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☆ Ford discounts Mustang Mach-E electric SUVs in China
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

SHANGHAI, March 8 (Reuters) - Ford Motor (F.N) said on Wednesday it was offering a discount of 40,000 yuan ($5,700) on its Mustang Mach-E electric SUVs in China until the end of April. Mustang Mach-E cars were now available in China at prices starting at 209,900 yuan in China after the discount, a company representative at Ford China said. Ford said in November it was accelerating Mustang Mach-E production and targeting a global annual output rate of 270,000 by the end of 2023, including its China production. Ford sold 39,458 Mach-Es in the U.S. last year, 45% more than in 2021. Tesla sold 455,091 Model Ys in China in the same year, according to data from China Association of Automobile Manufacturers (CAAM).

☆ China's Xi tells CATL he has mixed feelings about its battery market dominance
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Chinese President Xi Jinping attends the opening session of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China March 4, 2023. REUTERS/Thomas PeterSHANGHAI, March 7 (Reuters) - Chinese President Xi Jinping told CATL (300750.SZ) on Monday he had mixed feelings about its status as the world's largest battery maker - remarks that come at a time when the company is rapidly expanding abroad and moving to undercut domestic rivals. After a presentation by CATL Chairman Zeng Yuqun who described how the firm commands 37% of the global battery market, Xi was quoted as saying that he was "both happy and worried", glad about its leading position but concerned about the risks. "Emerging industries must do a good job in planning, figuring out how big the market is and where the risks are. CATL's shares fell 1.6% on Tuesday, in line with a decline in China's blue chip CSI300 Index.

☆ China to form a national bureau to manage its troves of data
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SHANGHAI, March 7 (Reuters) - China will form a national data bureau that will be responsible for coordinating the sharing and development of the country's data resources, according to a plan submitted on Tuesday to parliament. The proposed bureau will be administrated by the state planning agency, the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), the plan said. This has included issuing a series of new laws that require organisations with large user bases undergo assessments and obtain approvals when handling data. Some firms are struggling with a deadline requiring them to seek approval to export user data. "Multinationals will no doubt want to understand how a centralised data regulator will interface with overseas stakeholders."

☆ China's Xi has mixed feelings about CATL's battery market dominance
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] Chinese President Xi Jinping attends the opening session of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China March 4, 2023. "Emerging industries must do a good job in planning, figuring out how big the market is and where the risks are," Xi was quoted as saying. At the same time, it has come under growing pressure from Washington, which has restricted Chinese companies' access to advanced AI chips and other semiconductors, citing national security. The Ford-CATL partnership will be win-win for both parties without threatening China's leadership in the EV industry, Dong wrote. Reporting by Zhang Yan and Brenda Goh Editing by Edwina Gibbs and David GoodmanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Exclusive: Tesla readies revamp of Model Y codenamed 'Juniper' - sources
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Companies Tesla Inc FollowSHANGHAI/SAN FRANCISCO, March 1 (Reuters) - Tesla (TSLA.O) is readying a production revamp of its top-selling Model Y, according to three people with knowledge of the plan. The automaker has not commented on its product strategy or any planned model changes. Tesla did not immediately comment when asked by Reuters about the plans for the Model Y, which was its best seller in California, China and Europe last year. Tesla has already been working to retool its Shanghai assembly plant to prepare for a revamped version of its Model 3 sedan, a project codenamed Highland by Tesla, Reuters has reported. It was not immediately clear how sweeping the revamp would be or what specific changes or improvements Tesla was looking to deliver with the new Model Y.

☆ Exclusive: Tesla readies revamp of Model Y codenamed 'Juniper'
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

☆ Tesla's China sales slow as price-cut boost wanes
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The U.S. automaker nearly doubled weekly retail sales in the week of Feb. 20 to 10,703 vehicles versus a week prior, showed data from China Merchants Bank International (CMBI) on Tuesday, which tracks weekly retail sales based on car insurance registrations. Sales are slowing in part due to an ageing product line, said Yale Zhang, managing director at Shanghai-based consultancy Automotive Foresight. Consumers are also delaying purchases while waiting to see if other EV makers cut prices, Zhang said. Meanwhile, the market share of BYD Co Ltd (002594.SZ), surged to 37% from 27%, CMBI data showed. Smaller EV players such as Leap Motor and Great Wall Motor Co Ltd's (601633.SS) Ora are among those whose market share shrank.

