Podcasts about li auto

The balance of power among China's leading EV makers may be shifting.This week on China EVs & More, Tu Le and Lei Xing break down a remarkable set of earnings results that reveal very different trajectories for China's EV leaders.NIO appears to be emerging from one of the most challenging periods in its history, delivering consecutive profitable quarters while building momentum behind the ES9, ONVO, and Firefly brands.Meanwhile, Li Auto finds itself in an unfamiliar position. Margins are under pressure, earnings disappointed, and the company is increasingly relying on the success of its new BEV lineup to reignite growth.And then there's BYD.While competitors focus on selling cars, BYD continues expanding deeper into batteries, semiconductors, AI, and autonomous driving technology. The company recently unveiled its own advanced automotive chips, reinforcing its position as one of the most vertically integrated technology companies in the automotive industry.Tu and Lei also discuss:⚡ NIO's surprising turnaround and profitability outlook⚡ Li Auto's reset and what comes next for the L-Series and i-Series⚡ BYD's chip ambitions and technology strategy⚡ XPeng's robotaxi and robotics plans⚡ Stellantis' €60 billion strategy and deepening China partnerships⚡ Volvo's U.S. approval and what it means for Chinese technology in North America⚡ Tesla FSD vs China's rapidly evolving intelligent driving systems⚡ Why the next automotive battle is about AI, software, autonomy, and scaleThe EV race isn't slowing down. But the leaderboard may be changing faster than most people realize._____⏱️ YouTube Chapter Timestamps00:00 The Auto Industry Has Flipped02:00 Trump-Xi Summit & Global Auto Implications05:00 NIO Earnings: Is the Turnaround Real?09:00 Li Auto's Challenges & Margin Pressure13:00 XPeng's Robotaxi & Robotics Ambitions17:00 Why BYD Is Becoming a Chip Company21:00 CATL, Chips & China's Tech Arms Race25:00 Stellantis' €60 Billion China Strategy30:00 Why Europe Needs Chinese Technology34:00 Tesla FSD vs China's Intelligent Driving Systems38:00 Waymo's Momentum & Autonomous Driving Reality41:00 Volvo Approval & Future Chinese Market Access44:00 What Happens Next for Global Automakers?47:00 Final Thoughts_____#ChinaEVs #NIO #BYD #LiAuto #XPeng #Tesla #ElectricVehicles #Robotaxi #AutonomousDriving #ChinaEVsAndMore

The fragile ceasefire between America and Iran is threatened by an exchange of ballistic missiles overnight between Iran and Israel. Our correspondent examines the consequences. China's BYD cars are losing ground to other electric vehicles. And why hit TV shows inspire “companion podcasts”.  Guests and host:Gregg Carlstrom, Middle East correspondentDon Weinland, China business editorElizabeth Peet, researcherRosie Blau, co-host of “The intelligence”Jason Palmer, co-host of “The intelligence”Topics covered: Iran, Israel, Lebanon, ceasefire, TrumpBYD, EVs, Tesla, Xpeng, Li AutoPodcasts, Beef, The Pitt, HBOListen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology—Subscribe to Economist Podcasts+For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our FAQs page or watch our video explaining how to link your account. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The fragile ceasefire between America and Iran is threatened by an exchange of ballistic missiles overnight between Iran and Israel. Our correspondent examines the consequences. China's BYD cars are losing ground to other electric vehicles. And why hit TV shows inspire “companion podcasts”.  Guests and host:Gregg Carlstrom, Middle East correspondentDon Weinland, China business editorElizabeth Peet, researcherRosie Blau, co-host of “The intelligence”Jason Palmer, co-host of “The intelligence”Topics covered: Iran, Israel, Lebanon, ceasefire, TrumpBYD, EVs, Tesla, Xpeng, Li AutoPodcasts, Beef, The Pitt, HBOListen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology—Subscribe to Economist Podcasts+For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our FAQs page or watch our video explaining how to link your account. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Four stories today — starting with the controversydominating Chinese automotive social media right now.Li Auto posted a chassis comparison video on theirofficial platform comparing the Li L9 Livis to theNIO ES9. The video was designed to make the ES9 lookinferior. NIO's VP of Branding Ma Lin went public onWeibo and challenged the video's authenticity — statingthat what it showed was physically impossible given theES9's suspension specifications. Li Auto deleted thevideo without responding. This is not the first time.The pattern is a company under sales pressure reachingfor competitive tactics that keep backfiring. Li Auto'syear-over-year sales have been falling for most of thepast 12 months. A company that is winning doesn't needto manufacture evidence against a competitor.NIO president Qin Lihong confirmed the All-New ES8 willcomplete its 120,000th delivery in June. At the same timethe ES9 hits its 10,000th delivery — in its very firstfull month of production. Two milestones. Same month.The barbell is working. NIO June total deliveries areexpected to top 40,000 units.My Discord raised the honest bear case questions thisweek. NIO is running on a few demand engines. If thoseslow down without new ones behind them Q3 and Q4 getscomplicated. The R&D restructuring concern — subsidiariesabsorbing innovation spend off the consolidated books —is a real question. Is profitability being achieved byweakening the long-term innovation engine? I don't wantthat trade. NIO's approach is more conservative thanXpeng's physical AI moonshot. Conservative can be right.Conservative can also mean getting outflanked. The juryis still out and these questions deserve honest answers.NIO fell 5.8% on the week because the May jobs reportdoubled consensus at 172,000 added. The 10-year yieldspiked to 4.54%. "Good news is bad news" — strong jobsmeans the Fed doesn't cut. Kevin Warsh walks into a ratehike environment nobody expected. This is a macro storynot a NIO thesis story. Watch oil. Watch the Iran deal.That's your real signal.

Der DAX rettet die Marke von 25.000 Punkten. Nach einem Rücksetzer bis auf 24.973 Punkte schloss der Leitindex 0,3 % tiefer bei 25.092 Punkten. Der EuroStoxx50 verliert ebenfalls 0,3 % auf 6.050 Punkte. Am Nachmittag half ein Bericht von Axios: Die USA und der Iran sollen sich auf eine Grundsatzerklärung zur Verlängerung der Waffenruhe verständigt haben. Die Wall Street drehte daraufhin ins Plus, auch der DAX holte einen Teil seiner Verluste auf. Brent liegt bei 95 USD. Im DAX stützen SAP, Airbus und Rheinmetall, Rüstungswerte sind wieder gefragt. Bei den Firmenmeldungen baut Uber seine Position bei Delivery Hero auf fast 37 % aus. Die Bafin prüfte seit 2022 insgesamt 48 Verdachtsfälle auf möglichen Insiderhandel in der Rüstungsindustrie. Michelin streicht in Frankreich bis zu 1.500 Stellen. Li Auto rutscht in die roten Zahlen. Photronics bricht vorbörslich um 26 % ein. 3M steht in Australien wegen PFAS-Chemikalien vor einer Milliardenklage. Und zum Schluss die Börsenweisheit des Tages. Sie kommt von Peter Lynch: "Wer keine Rückschläge verkraftet, sollte keine Aktien besitzen.

