DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ 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.

☆ Tesla sales of China-made electric vehicles up 18% in January
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BEIJING, Feb 3 (Reuters) - Tesla Inc (TSLA.O) sold 66,051 China-made electric vehicles in January, data published by the China Passenger Car Association showed on Friday. That was up 18% from December, when the U.S. electric car maker sold 55,796 China-made vehicles, and 10% higher versus January last year. Tesla's Shanghai plant in December cut output by about a third from November, and extended a Lunar New Year holiday period for workers in January, to cope with rising inventory. Tesla was the second best-selling electric vehicle maker in China last month after BYD Co Ltd (002594.SZ) which shipped 150,164 cars, the CPCA said. Reporting by the Beijing and Hong Kong newsrooms and Brenda Goh; Editing by Jane MerrimanOur 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.

☆ 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.

☆ Analysis: India's EV dawn fans expectations fuel demand may peak early
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-27 | by ( Mohi Narayan | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Currently, around 90% of Indian petrochemical demand is met by China, he said, so a shift by Indian refiners towards domestic chemical needs could dramatically change supply dynamics. Indian refiners are investing billions of dollars to raise petrochemical capacity. Indian Oil Corp (IOC.NS), the country's top refiner, is raising petrochemical capacity at its Panipat refinery by 13% and building new plants linked to its Paradip and Gujarat refineries. India's state refiners, which dominate fuel retailers, plan to set up EV charging facilities at more than 22,000 fuel stations and highways by 2024. About 40% of India's fuel demand is for diesel, which is mostly used by trucks.

☆ Elon Musk says a Chinese automaker will likely be second to Tesla: 'They work the smartest'
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-26 | by ( Arjun Kharpal | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Elon Musk said that a Chinese automaker is likely to be the closest competitor to Tesla , while stressing the company is "winning in China" right now. Tesla has a number of challengers in China in the electric vehicle space, including a slew of start-ups such as Nio , Xpeng and Li Auto . "And so, if I were to guess ... probably some company out of China is the most likely to be second to Tesla," Musk said. Musk said that the "Tesla China team is winning" in the country without clarifying further. Tesla's Model 3 was the fifth best selling new energy vehicle car in China in 2022, according to the China Passenger Car Association.

☆ China’s EV Sales Broke Record in 2022 as Overall Auto Market Stalled
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-10 | by ( Selina Cheng | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

BYD, which is backed by Warren Buffett, jumped to the top of China’s retail-sales chart in 2022. HONG KONG—Sales of new-energy vehicles almost doubled in China last year, even as overall car sales remained sluggish with auto makers weathering severe production disruptions and economic challenges under strict anti-Covid-19 curbs. China sold 5.67 million electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids in 2022, the China Passenger Car Association said Tuesday, as state subsidies and high oil prices led buyers to switch from gas-guzzling models.

☆ China passenger vehicle sales rise in Dec, Tesla sales slump 41% - data
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

He predicted that China's passenger vehicle sales were likely to remain largely flat or slightly up in 2023. CPCA said on Tuesday that China's passenger vehicle sales in December rose 2.4% from a year earlier to 2.19 million units. Tesla saw its December sales in China plunge 41% from a year earlier despite offering deep discounts. Most other EV makers in China are still loss making, including Nio (9866.HK), Xpeng (9868.HK) and Li Auto (2015.HK). CPCA expects sales of new energy cars, mainly EVs, to hit 8.5 million units in 2023, accounting for 36% of total new car sales.

☆ Tesla cuts prices in China for second time in three months as demand slows
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-06 | by ( Laura He | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Hong Kong CNN —Tesla has slashed car prices in China for the second time in less than three months, in an effort to boost sales amidst slowing demand in the world’s largest car market. The electric vehicle maker cut prices for all versions of its China-made Model 3 and Model Y on Friday, according to its website. This is the second price cut since October 24, when Tesla (TSLA) reduced the prices of Model 3 and Model Y by as much as 9.4%. “Tesla’s price cuts are backed by innumerable engineering innovations,” said Grace Tao, Tesla’s vice president for external relations in China, on her Weibo account on Friday. Tesla’s price cuts come days after Beijing ended a 13-year-long subsidy for electric vehicle purchases on December 31, a move that is expected to put further pressure on car demand.

☆ Tesla’s China Deliveries Fell Sharply in December Despite Discounts
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-05 | by ( Selina Cheng | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Hong Kong— Tesla Inc. delivered far fewer China-made electric vehicles in December than in November and the company has extended discounts for another two months during a period of weakening demand. Tesla delivered almost 55,800 Model 3 and Model Y vehicles from its Shanghai gigafactory during the last month of 2022—a figure that includes exports—according to data released Thursday by the China Passenger Car Association.

