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[1/3] Tesla's new electric semi truck is unveiled during a presentation in Hawthorne, California, U.S., November 16, 2017. REUTERS/Alexandria Sage/File Photo/File PhotoSan Francisco, April 6 (Reuters) - Tesla Inc (TSLA.O) said it plans to expand the use of cheaper, iron-based batteries to a version of its Semi heavy electric trucks and an affordable electric vehicle. Tesla last December started to deliver its Semi electric trucks with a longer, 500-mile driving range per charge and which use nickel-based batteries. Currently, Tesla uses nickel-based batteries for most of its Model 3 and Model Y vehicles sold in the United States. Tesla's South Korean supplier, LG Energy Solution (373220.KS), said it plans to build LFP batteries at its proposed Arizona factory.

☆ New silicon anodes could help EV batteries go farther, charge faster
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-04 | by ( Paul Lienert | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Two startup companies, Group14 Technologies and Sila Nanotechnologies, are focused on new applications for silicon, an abundant element that is being developed as a supplement or replacement for graphite in battery anodes. Seven-year-old Group14 said on Tuesday that it has begun constructing a commercial-grade facility in Moses Lake for its SCC55 silicon-carbon powder. Group14’s joint-venture plant in Korea with battery maker SK is scheduled to open this year, according to Rick Luebbe, CEO and co-founder. Sila has raised more than $900 million, with Mercedes, ATL and Siemens (SIEGn.DE) among its corporate investors. Strong demand for silicon-rich anodes means “we’re under pressure to go faster and bigger,” Luebbe said.

Club holdings Apple (AAPL) Ford Motor (F) and Estee Lauder (EL) were in the news Thursday. Apple has primarily released its content directly on Apple TV+, with some projects getting limited runs in a handful of cinemas. The Club's take: We welcome Apple making smart, strategic investments that make Apple TV+ a more valuable streaming service to potential subscribers. Estee Lauder EL YTD mountain Estee Lauder stock performance year-to-date. The news: Citi outlined its bull and bear cases for Club holding Estee Lauder in a research note Thursday.

☆ From Tesla to under-the-radar battery stocks: Wall Street has a playbook for the EV boom
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-20 | by ( Zavier Ong | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

The bank's "Battery Electric Vehicles Basket" comprises several stocks across the EV supply chain, including automakers Rivian , Lucid and Li Auto . This may be the opportune moment for Chinese EV brands to knock on the doors of Europe." Among the Chinese EV makers, BYD, Nio and Xpeng are "the ones to watch," according to Bernstein. "We expect Chinese EV players to find better success targeting the compact, mass market EV segment that has so far been under-penetrated in Europe," the bank said. Tesla and under-the-radar plays Tesla is one of Deutsche Bank 's top picks in the EV space.

Concerns that Chinese investors are buying overseas to make a quick profit at home are valid. Since last year, 11 Chinese companies have raised a combined $3.6 billion by selling GDRs on the Six Swiss Exchange, data from Dealogic show. Savvy punters with access to foreign funds can therefore make a quick and relatively risk-free profit by shorting the Chinese stock and buying the discounted GDRs. This helps explain why Swiss shares of Chinese companies barely trade. Since the launch of a China-Swiss stock scheme in 2022, 11 Chinese companies have raised a combined $3.6 billion, according to data from Dealogic.

☆ China battery giant CATL's $5 billion Swiss listing delayed amid Beijing regulatory concerns, sources say
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-15 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

But the process is taking longer than expected, all three sources told Reuters. In early February, sources said CATL aimed to go ahead with the listing as early as May. Private placementThe sources said the Chinese regulator has concerns over the vast scale of CATL's GDR offering. At $5 billion, the GDR deal would easily be the largest such listing by a Chinese company in Switzerland, according to Refinitiv data. Chinese companies began listing in Switzerland last year after the launch of cross-listing platform to allow companies to raise capital by issuing and listing GDRs on the Swiss exchange SIX.

In early February, sources said CATL aimed to go ahead with the listing as early as May. PRIVATE PLACEMENTThe sources said the Chinese regulator has concerns over the vast scale of CATL's GDR offering. At $5 billion, the GDR deal would easily be the largest such listing by a Chinese company in Switzerland, according to Refinitiv data. With much better liquidity on the domestic market, investors can exit more easily. Such practices have also made Chinese regulators less keen to wave through mega-GDR offerings, two of the sources with knowledge of the matter said.