☆ Tesla's German plant hits 4,000 cars per week ahead of schedule
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Companies Tesla Inc FollowBERLIN, Feb 27 (Reuters) - Tesla's (TSLA.O) plant in Brandenburg near Berlin is now producing 4,000 cars per week, the company said on Monday, three weeks ahead of schedule according to a recent production plan reviewed by Reuters. Tesla was planning to ramp up output from Brandenburg to 4,000 in the week of March 13 and to more than 5,000 by the end of June. It hit production of 2,000 units per week in October last year and 3,000 per week in December. The maximum capacity planned for the Brandenburg plant is 500,000 cars a year, nearing 10,000 per week. Reporting by Victoria Waldersee, Zhang Yan, Editing by Friederike HeineOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ 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.

☆ Exclusive: EV maker Nio plans new 40 GWh battery plant in China- sources
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] Nio's ES7 electric vehicle is displayed at the Chinese EV maker's showroom in Shanghai, China, February 3, 2023. REUTERS/Aly SongSHANGHAI, Feb 24 (Reuters) - Nio (9866.HK) plans to build its first battery plant to produce big cylindrical cells similar to those used by Tesla, two people familiar with the matter said, as the Chinese EV maker seeks to cut its reliance on suppliers like CATL (300750.SZ). It will be located next to its main manufacturing hub in Hefei city, in eastern China's Anhui province, they said. Reuters is reporting the details of Nio's plan for the first time. Reporting by Zhang Yan, Zhuzhu Cui and Brenda Goh; Editing by Himani SarkarOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ EV maker Nio to build 1,000 battery-swap stations in China in 2023
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

SHANGHAI, Feb 21 (Reuters) - Chinese electric vehicle (EV) startup Nio Inc (9866.HK) plans to build 1,000 battery-swapping stations in China in 2023 to bring the total number of such facilities to 2,300 by year-end, its Founder and Chairman William Li said on Tuesday. The move marks an expansion of its plan in December of adding 400 such stations this year. Li found more of them are needed to improve user experience after his trips to northeastern China and lower-tier cities in Zhejiang, he added. Battery swapping allows drivers to replace depleted packs quickly with fully charged ones, rather than plugging the vehicle into a charging point. Nio is among the few EV makers that are betting on battery swapping as one of the major power solutions for electric cars.

☆ China's Nio to build factory for budget EVs - sources
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

SHANGHAI, Feb 21 (Reuters) - Chinese electric vehicle (EV) maker Nio Inc (9866.HK) plans to build a factory in Chuzhou city in the eastern province of Anhui to produce budget EVs under a new brand, said three people with knowledge of the matter. Neither Nio nor the Chuzhou local government immediately responded to requests for comment. Nio's main brand, Nio, is positioned for the premium car segment to compete with brands such as BMW, Audi and Mercedes-Benz in China and Europe. More than a quarter of the new cars sold in January in China were either pure electric or plug-in hybrids, according to China Passenger Car Association. Reporting by Zhang Yan, Zhuzhu Cui and Brenda Goh; Editing by Christopher Cushing and Sonali PaulOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ VW's China JV with SAIC names Jia Jianxu as its new head
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] People visit the Volkswagen booth during a media day for the Auto Shanghai show in Shanghai, China April 19, 2021. REUTERS/Aly SongSHANGHAI, Feb 20 (Reuters) - Volkswagen's joint venture with China's SAIC Motor (600104.SS) said on Monday it had appointed Jia Jianxu, a veteran executive at the state-owned Chinese automaker, as its new general manager. Since 2018, Jia has been the general manager at Yanfeng Automotive Interiors, a SAIC-owned vehicle seat maker, and helped develop its intelligent cockpit products. Jia's appointment comes as Volkswagen is ramping up its efforts in electric vehicles (EVs) in China, with its I.D. Reporting by Zhang Yan and Brenda Goh Editing by Mark PotterOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Tesla raises prices of some Model Y versions in China - website
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Companies Tesla Inc FollowSHANGHAI, Feb 17 (Reuters) - Tesla (TSLA.O) raised prices of performance and long-range versions of its Model Y mid-size sport utility vehicles (SUV) in China on Friday, according to its Chinese website. The starting prices of the two versions of Model Y in China increased by 2,000 yuan each to 311,900 yuan ($45,473) and 361,900 yuan, respectively, information on the website showed. It is the second time that Tesla has raised prices since it had lowered prices of all Model 3 and Model Y cars in its second-largest market by 6% to 14% in early January. The performance Model Y remains 9% cheaper than before the price cuts, while the long-range version is 13% cheaper. In contrast, Model Y sales held steady.

