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That would mean running Tesla factories leaner with fewer materials in inventory, cutting shipping and logistics costs and negotiating lower prices for components, he said - putting Tesla's suppliers on notice. "My guess is if the recession is a serious one, and I think it probably will be but I hope it isn't, that would lead to meaningful decrease in almost all of our input costs," Musk said. Tesla's third-quarter profit per car sold was more than seven times higher than Toyota Motor Corp (7203.T), for example. The company's average cost per vehicle, including all categories of its spending, was almost $44,000 in the fourth quarter. I think there's just a vast number of people that want to buy a Tesla but can't afford it," Musk said.

☆ China doesn't need to sell a single car in the US to dominate the American electric car market
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-26 | by ( Alexa St. John | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Chinese carmakers have a massive, domestic EV battery supply chain to lean on. That's a huge advantage for those companies in the global market. And given the number of Chinese buyers, those sales made up about two-thirds of the global EV market. EV companies like Geely, Xpeng, Li Auto, NIO, and more are gaining traction. Even if others catch up, China will continue to dominate global EV sales this year, according to GlobalData.

☆ 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."

☆ Bolivia taps Chinese battery giant CATL to help develop lithium riches
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-20 | by ( Daniel Ramos | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LA PAZ, Jan 20 (Reuters) - Bolivia has chosen a consortium including Chinese battery giant CATL (300750.SZ) to help develop the South American country's huge, but largely untapped, reserves of lithium after a lengthy bidding process involving firms from the United States and Russia. The deal announced at an event in the political capital La Paz would see the CBC consortium partner on direct lithium extraction from the country's Potosi and Oruro salt flats. The companies who have remained in the race include U.S. firm Lilac Solutions, Russia's Uranium One Group and three other Chinese bidders. "Today begins the era of industrialization of Bolivian lithium," Arce said, adding that there was "no time to lose" in developing the metal. Energy minister Franklin Molina said the move showed there were "sovereign alternatives to the privatization models of lithium exploitation."

☆ China's BYD takes cautious approach to U.S. in global EV push
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-18 | by ( Norihiko Shirouzu | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

[1/2] The logo of BYD is pictured at the 2022 Paris Auto Show in Paris, France October 17, 2022. While BYD has not fully articulated its global ambitions in public, a concerted worldwide push has become the single most important strategic focus for China's biggest EV maker, four sources familiar with BYD management's thinking said. "BYD is taking a cautious approach to the U.S.," the person said. "I would say BYD at this point is already better positioned than Tesla in the EV era." "America is going to be a key, key part of this global push strategy," one said.

☆ South Korea's SK On plans a new, lower cost EV battery by 2025
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-06 | by ( Joseph White | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Tesla Inc (TSLA.O) and EV startup Rivian (RIVN.O) also have announced plans to use LFP batteries. LFP batteries can be produced at lower cost, but deliver less range than comparable nickel-cobalt EV batteries. LFP batteries made in China can have a 20% cost advantage over nickel cobalt batteries. Battery makers and automakers are expanding EV battery capacity globally, and some industry analysts have questioned whether that could result in oversupply. Raising the capital required to fund investments in capacity and new chemistries is one of SK On's main challenges, Lee said.

☆ 7 up-and-coming battery makers vying for the $370 billion electric commercial vehicle business
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-22 | by ( Andrew Moseman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

The global electric commercial vehicle market is expected to top $370 billion in annual revenue by 2030. With a flood of new battery-powered autos set to transform the business of building passenger vehicles, it was natural that commercial vehicles would be next. The global electric commercial vehicles market is expected to surpass $370 billion in annual revenue by 2030, according to Guidehouse Insights. It also has its toes deep into electric mobility, building batteries not only for EVs but also electric buses, boats, and trucks. Now, through internal changes and acquisitions, BorgWarner is positioning itself for the electrified future, especially as that future comes to commercial vehicles.

☆ Ford, China's CATL considering building U.S. battery plant -Bloomberg
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Dec 14 (Reuters) - Ford Motor Co (F.N) and China's Contemporary Amperex Technology Co Ltd (CATL) (300750.SZ) are considering building a battery plant in Michigan or Virginia to reap tax benefits without treading on Sino-U.S. political sensitivities, Bloomberg reported on Wednesday. The multibillion-dollar facility will make lithium iron phosphate batteries for Ford's electric models, Bloomberg reported, citing people familiar with the matter. That would let the facility qualify for production tax credits under the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act without needing direct financial investment from CATL, Bloomberg reported. In October, Reuters reported CATL had slowed plans to invest in battery plants in North America over concerns that new U.S. rules on sourcing required materials would drive up costs. Ford and CATL did not immediately respond to Reuters' request for comment.