In this special on-the-road episode of China EVs & More, Tu Le and Lei Xing drive a Li Auto i6 from Beijing to Shanghai using Li Auto's latest hands-free VLA intelligent driving system — experiencing firsthand how quickly China's EV ecosystem is evolving.  The trip comes immediately after the massive Beijing Auto Show, where over 1,400 vehicles, 180+ debuts, and dozens of new brands highlighted how intense and competitive China's EV market has become.Tu and Lei break down:Li Auto's new VLA Driver Model and real-world NOA performanceXPeng's latest VLA 2.0 rollout and robotaxi ambitionsBYD and CATL's escalating battery and charging warWhy large Chinese SUVs are now targeting North America's most profitable segmentsThe rise of Huawei-backed brands and the growing influence of Chinese tech suppliersHow global automakers are increasingly relying on Chinese software, batteries, and ADAS systems to stay competitiveThe episode also captures the realities of driving EVs in China today — ultra-fast charging, crowded charging stations, nonstop product launches, and a level of EV infrastructure that still feels years ahead of most global markets.From autonomous driving and battery breakthroughs to the growing divide between China and the West, this episode offers a rare, firsthand look into the future of mobility — from inside the driver's seat.___

Six stories from the biggest auto show in history —plus two US macro stories your portfolio needs today.The 2026 Beijing Auto Show opened April 24 as the largestauto show ever staged — 380,000 square meters, 1,451 vehicles,181 world premieres. The secretary-general of the PassengerCar Association called it the only booming top-level autoshow left in the world as Detroit, Frankfurt, and Tokyocontinue to shrink or cancel.Tesla skipped it. Again.NIO brought all three brands — NIO, Onvo, and Firefly —under one roof for the first time. The ES9 made its publicdebut with over 40 industry-first technologies, dual ShenjiNX9031 chips, and SkyRide full active suspension.Official launch late May. Deliveries June 1.The CEOs were the real show. Lei Jun of Xiaomi visitedNIO, Xpeng, Li Auto, and BYD's booths and gave printedT-shirts to Li Bin, Li Xiang, and He Xiaopeng — photoshit every Chinese hot search immediately. Wang Chuanfu —the richest man in China — took the subway to the venueand stood at the BYD booth for six hours straight.Huawei spread across 4,400+ square meters with five brandson one platform — and is creating a brand identity problemnobody has answered yet. Xpeng showcased Level 4 autonomousdriving with the GX model.Back in the US — Big Tech reports this week. Apple,Microsoft, Meta, and Amazon all drop earnings. The Fedmeets Tuesday with a 100% chance of no rate cut as oilstays above $100 and Goldman raised their Q4 Brentforecast to $90 per barrel.---

Six stories today that connect around a single theme — the companies that survive consolidation own the decade.Nissan's Dongfeng joint venture was caught running a coordinated troll army against Li Auto during a product launch. Leaked internal documents exposed Li Auto's models as explicit targets. China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology stepped in.This is happening against the backdrop of China's auto industry hitting a 4.1% profit margin — its lowest since 2015. Over half of Chinese dealerships lost money last year. The price war nearly destroyed the industry. NIO just posted their first quarterly profit in this environment. That's the story.Meta is projected to surpass Google as the world's largest digital advertising platform in 2026 at $243 billion — Zuckerberg's quiet comeback is one of the greatest in modern corporate history.Citadel's Ken Griffin publicly warned of global recession if the Strait of Hormuz stays closed. The Iran ceasefire expires next week.Over 1,000 Hollywood insiders signed an open letter opposing the Paramount and Warner Bros Discovery merger.And Hailey Bieber turned Justin's Coachella headline set into a Rhode brand product launch. That's a founder mindset.Courtside Financial. Hosted by Obi.Nord Security Products:NordVPN: ⁠https://go.nordvpn.net/aff_c?offer_id=15&aff_id=143053&url_id=902⁠NordPass: ⁠https://go.nordpass.io/aff_c?offer_id=488&aff_id=143053&url_id=9356⁠Discord: https://discord.gg/GSbp4wR

Tesla just confirmed the end of the Model S and Model X — the premium vehicles that built the company's reputation — to bet everything on the CyberCab robotaxi which has no steering wheel, no pedals, and no regulatory approval to operate on public roads. Chinese owners who paid 64,000 yuan for FSD watched hackers unlock it with a $35 Raspberry Pi before Tesla patched it in 48 hours. Robotaxis stopped in traffic in both San Francisco and Wuhan in the same week and both events were safety systems working correctly — not failures — though the media reported them as breakdowns. And the three companies that manufactured NIO, Xpeng, and Li Auto's first vehicles are now bankrupt, pivoting to AI, or betting survival on hydrogen. Obi connects every story to NIO's positioning — Tesla vacating the premium personal EV segment is the exact space NIO has been building in for eleven years. ES9 reveal in 6 days.Lessie AI (Courtside Financial Link) :https://bit.ly/4dmJk27Discount code: CF50Discord: https://discord.gg/GSbp4wR

NIO just dropped March delivery numbers and beat their own Q1 guidance. 35,486 total deliveries in March — 136% year over year. Q1 total of 83,465 topped the upper end of guidance at 80,000 to 83,000. The ES8 delivered 16,255 units in March alone — best-selling large SUV and best-selling vehicle above 400,000 yuan in China for three consecutive months. NIO stock jumped 2.82% to $6.20 with Hong Kong shares surging 10%. Obi breaks down every number — NIO main brand, Onvo's recovery, Firefly's build — then puts it in full competitive context. BYD posted its seventh consecutive month of year over year sales declines. Xpeng fell 17% year over year for the third straight month. Li Auto barely profitable in Q4. And Xiaomi just hired Tesla's former China GM to fix a retail and sales conversion problem they've been quietly hiding — a move that accidentally proves why NIO's eleven-year investment in community and direct retail experience cannot be replicated with a single personnel decision. ES9 reveal in 8 days. Beijing Auto Show in 23 days.Nord Security Products:NordVPN: ⁠https://go.nordvpn.net/aff_c?offer_id=15&aff_id=143053&url_id=902⁠NordPass: ⁠https://go.nordpass.io/aff_c?offer_id=488&aff_id=143053&url_id=9356⁠Discord: https://discord.gg/GSbp4wR

