Author: Phate Zhang/CnEVPost

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China Electric eMobility eV Nio NIO ET5 Nio ET5 Touring

NIO ET5 touring spotted in real life in China uncamouflaged

The NIO ET5 touring with a green exterior is seen for the first time. Yellow and blue versions of the model have already been seen in Europe, while the black version appeared in a regulatory filing in China.

The NIO ET5 touring is on the streets of China without camouflage, after the model was seen in Europe in recent days.

A WeChat user shared three images of the NIO ET5 touring without camouflage in a group chat where CnEVPost is present, showing a green version of the model.

This is the first time the NIO ET5 touring with a green exterior has been seen. Yellow and blue versions of the model have already been seen in Europe, while the black version appeared in a regulatory filing in China.

It is not clear in which Chinese city the NIO ET5 touring was photographed, and the temporary number plate affixed to its rear window is illegible.

On March 9, China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology announced the latest batch of models that will be allowed to be sold in China, and the NIO ET5 touring was included.

The model in the catalog was in black exterior and has a length, width and height of 4,790 mm, 1,960 mm and 1,499 mm, respectively, and a wheelbase of 2,888 mm, in line with the regular ET5 sedan.

The NIO ET5 touring is equipped with dual motors produced by NIO's electric drive systems division in Hefei, Anhui province, with a maximum power of 150 kW and 210 kW, respectively, and can support a top speed of 200 km/h.

On May 9, CnEVPost obtained two spy shots of the NIO ET5 touring, showing the model on the streets of Europe, with the yellow color exclusive to the ET5 sedan sold in China.

On May 12, auto blogger Delu shared multiple images of a blue NIO ET5 touring on the NIO App, saying that NIO was filming a promotional video for the model in Norway.

The NIO ET5 touring is expected to make its official debut in Europe in June, with the launch in China likely to come a little later.

NIO co-founder and president Qin Lihong said in January that this variant of the ET5 would debut in Europe, where the model was developed primarily for European consumers.

Derivatives of sedans have been a niche market in China, and few car companies have tried to tap into it before.

's electric vehicle (EV) brand unveiled its first model, the Zeekr 001, on April 15, 2021, the first such model released by a local brand, with deliveries starting in October 2021.

The Zeekr 001 was an unexpected success in China, with 71,941 units delivered in the full year 2022.

Zeekr positions the Zeekr 001 as a shooting brake sedan, while NIO emphasizes that this NIO ET5 variant is a touring model.

NIO filming ET5 touring promo in Norway, more images revealed

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CalPERS China Electric eMobility eV Hedge Fund Positions Li Auto Nio XPeng

Largest US pension cuts stake in NIO, liquidates Li Auto in Q1

CalPERS liquidated its position in in the third quarter of 2022.

The largest US public pension continued to trim its investment in Chinese electric vehicle (EV) stocks in the first quarter.

The California Public Employees' Retirement System (CalPERS) owned 2,210,446 shares of NIO's US-traded ADRs at the end of the first quarter, according to a 13F report dated May 12.

This is down 390,806 shares, or 15.02 percent, from 2,601,252 at the end of the fourth quarter of 2022.

The pension's holdings in NIO were worth $23.23 million at the end of the first quarter, down 8.4 percent from 25.36 million at the end of the fourth quarter.

CalPERS now has about $440 billion in assets under management and is the largest public pension in the US. It opened a position in NIO in the first quarter of 2019, when it bought 140,451 shares. NIO went public in the US on September 12, 2018.

CalPERS cut its position in NIO by 10.79 percent in the fourth quarter of last year. The value of the pension's holdings in NIO fell 44.85 percent during the fourth quarter due to a large drop in NIO's stock price during the period.

In the third quarter of 2022, CalPERS liquidated its position in XPeng (NYSE: XPEV) while increasing its stake in NIO by 18.20 percent. As of the end of the first quarter, it still did not own any XPeng shares.

The pension liquidated its position in , another Chinese EV company, in the first quarter.  CalPERS held 1,136,298 shares of Li Auto at the end of the fourth quarter last year.