☆ Ford recalling 18 electric F-150 Lightning pickup trucks after battery fire
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-10 | by ( Michael Wayland | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

DETROIT – Ford Motor is recalling 18 electric F-150 Lightning pickups that the company has identified as potentially having a battery cell defect that caused a truck to catch fire last month. A Ford spokeswoman declined to disclose how many trucks Ford has in holding that may have the issue. Ford said it is not aware of any reports of accident or injury related to the battery issue or recall. The F-150 Lightning is being closely watched by investors, as it's the first mainstream electric pickup truck on the market and a major launch for Ford. Ford initially opened customer reservations for the F-150 Lightning when it was revealed in May 2021.

☆ CATL’s battery ram is losing power
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

HONG KONG, March 10 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Chinese battery maker Contemporary Amperex Technology (300750.SZ) posted earnings growth of 61% for the quarter ended December on Thursday. The company led by Robin Zeng boasts unrivalled economies of scale, allowing it to drive down costs for clients including Tesla (TSLA.O). Alas, in China, which accounts for four fifths of CATL’s top line, such dominance is drawing unwanted attention. On Monday, during a meeting between Zeng and Chinese President Xi Jinping, the Party leader expressed mixed feelings about CATL’s 37% global market share. They do not reflect the views of Reuters News, which, under the Trust Principles, is committed to integrity, independence, and freedom from bias.

HONG KONG, March 9 (Reuters Breakingviews) - European financial centres are rolling out the red carpet for Chinese companies. Its free-float market capitalisation of $1.9 trillion is just a tenth of the New York Stock Exchange, January data from the World Federation of Exchanges show. Yet as tensions between Washington and Beijing rise and Chinese companies in New York face the threat of delisting, traditionally neutral Zurich has become an attractive alternative. That removes the risk that overseas regulators will demand access to mainland companies’ books - the source of a lengthy spat between the U.S. Public Company Accounting Oversight Board and Beijing. Deutsche Börse (DB1Gn.DE), which operates Frankfurt’s stock exchange, is technically ready to launch the China-Germany Stock Connect, board representative Niels Tomm said in November.

☆ Ford's February sales jump 22% from subdued results in 2022
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-02 | by ( Michael Wayland | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

DETROIT – Ford Motor's February sales increased by more than 20% from subdued results a year earlier, as the automaker ratchets up production of its F-Series pickups and electric vehicles. Ford's sales were hampered by supply chain problems in February 2022 making for one of its worst months since 2021. Sales of Ford's F-Series pickups increased 22% last month compared to a year earlier, increasing to about 55,000 units, including 3,600 units of its electric F-150 Lightning. So far this year, sales of F-Series pickups are up 15%. Ford's electric vehicle sales continue to increase, up 88% from a year earlier.

☆ Analysis: CATL's 'price war' shows its power, and China's EV edge
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

"It's very much a market share game," said Caspar Rawles, chief data officer at Benchmark Mineral Intelligence. Contemporary Amperex Technology Co Ltd - more widely known by its initials - is the dominant global supplier with a 37% share of the EV market. For CATL, the discount is a way to head off a bid by Chinese EV makers to seek alternatives. CATL batteries power Volkswagen's (VOWG_p.DE) I.D. "The reductions that CATL is offering would help the Chinese EV industry," said James Frith, a principal at battery-tech focused venture capital group Volta Energy Technologies.

☆ Ford suspends electric F-150 Lightning production for another week following battery fire
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-24 | by ( Michael Wayland | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

DETROIT — Ford Motor is suspending production of its electric F-150 Lightning pickup for another week following a battery issue that resulted in one of the vehicles catching fire early this month. "The teams worked quickly to identify the root cause of the issue," Ford said in a statement Friday. Ford last week said it expected Lightning production to be down through at least this week, as engineers determined the root cause of the battery issue and implemented improvements to the manufacturing process. The F-150 Lightning is being closely watched by investors, as it's the first mainstream electric pickup truck on the market and a major launch for Ford. The battery issue adds to ongoing "execution issues" detailed to investors earlier this month by Ford CEO Jim Farley that crippled the automaker's fourth-quarter earnings.