For 25 years Japan dominated global auto sales. In 2025 Chinese brands sold nearly 2.7 billion vehicles — surpassing Japan for the first time since 2000. BYD ranked sixth globally, Geely eighth, both surpassing Honda and Nissan. But Obi gives the honest picture — Toyota still earns more profit per vehicle than every Chinese brand, North America remains almost entirely closed, and sales volume is not the same as business quality. He breaks down Q1 showroom data from ten Chinese EV brand stores visited without appointments — NIO owners bringing friends in to buy, Li Auto customers walking past the i6 electric to ask about range extended, Xiaomi's heat arriving and vanishing within a week. Leapmotor launches a 300,000 yuan flagship on April 16th targeting NIO's price segment — and faces the classic upmarket brand trap. And Waymo's permit battle in New York City against taxi unions proves exactly why William Li said no to robotaxi in 2024. ES9 reveal in 9 days.Nord Security Products:NordVPN: ⁠https://go.nordvpn.net/aff_c?offer_id=15&aff_id=143053&url_id=902⁠NordPass: ⁠https://go.nordpass.io/aff_c?offer_id=488&aff_id=143053&url_id=9356⁠Discord: https://discord.gg/GSbp4wR

Xiaomi's EV division just posted its first annual profit — revenue up 224%, gross margin at 24.3%, 550,000 vehicle target for 2026. Li Auto just launched its first ever share buyback — stock down 35%, deliveries declining 19%, multiple executives departed. Same industry, same quarter, completely different stories. Huawei launched 10 vehicles in a single event with their most advanced lidar standard across every price point. And Li Auto's identity crisis reveals exactly why NIO's decade-long commitment to pure electric and premium positioning was always the right call.Nord Security Products:NordVPN: ⁠https://go.nordvpn.net/aff_c?offer_id=15&aff_id=143053&url_id=902⁠NordPass: ⁠https://go.nordpass.io/aff_c?offer_id=488&aff_id=143053&url_id=9356⁠Discord: https://discord.gg/GSbp4wR

In Episode 242 of China EVs & More, Tu Le and Lei Xing break down a pivotal week in the global EV industry — one defined by accelerating innovation, new partnerships, and intensifying competition across China, the U.S., and beyond.  XPeng reaches a major milestone with its first quarterly profit, joining NIO, Li Auto, and Leapmotor in demonstrating that China's EV startups can achieve profitability — even amid one of the most competitive markets in the world.Meanwhile, Rivian secures a $1.25 billion partnership with Uber, signaling a major push into the robotaxi ecosystem and raising questions about whether EV startups can remain viable without tapping into autonomy and mobility platforms.The hosts also dive into Xiaomi's refreshed SU7 launch, the growing wave of EV announcements ahead of the Beijing Auto Show, and how Chinese automakers continue to iterate products 2–3x faster than legacy competitors.Other key topics include:The rise of “physical AI” and next-generation autonomy platforms from XPengNVIDIA's expanding role in global AV ecosystemsThe future of robotaxis and whether margins will hold as competition growsThe coming battle for large electric SUVs in China and globallyHow Chinese EV technology is increasingly influencing global vehicle design and developmentWith Chinese OEMs scaling faster, launching more products, and expanding globally, Tu and Lei highlight a clear shift: the EV race is no longer about catching up — it's about survival and adaptation.

I just spent four days at Nvidia GTC in San Jose. Jensen Huang stood on stage and declared that the ChatGPT moment of self-driving cars has arrived. BYD and Geely are now building Level 4 autonomous driving programs on Nvidia silicon. Uber is deploying driverless vehicles in 28 cities across four continents by 2028.Meanwhile in China the range extended vs pure electric debate is reaching a boiling point — every major automaker is rushing into range extended territory while Li Auto's business model is quietly cracking. Tesla's FSD V14.3 is about to drop but faces a year or more delay before it reaches China.I was in the room this week. Here's my full breakdown of what it all means for NIO and the Chinese EV space.Nord Security Products:NordVPN: https://go.nordvpn.net/aff_c?offer_id=15&aff_id=143053&url_id=902NordPass: https://go.nordpass.io/aff_c?offer_id=488&aff_id=143053&url_id=9356

This week on China EVs & More, Tu and Lei break down one of the most turbulent weeks yet for the global auto industry.  Honda stunned the industry by announcing $15.7 billion in EV write-downs and abandoning its “Zero” EV program, marking the company's first loss in its 70-year history. Porsche and Volkswagen Group also revealed dramatic profit declines as EV investments, tariffs, and China market pressures weigh heavily on legacy automakers.Meanwhile, China's EV sector continues to move at breakneck speed. NIO and Li Auto both reported earnings and ambitious 2026 growth targets, while a new wave of large luxury SUVs — from AITO, BYD, Xpeng, and others — intensifies competition in China's most profitable segments.The hosts analyze how China's relentless product cycles and rapid innovation are redefining the global automotive landscape, leaving Western automakers scrambling to catch up.Other key topics include:Why the Tesla Model 3 could face pressure from Xiaomi's refreshed SU7The coming explosion of large electric SUVs at the Beijing Auto ShowWhether Chinese EVs could soon challenge U.S. truck and SUV dominanceThe role of partnerships and acquisitions as Chinese and Western automakers increasingly collaborateHow Canada's new EV policy could open the door to Chinese brands in North AmericaFrom collapsing profits to accelerating innovation, this episode highlights a stark reality: the global EV race is no longer just about electrification — it's about technology speed, scale, and survival._______

Following NIO's first profit in 11 years, this video contrasts their performance with Li Auto's recent earnings, providing crucial financial news. We break down the current state of the china ev market and what these developments mean for electric vehicles. Discover the implications for NIO's future in the competitive EV space.Following NIO's first profit in 11 years, this video contrasts their performance with Li Auto's recent earnings, providing crucial financial news. We break down the current state of the china ev market and what these developments mean for electric vehicles. Discover the implications for NIO's future in the competitive EV space.Following NIO's first profit in 11 years, this video contrasts their performance with Li Auto, examining the current state of the "china ev market". We break down what's actually happening across the Chinese EV space and what these "nio earnings" mean for the company's future. Discover the implications for "electric vehicles" and "chinese evs" as we analyze this significant "financial news" impacting "nio stock".We are breaking down the latest financial performances in the Chinese EV market, especially after NIO posted its first profit in over a decade. This video offers a detailed nio stock analysis, contrasting NIO's success with other electric vehicles manufacturers. Discover what these developments mean for the future of chinese evs and the broader evs landscape.

