Category: price war

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

China's auto industry is facing cyclical swings in the transition to electrification that can't be weathered by price wars and require automakers to stick to brand values, an executive said.

NIO US | NIO HK | NIO SG

An NIO (NYSE: NIO) executive said the company won't get involved in a price war, which has come into focus with the recent sharp price cuts by a large number of internal combustion engine (ICE) automakers.

NIO will not engage in a price war and will not respond to the current market volatility with price cuts, said Pu Yang, the company's assistant vice president of sales operations, at a media briefing today.

NIO believes that the current wave of price cuts is a cyclical fluctuation in the transition from ICE vehicles to smart electric vehicles (EVs), with the main players being ICE models from joint venture brands with limited competitiveness, Pu said, according to minutes shared by several automotive bloggers.

The cyclical fluctuations brought about by this technological revolution can't be crossed by price wars and require car companies to stick to their brand values, he said.

NIO will always ensure the user experience and cope with this cycle by efforts including continuous investment in infrastructure, keeping prices and configurations stable, and full-stack in-house research and development, he said.

More and more car companies are joining the price war, leading to an increased wait-and-see sentiment among consumers to avoid seeing price cuts soon after purchasing a car.

NIO's local counterpart, (NASDAQ: LI), has introduced a consumer price-protection benefit that will refund the difference if the price drops within 90 days of their purchase.

Pu said he saw Li Auto's move and that NIO had considered whether to issue a similar policy, but for the company, it had previously made it clear that prices would not go down.

Not only is NIO not dropping prices for 90 days, but prices won't change for a longer period of time, he said.

He believes the current plunge in ICE vehicle prices in China will be a landmark event and potentially a watershed moment for the auto industry as a whole.

Many of the products that have seen significant price cuts are at the end of their life cycle, Pu said, adding that he doesn't think that will be the norm.

He believes that the large number of models that have seen significant price cuts are appearing quickly, and that these moves will disappear quickly, and that this will be some sort of catalyst for the development of the new energy vehicle (NEV) market.

Pu is optimistic about the whole-year performance of the passenger car market in China, and believes that sales will increase compared to last year.

He mentioned that NIO has seen an increase in the number of visitors to its stores and test drives in recent times, and is confident of growth given the new products the company will have available and the upcoming Shanghai auto show.

The NIO brand will not make prices lower by introducing single-motor models or models without LiDARs, Pu said, reiterating remarks made by William Li, the company's founder, chairman and CEO, during an earnings call earlier this month.

Lower configurations and lower prices are not how NIO wins. The company started from the beginning with a desire to give users a highly configurable, high-quality-of-service experience, he said.

Pu said he suggested to the company's management at the time of the ET5's launch that it could lower the barrier to purchase by eliminating the free battery swap benefit, but that was voted by Li.

The ET5 is a good value when compared to competitors in the same price range as it, especially in terms of intelligence and performance, he said.

NIO believes that improving service quality will be an effective means of dealing with the competition, including adding 1,000 new battery swap stations this year, he said.

The penetration rate of NEVs in China will be higher this year, and the total market segment of high-end EVs will be larger, so NIO is expected to achieve better growth, Pu said.

New products will be an important card for NIO this year, as the company will have more core products on the market this year and delivery is expected to be smoother, he said.

As for the lower-priced EV market, NIO will cover it through sub-brands, including one codenamed ALPS, he said.

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VW slashed ID. prices in China, ID.4 down by 19% to $25,000

On March 11, FAW-VW announced a price cut of 40,000 yuan ($5,800) on its ID. lineup. Another Volkswagen joint venture SAIC-VW followed with a 30,000 yuan price cut on all its electric models. The ID.4 Crozz can now be purchased for 174,900 yuan ($25,000). Volkswagen is the latest automaker to join the price war in […]

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