NIO, XPeng and Li Auto all rose in the first quarter, up 7.79 percent, 9.14 percent and 22.3 percent, respectively.

Renaissance keeps NIO position stable in Q1, nearly liquidates position in XPeng-CnEVPost

Several prominent hedge funds reduced their positions in these three Chinese EV companies in the first quarter.

Bridgewater reduced its holdings in NIO by 40.53 percent, XPeng by 25.98 percent and Li Auto by 54.69 percent in the first quarter, according to Friday's Form 13F.

Renaissance cut its position in NIO by 0.16 percent, XPeng by 98.88 percent and Li Auto by 20.44 percent during the first quarter.

Bridgewater cuts positions in NIO, XPeng, Li Auto in Q1

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Bridgewater China Electric eMobility eV Hedge Fund Positions Li Auto Nio XPeng

Bridgewater cuts positions in NIO, XPeng, Li Auto in Q1

Bridgewater reduced its holdings in NIO by 40.53 percent, by 25.98 percent and by 54.69 percent in the first quarter.

Bridgewater Associates, the world's largest hedge fund founded by renowned investor Ray Dalio, reduced its position in the Chinese electric vehicle (EV) trio in the first quarter, the second consecutive quarter it did so.

Bridgewater held 2,526,156 US-traded ADRs of NIO (NYSE: NIO) at the end of the first quarter, down 1,721,751 shares, or 40.53 percent, from 4,247,907 at the end of the fourth quarter, according to a Form 13F it filed with the SEC on Friday.

The value of Bridgewater's holdings in NIO was $26.55 million at the end of the first quarter, down $14.87 million, or 35.90 percent, from $41.42 million at the end of the fourth quarter.

Bridgewater's holdings in NIO decreased by 27.91 percent in the fourth quarter of last year. Prior to that, the fund's position in NIO had grown for five consecutive quarters.

At the end of the first quarter, Bridgewater's holdings in XPeng (NYSE: XPEV) stood at 1,501,493, a decrease of 527,119, or 25.98 percent, from the end of the fourth quarter.

The fund's holdings in XPeng were last valued at $16.68 million, a decrease of 17.27 percent from the end of the fourth quarter.

Bridgewater's holdings in XPeng decreased by 6.15 percent during the fourth quarter of last year. This followed three quarters of increased or unchanged holdings.

Bridgewater's holdings in Li Auto's US-traded ADRs were 792,442 shares at the end of the first quarter, a decrease of 956,375 shares or 54.69 percent from the end of the fourth quarter.

Bridgewater's Li Auto position had a value of $19.77 million at the end of the first quarter, a decrease of 44.58 percent from the end of the fourth quarter.

NIO, XPeng, and Li Auto all gained in the first quarter, up 7.79 percent, 9.14 percent, and 22.3 percent, respectively.

Renaissance keeps NIO position stable in Q1, nearly liquidates position in XPeng-CnEVPost

Renaissance keeps NIO position stable in Q1, nearly liquidates position in XPeng

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China Electric eMobility eV Hedge Fund Positions Li Auto Nio XPeng

Renaissance keeps NIO position stable in Q1, nearly liquidates position in XPeng

Renaissance reduced its position in NIO by 0.16 percent, by 98.88 percent and by 20.44 percent during the first quarter.

Renaissance Technologies LLC, one of the world's most prominent hedge funds, held its position in NIO (NYSE: NIO) steady during the first quarter, but reduced its holdings in XPeng (NYSE: XPEV) and Li Auto (NASDAQ: LI).

Renaissance held 10,791,394 US-traded ADRs of NIO at the end of the first quarter, down 17,200 shares or 0.16 percent from 10,808,594 at the end of the fourth quarter, according to a Form 13F filing on Friday.

Renaissance's holdings in NIO were worth about $113 million, up $8.03 million, or 7.62 percent, from $105 million at the end of the second quarter, as NIO shares rose in the first quarter.

