Author: Song Liangchen
Today, Bloomberg reported that Chinese automaker Aiways is studying plans to go public in the US through an IPO this year, with a proposed fundraising amount of $300 million.
Electric Power and King Kong New Energy Journalist confirmed the news with Aiways, but the company declined to comment.
According to Qin ChaCha, Aiways has completed six rounds of financing, with the latest being an investment from the global leader in power batteries, CATL, announced on May 1st of this year.
Other investors include Didi Chuxing, Mingchi Fund, Funa Source Creation, Puyin Industrial, Fu Ding Capital, and Sha Steel Group. Four of the six rounds disclosed the financing amount, totaling RMB 9.2 billion.
Compared with new forces like NIO and XPeng, Aiways was founded in 2017, so its overall actions seem slow. In addition, the first car, the U5, missed the market’s momentum due to the COVID-19 outbreak, with monthly terminal sales currently around 200 units.
In addition to the first car U5, Aiways’ second car, the U6, known as a trendy new product, will be launched at the end of the year. Compared to the U5, the U6 features a more dynamic hatchback design, which will likely be favored by many young consumers if priced appropriately.
Although Aiways has not gained an edge in the domestic market, its overseas market has performed well, as it has already taken the lead in obtaining new car access qualifications in the European Union and exporting to developed car markets such as Germany and France.
In addition, having obtained the strict European Union access qualification means that Aiways’ quality is relatively outstanding compared to other new energy brands, which is a good choice for users who pursue quality.
After exporting to the European Union, Aiways has also successively entered the markets of Israel and Africa in West Asia. Therefore, Aiways has actually become China’s first truly global new energy brand.
According to the data just released by the China Automobile Industry Association, wholesale of new energy vehicles in July increased by 100% year-on-year… Faced with the already exploding new energy market, it is a historic opportunity for all new energy brands.
For new forces like Aiways that have no “burden” and have already established a foothold in the new energy market, as long as they focus on making cars and seize the market, anything is possible.
According to Qin ChaCha’s data, Aiways has applied for 919 new energy technology patents, ranking among the top new automotive forces in terms of technical strength, which is also the foundation of Aiways’ confidence in facing 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.