Author: Lei Kang/CnEVPost

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BYD BYD Plant China Electric eMobility eV

BYD’s new plant in central Chinese city Zhengzhou goes into operation

Currently in production is the first phase of 's Zhengzhou base, with a planned annual capacity of 400,000 vehicles.  |  BYDDY.US | BYD HK

BYD (OTCMKTS: BYDDY) has officially started production at a new vehicle production site that begins contributing to the capacity of China's largest maker of new energy vehicles (NEVs).

The production site, located in Zhengzhou, Henan province in central China, saw its first production vehicle roll off the line on April 6, according to a report by a local TV station.

The project was signed in September 2021 and took 17 months to complete construction and go into production.

Currently in production is the first phase of the Zhengzhou base, which covers an area of 4,101 mu (2.7 square kilometers) and has a planned annual production capacity of 400,000 vehicles.

The production base will have phase II and phase III projects, and the total production capacity will exceed 1 million units after completion.

The first mass-produced vehicle to roll off the line from BYD's Zhengzhou base is a Song Pro DM-i, which has a guide price range of RMB 140,800 ($20,480) - 165,800 yuan.

Officials from the Henan provincial government, as well as BYD chairman and president Wang Chuanfu, attended the ceremony to mark the start of production at the facility.

The production base is expected to help BYD achieve its goal of selling at least 3 million vehicles this year. Wang has apologized several times over the past two years for the long wait times for BYD vehicles due to a lack of capacity.

BYD aims to sell at least 3 million vehicles this year and will strive to reach 3.6 million, Wang said at an investor conference on March 29.

For the 3.6 million sales target BYD is aiming to reach, 2.8 million in China and 800,000 overseas, Yicai said in a March 30 report citing an insider at the company.

BYD sold 1,868,543 vehicles in 2022, including 1,863,494 NEVs. The company stopped production and sales of vehicles powered entirely by internal combustion engines in March 2022.

If it can reach 3.6 million vehicles in global sales, BYD is expected to be among the top 10 car companies in global auto sales this year.

BYD aims to become China's No. 1 automaker by the end of this year, Wang said at the investor conference.

BYD sold 207,080 NEVs in March, up 97.45 percent from 104,878 units a year earlier and up 6.93 percent from 193,655 units in February, according to data released by the company earlier this month.

In the first quarter, BYD's NEV sales were 552,076 units, up 92.81 percent from 286,329 units in the same period last year, but down 19.22 percent from 683,440 units in the fourth quarter last year.

($1 = RMB 6.8752)

BYD aims to sell at least 3 million vehicles this year

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Battery News Battery Tech CALB China Electric eMobility eV

CALB unveils new battery tech, boasting significant performance gains over traditional cylindrical cells

The "U" type structure allows the battery to reduce structural component resistance by 50 percent, achieve an energy density of 300 Wh/kg, and support fast charging beyond 6C, CALB said.  | CALB.HK

As CATL's Qilin Battery begins mass production, CALB, another Chinese battery manufacturer, has also rolled out its battery innovation.

CALB officially unveiled its new battery with a "U" type structure at the recent China EV 100 Forum event, an innovation based on its One-Stop minimalist design concept, according to an article by the CATL rival yesterday.

The battery is based on structural and chemical innovations developed by CALB in-house, the industry's first "U" type structure, according to the article, which features a presentation by an executive.

This design allows the battery to reduce the resistance of structural components by 50 percent, achieve an energy density of 300 Wh/kg, and support fast charging of more than 6C, achieving a significant increase in performance compared to traditional cylindrical batteries, according to CALB.

As background, C refers to the battery's charge multiplier, and 6C means that the battery could theoretically be fully charged in one-sixth of an hour -- 10 minutes.

"We have made a disruptive innovation to the structure of the cylindrical battery by introducing the 'U' type structure," CALB vice president Xie Qiu said in a presentation at the China EV 100 Forum.

While the Tabless structure solves some of the current path problems, treating the cell's shell as a conductive component results in a relatively long path for the current to flow through, Xie said, adding that the shell is steel, which does not conduct well.

CALB's structural innovation reduces the current flow path by 70 percent relative to Tabless cells, reduces structural resistance by 50 percent, and improves space utilization by 3 percent, he said.

