- China currently dominates the electric vehicle, battery, and critical metals industries.
- However, other countries, such as Australia, India, and the US, have started pushing back against Chinese investment in these industries.
- There is suspicion and concern about Chinese EV companies in countries like France, which is calling for an investigation into unfair subsidies by the Chinese government.
- This could potentially lead to new tariffs on Chinese EV imports to the EU.
- China's recent actions, such as threatening to curb exports of important materials and banning coal imports from Australia, have further fueled concerns about dependence on China.
The main topic is the resignation of Xpeng's vice president of autonomous driving, Xinzhou Wu, and the impact it may have on the company's autonomous driving path.
Key points include:
- Wu played a pivotal role in helping Xpeng gain an edge over its EV rivals in the intelligent driving race.
- Xpeng is recognized for its in-house, full-stack development team responsible for creating the advanced driver assistance system Xpeng Navigation Guided Pilot (XNPG).
- Xpeng aims to reduce the number of manual takeovers per 1,000 kilometers when using its highway navigation to one or fewer by the end of 2023.
- Tesla has not made its Full Self-Driving (FSD) system available in China yet.
- Wu may be taking up a senior position in Nvidia's autonomous driving division.
- Xpeng recently announced a promising investment from Volkswagen for co-developing electric vehicle models for the Chinese market.
- Wu's resignation marks the end of an era at Xpeng and highlights the talent loss for the company.
- The resignation comes amid escalating tensions between the US and China, leading to downsizing of Chinese tech giants' US operations.
Main topic: BMW's progress in electric vehicle sales and investment in e-mobility.
Key points:
1. BMW's electric vehicle sales increased to 12.6% of total deliveries in the first half of 2023, up from 10% in 2022.
2. The company aims to achieve a 15% share of battery-electric sales by the end of 2023.
3. BMW is investing more than originally planned in the global ramp-up of e-mobility due to increasing demand for electric cars.
4. The automaker increased its research and development spending by nearly 19% in Q2 2023, reaching about $2 billion.
5. BMW has not set an end date for selling combustion engine vehicles, stating that there is no indication that the world is renouncing them.
6. This contrasts with other automakers like Mercedes-Benz, Ford, and GM, which have plans to phase out combustion-engine sales by 2040.
Chinese electric car company Xpeng will acquire Didi's smart electric vehicle unit in a strategic partnership, with Xpeng's shares surging 16%, and plans to launch a new A-class model under the brand MONA to expand in the mass-market segment.
Chinese electric vehicle company Xpeng's U.S.-traded shares rose 5% premarket after announcing its acquisition of Didi's smart electric car business for $744 million.
XPeng stock surges as investors respond positively to the company's plan to acquire DiDi's smart vehicle unit.
Chinese electric-vehicle makers NIO, Li Auto, and XPeng have achieved record-breaking delivery numbers, a positive development for both Tesla and BYD, as well as for investors in the EV sector.
The article discusses the potential for the West to use China's economic slowdown to gain an advantage in the electric car race, highlighting the need for a different approach to counter China's advantage. The author suggests welcoming Chinese investment and immigration of skilled Chinese scientists to strengthen the American EV industry and potentially weaken China.
BMW and Mercedes are intensifying their efforts in the electric vehicle market, unveiling new platforms and concept cars in response to competition from Chinese automakers and Tesla, although they may still lag behind in certain aspects.
Europe's automakers are showcasing their latest electric vehicles at the IAA Mobility car show in an attempt to compete with Tesla and counter the increasing competition from Chinese companies such as BYD and Xpeng.
Europe's carmakers are facing a tough battle to catch up with China in the development of affordable and consumer-friendly electric vehicles, with Chinese EV makers already a generation ahead, according to industry analysts and executives at Munich's IAA mobility show.
The EU's plan to ban new gasoline and diesel vehicles by 2035 poses a significant risk to European car manufacturers who may struggle to compete with Chinese EV manufacturers in a price war, according to BMW chairman Oliver Zipse.
Chinese car makers BYD and XPeng saw their stock prices rise ahead of a major auto show where they will compete with Tesla, which is making its first appearance at the event in Munich.
Mercedes-Benz does not expect all of its sales in Europe to be all-electric by 2030, but will have its line-up ready, according to CEO Ola Kaellenius, citing the need for infrastructure and market demand for the transition to electric vehicles.
Lucid is exploring the possibility of entering the Chinese electric car market, but has not yet set a timeline for its entry, according to a top executive at the company. Lucid recognizes China as the world's largest and fastest adopting EV market, but wants to ensure it enters on the right terms to avoid mistakes. The company is currently assessing the viability of entering the market and considering factors such as pricing and manufacturing strategy. Additionally, Lucid plans to expand its product range to include lower-priced vehicles, with a mid-sized car potentially being unveiled in 2026. However, entering the mass-market segment will take time and require a strong supply base and the right pricing.
China's automobile and component exports have doubled in 2021, leading to an investigation by the European Commission into subsidies given to Chinese electric vehicle makers, as European automakers express concern over competition from China in the growing electric vehicle sector.
Tesla is expected to benefit from European protectionist measures as regulators crack down on Chinese electric vehicle (EV) competition, causing stocks of Chinese EV companies like NIO and XPeng to plunge.
The European Commission has launched an investigation into whether to impose punitive tariffs on Chinese electric vehicle (EV) imports that it considers to be benefiting from state subsidies, as the Chinese share of the European EV market has reached 8% this year.
The European Union is investigating China's state support for electric vehicle makers due to concerns about the impact on European auto manufacturers, with Chinese companies already gaining a substantial market share in Europe through cheaper prices and subsidies.
The European Union's increasing scrutiny of Chinese electric-vehicle companies has caused tension between the two, impacting the EV space and EU-China relations.
Singapore-based startup Singauto Technology is set to enter the Chinese electric vehicle (EV) market with fully electric refrigerated trucks, which could become a lucrative niche as the cold-chain logistics market is currently dominated by internal combustion vehicles; the company has already received 20,000 pre-orders for its new truck model.
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