PART 1 Weekly Index

PART 2 Weekly News

① 2019 NIO Day: EC6 Debut + 100 kWh Battery + New ES8

On December 28, 2019, NIO Day was held at the Shenzhen Bay Sports Center, where NIO officially released the 100 kWh battery, its third model EC6, and the new ES8. The 100 kWh battery also supports quick battery swapping. Following the battery upgrade, the NEDC range of the NIO ES6 exceeded 600 km, while the new ES8 achieved a NEDC range of 500 km.

The NIO EC6 features a sleek design, with a wind resistance coefficient of 0.27 Cd, and a maximum NEDC range of 615 km. The sunroof is 2.1 square meters in size. Its price will be announced next July and is expected to be delivered next September.

Compared with the previous model, the new ES8 features upgrades to its appearance, interior, and electric motors. The motor has been upgraded to a 160 kW permanent magnet synchronous motor and a 240 kW asynchronous motor.

Quick comment: At NIO Day, the first product NIO released was the 100 kWh battery, indicating that resolving range anxiety is a top priority for NIO. In my opinion, the significance of the EC6 debut might be bigger than just its sales, considering that a coupe-SUV is not a hot-selling model. But can the EC6 bring surprises? That’s what I’m looking forward to. As 2019 comes to an end, 2020 will be the most difficult and crucial year for NIO. I hope NIO lives up to its expectations and works hard to change the current situation.

② First Tesla V3 Supercharger in China Opens

Tesla’s V3 “Shanghai Jinqiao” Supercharger is now open to the public

On December 27, 2019, Tesla opened its first V3 supercharger in China at the Shanghai Jinqiao location. My colleagues were among the first to test the V3 supercharger, and they found that the charging power displayed on the vehicle’s screen soared from 120 kW to 245 kW. This is currently the fastest charging speed seen in electric cars, where 10 minutes of charging at this rate can add 220 km of range to a Tesla Model 3 with long-range rear-wheel drive!

Quick comment: According to our test data, the V3 has compressed the charging time from 10% to 90% to just 35 minutes, which corresponds to a range of over 400 km. Leaving price aside, this charging speed has already reached the level that many consumers can accept for EVs. In addition, the arrival of V3 has brought Tesla’s energy replenishment system to a higher level. How much of a stimulus this will have on Tesla’s sales remains to be seen.

More details on WM’s “7 series sedan”

On December 28, WM officially released more information on the “7 series sedan”. The new car will be based on the first car’s super platform, equipped with a CTP battery pack, and is expected to have a NEDC comprehensive range of over 700 km. It will be equipped with level L3 and L4 autonomous driving functions, while also having a 5G intelligent cockpit. In addition, the new car will make its official debut at the 2020 Beijing Auto Show.

Quick comment: Based on the information released by WM, the biggest highlight of the new car is its range exceeding 700 km. However, as the range increases, the charging speed also needs to keep up with the rhythm. According to the news previously revealed, the new car will also support high-power fast charging, which can complete 30% to 80% charging in 30 minutes. If this is the case, its competitiveness can be seen. Let’s wait and see at the Beijing Auto Show in 4 months.

XPeng Motor’s P7 Long Range RWD version officially released

XPeng Motor’s P7 Long Range RWD version has been officially released!

On December 15th, the rear-wheel drive long-range version of XPeng P7 was officially released and opened for pre-sale at a starting price of 240,000 yuan. So far, XPeng P7 has released three models, including the rear-wheel drive long-range type, rear-wheel drive ultra-long-range type, and four-wheel drive high-performance type, with pre-sale price range from 240,000 yuan to 370,000 yuan.

• Rear-wheel drive long-range type, NEDC range of 550+ km, 0-100 km/h in 6.7 seconds
• Rear-wheel drive ultra-long-range type, NEDC range of 650+ km, 0-100 km/h in 6.7 seconds
• Four-wheel drive high-performance type, NEDC range of 550+ km, 0-100 km/h in 4.3 seconds

Comment: The pre-sale price of the rear-wheel drive long-range version of XPeng P7 has reduced the threshold for purchase. And the arrival of XPeng P7 has raised the price range of XPeng cars by one level, which not only tests the product power of P7, but also the brand power of XPeng. After all, the price range of 200,000 to 300,000 yuan is a big challenge for both new car-making forces and traditional car brands. How to make the product more competitive and continue to improve the reputation is what XPeng Auto needs to do now.

⑤ SAIC Group and GAC Group reach strategic cooperation

SAIC Group and GAC Group recently signed a strategic cooperation framework agreement in Shanghai, taking advantage of the strategic opportunities brought by the transformation of the automobile industry, and will cooperate in technology research and development, resource coordination, investment layout, market expansion, business model innovation and international operations and other related fields.

Comment: In the cold auto market, huddling together has become a common practice in the global auto industry, such as XPeng and NIO Power’s recent contract signing. Faced with many uncertain factors in the future market, such cooperation is beneficial for both parties. Objectively speaking, this kind of cooperation can reduce costs for each other while also making both parties more resilient. As for what kind of chemical reaction will occur between SAIC and GAC in the future, it depends on how much effort both parties make.

⑥ GAC NIO HYCAN 007 officially released.On December 27th, GAC NIO’s first product, the HYCAN 007, was officially released, with five different models being launched, all equipped with standard L2 level assisted driving. Deliveries will begin in April 2020, with pre-sale prices ranging from 260,000 to 400,000 yuan.

• BASE version starts at 260,000 yuan, with a NEDC range of 523 km.

• PLUS version starts at 280,000 yuan, with a NEDC range of 643 km.

• TOP version starts at 300,000 yuan, with a NEDC range of 643 km.

• STARSHIP starts at 340,000 yuan.

• SUPREME private custom version starts at 400,000 yuan.

Quick comment: As a “co-creation” brand of GAC Group and NIO, HYCAN 007 has the endorsement of both GAC and NIO since its birth. However, from the pre-sales price of HYCAN 007, although it has the endorsement of GAC and NIO, this price range is not very competitive as a new brand, and overlaps with its own Aion LX. On the contrary, the 200,000 to 300,000 yuan range is currently in a window period in the new energy market. If successful, it will greatly help in shaping the brand in the future.
This article is a translation by ChatGPT of a Chinese report from 42HOW. If you have any questions about it, please email bd@42how.com.