☆ Tesla's December sales of China-made cars fall to the lowest in five months
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-05 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Tesla vehicles waiting for shipping transport in a large lot near the Waigaoqiao Container Port in Shanghai, China, on Friday, June 3, 2022. Tesla Inc delivered 55,796 China-made electric vehicles in December, the lowest level in five months, according to data from the China Passenger Car Association on Thursday. It also marks the fewest monthly deliveries since July when most production at Tesla's Shanghai plant was suspended due to an upgrade to its production lines. For the whole of 2022, the U.S. automaker delivered 50% more vehicles produced in its Shanghai plant compared with 2021, the CPCA data showed. Tesla suspended production at its Shanghai plant, its most productive manufacturing hub, from Dec. 24 to Jan. 2 as part of the output reduction efforts, Reuters reported previously.

☆ Tesla's Dec sales of China-made cars fall to the lowest in five months
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] Tesla China-made Model 3 vehicles are seen during a delivery event at its factory in Shanghai, China January 7, 2020. REUTERS/Aly SongSHANGHAI, Jan 5 (Reuters) - Tesla Inc (TSLA.O) delivered 55,796 China-made electric vehicles in December, the lowest level in five months, according to data from the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA) on Thursday. It also marks the fewest monthly deliveries since July when most production at Tesla's Shanghai plant was suspended due to an upgrade to its production lines. For the whole of 2022, the U.S. automaker delivered 50% more vehicles produced in its Shanghai plant compared with 2021, the CPCA data showed. Tesla suspended production at its Shanghai plant, its most productive manufacturing hub, from Dec. 24 to Jan. 2 as part of the output reduction efforts, Reuters reported previously.

☆ Covid-19: China's surge in cases hits factories and consumer market
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-26 | by ( Laura He | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Hong Kong CNN —China’s economy is under severe strain as a wave of Covid cases sweeps across the country. Factories and companies are also forced to shut down or cut production because of more workers getting sick. Nationwide, truck cargo volumes and delivery orders both shrank in the past week, according to statistics from the transportation ministry and the postal service regulator. Many factories have been forced to shut down for weeks because of sick workers and lack of orders, according to Chinese media. The next few weeks may be “the most dangerous” for China’s battle with Covid, said Capital Economics analysts.

☆ Tesla falls on growing angst over Musk's focus on Twitter
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Tesla's shares hit a more than two-year low of $140.86. Evercore ISI, which slashed its price target on the company's shares to $200 from $300 said investors fear damage to the Tesla brand. Daiwa Capital Markets also cut its price target to $177 from $240, citing a "higher risk profile from the Twitter distraction". Analysts at Oppenheimer downgraded Tesla's shares on Monday. The price target cuts come ahead of Tesla's quarterly deliveries report expected in early January amid weakening demand in China.

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. The automotive group led by founder Li Shufu now houses seven brands manufacturing electric vehicles, of which three are high-end brands. 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. Zeekr was established by Geely, formally known as Zhejiang Geely Holding Group (GEELY.UL), in April 2021 to tap into increasing Chinese demand for premium EVs.

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.

☆ Here are Friday's biggest analyst calls: Apple, Tesla, McDonald's, Netflix, Carvana, Microsoft & more
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-09 | by ( Michael Bloom | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

Cowen names Costco a top 2023 pick Cowen said Costco is well positioned in a deteriorating macro environment. " Cowen names Caterpillar a top 2023 pick Cowen said the company is well positioned heading into 2023. Cowen names Netflix a top 2023 pick Cowen said it sees free-cash flow ramping up for Netflix in 2023. Morgan Stanley reiterates Apple as overweight Morgan Stanley said investors should take advantage of any weakness and buy the dip in shares of Apple . Morgan Stanley reiterates Lululemon as overweight Morgan Stanley said the company's fundamentals remain strong after its earnings report on Thursday. "

☆ Tesla Sales of Chinese-Made Cars Hit Record, as Nation’s Auto Market Shrinks
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-08 | by ( Selina Cheng | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

HONG KONG— Tesla Inc.’s Shanghai factory had a record month of sales despite China’s auto market shrinking in the grip of a slowing economy and consumer demand under harsh Covid curbs, constraints that Beijing has just moved to start easing. The American EV giant sold more than 100,000 China-made electric vehicles in November even as passenger car retail sales shrunk by more than 9% on the year amid poor market conditions, according to China Passenger Car Association data released on Thursday. More than 60,000 of those were sold domestically, representing more than one-tenth of China’s EV market share. The rest were exported.

☆ China Nov passenger vehicle sales drop 9.5%, first fall in six months - CPCA
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Vehicle sales last month fell 9.5% from a year earlier to 1.67 million units, the first decline since May, according to the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA). The association said it expects passenger vehicle sales to reach 20.6 million units next year, flat from 2022, a forecast more optimistic than some street views. Analysts at China Merchants Bank International expect retail passenger vehicle sales in China, the world's biggest car market, to drop 6% next year due to the expiry of a purchase-tax cut. But the incentives did little to boost vehicle sales in recent months, as many COVID restrictions remained in place. November sales of Toyota Motor Corp (7203.T) in China fell 18.4% from a year ago, while Nissan Motor (7201.T) saw a 52.5% drop in its sales.