The fund began its holdings in NIO in the second quarter of 2021, when it bought 5,293,900 shares. It reduced its holdings in NIO by 28.63 percent and 14.77 percent in the third and fourth quarters of last year, respectively.

While maintaining a flat position in NIO, the fund reduced its holdings in XPeng and Li Auto, particularly in XPeng, in the first quarter.

At the end of the first quarter, Renaissance held 81,929 shares of XPeng's US-traded ADRs, down 7,236,771, or 98.88 percent, from 7,318,700 shares at the end of the fourth quarter last year.

The fund's holdings in XPeng were valued at $910,000, down 98.75 percent from $72.75 million at the end of the fourth quarter.

Renaissance first bought XPeng in the third quarter of 2021.

The fund owned 8,111,300 shares of Li Auto at the end of the first quarter, down 2,083,700 shares or 20.44 percent from 10,195,000 at the end of the fourth quarter.

Its holdings in Li Auto were worth $202 million, down 2.69 percent from $208 million at the end of the fourth quarter.

Renaissance first bought Li Auto in the second quarter of 2021 and increased its position in the company in each subsequent quarter until the fourth quarter of last year, when it reduced its stake in the automaker by 17.91 percent.

During the first quarter, NIO gained 7.79 percent, XPeng gained 9.14 percent and Li Auto gained 22.3 percent.

Baillie Gifford trims holdings in NIO, Tesla slightly in Q1

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China Electric eMobility eV Hedge Fund Positions Li Auto Nio XPeng

Renaissance keeps NIO position stable in Q1, nearly liquidates position in XPeng

Renaissance reduced its position in NIO by 0.16 percent, by 98.88 percent and by 20.44 percent during the first quarter.

Renaissance Technologies LLC, one of the world's most prominent hedge funds, held its position in NIO (NYSE: NIO) steady during the first quarter, but reduced its holdings in XPeng (NYSE: XPEV) and Li Auto (NASDAQ: LI).

Renaissance held 10,791,394 US-traded ADRs of NIO at the end of the first quarter, down 17,200 shares or 0.16 percent from 10,808,594 at the end of the fourth quarter, according to a Form 13F filing on Friday.

Renaissance's holdings in NIO were worth about $113 million, up $8.03 million, or 7.62 percent, from $105 million at the end of the second quarter, as NIO shares rose in the first quarter.

The fund began its holdings in NIO in the second quarter of 2021, when it bought 5,293,900 shares. It reduced its holdings in NIO by 28.63 percent and 14.77 percent in the third and fourth quarters of last year, respectively.

While maintaining a flat position in NIO, the fund reduced its holdings in XPeng and Li Auto, particularly in XPeng, in the first quarter.

At the end of the first quarter, Renaissance held 81,929 shares of XPeng's US-traded ADRs, down 7,236,771, or 98.88 percent, from 7,318,700 shares at the end of the fourth quarter last year.

The fund's holdings in XPeng were valued at $910,000, down 98.75 percent from $72.75 million at the end of the fourth quarter.

Renaissance first bought XPeng in the third quarter of 2021.

The fund owned 8,111,300 shares of Li Auto at the end of the first quarter, down 2,083,700 shares or 20.44 percent from 10,195,000 at the end of the fourth quarter.

Its holdings in Li Auto were worth $202 million, down 2.69 percent from $208 million at the end of the fourth quarter.

Renaissance first bought Li Auto in the second quarter of 2021 and increased its position in the company in each subsequent quarter until the fourth quarter of last year, when it reduced its stake in the automaker by 17.91 percent.

During the first quarter, NIO gained 7.79 percent, XPeng gained 9.14 percent and Li Auto gained 22.3 percent.

Baillie Gifford trims holdings in NIO, Tesla slightly in Q1

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China Electric eMobility eV Tesla Tesla FSD

Shanghai official hints at support for Tesla’s FSD rollout in China

Shanghai will further deepen its cooperation with Tesla to promote the EV maker's businesses including self-driving and robotics in the city, a local official said.

