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① NIO teases the third model and delivers its 20,000th ES8!
On December 12th, NIO officially released a teaser image of its third mass-produced vehicle. The car is likely to be a coupe SUV, based on previous spy shots. Moreover, this car will be officially announced on NIO Day on December 28th. On the same day, the 20,000th ES8 owner of NIO received a new car. It took NIO one and a half years to reach this milestone, from the delivery of its first ES8 to its 20,000th.
Comment: The new NIO car, as a niche model, has attracted a lot of attention. However, as a coupe model, past sales performance of similar models is uncertain.
Clearly, NIO has a high-end brand image that is slowly becoming recognized, and the car company is performing well. As of November of this year, NIO has sold a total of 28,743 units, including the ES6 and ES8. Achieving these results for a product that costs around 400,000 yuan is impressive, not just for a new car maker but also for a domestic independent brand. We hope that domestic brands continue to do better and better.
② CITIC Bank suspends loans to IDEAL ONE users
On December 10th, not long after the delivery of the IDEAL ONE, CITIC bank, which originally cooperated with IDEAL Auto, stopped granting loans to IDEAL ONE users due to some unknown reasons. One day later, the IDEAL Auto made an official response to the matter.
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Facing the problem of CITIC, Li Xiang also expressed that “we are still very small now and will also encounter many problems, but we have only one goal: to help users solve problems unconditionally and quickly.” From new car production to delivery, it is undoubtedly a major hurdle for new forces in car making. After all, it took four years and five months for the Ideal ONE to reach users’ hands. For Ideal, the real challenge has just begun.
③ Xpeng and NIO Power cooperate, and Xpeng Automotive’s main operating body undergoes a business change
On December 11th, Xpeng Automobile and NIO Power reached a cooperation agreement, stating that they will achieve the interconnection of national brand charging station distribution data and payment processes.
Simply put, Xpeng and NIO Power’s car owners can use each other’s super charging piles on their respective brand apps. At the same time, NIO Power will also join Xpeng’s home charging business supplier system to provide home charging pile installation services for some Xpeng car owners.
In addition, the operating entity of Xpeng Automotive, Guangzhou Chengxing Zhidong Automobile Technology Co., Ltd., has undergone a business change, and Alibaba co-founder Joseph Chung Tsai “Cai Chongxin” resigned as the company’s director, with YU Yongfu as an additional director.
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In fact, NIO’s charging App had already joined Xpeng’s self-operated super charging pile in early November. In terms of sharing dimensions and promoting industry progress, there may be many manufacturers following suit with the cooperation between NIO and Xpeng in the future. If all the new forces in car making can achieve this, I will be the first to give a thumbs up. I look forward to more manufacturers promoting the sharing of charging piles in the future. After all, this is a good thing for both manufacturers and car owners. However, what do you think of the change of operating entities?
④ Model Y is expected to achieve a weekly output of 1000 vehicles in Q2 2020
According to foreign media reports, Ben Kallo, an analyst at the US investment bank Baird, recently stated after visiting the Fremont factory that “Model Y is expected to achieve a weekly output of 1000 vehicles in Q2 2020.”
In addition, Ben Kallo pointed out that “I believe Tesla’s stock price will continue to rise because the continuous execution of profitability and cash creation is synchronously proceeding with multiple expansion.”> Quick review: In March of this year, Tesla released the latest Model Y, but the limited production capacity has been troubling Musk. Tesla is constantly updating the delivery time of the Model Y, and if they can reach a production capacity of 1000 units per week in Q2, it is highly likely that the United States will start delivering vehicles in Q1. This is nearly two quarters earlier compared to what was announced during the Model Y launch event earlier this year, which had an estimated delivery time of fall 2020. As Tesla makes further progress on production capacity, it also puts more pressure on traditional luxury brands.
⑤ Cadillac to Achieve Full Electrification by 2030
Recently, Cadillac officially announced that its models are expected to achieve full electrification by the year 2030. At the same time, Cadillac electric models will adopt a brand-new naming system, instead of the current XT4 and CT5 naming scheme.
It is reported that Cadillac plans to launch a compact electric SUV specifically for the Chinese market in 2022 and will begin production in the United States in 2023.
Quick review: As of now, Cadillac’s electrification process seems slower in comparison to other second-tier luxury brands in China. However, it is tough for established car manufacturers to make a complete shift. But when compared to new car manufacturers, traditional car companies like Cadillac have several advantages in terms of resource foundation and brand power. Having said that, the challenge lies in establishing effective pricing and product strategies for new electric cars while maintaining a strong brand image.
⑥ Porsche Taycan Turbo EPA Reveals Range of Only 201 Miles
Recently, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) disclosed the range of the Porsche Taycan Turbo model after testing. The EPA range for the Taycan Turbo model is only 201 miles (approximately 323.5 kilometers).
The EPA range of the 2020 Tesla Model S can reach 348 miles (approximately 560.1 km). The battery capacity of Taycan and Model S are 93.4 kWh and 100 kWh respectively, not much of a difference. According to EPA, this is because the battery power efficiency of Model S is much higher than that of Porsche Taycan.
Quick comment: Range is one of the core competitiveness of electric vehicles. As a luxury brand and a car model with a high price (Taycan Turbo Manufacturer’s Guide Price is 1.498 million yuan), the EPA range of Porsche Taycan Turbo is somewhat surprising. But perhaps users who buy it care more about its brand power than the range.
- Tesla Super Mobile Charging Station exposed; Beam car project launched, MINI electric car is coming | E Weekly News* Domestic Model 3 enjoys a subsidy of 24,750 yuan; General Motors teams up with LG Chemical to build a super battery factory | E Weekly News
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.