB 2.07 billion as of September 30, 2022.

For the full year 2022, Hesai's revenue was RMB1,202.7 million, an increase of 66.9 percent year-on-year.

The company shipped 80,462 LiDAR units in full-year 2022, an increase of 467.5 percent year-on-year.

The company's gross margin for the full year 2022 was 39.2 percent, down from 53 percent in the prior year.

For the first quarter of 2023, Hesai expects net revenues to be in the range of RMB 390 million to RMB 410 million, or about 57.0 percent to 65.0 percent year-on-year growth.

Hesai began trading on the Nasdaq on February 9 under the ticker HSAI and has continued to fall since then.

The company closed down 12.36 percent yesterday, bringing its cumulative decline since the IPO to about 36 percent.

Hesai was up 3.02 percent in after-hours trading Wednesday following the earnings report.

LiDAR-maker Hesai posts Q4 revenue growth of 56.6% YoY in 1st earnings report since US IPO-CnEVPost

Hesai debuts on Nasdaq, becoming 1st Chinese LiDAR maker to go public in US

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

EV makers including , and Denza have all introduced 90-day price protection policies.

(Image credit: Neta)

As the auto price war in China continues, some electric vehicle (EV) makers are beginning to make it clear that they will not cut prices in an attempt to dispel the wait-and-see sentiment of potential consumers.

EV makers including Leapmotor, Neta and Denza have all introduced price protection policies, after (NASDAQ: LI) introduced a similar policy and (NYSE: NIO) made it clear that the company would not cut prices.

Leapmotor announced yesterday that for consumers who purchase any of its models during this month, they will get the difference back if the price drops within 90 days or if the company offers additional cash discounts.

This is in line with a policy introduced earlier this week by Li Auto, whose salespeople said it was designed to make clear to consumers that its models would not be reduced in price.

Neta, Hozon Auto's EV brand, announced today that consumers who order its flagship sedan, the Neta S, by April 30 will not have to worry about the model's price dropping within 90 days.

If the price of the model drops within 90 days of the consumer's purchase, Neta will refund the difference.

Notably, along with the announcement of the price protection policy, Neta began offering an RMB 23,000 ($3,340) discount for the lowest-priced model of the Neta S, bringing the model's starting price down to RMB 179,800 from the previous RMB 202,800, valid until the end of April 30.

Neta models on sale also include the Neta V and Neta U, which start at less than RMB 150,000 and are not covered by its price protection policy.

Denza, 's premium brand, announced that if consumers who purchase its vehicles during the month see a drop in official guide prices will receive a rebate for the difference.

Auto and Volvo Car's jointly held Lynk & Co brand also began offering a 90-day price protection policy that expires on April 30.

The increasing number of car companies joining the price war has led to an increased wait-and-see mood among consumers to avoid seeing price cuts soon after purchasing a car.

An NIO executive said yesterday that they noticed Li Auto's move and the company had considered whether to issue a similar policy.

But for NIO, it has previously made it clear that prices will not be lowered, the company's assistant vice president of sales operations Pu Yang said at a media event yesterday, adding that NIO is not only not cutting prices for 90 days, but prices will not change for a longer period of time.

(1 $= RMB 6.8843)

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

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