Tagged: China

Tesla offers China-made Model 3 and Model Y in Canada, report says

Both models are eligible for a C$,000 federal incentive in Canada.

(Screenshot of Canada website.)

Tesla (NASDAQ: TSLA) is listing China-made Model 3 and Model Y electric vehicles (EVs) for sale in Canada, confirming that it has completed its first shipments to North America from its Shanghai plant, according to a Reuters report today.

The rear-wheel drive Model Y and the long-range all-wheel drive version of the Model 3 are available for immediate delivery in British Columbia, with codes indicating they were built at Giga Shanghai, the report said.

Both models are eligible for a C$5,000 ($3,695) federal incentive in Canada, which, unlike the US, does not link EV subsidies to the location of the plant where the cars are built, the report noted.

Tesla and other EV makers have a cost advantage in China, and exports to Canada have opened up a new market for Giga Shanghai, the report said.

(Screenshot of Tesla Canada website.)

The company has designed and tested Model Y cars for export to North America and aims to produce nearly 9,000 for export this quarter, the report said, citing a Tesla production plan.

On April 24, Reuters cited people familiar with the matter and a production memo as saying that Tesla had begun production in Shanghai of the Model Y that will be sold in Canada this year.

It will be the first time the company has shipped cars from China to North America, a move that will connect Tesla's largest and most cost-effective factory in the world with its largest market, North America, the report said.

Tesla's Shanghai plant, which makes the Model 3 as well as the Model Y, not only supplies vehicles to local consumers but is also an export center for the EV maker.

Tesla delivered 39,956 vehicles in China in April, and the Shanghai plant exported 35,886, according to data released earlier this month by the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA).

For the full year 2022, Tesla delivered 439,770 vehicles in China, up 37.11 percent from 320,743 vehicles in 2021.

Tesla's Shanghai plant exported 271,095 vehicles in 2022, according to data monitored by CnEVPost.

Tesla's Shanghai plant produced about 727,000 units in 2022, up 49.7 percent from a year earlier, contributing 23 percent of Shanghai's auto manufacturing output, a local official said earlier this month.

($1 = C$1.3530)

Tesla's revamped Model 3 nears final trial production in Shanghai, report says

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SAIC expects its 1st model with solid-state battery to roll off line in 2025

SAIC is ramping up development work on solid-state battery cells, with its first production model powered by solid-state battery set to roll off the assembly line in 2025, it said.

(A concept car from SAIC's IM Motors on display at the 2023 Shanghai Auto Show. Image credit: CnEVPost)

China's largest carmaker SAIC Group expects to see its first model with solid-state battery roll off the assembly line in two years, as more local carmakers target the new battery technology for a longer range.

SAIC is ramping up its research and development work on solid-state battery cells and is making every effort to promote the large-scale application of solid-state batteries, the company said in a recent investor survey, according to a May 22 report by local media Jiemian.

SAIC's first mass-produced model with the solid-state battery will roll off the production line in 2025, it said, adding that it will allow users to enjoy a safe car experience while providing them with higher energy density power battery cells.

The report did not provide any further details. SAIC has not disclosed the investor activity.

On May 19, Ganfeng Lithium -- the world's largest lithium producer by market capitalization -- said in the minutes of an investor meeting that it had begun mass production of its first-generation solid-state battery.

Ganfeng's first-generation solid-state battery can reach an energy density of 260 Wh/kg, and its production line is designed to have an annual capacity of 4 GWh, according to the minutes.

Back at SAIC, its solid-state battery appears to have been developed with local startup QingTao Energy Development, similar to what did with Beijing WeLion New Energy Technology.

On July 6, 2022, SAIC announced that it had set up a joint lab with QingTao to develop solid-state batteries.

The two will focus on the mass production of solid-state batteries with a range of more than 1,000 kilometers, 4C fast-charging technology and the development of high-safety, long-life solid-state batteries, according to a press release at the time.

C refers to the battery's charging multiplier, and 4C means that the battery could theoretically be fully charged in a quarter of an hour.

The lab will also conduct high-efficiency solid-state battery integration technology development to push solid-state battery technology to accelerate mass production, SAIC previously said.

NIO unveiled a 150-kWh semi-solid-state battery when it launched its flagship sedan, the NIO ET7, at the NIO Day 2020 event on January 9, 2021, thus bringing the new battery technology to wider attention.

Earlier this month, NIO filed for the addition of WeLion as a battery cell supplier in three models, signaling that its 150-kWh semi-solid-state battery pack is not far from being available.

NIO files to use semi-solid-state batteries in its vehicles

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Dongfeng and Honda’s JV exports cars from China for 1st time

Dongfeng Honda has sent a shipment of hybrid Honda CR-Vs and all-electric e:NS1s from Shanghai to Europe, with the vehicles expected to arrive at a Belgian port in late June.

