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☆ Elon Musk's private jet has landed in Beijing - Reuters witness
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

BEIJING, May 30 (Reuters) - A private jet used by Tesla Inc (TSLA.O) CEO Elon Musk has arrived in Beijing, according to a Reuters witness. Tesla did not immediately respond to a request for comment on whether Musk had arrived in China. China is Tesla's second-largest market after the U.S., and the Shanghai plant is the electric car maker's largest production hub. The jet with its identifying tail number could be seen at Beijing Capital International Airport on Tuesday, according to the Reuters witness. While his plane was en route to China, Musk tweeted about advances in China's space program, which aims to land a crew on the moon before 2030.

☆ Musk expected to visit China this week, meet officials - sources
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

HONG KONG/SHANGHAI, May 29 (Reuters) - Tesla (TSLA.O) Chief Executive Elon Musk is expected to visit China this week, three people with knowledge of the matter said, in what would be his first trip to the country in three years. Musk is expected to meet senior Chinese officials and to visit Tesla's Shanghai plant, two of the sources said. China is Tesla's second-largest market after the United States, and its Shanghai plant is the electric carmaker's largest production hub. The company has submitted plans to local authorities to expand capacity for producing powertrains at the Shanghai plant to 1.75 million units annually. Tesla is building a plant in Mexico expected to produce a lower-cost electric car built on its next-generation platform.

☆ China's BYD beefs up autonomous driving credentials with new unit, hiring spree
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Current BYD recruiting advertisements for engineers specialising in autonomous driving that target top Chinese universities such as Zhejiang University, indicate that the hiring is ongoing. BYD set up an intelligent driving research division in Shanghai last year, according to three sources with direct knowledge of the matter. The automaker, which is 9.87% owned by Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway Inc (BRKa.N) and had some 660,000 employees as of April, declined to elaborate on its autonomous driving strategy. BYD has also this year teamed up with autonomous driving chip technology firms Nvidia (NVDA.O) and Horizon Robotics (RBOT.TO), saying it wanted to develop more intelligent vehicles. Both are high-volume models and further advances in BYD autonomous driving features would popularise the technology within China.

☆ Tesla applies to expand Shanghai plant, add pouch battery cell output
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

May 16 (Reuters) - Tesla Inc (TSLA.O) has applied for regulatory clearance to expand its Shanghai plant and to begin producing for the first time pouch-type battery cells, albeit in small numbers. It was not clear how Tesla would use the pouch cells, which it has not previously used in its electric vehicles. Pouch cells, widely used in consumer electronics, differ from the cells Tesla has used for EVs in that the battery components are housed in a more flexible metal bag rather than a rigid cylinder. Tesla’s Shanghai plant, its largest worldwide, produced about 726,000 Model 3 and Model Y vehicles in 2022, more than half of the automaker’s global sales. Tesla is also seeking to ramp up production of cylindrical, 4680 battery cells in China and has brought in new suppliers to cut costs, Reuters has reported.

☆ GM, VW face idled capacity risk in China without faster EV transition -Greenpeace
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Rebecca Cook/File PhotoSHANGHAI/BERLIN, May 11 (Reuters) - Automakers including Volkswagen and General Motors could have considerable unused production capacity for conventionally powered vehicles in China by 2030 if they do not speed up their transition to electric vehicles (EV), Greenpeace said on Thursday. By the end of 2021, China had total annual production capacity for 40.89 million passenger vehicles of all fuel types with a utilisation rate of 52.5%, showed data from the China Passenger Car Association. If the sales rate reaches 70%, the average unused capacity utilisation rate for ICE production would rise to two thirds, Greenpeace said, basing its estimates on public information about planned capacity and projected sales. GM and Volkswagen will face the largest pressure with over 3 million units of idled capacity for ICE cars in China, presenting a major risk for those automakers, Greenpeace said. Volkswagen pointed to its rising sales in China and said it expects to profit from the country's growing demand for cars.

☆ Chinese baby product firms seek to age up, sell more abroad as population falls
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( Farah Master | Thomson Reuters | Farah Master Is A Senior Correspondent At Reuters Where She Focuses On Health | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

HONG KONG, May 11 (Reuters) - For many of China's manufacturers of baby and children's products, painful reverberations from last year's historic decline in the country's population are already upon them. Hong Kong-listed Health and Happiness (H&H) (1112.HK), which gains nearly half of its revenue from baby products such as infant formula, food and diapers, is one such company. China's market for baby food and diapers is the world's largest at $37.9 billion, accounting for around a third of global sales annually, according to research from Euromonitor. Adult diaper revenue, however, shot up 13% - highlighting how China's rapidly ageing population is prompting shifts in consumer spending. Reuters GraphicsShares for the three firms now trade between a third and a fifth of their all-time highs.