Also considering CALB's chemical material system technology, the company's large cylindrical battery can achieve 6C fast charging while the energy density of the cells can reach 300 Wh/kg, according to Xie.

In addition to the performance improvement of the cells, the "U" type structure also helps to improve manufacturing efficiency. Compared with the Tabless technology, the number of welding machines in the production line of this battery is about 70 percent less, he said.

CALB is the latest local manufacturer to announce progress in battery technology innovation.

On June 23, 2022, CATL unveiled its CTP (cell to pack) 3.0 Qilin Battery, which it says brings battery system integration to a new level.

The Qilin Battery allows volume utilization to exceed 72 percent and energy density to reach 255 Wh/kg, easily allowing vehicles to achieve a range of 1000 km, CATL said at the time.

With the same chemistry system and the same pack size, Qilin Battery delivers 13 percent more power compared to the 4680 battery, achieving an overall improvement in range, fast charging, safety, longevity, efficiency, and low-temperature performance, according to CATL.

On March 21, local media outlet The Paper reported that CATL's Qilin Battery has achieved mass production.

CATL is the world's largest battery manufacturer, with a 33.9 percent share in January-February, according to data released by South Korean market research firm SNE Research on March 30.

CALB ranked seventh in the global market with a 3.4 percent share.

Notably, CATL is suing CALB in China for infringing its patent rights.

NIO to use batteries from multiple suppliers including CALB and BYD in sub-brand, report says

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China Electric eMobility eV Tesla Tesla Team Tom Zhu

Tom Zhu becomes 1 of 4 key execs at Tesla

Zhu, 43, has been officially named senior vice president of Tesla's automotive business.

Tom Zhu, who has made significant contributions to the development of Tesla's China business, has been officially named one of the top four executives at the US electric vehicle (EV) maker.

Zhu, 43, has been named senior vice president of Tesla's automotive business, according to a filing the EV maker made with the US Securities and Exchange Commission yesterday.

"Tom Zhu has served as our Senior Vice President, Automotive since April 2023," the filing reads.

Here is a brief description of Zhu in the filing:

Mr. Zhu joined Tesla in April 2014, and served in various operational roles before being appointed as Vice President, Greater China, where he led the construction and operations of Gigafactory Shanghai.

Mr. Zhu holds a bachelor's degree of commerce in information technology from the Auckland University of Technology and an M.B.A. from Duke University.

Zhu joined Tesla in April 2014 as the director of the EV maker's Supercharger program in China.

In July 2019, he was mentioned in media reports as Tesla's global vice president and president of Greater China region.

Rumors of Zhu receiving a promotion at Tesla began to emerge from late last year.

On July 8, 2022, Bloomberg cited people familiar with the matter as saying that Tesla had changed its management structure in the Asia-Pacific region, with executives in the region now reporting to Greater China rather than the United States.

Senior executives in the region report to Zhu, then president of Tesla China, meaning he also oversees Tesla's Asia Pacific region, a position previously held by US executives, according to the report.

On December 8, local media outlet Ping West reported that Tesla CEO Elon Musk would have Zhu succeed him as CEO of the EV maker.

Zhu's CEO position would be global, but the scope of responsibilities would likely be limited to Tesla's automotive business and not include and robotics programs, the report said.

Zhu has been promoted to head Tesla's US assembly plants and sales operations in North America and Europe, Reuters said on January 3, citing an internal report line announcement.

The move makes Zhu the highest-profile Tesla executive since Elon Musk, with oversight for deliveries in all of its major markets and all of its production outside the still-ramping Tesla plant in Germany, the report noted.

Zhu's promotion is apparently related to Tesla's China business becoming increasingly important.

Tesla delivered 422,875 vehicles worldwide in the first quarter, including 412,180 Model 3 and Model Y vehicles and 10,695 Model S and Model X vehicles, according to figures it announced April 2.

Tesla's China-made vehicles delivered 229,322 units in the first quarter, up 25.88 percent from 182,174 units in the same quarter last year, according to data from the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA) monitored by CnEVPost.

This means that 54 percent of Tesla's global deliveries in the first quarter were made at the Shanghai plant.