VOV1 - Khi nhắc tới cuộc cách mạng giao thông xanh toàn cầu, thế giới thường nghĩ đến những thương hiệu xe điện đình đám hay những quốc gia tiên phong về công nghệ pin.Nhưng phía sau sự bùng nổ đó là một yếu tố mang tính quyết định: hạ tầng trạm sạc. Tại Trung Quốc, quốc gia đang dẫn đầu thế giới về số lượng xe năng lượng mới, một “mạch máu năng lượng” khổng lồ đã được thiết lập. Trung Quốc hiện vận hành mạng lưới trạm sạc xe điện lớn nhất thế giới, với hàng triệu cổng sạc phủ khắp từ đô thị sầm uất đến các tuyến cao tốc liên tỉnh. Đây được xem là “cú hích” cho giao thông xanh ở đất nước tỷ dân. Từ thực tế này có thể thấy gì về vai trò của hạ tầng trong phát triển giao thông xanh?Một trạm sạc ở Trung Quốc. Ảnh: Li Auto

NIO reports Q4 2025 earnings tomorrow morning. Potentially the first quarterly profit in the company's 11-year history.Tonight — a quick honest look at where NIO, Xpeng, and Li Auto all stand heading into 2026, based on the latest Chinese financial analysis.WHAT WE COVER:— Why all three are navigating serious headwinds simultaneously in 2026— The ES8 launch wave is normalizing — NIO's real next catalysts are L80 + ES7— Xpeng down nearly 50% YoY in February and what it means— Li Auto's 2025 underperformance and the new L9 redemption bet— Why NIO still comes out strongest in this comparison heading into tomorrow— NIO's Q4 profit guidance: 700M–1.2B yuan non-GAAP — what to watchFull earnings breakdown tomorrow.Courtside Financial. Hosted by Obi.

Can you help me make more podcasts? Consider supporting me on Patreon as the service is 100% funded by you: https://EVne.ws/patreon You can read all the latest news on the blog here: https://EVne.ws/blog Subscribe for free and listen to the podcast on audio platforms:➤ Apple: https://EVne.ws/apple➤ YouTube Music: https://EVne.ws/youtubemusic➤ Spotify: https://EVne.ws/spotify➤ TuneIn: https://EVne.ws/tunein➤ iHeart: https://EVne.ws/iheart BYD SHOWS NEW TANG CABIN BEFORE SHENZHEN DEBUT https://evne.ws/4b83avd HUAWEI AND SAIC UNVEIL Z7 AND Z7T https://evne.ws/4rVPdrx SAIC VOLKSWAGEN STARTS EA211 RANGE EXTENDER PRODUCTION https://evne.ws/4l7XpSO LI AUTO TROLLS VW AS RANGE EXTENDER LAUNCHES https://evne.ws/3MYLx9c GAC HYPTEC A800 LAUNCHES WITH 598 HP FLAGSHIP https://evne.ws/3MNUKkF HIMA UPGRADES MAEXTRO S800 AND AITO M9 https://evne.ws/4uacHut CHINA'S EV CHARGING BOOM SHIFTS HOME https://evne.ws/3ONUW3X CANADA OPENS SMALL QUOTA FOR CHINESE EVS https://evne.ws/40MOYTw HONDA TO EXPORT CHINA-BUILT E:NS2 TO JAPAN https://evne.ws/47cTqyy LOTUS REVEALS FOR ME CABIN, SETS 2026 LAUNCH https://evne.ws/4sbrTWZ

Tesla kills Model S/X for robots. Li Auto pivots to robots while car sales drop 20%. What NIO investors MUST understand about this pattern.TESLA'S ICON GRAVEYARD:Model S/X production ends Q2 2026. Need factory space for Optimus robots.Reality Check:2025 S/X/Cybertruck sales: 50,850 (down 40.2%)No redesign in 10+ years, missing 800V, fast chargingTesla revenue down 3%, profit down 46%Lost best-selling EV title to BYDDeliveries down 8.5% to 1.6M despite refreshesMusk: "We have no choice" = admitting car business struggling.Pivot: Betting on FSD, Robotaxi, Optimus. But WAY behind Waymo, Baidu, Pony.ai in actual deployment.LI AUTO'S DESPERATE PIVOT:Jan 26 leaked meeting: Li Xiang going all-in on humanoid robots.Car Problem:2025: 406K deliveries (down 19% from 500K)L-series crushed, pure EV failingStores hiding L-series in basementsResponse: Restructure around AI + robots, recruit back employees who LEFT for robot startups.Pattern = When car sales stall, pivot to new story.THE NIO ANGLE (CRITICAL):NIO playing smarter:Battery swap/phones/services SUPPORT cars, don't replaceAbu Dhabi sovereign backing = patient capital2,000+ swap stations = real moatBUT challenge remains:326K deliveries 2025 = not enoughNeed 600-700K for cost structureIf can't grow car sales, swap tech won't save themWHO'S WINNING:Leapmotor: 600K, cost focusBYD: 4M+, no robot talkXiaomi: 550K+, one car done wellWinners execute. Strugglers pivot.INVESTOR TAKEAWAY:Tesla killing icons = even OG admits cars aren't enough.For NIO: Focus on cars. 600-700K target. Use patient capital to outlast robot-chasing competitors.Watch car numbers. Everything else is noise.COURTSIDE FINANCIAL - Hosted by ObiSUBSCRIBE to support the channel!