☆ China to scrutinize Ford's EV battery deal with CATL - Bloomberg News
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Feb 16 (Reuters) - China will scrutinize Ford Motor Co's (F.N) latest deal with battery giant CATL (300750.SZ) to ensure the Chinese company's core technology is not shared with the U.S. automaker, Bloomberg News reported on Thursday. Ford did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for a comment, while CATL could not be reached outside market hours. Senior Chinese leaders asked for the extra scrutiny given the sensitivity of the deal and the current state of tensions between Washington and Beijing, the report said. Ford on Monday announced plans to invest $3.5 billion to build an electric vehicle battery plant in Michigan, with help from CATL's technology. Under the deal, CATL - short for Contemporary Amperex Technology Co Ltd - will license the technology and technical assistance needed for Ford to produce lithium iron phosphate batteries in Michigan.

The $108 billion group’s sheer size means it benefits from exceptional economies of scale in an immature industry. Last year, it tripled both production and sales of pure electric and hybrid cars to nearly 2 million vehicles. That is equivalent to roughly a quarter of EVs purchased in China in 2022. The group makes batteries too, accounting for almost a quarter of China’s total sales last year, Jefferies estimates. Overall passenger car sales, including electric vehicles and fossil-fueled models, slumped 38% in January, reversing a 2.4% gain in the previous month.

☆ Ford deal shows U.S. EVs can’t unplug from China
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

It’s evident that President Joe Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act “did what it was intended to do”, according to one executive. Ford Motor (F.N) is licensing technology and services from China’s Contemporary Amperex Technology (300750.SZ), rather than buying batteries directly or forming a joint venture. This unusual setup allows the American auto veteran to use CATL’s lithium ferro-phosphate (LFP) chemistry whilst satisfying the IRA’s demands. As automakers start mass-producing electric vehicles, they will depend on Chinese suppliers, wherever they locate their factories. They do not reflect the views of Reuters News, which, under the Trust Principles, is committed to integrity, independence, and freedom from bias.

☆ Ford F-150 Lightning EV production to be halted at least through end of next week
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-15 | by ( Michael Wayland | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Ford CEO Jim Farley pats a Ford F-150 Lightning truck before announcing at a press conference that Ford Motor Company will be partnering with the world's largest battery company, a China-based company called Contemporary Amperex Technology, to create an electric-vehicle battery plant in Marshall, Michigan, on February 13, 2023 in Romulus, Michigan. DETROIT – Ford Motor expects production of its electric F-150 Lightning pickup to be down through at least the end of next week to address a potential battery issue, the automaker said Wednesday. The investigation into the problem is expected to be completed by the end of next week, followed by adjustments to the truck's battery production process that "could take a few weeks." The F-150 Lightning is being closely watched by investors, as it's the first mainstream electric pickup truck on the market and a major launch for Ford. The battery issue adds to ongoing "execution issues" detailed to investors earlier this month by Ford CEO Jim Farley that crippled the automaker's fourth-quarter earnings.

☆ Ford's latest EV blunder increases the odds we'll drop the stock, if there's no progress this quarter
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-14 | by ( Paulina Likos | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Ford Motor (F)'s decision to halt production and shipments of its electric pickup truck further undermines our confidence in the automaker. CEO Jim Farley said the weak earnings were a function of the automaker's transition to a new business structure that limited production capacity, combined with poor execution. "It's inexcusable that Ford had a bad quarter," Jim said at the time. As a subscriber to the CNBC Investing Club with Jim Cramer, you will receive a trade alert before Jim makes a trade. Jim waits 45 minutes after sending a trade alert before buying or selling a stock in his charitable trust's portfolio.

☆ Ford Invests $3.5 Billion in Michigan Battery Plant With Chinese Partner’s Technology
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-13 | by ( Ryan Felton | Nora Eckert | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Ford Motor Co. is investing $3.5 billion to build a battery plant in Michigan with help from China’s Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. Ltd., a win for the auto maker’s home state, which has seen many recent automotive projects head elsewhere. The facility, which will be built in Marshall, Mich., about 100 miles west of Detroit, is expected to create about 2,500 jobs, Ford said Monday. The auto maker said a wholly-owned subsidiary would manufacture the battery cells using technology and expertise provided by CATL, the world’s largest maker of batteries for electric vehicles.