☆ Explainer: What's known about Tesla's "Project Highland"?
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The automaker has not commented on the new version, codenamed Highland. With the new model, Tesla is aiming to cut production costs and boost the appeal of the five-year-old electric sedan, Reuters reported in November. Building permits filed with the city of Fremont concerning changes to its factory have referenced "Highland" since last June. Apart from the Cybertruck, it is the only new model that Tesla is retooling assembly lines for this year. Tesla fans and armchair analysts speculate that "Highland" could be a reference to Ford Motor Co's (F.N) Highland Park plant, where Henry Ford launched his moving assembly line.

☆ Tesla changes U.S. prices for fourth time in two months
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Victoria KlestyCompanies Tesla Inc FollowFeb 14 (Reuters) - Tesla (TSLA.O) has changed prices for one version of each of its Model 3 sedan and Model Y crossover, the fourth price adjustment by the electric vehicle maker since the start of the year. Tesla increased the price of its Model Y performance crossover by $1,000 to $58,990, its website showed. Tesla rolled out sweeping price cuts in January across its line-up and in all of its major markets. Some owners of Tesla's in the United States had complained that the price cuts also eroded the resale value of their vehicles. Tesla's price cuts this year came after nearly two years when it had been pushing prices higher and could not keep up with demand.

☆ BYD to build $1.2 bln EV battery plant in central China - website
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

SHANGHAI, Feb 14 (Reuters) - BYD , the world's largest maker of electrified vehicles, plans to invest $1.2 billion to build a new factory for its batteries in China, according to environmental appraisal filings. BYD's Blade Battery is a less bulky lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP) battery that its Chairman Wang Chuanfu has said is safer than other alternatives in the market and will not catch fire. It has been powering BYD's best-selling battery electric cars such as the Han and Seal sedans that compete with Tesla's (TSLA.O) Model 3 in China. The South China Morning Post earlier reported BYD's Zhengzhou battery plant. Reporting by Zhang Yan and Brenda Goh; Editing by Christian SchmollingerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Analysis: In China, Tesla could win electric vehicle price battle – but lose the war
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

[1/5] Visitors check a Tesla Model 3 car next to a Model Y displayed at a showroom of the U.S. electric vehicle (EV) maker in Beijing, China February 4, 2023. REUTERS/Florence LoSummarySummary Companies Tesla price cuts have jumpstarted sales in world no. Most immediately, Tesla's January price cuts drove deliveries of its China-made vehicles up 18% from December. From 15% in 2020, its share of the China EV market fell by a third to just 10% in 2022, according to data from the CPCA. After the latest price cuts, the Model 3 starts at about $34,000 and the Model Y at $38,000.

☆ Geely's EV brand Zeekr raises $750 million in fresh funding round
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

SHANGHAI, Feb 13 (Reuters) - Zeekr, the electric car brand of China's Geely Automobile Holdings (0175.HK), is raising $750 million from five new and existing investors in a funding round that values the brand at $13 billion. Zeekr, which sells two purely electric car models, said in a statement on Monday that proceeds from the funding round will be used to support technology research and the global expansion of the Zeekr brand. The investors include Amnon Shashua, CEO and founder of autonomous driving technology company Mobileye Global (MBLY.O) - majority owned by Intel Corp (INTC.O) - and the Guangzhou city municipal government’s investment arm Yuexiu Industrial Fund, both new investors in the company. Supporters of the funding round also include Chinese battery maker CATL (300750.SZ), already among Zeekr's backers. Reporting by Zhang Yan and Brenda Goh; Editing by David HolmesOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Tesla, after recent cuts, raises starting price of Model Y in China
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] Model Y cars are pictured during the opening ceremony of the new Tesla Gigafactory for electric cars in Gruenheide, Germany, March 22, 2022. Patrick Pleul/Pool via REUTERSCompanies Tesla Inc FollowSHANGHAI/BEIJING, Feb 10 (Reuters) - Tesla Inc (TSLA.O) has increased the starting price of its Model Y crossovers by 0.8% to 261,900 yuan ($38,577.11) in China, after the company's aggressive price cuts at the beginning of the year ignited demand. Tesla raised the price for the rear-wheel drive version of Model Y by 2,000 yuan from 259,900 yuan previously, according to the price information listed on the company's Chinese website on Friday. The U.S. automaker planned to step up output at its Shanghai plant over the next two months to meet demand stoked by aggressive price cuts on its best-selling models, Reuters reported previously. Tesla kept the prices for other versions of Model Y and the Model 3 cars unchanged.