NIO ships to 460K vehicles, Li Auto goes all-in on robots, memory crisis hits everyone. This is execution vs vision vs reality.NIO NWM UPDATE (460K+ VEHICLES):Major "human-like" driving update using closed-loop reinforcement learningLearns from REAL human driving, not just expertsBattery swap navigation: industry-first piloted driving to 2,000+ stationsShenji in-house chips (no NVIDIA delays)EXECUTION AT SCALE despite sales strugglesLI AUTO ROBOT PIVOT (LEAKED INTERNAL MEETING):Jan 26 all-hands: Li Xiang announces humanoid robot pushKey Points:2026 = last year to become top AI companyOnly 3 global companies will master foundation models + chips + OS + embodied intelligenceLi Auto will be oneRestructuring: cars + robots = "hardware ontology team"Aggressive hiring: "bring back employees who left for robot startups"Multiple robot R&D roles postedContext: Sales 500K (2024) → 400K (2025), -20%. Pure EV struggling. Is this genius or desperation?MEMORY CHIP CRISIS (AFFECTS ALL):DDR4/DDR5 prices +40-70%, adding 1,000-2,000 yuan per vehicleStats:Li Auto:

- Trump's New “Escalade” Is Likely a Heavy-Duty GM Truck in Disguise - Can BMW Crack America's Full-Size SUV Market with An X9? - Tariffs Bite: GM Brings Buick Envision Manufacturing to The U.S. - Congress Keeps Drunk-Driving Tech Mandate Alive - Chinese Automakers Go Shopping as Nissan Dumps Overseas Capacity - China's Price War Turns Li Auto into A Short Seller's Dream - Renault Skips Selling Cars in China—But Wants Its Tech and Suppliers - Why GM and Ford Want You Banking Where You Buy Your Car - Toyota Study Challenges the Myth That PHEVs Don't Get Charged

- Trump's New “Escalade” Is Likely a Heavy-Duty GM Truck in Disguise - Can BMW Crack America's Full-Size SUV Market with An X9? - Tariffs Bite: GM Brings Buick Envision Manufacturing to The U.S. - Congress Keeps Drunk-Driving Tech Mandate Alive - Chinese Automakers Go Shopping as Nissan Dumps Overseas Capacity - China's Price War Turns Li Auto into A Short Seller's Dream - Renault Skips Selling Cars in China—But Wants Its Tech and Suppliers - Why GM and Ford Want You Banking Where You Buy Your Car - Toyota Study Challenges the Myth That PHEVs Don't Get Charged

The magic survival number for Chinese EVs + why NIO/XPeng/Li Auto are dumping NVIDIA. Two stories, one theme: Chinese EVs leveling up.THE 500K SAFETY LINE:Not 2M. Not 1M. At 500K annual units, Chinese EV makers gain:Financial viability (100-150B yuan revenue = profitability)Strategic breathing room (absorb 20% drops like Li Auto)Operational efficiency (economies of scale kick in)Community critical mass (self-sustaining ecosystems)Supply chain power (justify vertical integration)WHO'S WHERE:Li Auto: 400K (safe, crossed line 2024)Leapmotor: 600K (just crossed, suddenly legitimate)XPeng: 430K (+126%), but 41% from budget model—not safe yetNIO: 326K, but cost structure SO high needs 600-700KHarmonyOS: 590K, Aito 423K, Huawei backing = different gameTHE NVIDIA EXODUS:ALL going in-house:XPeng: G6/G7/G9/P7+ use Turing chip. He Xiaopeng: "Best AI companies develop own chips."Li Auto: M100 chip = 2 NVIDIA Thor-U (LLM tasks), 3 Thor-U (vision). Delayed products waiting for Thor, learned lesson.NIO: Spent $300M+ on Orin X in 2024. Shenji NX9031: 2 chips = 8 Orin X, saves 10K yuan per car. Rolling to full lineup.WHY:Thor disaster: 2,000 TOPS promised, 700 delivered, multiple delaysCost: 10K yuan savings x 500K units = billionsIndependence: core tech can't be foreign dependencyNVIDIA'S PROBLEM:China share: 39% → 25% despite having Orin + Thor1.16M units (NIO+XPeng+Li Auto) moving away+HarmonyOS +Leapmotor = 2M+ annual systematically shut outShort-term: only 1% revenueLong-term: most advanced market building own siliconTHE CONNECTION:Same story. 500K scale enables strategic independence. NVIDIA exodus IS exercising that independence.At 100K units: must use NVIDIA.At 500K units: $200-300M chip development pays back in 2-3 years.Autonomous driving = core differentiator. Why outsource it?

Why can't Mercedes, BMW, and Audi just walk away from China like Ford and Hyundai did? Because they're TRAPPED—and understanding why reveals everything about the power shift happening in automotive. This is CRITICAL context for NIO investors.Yesterday we covered the German luxury collapse. Today we answer the question everyone's asking: If China is beating them up this badly, why don't BBA just leave?The answer is shocking. And if you're bullish on Chinese EVs, this is the most important video you'll watch this week.

The German luxury collapse in China is HERE. Mercedes and BMW just forecasted 2026 sales under 500K units—the EXACT numbers they had in 2016. A full decade of zero growth while NIO, XPeng, and Chinese EV brands set 500K+ targets.WHAT WE COVER:→ Mercedes & BMW's decade-long retreat to 2016 sales levels→ Porsche's catastrophic 56% decline (95,700 → 41,900 units)→ Price cuts of $14,000+ that still couldn't save sales→ Chinese EV brands targeting 500K-600K for 2026→ NEV penetration: 80.9% for Chinese brands vs 39.1% for luxury→ Why German comeback plans might be too lateThis is the structural shift every NIO bull needs to understand. Chinese EVs aren't just competing—they're dominating in the premium segment while legacy luxury brands retreat.KEY NUMBERS:Mercedes 2025: 551,900 units (-19%)BMW 2025: 625,500 units (-12.5%)Porsche 2025: 41,900 units (-26%, down 56% from 2021)China market: 24.065M units (near record high)As a NIO investor who stays objective, I break down what this power shift means for Chinese EV stocks and why 2026 could be the year Chinese brands cement premium dominance.Required listening for NIO, XPeng, Li Auto investors and anyone tracking the EV transition.COURTSIDE FINANCIAL - Where Business Meets the BaselineHosted by Obi