Shanghai official hints at support for Tesla's FSD rollout in China-CnEVPost

(Image credit: CnEVPost)

Tesla's FSD (Full Self-Driving) may be getting closer to being available in China.

Shanghai will further deepen its cooperation with Tesla to promote the electric vehicle (EV) maker's businesses including self-driving and robotics in the city, a local official said.

The city will work with Tesla to build a technology industry cluster with core technology advantages for the global market, Chen Kele, deputy director of intelligent manufacturing promotion division at Shanghai Municipal Commission of Economy and Informatization, said today.

Tesla's factory in Shanghai received a tour by local media today, and Chen mentioned this during a media briefing, according to The Paper.

Chen did not directly mention Tesla's FSD, but it was the first hint of support from a Chinese official for Tesla's FSD software.

Tesla, despite being a pioneer among EV companies in exploring autonomous driving, has been seen as slow to move in the area in China.

The EV maker is about to begin wide-scale testing of FSD in China, local media outlet Caixin said in an April 3 report.

All Tesla vehicles currently come with the free Basic Autopilot (BAP) software. In addition, Tesla also offers Enhanced Autopilot (EAP), FSD software as options.

EAP and FSD cost $6,000 and $15,000 respectively in the US and RMB 32,000 ($4,600) and RMB 64,000 respectively in China.

Tesla has made a positive contribution to the construction of a world-class automotive industry center in Shanghai, supporting the city's steady industrial economic growth, Chen said at today's event.

Tesla produced 727,000 vehicles in 2022, up 49.7 percent year-on-year, with an industrial output value of RMB 183.9 billion, Chen said, adding that this represents 23 percent of Shanghai's auto manufacturing output, driving industrial output growth by 1.3 percentage points.

($1 = RMB 6.9498)

Tesla reportedly to begin large-scale testing of FSD in China

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Baillie Gifford China Electric eMobility eV Hedge Fund Positions Nio Tesla

Baillie Gifford trims holdings in NIO, Tesla slightly in Q1

Baillie Gifford trimmed its holdings in NIO and Tesla by 0.77 percent and 2.83 percent, respectively, in the first quarter, but the value of its holdings in them rose.

Baillie Gifford held 120,132,616 shares of NIO's US-traded ADRs at the end of the first quarter, according to a 13F filing posted on the SEC's website on May 3.

That's down 926,459 shares, or 0.77 percent, from 121,059,075 at the end of the fourth quarter, CnEVPost's calculations show.

During the fourth quarter of last year, Baillie Gifford's position in NIO increased by 24,277,897 shares or 25.09 percent.

Baillie Gifford's holdings in NIO were worth $1.26 billion at the end of the first quarter, up 6.97 percent from $1.18 billion at the end of the fourth quarter.

NIO rose 7.79 percent in the first quarter after it fell 38 percent in the fourth quarter of last year.

In addition to reducing its position in NIO slightly, Baillie Gifford also reduced its holdings in Tesla slightly in the first quarter.

At the end of the first quarter, the fund held 26,054,483 shares of Tesla, down 759,855 shares, or 2.83 percent, from 26,814,338 shares in the fourth quarter of last year.

However, Baillie Gifford's holdings in Tesla were worth $5.4 billion at the end of the first quarter, up 63.65 percent from $3.3 billion in the fourth quarter of last year, due to a big jump in Tesla's stock price in the first quarter.

Tesla rose 68.42 percent in the first quarter after it fell 59 percent in the fourth quarter of last year.

Baillie Gifford previously held (NASDAQ: LI), but liquidated its position in the extended-range electric vehicle (EREV) maker in the fourth quarter of last year.

As of March 31, Baillie Gifford did not own Li Auto, (NYSE: XPEV) or BYD (OTCMKTS: BYDDY) shares.

NIO asks its community for advice on pricing of new ES6

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China Electric eMobility eV Tesla

Tesla recalls over 1.1 million vehicles in China, will provide fixes via OTA

This article is being updated, please refresh later for more content.