☆ China car sales plunge 38% in January as subsidies, tax cut end
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SHANGHAI/BEIJING, Feb 8 (Reuters) - China's passenger car sales slumped 38% in January, reversing a 2.4% gain in the previous month, industry data showed on Wednesday, as demand weakened after a tax cut on combustion engine cars and subsidies on electric vehicles (EV) expired. Sales of new energy cars that include pure battery EVs and plug-in hybrids also fell 6.3% in January after a blistering 90% growth in 2022, the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA) said. "New energy car sales in January didn't meet our expectation, with a rare year-on-year decline in a single month sales," said Cui Dongshu, secretary general of CPCA in an online briefing on Wednesday. He said the Lunar New Year and the end of EV subsidies were among the factors leading to the decline. New energy vehicles accounted for a quarter of the total 1.3 million car sales in the month, CPCA data showed, down sharply from 35% in November 2022.

☆ Berkshire Hathaway sells $44.9 mln of shares in China's BYD
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

REUTERS/Rick Wilking/File PhotoFeb 2 (Reuters) - Berkshire Hathaway, the investment company owned by Warren Buffett, has sold 1.55 million Hong Kong-listed shares of electric vehicle maker BYD (002594.SZ) for HK$351.81 million ($44.85 million), a stock exchange filing showed. The sale lowered Berkshire's holdings in BYD's issued H-shares to 12.9% on Jan. 27, down from 13.04%, the filing to the Hong Kong Stock Exchange showed on Thursday. Berkshire, which started selling the BYD shares in late August, has accumulatively reduced its holding by more than a third. Buffett's company acquired 225 million BYD shares in 2008, giving it a 7.73% stake, equal to the 20.49% stake in H shares, according to BYD's annual report. ($1 = 7.8434 Hong Kong dollars)Reporting by Twinnie Siu and Zhang Yan; editing by Jason Neely Editing by David GoodmanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Exclusive: Tesla to raise Shanghai output after price cuts stoke demand -memo
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SHANGHAI, Feb 1 (Reuters) - Tesla (TSLA.O) plans to step up output at its Shanghai plant over the next two months to meet demand ignited by aggressive price cuts on its best-selling models, according to a planning memo seen by Reuters and a person with knowledge of the plan. The automaker plans to produce a weekly average of nearly 20,000 units at its Shanghai factory in February and March, according to the memo, which detailed output plans for Tesla's most productive and profitable manufacturing hub. On a conference call last week to discuss Tesla's fourth-quarter results, Chief Executive Elon Musk said orders were roughly double production in January after global price cuts. Tesla's price cuts in China have sparked what analysts have described as a price war, as Chinese automakers Xpeng and Seres' Aito have followed the company in cutting prices. Tesla's Shanghai plant produces vehicles for the China market and for export to Europe.

☆ China's EV giant BYD in talks to acquire insurer Yi'an
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] The BYD Atto 3 EV car is displayed at the 39 Thailand International Motor Expo, in Bangkok, Thailand, November 30, 2022. REUTERS/Athit Perawongmetha/FilesSHANGHAI, Jan 31 (Reuters) - Chinese electric vehicle (EV) giant BYD said on Tuesday it is working on a potential acquisition of Yi'an P&C Insurance Co, an insurer that was seized by Chinese regulators two years ago as part of a crackdown on financial conglomerates. Chinese business publication Caixin reported earlier this month, citing unnamed sources, that BYD would fully take over the insurer and would use it to start an insurance business targeting electric vehicles. Yi'an P&C Insurance was among nine firms Chinese regulators seized from the Tomorrow Holdings conglomerate in July 2020. China banking and insurance regulator said last year it had agreed to allow Yi'an P&C Insurance to enter bankruptcy and reorganisation procedures.

☆ Chinese EV giant BYD set for surge in 2022 profit as sales jump
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/3] Chinese EV maker BYD's Seal is displayed at Tokyo Auto Salon 2023 at Makuhari Messe in Chiba, east of Tokyo, Japan, January 13, 2023. REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon/File PhotoJan 30 (Reuters) - China's BYD Co , the world's biggest seller of battery electric vehicles (BEVs) and plug-in hybrids, expects its 2022 net profit to be more than five times the amount it booked a year earlier, it said on Monday. With sales of 1.86 million cars, it expects a net profit of 16-17 billion yuan ($2.37-$2.52 billion) versus 3 billion in 2021, an exchange filing showed. The company said it had it achieved strong sales growth and significantly improved profitability and had "effectively relieved the cost pressure brought about by the rising upstreamraw material prices". ($1 = 6.7498 Chinese yuan renminbi)Reporting by Zhang Yan, Brenda Goh and Hong Kong newsroom; editing by Jason NeelyOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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