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China Electric eMobility eV Self-driving WeRide

Chinese self-driving startup WeRide plans to start autonomous vehicle testing in Singapore this year

In September 2022, WeRide launched its Singapore company and signed a memorandum of cooperation with a subsidiary of a local public transport operator in November.

(Image credit: WeRide)

Chinese startup WeRide plans to start testing autonomous vehicles in Singapore this year, as it begins to set its sights on Southeast Asian markets.

WeRide will work with Strides, a subsidiary of Singapore's largest public transport operator SMRT, to test and pilot self-driving vehicles in the Southeast Asian country, according to an article yesterday on its official WeChat account.

In September 2022, WeRide established the Singapore branch and signed a memorandum of cooperation with Strides in November, according to the article.

SMRT and another Singaporean investment house, K3 Ventures, are both strategic investors in WeRide, and they will help the company grow in Singapore and Southeast Asian markets, the article said.

On March 27, Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong kicked off a six-day visit to China and visited WeRide's headquarters in Guangzhou, said the article.

WeRide's office in Singapore is hiring talents there, and the company will use the office as a regional development center for Asia Pacific operations, according to its founder and CEO Han Xu.

Founded in Guangzhou in 2017, WeRide's products include Robotaxi, Mini Robobus, Robovan, Robo Street Sweeper and SAE L2-L4 advanced smart driving solutions.

WeRide is now testing and operating driverless vehicles in 25 cities in 5 countries, according to the article.

The company has a fleet of more than 500 self-driving vehicles and more than 16 million miles of autonomous driving, WeRide said.

On March 13, Bloomberg reported that WeRide has confidentially filed for an initial public offering in the US and hopes to raise as much as $500 million.

WeRide is poised to go public as early as the first half of this year, according to the report.

In March 2022, local media outlet LatePost reported that WeRide had closed a new round of over $400 million in financing, with a post-investment valuation of $4.4 billion.

Investors in the round included GAC Group, Bosch, China-Arab Investment Funds, and Carlyle Group, the report said.

WeRide unveils smaller, lower-cost self-driving sensor suite

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BYD China Denza Denza N8 Electric eMobility eV

Denza starts warming up for new SUV N8, releases official exterior images

The Denza N8 will be a mid to large-size SUV that will be available in 5-, 6- and 7-seat versions.

(Image credit: Denza)

's premium new energy vehicle (NEV) brand Denza seems to be preparing to market two new SUVs in parallel.

Denza is already warming up for the new SUV, the Denza N8, as it just started intensive marketing on the Denza N7 earlier this month.

The brand shared several images of the Denza N8 on Weibo today, showing off the model's exterior design.

Denza didn't share anything else, but the information it released earlier this month suggests that the Denza N8 will carry over much of the design of the now-discontinued Denza X.

The Denza X measures 4,890 mm, 1,950 mm, 1,725 mm and has a wheelbase of 2,820 mm.

The Denza N8 will be mid to large-size SUV that will be available in 5-, 6- and 7-seat versions, featuring the Denza family's new π-Motion design language, it said earlier this month.

On March 14, Denza released a video of one of the Denza N8's winter tests, showing a maximum charging power of 175 kW for the model's electric-only version and 90 kW for the plug-in hybrid version.

Denza was established in February 2011 as a 50-50 joint venture between BYD and Daimler, the first Sino-foreign joint venture in China to focus on NEVs. In February 2022, the Daimler brand was rebranded as Mercedes-Benz.

Last year, BYD's stake in Denza increased to 90 percent, and Mercedes-Benz's stake decreased to 10 percent.

In August 2022, Denza launched the D9 MPV, the brand's first model after its rebranding. The Denza D9 began deliveries at the end of October last year.

On March 6, Denza released several exterior images of the Denza N7 on Weibo.

On March 9, the Denza N7 appeared on a regulatory declaration list with a paging showing the car's length, width and height of 4,860 mm, 1,935 mm and 1,602 mm respectively, with a wheelbase of 2,940 mm.

The Denza N7 has inspired a high level of enthusiasm, and with the announcement of Denza's partnership with French high-end audio brand Devialet on March 22, there have been particularly many inquiries from customers every day, said Zhao Changjiang, general manager of Denza's sales division, on Weibo on March 26.

Many customers want to have Denza N7 launched as soon as possible, and according to the inquiry volume data, the model is expected to get 30,000 orders before its launch in the middle of the year, Zhao said.

Denza N7 expected to get over 30,000 orders before mid-year launch, exec says

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BYD China Denza Denza N8 Electric eMobility eV

Denza starts warming up for new SUV N8, releases official exterior images

The Denza N8 will be a mid to large-size SUV that will be available in 5-, 6- and 7-seat versions.