Tesla sells 88,869 China-made vehicles in Mar, CPCA data show

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China CPCA Electric eMobility eV EV Data Industry News Monthly Data

China’s Mar NEV retail sales at 549,000 units, preliminary CPCA data show

This was up 27 percent from February, but below the CPCA's estimate of around 560,000 units announced in late March.

Retail sales of new energy passenger vehicles (passenger NEVs) in China were 549,000 units in March, up 5 percent year-on-year and up 27 percent from February, preliminary figures released today by the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA) show.

Notably, the CPCA's estimate released on March 24 showed that retail sales of passenger NEVs in China in March were expected to be around 560,000 units.

The lower figure released today means that the NEV market performed weaker in the last week of March than the CPCA had expected.

In the first quarter, retail sales of passenger NEVs in China were 1.139 million units, up 15 percent from a year earlier, the CPCA said today.

Wholesale sales of passenger NEVs in China rose 32 percent to 599,000 units in March, up 21 percent from the previous month.

In the first quarter, wholesale sales of passenger NEVs in China were 1.483 million units, up 24 percent from a year earlier.

Retail sales of all passenger vehicles in China were 1.596 million units in March, flat from a year ago and up 17 percent from last February, according to the CPCA.

This means that the penetration of passenger NEVs at retail in March was 34.4 percent, up 2.8 percentage points from 31.6 percent in February.

In the first quarter, retail sales of all passenger vehicles in China were 4.275 million units, down 13 percent year-on-year.

Wholesale sales of passenger vehicles in China were 1.955 million units in March, up 7 percent year-on-year and up 22 percent from February.

In the first quarter, China's passenger car wholesale sales were 5.021 million units, down 8 percent year-on-year.

With a large number of car companies stepping up their promotions in March, demand for cars was concentrated, putting pressure on the normal order of the market, the CPCA said.

From the performance of the first four weeks of March, the conversion rate of customer traffic is not high, consumers were in a wait-and-see mood, and the overall demand was weak, the CPCA said.

Here are the CPCA's weekly retail sales data for the Chinese passenger vehicle market in March, as announced today:

Average daily retail sales of passenger vehicles in the first week of March were 31,000 units, down 16 percent year-on-year and down 14 percent from the same period in February.

Average daily sales for the second week of March were 37,000 units, down 18 percent year-on-year and down 8 percent from the same period in February.

Average daily sales for the third week of March were 41,000 units, up 10 percent year-on-year and up 7 percent from the same period in February.

Average daily sales for the fourth week of March were 46,000 units, up 18 percent year-on-year but down 35 percent from the same period in February.

Sales for the fifth week of March were reported at 115,000 units, up 3 percent year-on-year and up 63 percent from the same period in February.

China NEV insurance registrations for week ending April 2: BYD 46,218, Tesla 14,275, NIO 2,730

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CADA China China Auto Market Electric eMobility eV EV Data Industry News Monthly Data

Price wars fail to boost China’s auto consumption

With consumers in a wait-and-see mood, orders and transaction rates did not increase significantly, and auto demand recovered less than expected, the CADA said.

Price wars fail to boost China's auto consumption-CnEVPost

Many automakers in China launched rare price wars in March to try to boost sales. But these moves do not seem to have achieved the results they wanted.

In March, following significant promotions by automakers in Hubei province, dozens of provinces and cities, including Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai and Zhejiang, offered deals that gave dealership store traffic a quick boost, the China Automobile Dealers Association (CADA) said in an April 3 report.

However, orders and transaction rates did not increase significantly as consumers were in a wait-and-see mood, and auto consumer demand did not recover as expected, the CADA said.

The Vehicle Inventory Alert Index for China's auto market was 62.4 percent in March, down 1.2 percentage points from a year ago but up 4.3 percentage points from February, according to the CADA report.

The index's break-even value is 50 percent, and a reading above that benchmark means the auto distribution industry is in contraction territory, according to the report.

China's switch to the 6b emissions standard was not the main reason for the wave of price cuts, the CADA said, adding that most dealers said their inventories of 6a-based vehicles are not high and could be cleared by the end of June.

However, there are still a large number of 6b-based vehicles that do not meet RDE (real-world driving emission) standards, and with lower-than-expected sales in the first quarter, these vehicles face challenges in completing inventory clearance by the end of June, the CADA said.