Tesla recalls over 1.1 million vehicles in China, will provide fixes via OTA-CnEVPost

Tesla is conducting its biggest recall in China in its history, albeit one that was caused by a software setting and can be fixed via OTA.

Effective May 29, 2023, Tesla is recalling a total of 1,104,622 imported Model S, Model X, Model 3 and China-made Model 3, Model Y vehicles with production dates between January 12, 2019 and April 24, 2023.

The vehicles included in the recall do not allow the driver to select an energy recovery braking strategy, according to a statement from China's State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR).

Also, the driver may not have been provided with sufficient warning of prolonged deep depression of the accelerator pedal.

The combination of the above factors may increase the probability of misusing the accelerator pedal for a long period of time, which may increase the risk of a collision and present a safety hazard.

Tesla plans to push newly developed features for vehicles covered by the recall through OTA updates to reduce the risk of crashes caused by excessive speed due to prolonged deep pressing of the accelerator pedal.

The new features include (1) an option to allow drivers to select energy recovery braking intensity on vehicles that do not have energy recovery braking intensity selection, (2) adjustment of the factory default state of the vehicle's energy recovery braking strategy, and (3) an alert when the driver depresses the accelerator pedal deeply for an extended period of time.

Fatal accident puts Tesla in spotlight in China

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Battery News China Electric eMobility eV Lithium Lithium Carbonate Lithium Prices

Lithium price rally picking up steam in China

Battery grade lithium carbonate rose 7.61 percent in China today, and industrial grade lithium carbonate rose 13.25 percent, both the largest single-day gains of this year.

Lithium price rally picking up steam in China-CnEVPost

Lithium, a key raw material for batteries, is seeing accelerating price gains after a rally that began late last month.

The average price of battery grade lithium carbonate in China was RMB 247,500 ($35,680) per ton today, up RMB 17,500 per ton, or 7.61 percent, from yesterday, according to data from Mysteel.

Industrial grade lithium carbonate averaged RMB 235,000 per ton today, up RMB 27,500 per ton, or 13.25 percent from yesterday.

This is the 10th consecutive day of increase in battery grade lithium carbonate prices and the 13th consecutive day of increase in industrial grade lithium carbonate prices, and they are both the largest single-day gains of this year, CnEVPost's monitoring shows.

As of April 21, lithium carbonate prices have not seen a single day of gains in China this year, falling about 65 percent since the start of the year.

In this round of increases that began late last month, the price of battery grade lithium carbonate rose 37.5 percent from RMB 180,000 per ton, while industrial grade lithium carbonate rose 74 percent.

High lithium prices are clearly not good for China's electric vehicle (EV) industry, but the continued decline in the price of the raw material also reflects weak consumer demand at the end of the spectrum.

The price of battery grade lithium carbonate rose to RMB 590,000 per ton in China on November 23, 2022, up about 14 times from RMB 41,000 per ton in June 2020.

The significant upward movement in lithium prices has resulted in EV makers facing higher battery costs, which has led to impaired profits.

However, the fall in lithium carbonate prices since the end of last year has raised many people more concerns about weak downstream EV demand and price wars.

As lithium prices rebound, some analysts are beginning to see possible signs of improvement in the EV industry.

Lithium carbonate prices have stopped falling and stabilized, reflecting gradually improving downstream demand, Guotai Junan analyst Shi Yan's team said in a research note on May 11.

On May 10, CITIC Securities analyst Yuan Jiancong's team said that the previous sharp drop in lithium carbonate prices and price cuts by automakers had fueled a wait-and-see mood among new energy vehicle (NEV) consumers.

In the second quarter, demand for NEVs is expected to pick up as lithium carbonate prices stabilize, the team said.

CICC analyst Zhang Jiaming's team said in an April 20 research note that the accelerating downward trend in lithium carbonate prices was unsustainable, and lithium prices may gradually stabilize and possibly even rebound in the short term as inventories are reduced.

Due to oversupply, some companies choose to cut production, which is a normal phenomenon that may occur in the process of price reduction, the team said.