(Image credit: Denza)

's premium new energy vehicle (NEV) brand Denza seems to be preparing to market two new SUVs in parallel.

Denza is already warming up for the new SUV, the Denza N8, as it just started intensive marketing on the Denza N7 earlier this month.

The brand shared several images of the Denza N8 on Weibo today, showing off the model's exterior design.

Denza didn't share anything else, but the information it released earlier this month suggests that the Denza N8 will carry over much of the design of the now-discontinued Denza X.

The Denza X measures 4,890 mm, 1,950 mm, 1,725 mm and has a wheelbase of 2,820 mm.

The Denza N8 will be mid to large-size SUV that will be available in 5-, 6- and 7-seat versions, featuring the Denza family's new π-Motion design language, it said earlier this month.

On March 14, Denza released a video of one of the Denza N8's winter tests, showing a maximum charging power of 175 kW for the model's electric-only version and 90 kW for the plug-in hybrid version.

Denza was established in February 2011 as a 50-50 joint venture between BYD and Daimler, the first Sino-foreign joint venture in China to focus on NEVs. In February 2022, the Daimler brand was rebranded as Mercedes-Benz.

Last year, BYD's stake in Denza increased to 90 percent, and Mercedes-Benz's stake decreased to 10 percent.

In August 2022, Denza launched the D9 MPV, the brand's first model after its rebranding. The Denza D9 began deliveries at the end of October last year.

On March 6, Denza released several exterior images of the Denza N7 on Weibo.

On March 9, the Denza N7 appeared on a regulatory declaration list with a paging showing the car's length, width and height of 4,860 mm, 1,935 mm and 1,602 mm respectively, with a wheelbase of 2,940 mm.

The Denza N7 has inspired a high level of enthusiasm, and with the announcement of Denza's partnership with French high-end audio brand Devialet on March 22, there have been particularly many inquiries from customers every day, said Zhao Changjiang, general manager of Denza's sales division, on Weibo on March 26.

Many customers want to have Denza N7 launched as soon as possible, and according to the inquiry volume data, the model is expected to get 30,000 orders before its launch in the middle of the year, Zhao said.

Denza N7 expected to get over 30,000 orders before mid-year launch, exec says

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China Electric eMobility eV Nio NIO Europe NIO Norway

NIO partners with Norwegian smart energy provider Tibber to deliver better charging experience in Europe

Tibber enables users to track their energy usage and allows EVs to charge when electricity prices are lowest.  |  US | NIO HK | NIO SG

(Image credit: NIO)

NIO's (NYSE: NIO) vehicles support charging just like any other electric vehicle (EV), in addition to having access to a fully charged battery via battery swap. Now the Chinese EV maker has entered into a new partnership in Europe to make the charging experience better.

NIO has partnered with Norwegian smart energy provider Tibber to give European owners access to some of the benefits the latter offers, according to an article published yesterday in the European version of the NIO App.

NIO customers in Norway, Germany, Sweden and the Netherlands who have a dynamic power contract with Tibber can easily connect their NIO vehicles to Tibber's app, the article said.

Tibber offers a range of services, including the Tibber App, that let customers track their energy use, find real-time energy prices and control the charging of their electric vehicles -- at best, when electricity prices are at their lowest, according to the article.

Smart charging with Tibber can be used with any wallbox, such as NIO's Power Home 3.0, the article said.

(Image credit: CnEVPost)

"Once you set up the 'Smart Charging' feature within the Tibber App, your NIO will be charged fully automatically exactly in the hours when the electricity is cheapest," the article reads.

Tibber was founded in 2016 and focuses on using technology to help customers save energy and money.

The partnership with Tibber is the latest NIO partnership in Europe related to EV energy replenishment.

Last December 8, EnBW, Germany's largest fast-charging network operator, announced that it had entered into a partnership with NIO in which the EV maker would build up to 20 battery swap stations at its charging parks.

NIO entered Norway in 2021 and last October expanded its presence in Europe to include Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden and Denmark.

NIO to install 20 swap stations at German firm EnBW's charging parks

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China Electric eMobility eV Nio NIO Europe NIO Norway

NIO partners with Norwegian smart energy provider Tibber to deliver better charging experience in Europe

Tibber enables users to track their energy usage and allows EVs to charge when electricity prices are lowest.  |  US | NIO HK | NIO SG

(Image credit: NIO)

NIO's (NYSE: NIO) vehicles support charging just like any other electric vehicle (EV), in addition to having access to a fully charged battery via battery swap. Now the Chinese EV maker has entered into a new partnership in Europe to make the charging experience better.