☆ China's BYD cuts starting price for Seal EV; aims to extend lead
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SHANGHAI, May 10 (Reuters) - BYD Co Ltd (002594.SZ), on Wednesday cut the starting price of its best-selling Seal sedan by 10%, as the Chinese electric vehicle (EV) giant seeks to extend its lead in the world's largest auto market with lower-priced products. That includes a rear-wheel drive Seal Champion Edition with a 550-km (342-mile) driving range per charge at a starting price of 189,800 yuan ($27,459). BYD, China's best-selling electrified vehicle maker, launched the Seal sedan under its Ocean series in July 2022 with a sporty design style and intelligent features. The EV price war is also drawing sales away from internal combustion engine vehicles as the price gap between the technologies narrows. It has outgrown Germany's Volkswagen as the best-selling passenger vehicle brand in China in the last two quarters.

☆ Battle for China's electric SUV market heats up at home and abroad
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

The trend will spread abroad with growing exports of China-made electric SUVs. The market for SUVs has boomed in China over the past decade and now represents almost 40% of all cars sold, with 400 SUV models of all fuel types. Legacy automakers Volkswagen (VOWG_p.DE), BMW (BMWG.DE) and Toyota (7203.T) are counting on new electric SUVs to bolster China sales. Tesla and Renault (RENA.PA) have already been exporting their China-made electric SUVs to Europe on a large scale. Chinese automakers have their own plans to grow electric SUV sales to Europe.

☆ China's BYD launches lower-priced versions of Seal EV; aims to extend lead
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SHANGHAI, May 10 (Reuters) - BYD Co Ltd (002594.SZ), launched on Wednesday five lower-priced versions of its Seal sedan, as the Chinese electric vehicle (EV) giant seeks to extend its lead in the world's largest market for new-energy cars. That is also 18% cheaper than the rear-wheel drive version of Tesla Inc's (TSLA.O) Model 3 in China with a driving range of 556 kilometres, against which the Seal model seeks to compete. China's EV market is in the throes of a price war started by Tesla earlier this year, with several EV makers including BYD following the U.S. automaker's example by cutting prices for best-selling models this year to defend market share. The EV price war is also drawing sales away from internal combustion engine vehicles as the price gap between the technologies narrows. BYD has so far led the new energy vehicle (NEV) market with its various offerings of battery-only and plug-in hybrid models priced under 300,000 yuan.

☆ China's car sales rise 2.1% in April as price war effect fades
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BEIJING/SHANGHAI, May 9 (Reuters) - China's passenger vehicle sales rose by 2.1% in April from a month earlier, industry data showed, underscoring a slower pace of growth as the stimulus effect of price cuts and incentives faded. Car sales in April totalled 1.65 million units, 54.5% higher from a year earlier when COVID-19 lockdowns disrupted productions and sales, the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA) said on Tuesday. In the first four months of 2023, vehicle sales were down 1.4% year-on-year to 5.98 million units, it added. Reuters GraphicsChina's crowded auto market is getting even more congested with nearly 300 models displayed at the Shanghai auto show in April, 172 of which were NEVs, according to Ways Consulting. A tepid property market recovery and an unexpected contraction in factory activity is also pointing to a shaky economic outlook, casting clouds over the strength of the post-COVID rebound and potentially dampening consumer spending.

☆ Analysis: Battle for China's electric SUV market heats up at home and abroad
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

☆ Tesla's April sales of China-made EVs down 14.7% from March -CPCA
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

BEIJING/SHANGHAI, May 5 (Reuters) - Tesla Inc (TSLA.O) delivered 75,842 China-made electric vehicles (EVs) in April, down 14.7% from March, data from the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA) showed on Friday. The figure was a huge jump from a year earlier, when the city of Shanghai - where Tesla has a factory - was in COVID-19 lockdown and the company delivered only 1,512 China-made Model 3 and Model Y cars in the world's largest auto market. Local rival BYD Co (002594.SZ), with its Dynasty and Ocean series of EVs and hybrids, sold 209,467 vehicles in April, CPCA data showed, up 1.6% from March. Reporting by Qiaoyi Li, Zhang Yan and Brenda Goh Editing by Jamie Freed and David GoodmanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ China's industry ministry issues draft data standards for smart vehicles
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