☆ Ford to move forward with $3.5 billion EV battery plant with Chinese company
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-13 | by ( Michael Wayland | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

DETROIT – Ford Motor said Monday it will collaborate with a Chinese supplier on a new $3.5 billion battery plant for electric vehicles in Michigan, despite tensions between the U.S. and China. Glenn Youngkin saying he was withdrawing the state from a competitive process to attract the planned Ford plant over its connection to the Chinese company. The new batteries are expected to offer different benefits at a lower cost, assisting Ford in increasing EV production and profit margins. With this $3.5 billion investment, Ford says it and its battery partners have announced $17.6 billion in investments in electric vehicle and battery production in the United States since 2019. Gretchen Whitmer called the investment a "big win" for the state, which has moved to attract more battery production after missing out on previous multibillion investments.

☆ Ford to invest $3.5 billion to build Michigan battery plant
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

Feb 13 (Reuters) - Ford Motor Co (F.N) will build a new lithium iron phosphate battery plant in Michigan as part of a $3.5 billion investment plan, the automaker and state said Monday. The plant will be located in Marshall, Michigan and eventually employ at least 2,500 workers. Reuters reported Friday Ford is expected to own and operate the plant with Chinese battery company China's Contemporary Amperex Technology Co Ltd (CATL) (300750.SZ) as a technology partner to help develop the batteries, sources said. Reporting by David ShepardsonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Ford to announce $3.5 bln battery plant in Michigan, sources say
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-10 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Feb 10 (Reuters) - Ford Motor Co (F.N) is set to announce as soon as Monday it plans to build a new $3.5 billion lithium iron phosphate battery plant in Michigan, sources told Reuters. Ford is expected to own and operate the plant with Chinese battery company China's Contemporary Amperex Technology Co Ltd (CATL) (300750.SZ) as a technology partner to help develop the batteries, sources said. The rules were aimed at weaning the United States off the Chinese battery supply chain. Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin has faced some criticism for withdrawing from a competition to attract a new Ford battery plant over its connection to CATL. Reuters reported in January that Michigan was also a candidate for the Ford battery plant, sources said, and a decision could be made in the coming weeks.

☆ Amazon's AWS to invest $35 bln in Virginia
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-20 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON, Jan 20 (Reuters) - Amazon.com Inc's (AMZN.O) cloud services division said Friday it plans to invest another $35 billion by 2040 to expand data centers in Virginia. Amazon Web Services (AWS) said the new investment will create 1,000 jobs. Virginia Republican Governor Glenn Youngkin said AWS will establish multiple data center campuses across Virginia. In 2021, AWS said from 2011 to 2020 it had invested $35 billion in data centers located in northern Virginia and had 3,500 full time employees at its data centers in the state. AWS also will be eligible to receive a state grant of up to $140 million "for site and infrastructure improvements, workforce development, and other project-related costs."

☆ Indonesia says investment talks with Tesla still ongoing
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-12 | by ( Bernadette Christina | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Luhut Pandjaitan, who has been leading the talks with Tesla, declined to disclose further details, citing a non-disclosure agreement. Bloomberg News also reported that the Indonesia talks include plans for production facilities and to facilitate the company's supply chain, citing people familiar with the matter. "I can't comment, we're still talking," Luhut told Reuters, adding that he had just recently held another round of talks with Tesla. Tesla currently makes its electric cars in China's Shanghai, Germany's Berlin, and Austin and Fremont in the United States. Indonesian authorities have said Japanese firms Toyota Motor Corp (7203.T) and Mitsubishi Motors Corp (7211.T) have pledged investments in EV production.

☆ China’s reopening has gotten Wall Street excited. Here’s how the pros are playing it
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-10 | by ( Zavier Ong | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Over the past week, a host of Wall Street banks have turned increasingly bullish on the world's second-largest economy and have upgraded their outlook on Chinese stocks. Morgan Stanley expects China's GDP to grow by an "above-consensus" 5.4% in 2023, on the back of a "fast-tracked" reopening and more proactive policy easing. Meanwhile, UBS says Chinese stocks look increasingly attractive. How to play the reopening Against this backdrop, analysts have named a slew of both Chinese and global stocks they think will benefit most from China's reopening. Bank of America's domestic reopening beneficiaries include consumer stocks such as alcoholic beverage makers Kweichow Moutai and Tsingtao Brew , airline stocks including China Southern Airlines , as well as online travel platform Trip.com .

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