NIO has partnered with Norwegian smart energy provider Tibber to give European owners access to some of the benefits the latter offers, according to an article published yesterday in the European version of the NIO App.

NIO customers in Norway, Germany, Sweden and the Netherlands who have a dynamic power contract with Tibber can easily connect their NIO vehicles to Tibber's app, the article said.

Tibber offers a range of services, including the Tibber App, that let customers track their energy use, find real-time energy prices and control the charging of their electric vehicles -- at best, when electricity prices are at their lowest, according to the article.

Smart charging with Tibber can be used with any wallbox, such as NIO's Power Home 3.0, the article said.

(Image credit: CnEVPost)

"Once you set up the 'Smart Charging' feature within the Tibber App, your NIO will be charged fully automatically exactly in the hours when the electricity is cheapest," the article reads.

Tibber was founded in 2016 and focuses on using technology to help customers save energy and money.

The partnership with Tibber is the latest NIO partnership in Europe related to EV energy replenishment.

Last December 8, EnBW, Germany's largest fast-charging network operator, announced that it had entered into a partnership with NIO in which the EV maker would build up to 20 battery swap stations at its charging parks.

NIO entered Norway in 2021 and last October expanded its presence in Europe to include Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden and Denmark.

NIO to install 20 swap stations at German firm EnBW's charging parks

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China Electric eMobility eV Industry News Smart Smart #3

Smart teases Smart #3, releases official ‘spy shots’

Smart has released a set of spy photos of the Smart #3 on Weibo, with text suggesting that the model will have sporty features.

(Image credit: Smart)

Smart Automobile, the joint venture between and Mercedes-Benz, is starting to warm up for its second model, which may not be far from being unveiled.

Smart China posted a set of spy photos of the Smart #3 on Weibo yesterday, with text suggesting that the model will have sporty features.

Smart didn't mention any other information, but some local media reports say the Smart #3 is expected to be unveiled at next month's Shanghai auto show and will go on sale in China by the end of the year.

The model entered a catalog published by the Chinese Ministry of Industry and Information Technology in November 2022, showing it as a small SUV with a length, width and height of 4,400/4,542 mm, 1,844 mm and 1,556 mm, respectively, and a wheelbase of 2,785 mm.

For reference, the Smart #1, the first production model after the electrification of the Smart brand, measures 4,270 mm in length, 1,822 mm in width and 1,636 mm in height, and has a wheelbase of 2,750 mm.

This means that the Smart #3 will be longer and wider than the Smart #1, but lower.

The Smart #3 has a peak motor power of 200 kW in the single-motor version and 115 kW and 200 kW in the dual-motor version for the front and rear motors, respectively.

The vehicle has a top speed of 180 km/h. It will be powered by ternary lithium batteries, and suppliers include CALB and Sunwoda, its regulatory information shows.

The Smart #1 went on sale in China on April 25, 2022, and deliveries started on September 24.

The model was designed by Mercedes-Benz, with the Smart R&D team leading engineering development, and is based on Geely's SEA (Sustainable Experience Architecture) architecture.

The Smart #1 is currently priced in China in the range of RMB 179,000 ($26,030) - RMB 24,5000.

Smart delivered 3,616 vehicles in February and a total of 15,998 vehicles since last September, according to data monitored by CnEVPost.

($1 = RMB 6.8760)

Regulatory filing: Smart's second EV, Smart #3, coming soon

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CATL China Deals Electric eMobility eV

CATL reaches deal to supply energy storage systems to US firm HGP

The 450-MWh battery storage project will be deployed in Texas and is expected to begin commercial operations in 2024.

(Image credit: )

CATL recently entered into a 450 MWh supply agreement with US battery storage project developer HGP, the battery giant's latest similar agreement with a US company.

The battery storage project will be deployed in Texas and is expected to begin commercial operations in 2024, a CATL press release said yesterday.

CATL will provide HGP with the EnerC, an outdoor premade pod system that offers high safety, long life, and high integration for a variety of weather extremes, according to the release.

The partnership leverages CATL's strengths in battery technology and HGP's strengths in energy infrastructure and storage resource development and will provide a more convenient solution for the market, the release said.

This helps meet the growing demand for clean energy in Texas and North America and highlights CATL's and HGP's commitment to achieving sustainable development, the Chinese battery giant said.

The two companies will also establish a long-term partnership to drive the implementation of utility-scale and distributed energy storage projects up to 5 GWh in size, according to the release.

HGP is based in Dallas, Texas, and has decades of market experience deploying grid investment-grade energy storage assets.

This is CATL's latest agreement with a US company for the supply of energy storage systems.