HONG KONG, Dec 12 (Reuters) - Zeekr, Chinese automaker Geely's upmarket electric car brand, has confidentially filed for a U.S. initial public offering, aiming to raise more than $1 billion, three sources with direct knowledge of the matter told Reuters. That compares with a valuation of about $9 billion in its maiden external fundraising last year. In doing so, it joins a growing list of Chinese automakers looking to launch or expand sales of EVs in the region. According to two of the sources, Zeekr also considered Hong Kong as its listing venue but picked New York in the hope of achieving a higher valuation. It said in October it would spin Zeekr off but did not identify a listing venue or the likely value of an offering.

☆ China's CATL to provide EV batteries for Honda starting in 2024
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] People walk past the R&D centre of Contemporary Amperex Technology Ltd (CATL) in Ningde, Fujian province, China, December 16, 2016. REUTERS/Jake Spring/File PhotoTOKYO, Dec 8 (Reuters) - Honda Motor Co (7267.T) said on Thursday that Chinese battery giant CATL (300750.SZ) would supply batteries for seven years for its electric vehicles (EV) in China. The Japanese automaker said the Chinese firm would provide 123 GWh worth of batteries starting in 2024 through 2030 for the Honda's e:N Series. Honda said at that time it would launch its first EV with a CATL battery in China in 2022 and would expand the partnership with stable EV battery supply globally in the future. It unveiled the second model of its new China-only EV lineup in November as part of its effort to roll out the e:N Series.

The flurry of deals comes even as warnings emerge that lithium prices, driven to records by rapid growth in electric vehicles, may peak next year because of a looming supply glut. It also bought majority stakes in the Lakkor Tso Lithium Salar mine in China's Tibet region and the Xiangyuan lithium mine in Hunan province. Zijin has a market capitalisation of about $35 billion and net profit of 15.7 billion yuan ($2.2 billion) last year. Some firms are also working to develop alternative battery materials, which could reduce lithium demand in the long term. Zijin told investors recently it made its mine acquisitions based on lithium carbonate prices of 100,000 yuan a tonne.

HONG KONG, Nov 23 (Reuters Breakingviews) - A Hong Kong stock market debut puts Jakarta at the centre of China’s electric-car boom. Lygend Resources & Technology (2245.HK), a Chinese nickel trader, is looking to raise up to $594 million in an initial public offering to expand in Indonesia. Lygend both trades and produces nickel products, essential for stainless steel and batteries. Around a fifth of the world’s nickel resources are located in the country, which accounted for nearly 40% of ore unearthed last year, according to the company’s prospectus. Hong Kong CATL is the largest cornerstone investor, according to the prospectus.

Today's EVs run on lithium ion batteries — mostly made with lithium, cobalt, manganese and high-grade nickel, whose prices have soared. The EVs of the future — those arriving after 2025 — could shift to sodium ion or lithium sulfur battery cells that could be up to two-thirds cheaper than today's lithium ion cells. China's CATL (300750.SZ) has said it plans to begin producing sodium ion cells in 2023. Michigan-based Amandarry and British startup AMTE Power (AMTE.L) are developing sodium ion batteries using sodium chloride — basically table salt — as the main cathode ingredient. Battery developers hope they can add sodium ion and lithium sulfur batteries to the range open to the auto industry.

☆ Indonesia to set up $2 bln EV fund with China's CATL, CMB International
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

JAKARTA, Nov 14 (Reuters) - The Indonesia Investment Authority, the country's sovereign wealth fund, is to set up a green electric vehicle (EV) fund of at least $2 billion with China's battery maker CATL and CMB International, the fund's CEO said on Monday. INA CEO Ridha Wirakusumah then signed an agreement for the partnership with company executives from CATL and CMB International. "With CATL and CMB International as the main partners, we are looking for limited partners to invest in the green EV fund, to seize this EV value chain opportunity primarily in Indonesia," Ridha said. Indonesia is keen to develop its own EV and battery industries at home, after banning exports of nickel ore to ensure supply for investors since 2020. Earlier this year, CATL announced a $6 billion power battery project in Indonesia, in partnership with Indonesian companies.