SHANGHAI, May 5 (Reuters) - China's industry ministry issued on Friday a series of draft technical standards including cybersecurity requirements for vehicles, with the country moving to tighten data regulation as cars become more intelligent. Among the proposed rules, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology plans to ban smart vehicles in China from transferring data directly abroad, pushing them instead to use domestic cloud services. It would also require vehicles with autonomous driving capabilities to be equipped with data storage systems for accident liability assessments. Reporting by Zhang Yan, Brenda Goh; Editing by Jan HarveyOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Chinese EV giant BYD's first-quarter profit jumps fivefold
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BEIJING/SHANGHAI, April 27 (Reuters) - Chinese electric vehicle giant BYD Co. (002594.SZ) posted a fivefold jump in its first-quarter profit on Thursday as the company consolidated its leadership in the domestic market. Net profit for the first three months of the year was 4.13 billion yuan ($596.56 million), up 410.9% from 808.41 million yuan a year earlier, on revenue up 79.8% at 120.17 billion yuan, the company said in a stock market filing. The company sold more than 1.86 million vehicles in 2022, mostly in China. The price cuts have eaten into automakers' earnings, with Tesla reporting a 24% plunge in first-quarter net income. ($1 = 6.9230 Chinese yuan renminbi)Reporting by Qiaoyi Li, Zhang Yan and Brenda Goh Editing by David GoodmanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Exclusive: Tesla readies export of Model Y to Canada from China
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The Model Y is the electric vehicle (EV) maker's best-selling model globally. Tesla's website showed that customers in Canada could take delivery of the new version of the Model Y between May and July. Tesla Shanghai began production of the Canada-bound version of Model Y earlier this month, the person with knowledge of the development said. The introduction of the cheaper Model Y for Canada qualified both it and Tesla's C$69,900 long-range Model Y for the incentive as of Friday, Transport Canada said on its website. Tesla’s Shanghai plant uses lithium-iron phosphate (LFP) batteries for the Model Y version produced there for sale in China and for export to Europe and other markets.

☆ China EV maker BYD to build $290 mln battery component plant in Chile
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

HONG KONG, April 21 (Reuters) - China's BYD Co Ltd (002594.SZ), , the world's largest electric vehicle (EV) maker, plans to build a $290 million lithium cathode factory in Chile's northern Antofagasta region, said Chilean economic development agency CORFO. The South American country's government has named BYD Chile a qualified lithium producer, CORFO said, giving it access to preferential prices for lithium carbonate quotas. BYD, which supplies electric buses for Chile's public transportation system, did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Friday. The plant will produce 50,000 tonnes per year of lithium iron phosphate (LFP) for cathodes, using lithium carbonate as an input. read moreReporting by Farah Master in Hong Kong and Zhang Yan in Shanghai; Editing by Christopher CushingOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ At Shanghai show, auto rivals lure drivers with in-car karaoke, crystal balls
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( Casey Hall | Thomson Reuters | Casey Has Reported On China'S Consumer Culture Her Base In Shanghai For More Than A Decade | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

[1/2] A Zeekr X is displayed at the Auto Shanghai show, in Shanghai, China April 18, 2023. REUTERS/Aly SongSHANGHAI, April 20 (Reuters) - Automakers keen to make a splash at the Shanghai auto show showed off vehicles boasting features from crystal balls to in-car karaoke systems and 3D dashboards, as competition to attract drivers heats up in the world's largest auto market. Chinese automakers have been grabbing market share from foreign rivals in recent years in part by courting drivers with tailored lifestyle services and by releasing new models more quickly. "So many new vehicles, so many new Chinese vehicles looking very good," said Patrick Koller, chief executive of French auto parts supplier Faurecia (EPED.PA). This costs a fortune and it doesn't give you the time to really mature innovations and technology," Koller said.

[1/3] BMW's concept model i Vision Dee is unveiled during an event at the Auto Shanghai show, in Shanghai, China April 18, 2023. While the battery-electric vehicle market share of German automakers in China is rising, it is still miniscule. The EV sales of all four German brands added up to only a quarter of BYD's in 2022. "The Chinese market is no longer as stable for German carmakers as it was," Thomas Luk, partner at management consultancy Kearney, said on the sidelines of the Shanghai show. Many are also adopting direct sales, an approach German automakers like BMW and Mercedes-Benz have also said in recent months they are moving towards.

☆ China's CATL unveils condensed matter battery to power civil aircraft
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

SHANGHAI, April 19 (Reuters) - Chinese battery giant CATL (300750.SZ) on Wednesday unveiled a condensed matter battery that it said could supply enough energy to power electric passenger aircraft for civil aviation use. CATL will also be able to start mass production of the condensed matter battery for electric vehicle uses later this year, Wu added. Condensed matter technology is being embraced by battery makers competing to develop new materials to improve energy density of the current generation of lithium-ion batteries, which is under 300 Wh/kg. Chinese electric vehicle (EV) maker Nio (9866.HK) is planning to power its ET7 cars with a semi-solid state battery with 360 Wh/kg energy density developed by Beijing Welion New Energy Technology. Reporting by Zhang Yan, Albee Zhang and Brenda Goh Editing by Shri NavaratnamOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ As EV costs tumble in China, an export wave builds
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

[1/5] People use their phones in front of the BYD Seagull that is displayed at the Auto Shanghai show, in Shanghai, China April 19, 2023. Patrick Koller, chief executive of French auto supplier Faurecia (EPED.PA), said the entry-level EV market in Europe was an open lane for Chinese automakers. Koller said he had met with the CEO or chairman of more than two dozen Chinese automakers in Shanghai. Renault’s (RENA.PA) Dacia ships the Spring EV, an entry-level hatchback like the BYD Seagull, to Europe and ranked as the second-largest EV exporter from China last year after Tesla. BYD has not announced export plans for the Seagull, which is priced below what is now the best selling EV in China, the BYD Dolphin, which is priced from 116,800 yuan ($17,000) in China.