Last September, CATL announced that it had entered into a partnership agreement with FlexGen, a US provider of energy storage technology platforms and solutions, to supply the latter with 10 GWh of energy storage products over a three-year period.

CATL will supply FlexGen with EnerC, a containerized liquid-cooled energy storage product that can withstand a wide range of weather extremes and keep the system running safely and reliably for 20 years, the power battery giant previously said.

In October 2022, CATL entered into an agreement with Primergy Solar LLC, a US utility and distributed PV and energy storage operator, to exclusively supply batteries for the latter's Gemini PV and energy storage project.

Located near Las Vegas, Nevada, the project will have 690 MWac/966 MWdc solar panels and a 1.416 GWh energy storage system and will be one of the largest PV storage projects in the US when completed, CATL said at the time.

CATL has begun mass production of Qilin Battery, report says

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China Electric eMobility eV Leapmotor Leapmotor Stock

Leapmotor surges about 20% to near-record high in Hong Kong

Analysts expect 's sales to start improving gradually in the second quarter, meeting the company's guidance of selling more than 30,000 units in the quarter.  |  Leapmotor HK

Chinese electric vehicle startup Leapmotor surged on the Hong Kong stock market today, recovering almost all of its losses since going public.

Leapmotor rose as much as about 20 percent today to HK$39.2 a share, close to its highest price of HK$41 on the day it went public last September 29.

As of press time, that gain has eased back to about 16 percent, with a cumulative gain of about 27 percent so far this month.

There are no immediate factors driving the company's share price surge, though some recent developments are worth noting.

On March 21, Leapmotor released its annual results for 2022, showing it achieved revenue of RMB 12.38 billion ($1.8 billion) last year, up 295.4 percent year-on-year.

The company reported revenue of RMB 3.015 billion in the fourth quarter, up 116.16 percent year-on-year.

Leapmotor's deliveries in 2022 were 111,168 units, up 154 percent year-on-year. Of the total, 23,566 units were delivered in the fourth quarter, up 37.9 percent year-on-year.

The company's management said at the time that Leapmotor was targeting 200,000 unit sales in 2023, nearly doubling from 2022.

The effect of Leapmotor's price cut in March was affected by the price war in the Chinese auto industry, but the new orders will still start to pull full-year sales back up in the second quarter, said CITIC Securities analyst Yin Xinchi's team in a March 23 research note.

While sales are climbing, Leapmotor can keep its gross losses manageable and gradually narrow to near break-even through a series of cost-cutting measures and scale effects, the team said.

Leapmotor's gross margin in 2022 was -15.4 percent, better than the -44.3 percent in 2021. It had a gross margin of -6.9 percent in the fourth quarter.

The large improvement in both Leapmotor's revenue and gross margin in 2022 was mainly due to the growth in sales of the C series models and the obvious scale effect, the team said, adding that the company's average selling price of its products has increased with the product mix adjustment.

With the improvement of the sales network, overseas market expansion, and the application of new R&D results, Leapmotor's sales and profits are expected to further improve, Yin's team said.

The team expects Leapmotor's sales to start improving gradually in the second quarter, meeting the company's guidance of more than 30,000 units sold in the second quarter and revenue growth of more than 50 percent year-on-year.

In the third quarter, deliveries of the more profitable C01 extended-range electric vehicle (EREV) will begin, which is expected to further boost the company's sales and drive gross profit closer to break-even, the team said.

Leapmotor delivered 3,198 units in February, up 180.77 percent from 1,139 units in January and down 6.9 percent from 3,435 units in the same month last year, according to data released by the company on March 1.

Along with the delivery figures, Leapmotor announced the official launch of the C11 EREV, a rare shift back to internal combustion engines among Chinese electric vehicle startups.

($1 = RMB 6.8835)

Leapmotor delivers 3,198 vehicles in Feb, officially launches EREV model

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China Electric eMobility eV Industry News Product Launch Rising Auto Rising Auto F7

SAIC’s Rising Auto launches battery swap-enabled mid to large-size sedan F7

The Rising F7 starts at a price range of RMB 209,900 ($30,490) to RMB 301,900, or RMB 145,900 in battery rental mode.

(Image credit: Rising Auto)

SAIC Group's Rising Auto has officially launched the battery swap-enabled mid to large-size sedan, the F7, its second model.

The Rising F7 is available in six versions with a starting price range of RMB 209,900 ($30,490) to RMB 301,900, about half the price of the ET7, according to information announced by Rising Auto at last night's launch event.

The car supports battery swap as NIO's models and allows consumers to purchase the vehicle body and rent a battery.