☆ China's super-rich see fortunes plunge as economy slows
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-08 | by ( Brenda Goh | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Nov 8 (Reuters) - China's super-rich saw their wealth tumble by the most in over two decades this year, as the Russia-Ukraine war, Beijing's zero-COVID measures and falling mainland and Hong Kong stock markets pummelled fortunes, an annual rich list said on Tuesday. The Hurun Rich list, which ranks China's wealthiest people with a minimum net worth of 5 billion yuan ($692 million), said only 1,305 people made the mark this year, down 11% from last year. "This year has seen the biggest fall in the Hurun China Rich List of the last 24 years," said Rupert Hoogewerf, chairman and chief researcher of research firm Hurun Report which compiles the list. The founder of TikTok owner ByteDance, Zhang Yiming, took second place, but saw his wealth fall 28% to $35 billion due to a drop in ByteDance's valuation. Tencent founder Pony Ma posted the second largest drop in wealth of $14.6 billion amid sliding tech stock prices, to take fifth place on the list.

☆ Alibaba’s Jack Ma and China’s super-rich see billions wiped off fortunes as economy slows
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-08 | by ( Story Reuters | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

China’s super-rich saw their wealth tumble by the most in over two decades this year, as the Russia-Ukraine war, Beijing’s zero-Covid measures and falling mainland and Hong Kong stock markets pummeled fortunes, according to an annual rich list. Tencent founder Pony Ma posted the second largest drop in wealth amid sliding tech stock prices. The founder of TikTok owner ByteDance, Zhang Yiming, took second place, but saw his wealth fall 28% to $35 billion due to a drop in ByteDance’s valuation. Tencent (TCEHY) founder Pony Ma posted the second largest drop in wealth of $14.6 billion amid sliding tech stock prices, to take fifth place on the list. Alibaba (BABA) founder Jack Ma and his family tumbled four places to be ranked No.

☆ Ford: U.S. should ease 'foreign entity' rules so that more EVs get tax credits
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-04 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON, Nov 3 (Reuters) - Ford Motor Co (F.N) said on Thursday the U.S. Treasury Department should limit the definition of a "foreign entity of concern" to ensure more electric vehicles can qualify for up to $7,500 in consumer tax credits. In August, Congress passed the $430 billion Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) legislation to restructure EV tax credits and, will, in the coming years, bar credits if any EV battery components were manufactured or assembled by a "foreign entity of concern" or if batteries contain critical minerals extracted, processed, or recycled by a foreign entity of concern. The company also said any U.S.-organized company, regardless of its owners, should not trigger the foreign entity rules. Ford also said automakers need a "de minimis standard" as part of foreign entity reporting requirements "so that unintended traces of critical minerals do not disqualify consumers from getting a tax credit." The foreign entity restrictions apply to vehicle battery components starting in 2024 and battery minerals beginning in 2025.

It wants 3.8 billion pounds ($4.4 billion) to build a gigafactory in northern England but its plans are hanging by a thread as it struggles to lure enough investment. French battery startup Verkor, for example, announced on Wednesday that it had raised 250 million euros ($249 million) to fund a megafactory. The European Battery Alliance (EBA) acknowledges Asian firms, and Chinese companies in particular, are likely to increase their market share in the coming years, helped by their track record and offtake agreements. "Even if we have the production in Europe, it doesn't mean we have the know-how or the control," she said. The EU has approved 6.1 billion euros since 2019 in funding by member states for battery research and innovation while Britain has a 1 billion pound fund to support investments in EV supply chains.

☆ This Chinese electric carmaker's stock could rally by more than 260%, Citi says
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-01 | by ( Ganesh Rao | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Citi says BYD is one of its "top" buy ideas among Chinese stocks and expects shares in the automaker to soar by more than 260% over the next 12 months. Jeff Chung, an equity analyst at Citi, reiterated his buy rating and price target on the stock after the company announced earnings on Oct. 28. Chung's price target for BYD is significantly higher than other analysts'. The median price target from six analysts covering the stock gives the stock a potential upside of 60.8%, according to FactSet data. Citi analysts recommended investors in China adopt a "barbell strategy" — a mix of conservative stocks to protect against downside risks and "high-conviction growth stocks" — in their base case scenario.