☆ China's electric car drive, led by BYD, leaves global brands behind
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

SHANGHAI, April 17 (Reuters) - China's auto market, the world’s largest, is accelerating toward an electric future – leaving established global brands stuck in the slow lane. China’s passenger car sales were down 13% in the first quarter, data from the China Passenger Car Association show. But sales of EVs and plug-in hybrids – an area where Chinese automakers led by BYD now dominate – were up 22%. BYD dominates China’s market for plug-in hybrids, cars that have a combustion engine but are capable of being charged and running for shorter distances on electric power. In a further threat to established brands, China’s exports are growing fast, led by EVs and PHEVs.

☆ Angry Tesla Shanghai workers vent to Elon Musk over bonus cuts
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

[1/3] Tesla China-made Model 3 vehicles are seen during a delivery event at its factory in Shanghai, China January 7, 2020. The situation marks a rare outburst of discontent at Tesla's Shanghai plant, whose workers Musk praised last year for burning "the 3 a.m. oil" to keep operations running during the city's two-month COVID lockdown. Some took to Twitter, owned by Musk and blocked in China, to tweet to the billionaire, his mother Maye Musk, and Tesla. "Please pay attention to the performance (bonus) of frontline workers at Tesla's Shanghai factory being arbitrarily deducted," said a person with the handle @AFeiywu on Twitter in a tweet directed at Elon Musk and Tesla's Asia unit. She recently completed a two-week tour in the country during which she visited the Shanghai factory and promoted her memoir.

☆ Tesla Shanghai factory workers appeal to Elon Musk on bonus cuts
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

[1/3] Tesla China-made Model 3 vehicles are seen during a delivery event at its factory in Shanghai, China January 7, 2020. "Please pay attention to the performance (bonus) of frontline workers at Tesla's Shanghai factory being arbitrarily deducted," said a person with the handle @AFeiywu on Twitter in a tweet directed at Elon Musk and Tesla's Asia unit. The workers said Tesla supervisors mentioned a "safety incident" when they were asked about reasons for the bonus cut. Several online posts claimed workers at the Shanghai plant were being unfairly punished for an incident this year at the factory where one worker died in February. According to a report published by the local Pudong government on April 12, there was a mechanical accident in the welding workshop at Tesla's Shanghai plant on Feb. 4 that killed one worker.

☆ Tesla Shanghai factory workers appeal to Elon Musk after being told of bonus cut
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/3] Tesla China-made Model 3 vehicles are seen during a delivery event at its factory in Shanghai, China January 7, 2020. REUTERS/Aly SongCompanies Tesla Inc FollowSHANGHAI, April 17 (Reuters) - Workers from Tesla's (TSLA.O) Shanghai factory are taking to social media to appeal to Elon Musk and the Chinese public after being informed over the weekend about planned cuts to their performance bonuses, according to online posts and workers. Some took to Twitter, owned by Musk and blocked in China, to tweet to Elon Musk, his mother Maye Musk, and Tesla's accounts. "Please pay attention to the performance (bonus) of frontline workers at Tesla's Shanghai factory being arbitrarily deducted," said one post on Twitter in a reply to a tweet from Musk about a SpaceX launch. Tesla and Elon Musk did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

☆ China's Xpeng aims to cut costs with new vehicle manufacturing platform
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/5] He Xiaopeng, the co-founder, chairman and CEO of XPeng Motors attends a news conference ahead of the Shanghai Auto Show, in Shanghai, China April 16, 2023. REUTERS/Aly SongSHANGHAI, April 16 (Reuters) - China's electric vehicle (EV) maker Xpeng (9868.HK) unveiled on Sunday a new platform it developed in-house for making vehicles, which it said will reduce the development and manufacturing costs for its company's upcoming models. He said that these cost reductions would give Xpeng an edge against its rivals in an increasingly competitive market. Xpeng will build its G6 SUV, which will debut at the Shanghai auto show starting on Tuesday, as the first model to be built on the SEPA 2.0, according to the company. Xpeng's rival Tesla (TSLA.O) uses massive casting machines, also known as gigapresses, to make large single pieces of vehicle underbodies.

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