The Chinese EV industry is facing a transformation crisis that goes far beyond any single company. In 2025, automotive executives changed positions every two days on average. Between October and December alone, 327 high-level positions changed hands. This isn't normal industry turnover—this is a sector under unprecedented pressure.Today I'm stepping back from my recent NIO-specific criticism to show you the bigger picture. Because what's happening to NIO isn't unique. The entire Chinese automotive industry is hemorrhaging talent, shrinking profit margins, and scrambling to find second growth curves before the ground game becomes unsustainable.According to Zhaopin's 2025 robotics industry report, job postings in robotics grew 6% in early 2025, but job applications grew 32%—a 5-to-1 ratio showing massive talent flight from other industries. For humanoid robotics specifically, the numbers are staggering: job postings up 409% year-over-year, applications up 396%. Where are these people coming from? The automotive industry.One former automaker employee said working at a car company for two years feels like four years anywhere else. Mandatory Saturday overtime and questionable Sunday rest have become the norm. But it's not just about work-life balance—it's about economics. According to China Passenger Car Association data, the auto industry's sales profit margin hit 3.9% in October 2025, a five-year low. For the first ten months of 2025, the industry averaged just 4.4% margins. That's barely above break-even when factoring in R&D costs.Meanwhile, XPeng just made a major move that signals where this industry is heading. On January 12th, Bloomberg reported that XPeng Huitian, their flying car division, hired JP Morgan and Morgan Stanley to prepare for a Hong Kong IPO this year. This comes just two months after their first mass-produced flying car rolled off the assembly line in November 2025.Why rush to IPO before even securing final airworthiness certification from China's Civil Aviation Administration? Because the ground game is brutal, and companies need capital to fund their second growth curves. Morgan Stanley predicts explosive growth in the flying car industry over the next 20 years. Chinese research estimates the global eVTOL market will reach 9.5 billion yuan by 2026 and potentially exceed a trillion yuan by 2030.But here's what makes XPeng's strategy different from NIO's approach: they're spinning out the flying car division as a separate entity with separate management, capital structure, and timeline. This is smarter than trying to run multiple disparate businesses under one corporate umbrella—which is exactly what I criticized NIO for doing with phones, wine, fashion, and robotics initiatives.However, this also reveals how desperate the situation has become. If you're a major EV company and you're not actively developing a second revenue stream, your survival odds for the next five years are questionable.So where does NIO fit into all this? They're actually executing a similar playbook with their three-brand strategy: NIO for premium, Onvo for mass market, Firefly for urban compact. They're scaling battery swap infrastructure to over 3,600 stations. They're expanding into lower-tier cities with 210 new multi-brand stores. They're focusing Phase 3 on operational efficiency rather than scattered side projects.The question isn't whether NIO is doing the right things—it's whether they're executing fast enough in an industry where everyone is under pressure. This isn't a NIO problem. BYD's margins are shrinking. XPeng is betting on flying cars. Li Auto missed pure EV targets. Xiaomi faces quality issues after rapid scaling. This is an industry-wide transformation.

In this episode, Tu and Lei dive into a week dominated by autonomy, AI, and a widening gap between China's EV ecosystem and the rest of the world.  The episode opens with a deep reaction to Rivian's Autonomy AI Day—why it felt like déjà vu for anyone following China's smart-EV space, and how Rivian's announcements mirror what Chinese players like XPeng, NIO, and Li Auto have already been deploying. The hosts debate whether Rivian's approach represents real leadership or simply entry into the top tier.From there, the conversation expands to L4 autonomy momentum: WeRide launching passenger rides with Uber in Dubai, Mercedes partnering with Momenta in Abu Dhabi, and Waymo accelerating multi-city deployments while publishing safety data others still keep opaque.Tu and Lei also tackle the LiDAR vs. vision debate, Volkswagen's unusual dual bet on Rivian (US) and XPeng (China), and why silicon strategy—not just batteries—will decide winners. The discussion closes with affordability: why 300-mile EVs under $40K are existential for Western OEMs, and why China's cost structure makes that challenge unavoidable heading into 2026.Candid, comparative, and forward-looking, this episode explains why autonomy and AI—not just electrification—will define the next phase of the global auto industry.___

Tu and Lei close out 2025 with a sweeping, on-the-ground review of the most consequential year yet for China's EV, AV, and mobility ecosystem — and why its ripple effects are now impossible for the rest of the world to ignore.  From CES to Shanghai, Munich, and New York, the hosts reflect on firsthand experiences that defined the year: China's EV export surge, the maturation of robotaxis, the cooling of the domestic price war, and the emergence of clear winners — and vulnerabilities — among Chinese and global automakers.They break down why BYD became a true global volume force, how XPeng, Geely, and Zeekr gained momentum, why NIO's long game is finally paying off, and what the rise of autonomous mobility outside China (Waymo, Baidu, WeRide, Pony.ai) means heading into 2026.The episode also revisits major inflection points: • Chinese EV exports flooding Europe, Latin America, Russia, and the UK • The beginning of an exported price war • Robotaxis moving from pilots to real commercial expansion • Why average vehicle prices topping $50,000 in the U.S. is unsustainable • How geopolitics, tariffs, and supply chains reshaped strategy • Why 2026 could be the year autonomy truly breaks throughCandid, data-driven, and reflective — this episode connects the dots on how 2025 reshaped the global auto industry and sets the stage for what comes next.⸻

In Episode 229, Tu and Lei unpack the November China EV sales inflection point and what it reveals about the next phase of the global auto industry.  With subsidies set to expire in 2026, November marked the real start of China's year-end “mad dash.” The numbers show a clear split: Xiaomi, XPeng, Leapmotor, Geely, and NIO accelerating, while BYD and Li Auto lose momentum and Tesla slips into negative growth territory in China.The hosts explain why Xiaomi's YU7 and SU7 have proven unusually resilient, how XPeng's AI-first strategy is paying off, and why Leapmotor and Geely are now knocking on the million-unit club—a threshold that even legacy premium brands have failed to reach in China.They also tackle the bigger strategic question facing Western automakers: Is it still worth competing in China? Tu and Lei argue that China remains irreplaceable as the world's largest single passenger-vehicle market—and that exporting from China, leveraging local tech partners, and embracing “China-for-China” design is no longer optional.The episode closes with a deep discussion on embodied AI, smart glasses, silicon strategy, and why companies like Xiaomi, XPeng, and Li Auto are no longer just carmakers—but ecosystem builders trying to define the future of mobility.Insightful, data-driven, and grounded in real market dynamics, this episode explains why 2026 may be the most decisive year yet for both Chinese EV leaders and global legacy automakers.___