☆ Tesla sold 100,291 China-made vehicles in Nov -Xinhua
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

SHANGHAI, Dec 5 (Reuters) - Tesla Inc (TSLA.O) delivered 100,291 China-made electric vehicles (EVs) in November, the highest monthly sales since its Shanghai factory opened in late 2020, a Xinhua report said on Monday. The number marks a 40% increase from October and 89.7% more than a year earlier after the U.S. automaker ramped up output at the Shanghai plant, cut prices for the best-selling models and offered incentives to Chinese buyers. However, BYD (002594.SZ) led all brands in China's November EV sales at 229,942 electric cars including plug-in hybrids and pure electric vehicles, three times more than a year earlier and more than double Tesla's tally, China Passenger Car Association data shows. BYD was the top-selling car brand in China in the first four weeks of November, data from China Merchants Bank International shows, outperforming the Volkswagen brand in a reversal that highlights the pressure on legacy brands in the world's largest auto market. Reporting by Zhang Yan, Brenda Goh and Beijing Newsroom Editing by Alison Williams and David GoodmanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Exclusive: Tesla readies revamped Model 3 with project 'Highland' -sources
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

[1/2] A Tesla Model 3 sedan, its first car aimed at the mass market, is displayed during its launch in Hawthorne, California, U.S. March 31, 2016. Tesla’s Shanghai Gigafactory will put the redesigned Model 3 into production in the third quarter of 2023, they said. CHANGE YOU CAN SEEThe redesign for the Model 3 builds on the revamp of the Model S -- Tesla’s premium EV sedan -- that was released last year. The Model 3, Tesla’s cheapest EV starting at just under $47,000 in the United States, had been the automaker’s best-seller but is being overtaken by the Model Y crossover. KEEP IT SIMPLEMusk has pushed a simplified approach to design and production at Tesla that the Highland project extends, said the people with knowledge of the development.

☆ Berkshire Hathaway: Warren Buffett further unwinds BYD investment in China
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-23 | by ( Laura He | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

It’s the fifth major share sale by Berkshire (BERK) of BYD shares disclosed since August, according to public records. Before the first deal was disclosed in August, Berkshire had held 225 million shares of BYD for 14 years. The US conglomerate first bought BYD shares at an average of HK$8 ($1.02) apiece in 2008, with an investment of $230 million. Back then, BYD shares had fallen to a record low during the global financial crisis. Based on the latest exchange filing, the conglomerate has dumped more than 49 million BYD shares in the past four months.

☆ Mercedes-Benz cuts price of some electric models in China
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BEIJING/FRANKFURT, Nov 16 (Reuters) - Mercedes-Benz said it had cut prices on some of its EQE and EQS models in China from Wednesday, citing changing market demand for top-end electric vehicles. Foreign carmakers are struggling to break into China's electric vehicle market, with only Tesla (TSLA.O) achieving higher sales figures. "The Top-End electric vehicle segment in China is still evolving ... Mercedes-Benz is repositioning certain EQ models in China," a spokesperson said. Mercedes-Benz sold 11,327 electric cars in China from January to August, according to the China Passenger Car Association, compared with Tesla, which sold almost 400,000, and China's BYD (002594.SZ), which sold nearly a million. Industry-wide sales are expected to slow into 2023, according to China Merchants Bank International, with some analysts expecting a price war.

☆ Tesla changes insurance incentive scheme in China to urge purchases
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

SHANGHAI/BEIJING, Nov 8 (Reuters) - Tesla Inc (TSLA.O) said it has raised insurance incentives for car orders in China placed before Nov. 30, but reduced them for orders made next month, a move to urge consumers to place orders earlier. The U.S. automaker previously offered an insurance incentive of 7,000 yuan ($970) for orders between Oct. 1 and Dec. 30. But on Tuesday Tesla said the incentive for November was raised to 8,000 yuan and reduced for December orders to 4,000 yuan. The insurance incentive is a cash rebate offered to buyers to buy insurance from Tesla's partner insurers. Tesla delivered 71,704 China-made electric vehicles (EVs) in October, down 14% from a record high in September, according to the China Passenger Car Association last week.

☆ Geely's Zeekr plans electric vehicle sales in Europe in 2023
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] A Zeekr 001 electric vehicle (EV) by Geely is seen displayed at the Zeekr booth during a media day for the Auto Shanghai show in Shanghai, China April 19, 2021. REUTERS/Aly Song/File PhotoSHANGHAI, Nov 2 (Reuters) - Zhejiang Geely Holding Group's (GEELY.UL) premium electric car business plans to sell the first electric vehicle produced under the Zeekr brand in Europe next year, Zeekr's CEO said. Zeekr joins a growing list of Chinese automakers looking to launch or expand sales of electric vehicles in Europe next year, including BYD (002594.SZ), Xpeng (9868.HK) and Great Wall Motors (601633.SS). An said Geely would market its 001 electric crossover in Europe next year. The base model Zeekr 001 sells for the equivalent of $41,000 in China compared with $40,000 for the Tesla (TSLA.O) Model Y after a recent price cut.

Search resuls for: "China Passenger Car"

25 mentions found