If consumers choose to purchase the car without the battery, the Rising F7 will start at RMB 145,900.

The car is an all-electric mid to large-size sedan with a length, width and height of 5,000 mm, 19,53 mm and 1,494 mm respectively, and a wheelbase of 3,000 mm.

For comparison, the NIO ET7 measures 5,101 mm in length, 1,987 mm in width and 1,509 mm in height, with a wheelbase of 3,060 mm, and has a starting price of RMB 458,000 including the battery.

The Rising F7 is available in 64-kWh, 77-kWh and 90-kWh battery packs, providing CLTC ranges of 500 km, 576 km, 600 km and 666 km.

The car is available in single-motor rear-wheel drive and dual-motor four-wheel drive versions, with the single-motor model having a peak motor power of 250 kW and a peak torque of 400 Nm and accelerating from 0 to 100 km/h in 5.7 seconds.

The dual-motor model has a maximum total motor power of 400 kW and a peak torque of 700 Nm, accelerating from 0 to 100 km/h in 3.7 seconds.

The car's smart cockpit system, Rising OS, is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8155 chip and features a 43-inch integrated screen inside the car, including LCD instrument screen, an OLED center console and a passenger seat screen.

Like Rising Auto's first model, the Rising R7 SUV, the Rising F7 also supports battery swap, which can be completed in 2.5 minutes under ideal conditions.

It is worth noting that Rising Auto is in the beginning stages of infrastructure development, with only three battery swap stations in Shanghai and over 50 battery swap stations under construction in 10 cities.

For comparison, as of March 27, NIO had 1,325 battery swap stations in China.

Rising Auto, previously known as R Auto, launched the Rising R7 on September 28, 2022, its first model since rebranding. Deliveries of the model began in October last year.

In early September 2022, SAIC announced that it had joined hands with Sinopec, China National Petroleum Corp (CNPC), and Shanghai Automobile City to form a company specializing in battery swap services.

SAIC said at the time that its Rising Auto, Roewe, MG and Maxus brands would launch battery swap-enabled models.

Rising Auto delivered 1,501 and 1,523 vehicles in November and December, respectively, according to information it previously announced. The company did not announce deliveries this year.

($1 = RMB 6.8851)

SAIC's Rising Auto officially launches battery swap-enabled R7 SUV with subsidized starting price of $40,130

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BYD China Denza Denza N7 Electric eMobility eV

Denza N7 expected to get over 30,000 orders before mid-year launch, exec says

Denza will announce the appearance of another SUV N8 in the near future, and Denza D9 MPV will next be sold in other regions including Hong Kong, Macau, Europe.

(Image credit: Denza)

's premium new energy vehicle (NEV) brand Denza began intensive warm-up for the Denza N7 SUV earlier this month, and now an executive has expressed optimism for the model's future sales performance.

Denza N7 has inspired much enthusiasm, and with the announcement of Denza's partnership with French high-end audio brand Devialet on March 22, there were many customers inquiring every day, Zhao Changjiang, general manager of Denza's sales division, said on Weibo yesterday.

Many people want to get the Denza N7 launched as soon as possible, and according to the inquiry volume data, the model is expected to get 30,000 orders before its launch in the middle of the year, Zhao said.

Zhao said in February that the Denza N7 would be released in the first half of this year.

On March 6, Denza unveiled official exterior images of the Denza N7 on Weibo, showing that the model restores much of the design of the brand's concept car INCEPTION, which was unveiled at the Chengdu auto show on August 26, 2022.

On March 9, the Denza N7 appeared in a regulatory filing list, and its key specifications were revealed.

The Denza N7 has a length, width and height of 4,860 mm, 1,935 mm and 1,602 mm respectively, and a wheelbase of 2,940 mm, according to the filing.

The model will be available in a single-motor version as well as a dual-motor version, with the former having a peak motor power of 230 kW and the latter having an additional motor with a peak power of 160 kW.

On December 20 last year, Zhao shared six spy photos of the SUV on Weibo, showing what the model might look like.

In the comments section of that Weibo, Zhao said the SUV aims to capture the market for traditional internal combustion engine cars priced around 400,000 yuan ($58,140).

In addition to mentioning his expectation of orders for the Denza N7 before its launch, Zhao also mentioned on Weibo yesterday that Denza will announce the look of another SUV, the N8, in the near future.

The Denza D9 has already been shown at the Thailand motor show and the MPV will be sold next in other regions including Hong Kong, Macau, and Europe for RMB 600,000-1 million, he said.

($1 = RMB 6.8801)

Regulatory filing: Here are core specs for BYD's Denza brand's new SUV, Denza N7

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