Three major stories from December 9, 2025 reveal fundamentally different strategic approaches as Chinese EV companies and autonomous driving firms face an increasingly brutal 2026 market. This episode analyzes NIO's battery philosophy, Waymo's safety crisis, and Li Auto's organizational reset to determine which strategy will succeed long-term.NIO's Onvo president Shen Fei stated in a December 8 interview that extended-range electric vehicles with large battery packs represent a waste of resources. His argument is that with charging infrastructure increasingly developed in China, EREVs with large battery packs not only sacrifice interior space but also create unnecessary cost burdens, adding approximately 15,000 REN per range extender for automakers and consumers. Shen explained that EREVs and battery-swap-enabled vehicles compete on different dimensions, with larger batteries and fuel tanks representing incremental innovation while battery swapping constitutes systemic innovation requiring companies to address numerous challenges.Supporting this philosophy, approximately 40 percent of Onvo L90 owners, which comes standard with an 85 kWh battery pack, downgrade to the lower-capacity 60 kWh pack, saving about 3,600 REN in annual battery rental costs. Shen noted most owners no longer experience range anxiety thanks to charging infrastructure expansion. This contrasts with recent competitor launches including Leapmotor's D19 large SUV with 80 kWh battery, the largest among Chinese EREVs, and XPeng's X9 EREV with 63.3 kWh battery offering 452 km CLTC range.On December 5, Onvo announced deployment of over 8,000 new battery packs in battery swap stations available to its vehicles, with completion expected by mid-January 2026. Currently, Onvo accesses 2,300 NIO battery swap stations housing approximately 7,000 battery packs. Beyond serving vehicle owners, these batteries generate revenue by providing grid services. In Zhejiang province, each battery earns approximately 1.2 REN per kWh, with average usable capacity of 50 kWh generating roughly 60 REN daily or 20,000 REN annually per battery.Waymo faces a major safety crisis after the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration forced a software recall following 19 incidents of Waymo autonomous vehicles illegally passing school buses with flashing red lights and extended stop signs during student pickup and dropoff. US traffic laws mandate all vehicles stop immediately when school buses activate red warning lights, with violations carrying 1,000 dollar fines for human drivers. The Austin Independent School District requested Waymo suspend operations during critical school hours, but Waymo refused, citing disagreement with the district's risk assessment and defending operations using its safety record.After claiming a November 17 software update fixed the vulnerability, five additional violations occurred within two weeks. The Austin school district reported 19 total recorded incidents since the 2025-26 school year began. When questioned by NHTSA about ceasing operations, software fix effectiveness, and recall plans, Waymo was required to respond by January 20, 2026. Waymo Chief Safety Officer Mauricio Peña emphasized internal statistics showing pedestrian injury accident incidence one-twelfth that of human drivers while announcing voluntary software recall for appropriately slowing and stopping in relevant scenarios.Waymo's aggressive expansion across San Francisco, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Austin, Atlanta with planned 2026 entry into Las Vegas, San Diego, and Detroit has been accompanied by numerous safety incidents. NHTSA data shows at least 14 animal collision incidents. Local residents report Waymo vehicles transformed from overly courteous to aggressive behavior including weaving through tunnels, incomplete stops at stop signs, squeezing past vehicles, and illegal U-turns. When asked why Robotaxi became increasingly aggressive, Chris Ludwick, Waymo Senior

- Trump Officially Proposes Fuel Economy Rollback - OEMs Need to Plan for Fuel Economy Fluctuations - Trump Wants Kei Cars in the U.S. - VW Could Get EU Tariff Relief - UBTECH Ramping Up Humanoid Robot Production - World's 1st Large 1-Piece Low-Pressure Casting - New Smart Glasses Integrate with Car - Webasto Simplifies EV Thermal Management

- Trump Officially Proposes Fuel Economy Rollback - OEMs Need to Plan for Fuel Economy Fluctuations - Trump Wants Kei Cars in the U.S. - VW Could Get EU Tariff Relief - UBTECH Ramping Up Humanoid Robot Production - World's 1st Large 1-Piece Low-Pressure Casting - New Smart Glasses Integrate with Car - Webasto Simplifies EV Thermal Management

Li Auto reported Q3 2025 financial results showing the company's first quarterly loss in 11 quarters, marking a dramatic reversal for the former top performer among Chinese EV startups. This episode analyzes Li Auto's crisis and explains why NIO investors need to understand what's happening with one of their biggest competitors in the Chinese electric vehicle market.Li Auto's Q3 2025 performance showed severe deterioration across key metrics. Revenue totaled 27.4 billion REN, down 36.2 percent year-over-year. The company posted a net loss of 624 million REN, ending an 11-quarter profitability streak that had made Li Auto an industry benchmark. Vehicle deliveries fell to 93,200 units in Q3, down 39 percent year-over-year, forcing the company to lower its annual sales target twice in 2025, from an initial 700,000 vehicles to 640,000 vehicles.Vehicle gross profit margin declined from 20.9 percent to 15.5 percent. Li Auto attributed this partly to recall impacts, stating the margin would have been approximately 19.8 percent excluding recalls. However, even the adjusted figure represents significant pressure compared to historical peaks. November 2025 deliveries totaled 33,181 units, down 31.9 percent year-over-year, placing Li Auto last among major Chinese EV startups behind NIO's 36,275 and XPeng's 36,728 deliveries.Three core problems contributed to Li Auto's crisis. First, the company's range-extended electric vehicle technology became commoditized as competitors including Leapmotor, XPeng, and Xiaomi launched similar products with better specifications at lower prices. Market data shows range-extended vehicles' share in China's new energy vehicle market declined from 10.7 percent in 2024 to 9.8 percent in first half 2025, with range-extended sales declining year-over-year for five consecutive months since June.Second, Li Auto's pure electric transformation encountered major obstacles. The MEGA flagship pure electric model launched in 2025 with controversial futuristic design that failed to resonate with consumers. The i8 pure electric SUV delivered only approximately 5,700 units monthly average in September and October 2025, falling far short of expectations. While the lower-priced i6 pure electric sedan achieved nearly 50,000 pre-orders in 48 hours, its success created internal competition, cannibalizing sales from the higher-positioned i8 and existing range-extended L series models.Third, internal management and supply chain issues compounded operational challenges. Li Auto's attempt to implement a professional manager governance system borrowed from Huawei proved incompatible with the company's entrepreneurial culture. At the Q3 earnings conference, CEO Li Xiang acknowledged the system failure, stating it resulted in longer decision chains and decreased efficiency, calling recent years performance the worst version of ourselves. The company announced a full return to startup mode beginning Q4 2025. Additionally, over-reliance on single suppliers caused the i6 to be impacted by component shortages affecting production schedules.Li Auto is attempting a turnaround through three strategies. First, massive R&D investment with full-year 2025 R&D expenses expected to reach 12 billion REN, with over 6 billion REN allocated to artificial intelligence and intelligent driving, representing more than 50 percent of total R&D budget. Second, product diversification including a December 2, 2025 announcement of strategic partnership with Zeiss to release smart glasses. Third, organizational restructuring by abandoning professional manager systems and returning to agile startup execution mode.For NIO investors, Li Auto's crisis reveals three critical lessons.