☆ Forget Tesla? Citi and HSBC name 2 alternatives to play the EV boom
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-01 | by ( Zavier Ong | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Morgan Stanley cut its price target on Tesla from $350 a share to $330 last week following the earnings release, citing unexpected headwinds in the fourth quarter and beyond. A weakening demand outlook for EVs and concerns over the impact of the Inflation Reduction Act have also already been priced in to CATL's stock price, Citi added. Battery boom HSBC has forecast demand for EV lithium-ion batteries to grow at a compounded rate of 32% into 2030. Meanwhile, Citi estimates global EV penetration will reach 55% by 2030. The bank sees global battery demand for EVs and energy storage systems to grow 62% this year and a further 29% in 2023.

☆ Panasonic to start building Kansas battery plant next month
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The conglomerate also lowered its full-year operating profit forecast to 320 billion yen ($2.16 billion) from 360 billion yen for the year ending March 31. That compares with a 349.9 billion yen average forecast by 19 analysts. Panasonic posted an 11% drop in second-quarter operating profit, but performed better than analysts' estimates. It reported 86.1 billion yen ($582.54 million) in operating profit for the three months to end-September, versus an average 81.6 billion yen profit estimated by nine analysts, according to Refinitiv data. Panasonic has said that, by 2029, it plans to expand its battery production capacity by three to four times, with most of the increase in North America.

☆ Chinese automaker Geely's new energy brand Farizon raises over $300 mln
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BEIJING/HONG KONG, Oct 26 (Reuters) - Chinese automaker Geely's new energy vehicle subsidiary on Wednesday said its brand Farizon has raised over $300 million from a funding round led by Asian logistics firm Global Logistics Properties' (GLP) investment arm Hidden Hill Capital. The new capital raise, which involves other investors such as Chinese logistics and chemical group Transfar and an investment firm backed by major Chinese investment bank CITIC Securities, came as Geely stepped up its new energy vehicle development. Hangzhou-based Geely Holding Group, owner of Zhejiang Geely New Energy Commercial Vehicle Group which sells Farizon, is known globally with its investments in Volvo Cars and Mercedes-Benz. Farizon will use much of the funding "for research & development and ecosystem development, in order to further consolidate its market-leading position in new energy commercial vehicles," Zhejiang Geely New Energy Commercial Vehicle Group said in a statement. Geely New Energy Commercial Vehicle did not disclose Farizon's valuation in the statement.

☆ China’s Battery Champion CATL Keeps Powering Up
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-21 | by ( Jacky Wong | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

The world’s largest maker of electric-vehicle batteries is driving at full speed. Securing stable supplies of critical raw materials—while managing an increasingly fraught overseas expansion—is the key challenge ahead. China’s Contemporary Amperex Technology, or CATL, said earlier this month that its net profit for the quarter ending in September was almost triple that of a year earlier. Full results won’t be out until Saturday, but revenue likely also surged while margins probably improved from last quarter—though materials costs, particularly for battery metals, are a headache for all makers. Prices for lithium carbonate in China, for example, have almost tripled from a year ago, according to S&P Global Commodity Insights.

☆ EXCLUSIVE China's CATL slows battery investment plan for U.S., Mexico-sources
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Executives from Volkswagen (VOWG_p.DE), BMW, and Hyundai (005380.KS) have urged U.S. legislators to give automakers operating in the United States more time to meet the required battery sourcing targets to qualify for tax incentives. CATL sees North America as a crucial market, the two people with knowledge of its planning said. But the new U.S. rules on sourcing battery materials had become a "banana peel" that have slowed the company's investment plans, one said. China, led by CATL, dominates the EV battery supply chain, producing about 70% of battery cells made globally. At the event to announce the investment, Zipse was critical of the new sourcing requirements, saying the "United States should have a regulation that is not entirely unrealistic."

☆ Chinese battery giant CATL Q3 profit jumps 188.4% Y/Y
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

SHANGHAI, Oct 21 (Reuters) - China's CATL (300750.SZ), the world's largest electric vehicle (EV) battery maker, said on Friday its third-quarter profit nearly tripled, buoyed by rapid expansion in production to power the growth of EVs worldwide. CATL, whose clients include Tesla (TSLA.O), Volkswagen and BMW (BMWG.DE), booked a net profit of 9.4 billion yuan ($1.30 billion) from July to September, according to a company filing to the Shenzhen stock exchange. Revenue increased 232.5% in the three-month period to 97.4 billion yuan from a year before, the company said. The result is largely in line with an estimate provided by the company last week. ($1 = 7.2454 Chinese yuan renminbi)Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Zhang Yan and Brenda Goh; Editing by Jan HarveyOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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