However, the team believes that the downward trend in lithium prices may not come to a complete end soon, as the global lithium supply is still in surplus.

Market forces will bring a concentration of new capacity coming online and create supply growth that outpaces demand growth, which is the main driver of the easing lithium supply and demand crunch, the team said.

($1 = RMB 6.9468)

Lithium price in China sees 1st rise this year as analysts expect short-term rebound

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China China EV Market Insight Electric eMobility eV Insights JD Power Tesla

Chinese consumers’ intent to buy NEVs rises for 6th consecutive year, JD Power study shows

Chinese consumers' intent to buy NEVs continues to rise, further squeezing the share of the fuel vehicle market, according to JD Power.

China passenger NEV retail drops 3.6% MoM to 527,000 in Apr, CPCA data show-CnEVPost

Among Chinese consumers who intend to buy a new vehicle in the next six months, the share of those considering new energy vehicles (NEVs) reached 33 percent, up 6 percentage points from 27 percent in 2022, for the sixth consecutive year of increases, according to a study by US market research firm JD Power.

JD Power released the figures in its China New Vehicle Intender Study (NVIS) yesterday, saying the long-term trend toward NEVs is becoming clearer.

Retail sales of new energy passenger vehicles in China were 527,000 units in April, contributing 32.3 percent of all passenger vehicle sales of 1.63 million units, according to data released by the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA) on May 9.

For comparison, the ratio was 27.1 percent in April last year and only 7.3 percent in January 2021.

In 2023, Chinese consumers' intent to buy NEVs continues to rise, further squeezing the share of the fuel vehicle market, according to JD Power. Intended buyers are consumers who plan to purchase a vehicle in the next six months.

The percentage of consumers considering new energy SUVs has increased significantly, from 11 percent last year to 16 percent this year, and is already on par with new energy sedans, according to JD Power.

Among the new energy models favored most by consumers, luxury plug-in hybrid SUVs and midsize all-electric SUVs saw the largest potential consumer growth, increasing by 6 percent and 5.5 percent, respectively.

The percentage of consumers considering purchasing compact pure electric sedans and mid-size pure electric sedans declined significantly, by 7.5 percent and 5.4 percent respectively.

Going forward, there is a significant trend of consumption upgrading alongside rising penetration of NEVs, according to JD Power.

Data released by the CPCA earlier this week also showed the trend, with retail sales of mini-electric vehicle specialist SAIC-GM-Wuling down 15.9 percent year-on-year in January-April and budget EV maker down 14 percent year-on-year in the period.

, which is targeting the higher-end market, saw retail sales in China increase 61.5 percent year-on-year during January to April, with (NASDAQ: LI) up 118.1 percent and NIO (NYSE: NIO) up 22.2 percent. All three of these companies' sales were dominated by SUVs.

Among other findings, JD Power said more than half of consumers prefer to buy local brands in China, with new car-making brands, in particular, more popular.

For the second year in a row, the percentage of people considering buying a local brand vehicle exceeded 50 percent. For Japanese brands the proportion slipped to 12 percent from 15 percent last year, while German brands rose to 17 percent from 13 percent.

Potential consumers with higher education and higher budgets are more receptive to battery swap and battery leasing sales models, JD Power said.

Potential consumers with adequate budgets are more willing to pay for the battery swap model and also have a stronger willingness to buy NEVs, according to the study.

BMW, Audi and Mercedes-Benz had the highest luxury brand influence scores in the JD Power study, scoring 683, 680 and 661 out of a total of 1,000 points, respectively.

NIO ranked 10th with a score of 607, the highest score among local Chinese luxury brands and higher than Porsche's 605.

HiPhi and IM Motors are the other two brands that made it into this luxury brand ranking, with scores of 549 and 542, respectively.

In the mainstream brand influence score, BYD ranked first with 678 points, Tesla 11th with 634 points, 15th with 631 points, and Li Auto in 34th place with 598 points.

Full CPCA rankings: Top-selling models and automakers in China in Apr

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