In March, vehicle prices were volatile and customer wait-and-see sentiment was strong, resulting in lower orders and turnover rates and a decline in dealer profitability, according to the report.

More than 60 percent of dealers said they met less than 80 percent of their sales targets in the first quarter. Of those, 20.5 percent of dealers achieved 70-80 percent of their sales targets and 46.0 percent achieved less than 70 percent, the CADA said.

Separately, the CADA said in another report on April 3 that the March auto consumption index was 72.5, down from 74.6 percent in February.

March auto sales did not meet expectations, and dealers predict that without major policy changes in April, auto sales will be essentially unchanged from March, the CADA said.

In March, the demand sub-index of the auto consumption index was 68.2, down from 73.3 in February, the CADA said, adding that this signals a decline in demand for cars in April.

Price wars fail to boost China's auto consumption-CnEVPost

China's Mar passenger NEV wholesale sales up 20% MoM to 600,000, CPCA estimates show

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China Electric eMobility eV Neta Neta GT Product Launch Sports Car

Neta unveils two-door electric sports car Neta GT, deliveries expected in H1

The GT, set for mass production and delivery in the first half of 2023, will be the first real sports car that young people in China can own, an executive previously said.

(Image credit: Neta)

Neta Auto, the electric vehicle (EV) brand owned by Hozon Auto, has unveiled its first electric sports car, with deliveries expected to begin in the first half of the year.

Neta officially unveiled the Neta GT, a two-door, four-seat all-electric sports car that is its second model based on the Shanhai platform after its flagship sedan, the Neta S, at a launch event on the night of April 4.

The EV maker mentioned the name Neta E when it previewed the sports car late last year, but a month ago, it made the model's name official with the Neta GT.

The electric sports car measures 4,715 mm in length, 1,979 mm in width and 1,415 mm in height, and has a wheelbase of 2,770 mm.

For comparison, the Neta S measures 4,980 mm in length, 1,980 mm in width and 1,450 mm in height, with a wheelbase of 2,980 mm.

The Neta GT will be available in single-motor and dual-motor versions, with the single-motor version having a maximum motor power of 170 kW and the dual-motor version having a maximum total power of 340 kW, as indicated by a previous regulatory filing.

Its power battery suppliers include CATL and Eve Energy, and the battery types include lithium iron phosphate batteries as well as ternary batteries.

Neta GT's battery pack has three options of 64.24 kWh, 74.48 kWh and 77.9 kWh, and the CLTC range includes 560 km, 580 km and 660 km.

Neta did not announce the official launch and delivery dates of the Neta GT, but last December 16, Hozon Auto CEO Zhang Yong said on Weibo that the model will be mass-produced and delivered in the first half of 2023.

Pricing information for the Neta GT is unknown, though Zhang previously said that the model would be the first true sports car that young people in China could own, suggesting that its price will likely be affordable.

The current starting price range for the Neta S flagship sedan is RMB 242,800 to RMB 341,800.

Neta is seen as a budget EV maker in China, as its vehicles are priced primarily for the lower end of the market, and the Neta S is its first effort at the premium end of the market.

Neta delivered 10,087 vehicles in March, essentially unchanged from 10,073 in February and down 16.12 percent from 12,026 in the same month last year, the company's previously announced figures show.

The Neta S delivered 2,206 units in March, up 8 percent from 2,048 units in February. A total of 4,793 units of the Neta V and 3,088 units of the Neta U were delivered in March.

Regulatory filing: Neta's 2-door electric sports car coming

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Battery News China Electric eMobility eV Samsung SDI

Samsung SDI opens battery R&D center in Shanghai

A new research lab under the center will focus on discovering new functional and affordable materials.

(Image credit: Samsung SDI)

Samsung SDI, South Korea's third-largest battery maker, has opened a new battery research and development center in China to boost its technological competitiveness.

Samsung SDI said Sunday it opened the new center, called SDI China Research and Development Center (SDIRC), in Shanghai on Saturday, according to several South Korean media reports.

The R&D center will focus on building partnerships with Chinese universities and research institutes to secure core battery technologies, according to a report by Korea JoongAng Daily on April 2.

A new research lab under the center will focus on discovering new functional and affordable materials, according to the report.