(Image credit: Dongfeng Honda)

Japanese auto giant Honda's joint venture with Dongfeng Motor in China has started exporting cars, which is expected to allow China to see further growth in auto exports.

Dongfeng Honda began shipping a shipment of new energy vehicles (NEVs) from Shanghai to Europe on May 15, opening a new chapter in the joint venture's overseas endeavors, it said on May 21.

The vehicles are the hybrid Honda CR-V as well as the all-electric e:NS1, and they will be shipped to several European countries, according to a press release from Dongfeng Honda.

They include 300 CR-V plug-in hybrids, which are expected to arrive at the Belgian port of Zeebrugge in late June, after which they will be shipped to about two dozen countries, including the UK, Ireland, Iceland, Greece and Portugal, Dongfeng Honda said, without disclosing the number of e:NS1s.

Honda held a launch event for the company's electrification efforts in China on October 13, 2021, to officially unveil its pure electric vehicle brand e:N, where the "e" stands for Energize and Electric and the "N" refers to New and Next.

The brand's two production models, Dongfeng Honda's e:NS1 and GAC Honda's e:NP1, made their debut in China at that time.

Dongfeng Honda made the e:NS1 officially available in China on April 27, 2022, when it was priced at RMB 175,000 ($24,800) to RMB 218,000.

Dongfeng Honda began exporting vehicles from China at a time when Chinese auto exports have been growing rapidly over the past two years.

In March, 387,000 vehicles were exported from China, up 88.78 percent year-on-year and 19.44 percent from February, according to the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA).

($1 = RMB 7.0548)

CATL signs deal with Honda to supply batteries that can power 2 million EVs

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NIO Capital hosts investor conference, William Li highlights NIO’s choice in times of uncertainty

"We need to think strategically with a long-term mindset and use that to guide our short-term actions," Li said.

(Image credit: Capital)

NIO Capital recently held its annual investor conference in Hefei, Anhui province, where its managing partner William Li spoke and highlighted the choices NIO (NYSE: NIO), of which he is a founder, is making in times of uncertainty.

Li is not only at the helm of NIO Capital, a venture capital firm with a US dollar fund as well as a RMB fund, but is also the founder, chairman and CEO of NIO.

The conference was the first time in three years that NIO Capital brought together investors from its RMB and US dollar funds, and in addition to presentations and roundtable conversations, attendees toured NIO's manufacturing facilities, according to a press release today.

Li gave a keynote speech at the conference, sharing his views on the development of NEVs (NEVs) and corporate strategy, according to the release, which included a photo showing Li highlighting NIO's choice in times of uncertainty.

Last year was a landmark year for the global NEV industry, as global sales of NEVs exceeded 10 million for the first time, with China contributing close to 70 percent of the sales, according to Li.

Even during the Covid epidemic, China's NEV sales performance was still surprising, showing that the NEV industry has fully transitioned from being policy-driven to being product-driven and market-driven, which is a historic watershed, Li said.

Nonetheless, the future remains challenging, and increased uncertainty is a trend that almost everyone agrees on, he said.

"In today's world, we must learn to think about how to grow, how to manage risk, and how to take advantage of opportunities in a more volatile and uncertain world," Li said.

"We need to think strategically with a long-term mindset and use that to guide our short-term actions. We need to be more aggressive in meeting the challenges of the market while ensuring that the company's operational risks are manageable," he added.

Ian Zhu, another managing partner at NIO Capital, also spoke and said the venture capital firm has made aggressive investments in the areas of smart cockpits, battery technology, energy transition, semiconductors and automotive ecology since 2022.

NIO Capital didn't provide much more on NIO, though many of its investments are around the NEV industry chain and are sometimes made alongside NIO.

NIO and NIO Capital invested in fusion startup Neo Fusion, taking a 19.9 percent and 10.1 percent stake, respectively, according to a CnEVPost report last week.

NIO also seems to be hoping that NIO Capital's investment will help it get better access to resources for building more attractive electric vehicles.

NIO announced the panoramic digital cockpit PanoCinema when it launched the ET5 sedan on December 18, 2021.

It announced at that time the introduction of AR glasses developed jointly with Nreal, an AR technology company that is a portfolio company of NIO Capital.

NIO invests in nuclear fusion startup Neo Fusion

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BYD opens its 1st flagship experience center to showcase entire lineup of models

The facility is being used to showcase models from all of 's brands, including the BYD Seagull, which starts at just RMB 73,800, and the Yangwang U8, which has a pre-sale price of RMB 1,098,000.  |  BYDDY.US | BYD HK

(Image credit: BYD)

With dozens of models on sale across all BYD Group brands, displaying them in the same showroom would require extra-large facilities, which the company has begun to roll out.

BYD had its first brand experience center officially opened on May 20 at the Wuhan International Expo Center in Wuhan, central China's Hubei province.

BYD Group's car brands include the high-end Yangwang and Denza in addition to BYD, and the models currently on sale and available for pre-order include both the BYD Seagull, which starts at just 73,800 yuan ($10,500), and the Yangwang U8, which has a pre-sale price of RMB 1,098,000.

In addition to these brands, BYD is also expected to officially launch the F-brand's first model codenamed SF in June to target a market priced at RMB 400,000 to RMB 600,000, as CnEVPost previously learned.

BYD's first experience center occupies five floors with a total area of 6,550 square meters and contains areas including brand display, model display, technology display, and user activities.

In the brand display area, visitors can learn about BYD's four businesses -- electronics, automotive, new energy, and rail transportation -- as well as its electrification strategy, according to a BYD press release.

The model showcase area presents models including the BYD Frigate 07, BYD Seagull, Denza D9 and Yangwang U8.

Visitors here can experience models from BYD's Dynasty and Ocean series, as well as models from Denza, Yangwang and yet-to-be-announced personalized brands, BYD said.

BYD did not explicitly mention what that specialized personalization brand is, but according to information it previously announced, it is the new brand codenamed F brand.

The experience center building's facade has an area between the BYD and Yangwang logos, which appears to be a reserved spot for the F brand's logo.

BYD has also created a technology showcase in the experience center, with a patent wall to showcase its technology reserves. Visitors can also see BYD's demonstration of DM-i and e-Platform 3.0 here.

The facility is an important step in BYD's efforts to create a world-class brand experience center, the company said.

In the future, BYD will build more of the facility in commercial locations in China's super tier one cities and provincial capitals, where they will become local landmarks, BYD said.

BYD sold 210,295 new energy vehicles (NEVs) in April, up 98.31 percent from 106,042 units in the same month last year and up 1.55 percent from 207,080 units in March, according to data released earlier this month.

From January to April, BYD's NEV sales were 762,371 units, up 94.3 percent from 392,371 units in the same period last year.

BYD aims to sell at least 3 million vehicles this year and strives to reach 3.6 million, the company's chairman and president Wang Chuanfu said at an investor conference in late March.

BYD aims to become China's No. 1 automaker by the end of this year, Wang said at the time.

($1 = RMB 7.0296)

BYD officially launches Seagull to expand its presence in China's EV market

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XPeng sees 1st G6 production vehicle off line

management previously said that the G6 will be officially launched and delivered by the end of the second quarter, with a price range of RMB 200,000 - 300,000.  |  XPeng US | XPeng HK

XPeng (NYSE: XPEV) has seen the first production vehicle of the G6 roll off the assembly line, as the new SUV gets closer to its official launch.

The development was revealed in a leaked image on Chinese social media of XPeng production line employees celebrating the moment, and XPeng has not released any official content about it.

On March 17, XPeng management said during the company's fourth-quarter earnings call that the G6 will be officially launched and delivered by the end of the second quarter, with a price range of 200,000 yuan ($28,450) to 300,000 yuan.

XPeng's monthly sales target for the G6 is two to three times that of the P7, the company's chairman and CEO He Xiaopeng said in the call.

XPeng gave several previews of the model in early April and unveiled the SUV's exterior ahead of its official debut.

On April 16, the electric vehicle (EV) maker unveiled a new architecture, called SEPA (Smart Electric Platform Architecture) 2.0, at a technology conference in Shanghai, saying the G6 would be the first model built on it.

XPeng officially unveiled the G6 on the first day of the Shanghai auto show on April 18, saying that the G6 is the ultimate form of car before full autonomous driving is achieved.

The model is based on the 800 V high-voltage platform and can get a 300-kilometer range in as little as 10 minutes on a charge, XPeng said at the time. The company's other 800 V-based model is the flagship G9 SUV.

XPeng did not release specific specs or pricing information for the G6, which they expect to know at a future official launch event.

The company appears to be ramping up production preparations for the G6 so that it can deliver it quickly after its official launch, as its local counterparts have proven that strategy to be effective in China's competitive EV market.

XPeng sees the Model Y as the G6's main competitor. The vehicle is positioned as an all-electric midsize SUV with a length, width and height of 4,753 mm, 1,920 mm and 1,650 mm, respectively, and a wheelbase of 2,890 mm, a regulatory filing in March showed.

For comparison, the Tesla Model Y has a length, width and height of 4,750 mm, 1,921 mm, 1,624 mm and a wheelbase of 2,890 mm.

G6 will need to be successful for XPeng to be truly relevant again in the marketplace, Deutsche Bank analyst Edison Yu's team said in a research note sent to investors on May 17.

XPeng will report its unaudited first-quarter financial results on Wednesday, May 24, before the US markets open, when its earnings call is expected to provide more information on the model.

($1 = RMB 7.0295)

XPeng Q1 earnings preview: Counting down to G6

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