Samsung SDI opened SDI R&D Europe (SDIRE) in Munich last July and SDI R&D America (SDIRA) in Boston last August. The Chinese research arm will complete the company's worldwide network, the report noted.

Through its global R&D network, the company hopes to ensure that the key framework for battery production, including advanced manufacturing methods, facilities, are competitive for different regional environments, including Europe, the US, and China, respectively, according to a report in the Korea Herald.

"By leveraging global technological competence and talent pools, we will further bolster our pursuit of outstanding technological competitiveness," the report quoted Samsung SDI President and CEO Choi Yoon-ho as saying.

Samsung SDI is the sixth largest battery maker in the world, with a 4.9 percent share in January-February, according to data released by South Korean market research firm SNE Research on March 30.

continued to rank No. 1 in January-February with a 33.9 percent share, the only global battery maker with a share of more than 30 percent.

LG Energy Solution and SK On are the two largest battery manufacturers in Korea, with 13.3 percent and 5.5 percent shares in January-February, ranking third and fifth respectively in the world.

Global EV battery market share in Jan-Feb: CATL 33.9%, BYD 18.2%

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China Electric eMobility eV Evergrande Hengchi 5 Industry News OTA

Hengchi 5 gets assisted driving capability days after Evergrande NEV warns of production halt risk

The H-Pilot assisted driving system is available for the first time for the Hengchi 5, giving the vehicle the ability to perform full-speed adaptive cruise control and lane keeping.

Hengchi 5 gets assisted driving capability days after Evergrande NEV warns of production halt risk-CnEVPost

Evergrande New Energy Vehicle Group (Evergrande NEV), the EV division of China Evergrande Group, brought an important software update to its first production model, even though it made an announcement two weeks ago that there was a risk of discontinuing production.

The Hengchi 5 received an OTA upgrade on April 3, with the H-Pilot assisted driving system available for the first time, Evergrande NEV said in articles on its social media accounts yesterday.

With the update, Hengchi 5 will see 12 controller (ECU) optimizations, 14 new features, and 25 functional optimizations.

With H-Pilot support, the Hengchi 5 will be able to achieve full-speed adaptive cruise control and lane-keeping on city streets as well as highways.

Hengchi 5 gets assisted driving capability days after Evergrande NEV warns of production halt risk-CnEVPost

The vehicle will also receive automatic emergency braking capability, which monitors the vehicle's environment in front of it in real time and automatically slows it down in the event of a potential collision.

Hengchi 5 also gains nine assisted driving features, including cornering speed assist, forward/rearward collision warning, lane departure warning, blind spot monitoring, and traffic sign recognition.

Hengchi will continue to bring users a better driving experience through OTA upgrades, the article said, adding that higher-level intelligent driving systems will be opened up next.

Hengchi 5 gets assisted driving capability days after Evergrande NEV warns of production halt risk-CnEVPost

Hengchi 5 is the first model of Evergrande NEV's Hengchi Auto in production, which opened for delivery on October 29, 2022.

The model is currently available in only one version with a starting price of RMB 179,000 ($26,010).

Here is a video about the OTA update posted by Hengchi on its Weibo account.

On December 2 last year, Reuters reported that Evergrande NEV had suspended mass production of the Hengchi 5 due to a lack of sufficient new orders for the SUV.

On March 23, Evergrande NEV said in a Hong Kong Stock Exchange announcement that it was at risk of suspending production without access to additional liquidity.

Hengchi 5 was in continuous volume production and has delivered more than 900 units, according to the announcement.

Trading in Evergrande NEV's shares in Hong Kong has been suspended since April 1, 2022, and a date for restarting trading has not yet been set.

($1 = RMB 6.8819)

Hengchi 5 gets assisted driving capability days after Evergrande NEV warns of production halt risk-CnEVPost

Evergrande NEV warns risks of production halt if it can't get additional liquidity

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China Deliveries Electric eMobility eV EV Data Quarterly Data Tesla

Tesla delivers record 422,875 vehicles globally in Q1

's first-quarter deliveries were higher than 's 264,647 passenger BEVs, but lower than the latter's 552,076 NEVs, including PHEVs.

Tesla saw record electric vehicle (EV) deliveries in the first quarter, as price cuts reinvigorated demand.

The US EV maker delivered 422,875 units worldwide in the first quarter, up 36.39 percent from 310,048 units a year earlier and up 4.34 percent from 405,278 in the fourth quarter, according to its announcement on April 2.

The deliveries exceeded Wall Street analysts' expectations of 421,200 units, with Tesla's cheaper Model 3 with Model Y deliveries exceeding expectations.

Tesla delivered 412,180 Model 3 and Model Y units worldwide in the first quarter, above market expectations of 408,500. A total of 10,695 Model S and Model X units were delivered, below expectations of 16,700.

Tesla produced 440,808 vehicles in the first quarter, including 421,371 Model 3 and Model Y, and 19,437 Model S and Model X.

"We continued to transition towards a more even regional mix of vehicle builds, including Model S/X vehicles in transit to EMEA and APAC," Tesla wrote in an announcement.

The company will announce its first-quarter financial results after the market closes on Wednesday, April 19, and its management will hold a live webcast question-and-answer session at 4:30 pm US Central Time that day.

Tesla cut prices globally earlier this year, and its starting price for the Model 3 sedan came to an all-time low after its move in China on January 6.

In China, Tesla has a factory in Shanghai that makes the Model 3 and Model Y. It's the largest Tesla factory in the world, with an annual capacity of about 1.1 million units a year.

Tesla does not publish its deliveries in China, though the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA) publishes those numbers every month.

Tesla's deliveries in China in January and February were 26,843 and 33,923 units, respectively, and its Shanghai plant exported 39,208 and 40,479 units in the two months, according to the CPCA. March figures are expected to be available in the next few days.

BYD (OTCMKTS: BYDDY) and Tesla are the two biggest players in China's new energy vehicle (NEV) market, with the former producing plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHEVs) and battery electric vehicles (BEVs) and the latter producing only BEVs.

Tesla delivered more BEVs than BYD in the first quarter, but the latter's combined sales of PHEVs and BEVs were larger.

In the first quarter, BYD's NEV sales, including PHEVs and BEVs, were 552,076 units, up 92.81 percent year-on-year but down 19.22 percent from the fourth quarter of last year, according to data released yesterday.

BYD's passenger BEVs sold 264,647 units in the first quarter, up 84.78 percent year-on-year but down 19.56 percent from the fourth quarter.

BYD's passenger PHEVs sold 283,270 units in the first quarter, up 100.17 percent year-on-year but down 19.76 percent from the fourth quarter.

BYD sells 207,080 NEVs in Mar, up 6.9% from Feb

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China Deliveries Electric eMobility eV EV Data Monthly Data Zeekr

Zeekr delivers 6,663 vehicles in Mar, up 22% from Feb

In the first quarter, delivered 15,234 units, up 84.86 percent year-on-year, but down 53.08 percent from the fourth quarter.

Zeekr's deliveries continued to rebound in March, although the first-quarter figure was down significantly from the fourth quarter.

Zeekr delivered 6,663 vehicles in March, up 271.20 percent from 1,795 in the same month last year and up 22.14 percent from 5,455 in February, according to data it released today.

In the first quarter, Zeekr delivered 15,234 vehicles, up 84.86 percent from 8,241 in the same period last year, but down 53.08 percent from 32,467 in the fourth quarter.

The decline in Zeekr's deliveries in the first quarter was primarily due to a 21-day production halt at its Ningbo, Zhejiang plant around the Chinese New Year holiday. The plant resumed production on February 1. January 21 to January 27 was this year's Chinese New Year holiday.

The shutdown resulted in Zeekr delivering only 3,116 vehicles in January, a new low since April 2022.

Zeekr was officially launched as an independent company in March 2021, with its first model, the Zeekr 001, launched on April 15, 2021, and deliveries beginning in October 2021.

On November 1, 2022, Zeekr's second model, the Zeekr 009 MPV, was launched, and its deliveries began on January 15.

As of March 31, Zeekr's cumulative deliveries since inception were 93,182.

Zeekr plans to see sales double from last year to 140,000 units in 2023 and will release two new models, its CEO said in an internal letter earlier this year.

The company's next model is expected to be the Zeekr X, which already made it onto a regulatory filing list in February.

Regulatory filing: Zeekr X to be offered in 4- and 5-seat versions

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