NIO reported November 2025 deliveries of 36,275 vehicles on December 1, 2025, representing the company's second-highest monthly total on record behind October's 40,397 units. This marks a 76.31 percent increase year-over-year but a 10.20 percent decline month-over-month. With Q4 delivery guidance of 120,000 to 125,000 vehicles, this episode analyzes whether NIO can still achieve its first quarterly profit in Q4 2025.Breaking down November deliveries by brand reveals divergent trends. The NIO main brand delivered 18,393 vehicles, up 18.72 percent year-over-year and up 7.29 percent month-over-month, marking four consecutive months of growth driven by strong ES8 demand. Onvo delivered 11,794 vehicles, up 132.07 percent year-over-year but down 31.99 percent from October's 17,343 units. Firefly achieved a record 6,088 deliveries, up 2.98 percent month-over-month, representing the third consecutive month of record-breaking performance.The sharp decline in Onvo deliveries reflects the impact of phased-out vehicle trade-in subsidies across multiple Chinese provinces and cities. NIO founder William Li stated during a November 26 media briefing that the abrupt withdrawal of trade-in subsidies significantly impacted the market in ways the industry hadn't anticipated, leading to a sharp decline in new orders across the sector. Li noted all models except the NIO ES8, Firefly, and upcoming ET9 have been affected by these policy changes.With October and November combined deliveries of 76,672 vehicles, NIO needs to deliver between 43,328 and 48,328 vehicles in December to meet Q4 guidance of 120,000 to 125,000 total units. December 2024 saw NIO deliver 50,045 vehicles, setting a monthly record at the time. Matching that performance while Onvo faces a 32 percent month-over-month decline presents a significant challenge.Analyzing Q4 profitability potential using the delivery numbers: if NIO achieves 117,000 to 121,000 Q4 deliveries at an average selling price around 280,000 REN mixing ES8, Onvo, and Firefly, revenue would total approximately 32.76 to 33.88 billion REN, aligning with management guidance of 32.76 to 34.04 billion REN. With management targeting approximately 18 percent vehicle margin for Q4 and ES8 margins exceeding 20 percent, gross margin at company level of 15-16 percent would generate 4.9 to 5.4 billion REN in gross profit. Against quarterly operating expenses of approximately 6.2 billion REN including 2 billion REN R&D and 4.2 billion SG&A, this suggests an operating loss of 800 million to 1.3 billion REN unless ES8 over-delivers, SG&A comes in lower than expected, or other income sources like swap network revenue contribute more significantly.From January to November 2025, NIO Inc delivered 277,893 vehicles total, representing 45.62 percent year-over-year growth and achieving 63.15 percent of the 440,000 annual target. The NIO main brand delivered 146,909 vehicles during this period, down 18.65 percent year-over-year. Onvo delivered 98,654 vehicles since beginning deliveries in September 2024, while Firefly has delivered 32,330 vehicles since launching in April 2025.Competitive context shows significant industry reshuffling. Leapmotor delivered 70,327 vehicles in November, achieving its 500,000 unit annual target 45 days early and targeting 1 million units for 2026. XPeng delivered 36,728 in November, having already met its 350,000 annual target in October. Li Auto delivered only 33,181 vehicles in November, down 31.9 percent year-over-year, achieving just 56.5 percent of its revised 640,000 unit target. HarmonyOS delivered over 80,000 vehicles in November with 513,000 year-to-date against a 1 million unit target. Xiaomi Auto exceeded 40,000 November deliveries and surpassed 500,000 cumulative deliveries, exceeding its initial 350,000 annual target.NIO's strategic shift emphasizes operational quality over sales volume with the core goal being annual profitability.

China EVs & More is back with a special Thanksgiving episode — and the China auto world did not take the week off.

Can you help me make more podcasts? Consider supporting me on Patreon as the service is 100% funded by you: https://EVne.ws/patreon You can read all the latest news on the blog here: https://EVne.ws/blog Subscribe for free and listen to the podcast on audio platforms: ➤ Apple: https://EVne.ws/apple ➤ YouTube Music: https://EVne.ws/youtubemusic ➤ Spotify: https://EVne.ws/spotify ➤ TuneIn: https://EVne.ws/tunein ➤ iHeart: https://EVne.ws/iheart NIO Q3 DELIVERIES SWELL AS MARGINS AND CASH IMPROVE https://evne.ws/4il88I8 GREAT WALL MOTOR AIMS FOR 300,000 EUROPEAN EVS BY 2029 https://evne.ws/48fUMs1 CATL AND STELLANTIS BET BIG ON SPANISH EV BATTERIES https://evne.ws/3M8jvqQ LI AUTO SLIPS BACK INTO THE RED AS DELIVERIES DIVE https://evne.ws/4ptlFjc LI AUTO BETS ITS OWN M100 CHIP CAN TAKE ON NVIDIA https://evne.ws/3LVF91F WULING XINGGUANG 730 AIMS TO TAKE EV FAMILY MPVS MAINSTREAM https://evne.ws/4rtEJjo JD.COM'S AION UT SUPER LAUNCH SPARKS REFUND WAVE IN CHINA https://evne.ws/4p7UVoP IM MOTORS LS9 SUV SPARKS DEBATE WITH IN-CAR SHOWER https://evne.ws/3MrbqO3 GEELY EX2 FACELIFT AIMS TO GO GLOBAL https://evne.ws/4petGZF GEELY PACKS 42 PEOPLE INTO GALAXY V900 MPV FOR GUINNESS RECORD https://evne.ws/48pHPfn

- Mercedes AMG GT Shows Off Axial Flux Motors - RIP Bollinger Motors - Tariffs Anyone? Audi Q3 Gets $3,900 Price Hike - Tesla Sales Plummet 50% In Europe - Republicans Target U.S. Safety Standards - Li Auto Turns from Profits to Red Ink - Great Wall Eyes European Plant - Leapmotor Enters Brazil and Chile - BYD Brazil Plans Big Capacity Expansion

Following the latest earnings results from Li Auto (LI), Olivier Blanchard examines the Chinese automaker's competitive outlook. The company missed on its 3Q EPS as revenue came in just above expectations. He says the premium-EV demand outlook in China is good, but suggests it is an overcrowded area for auto brands. "We don't need 4," Olivier adds. He is looking to a normalization in forward orders for Li Auto, saying it could take a few quarters for the company to "crawl out of this."======== Schwab Network ========Empowering every investor and trader, every market day.Subscribe to the Market Minute newsletter - https://schwabnetwork.com/subscribeDownload the iOS app - https://apps.apple.com/us/app/schwab-network/id1460719185Download the Amazon Fire Tv App - https://www.amazon.com/TD-Ameritrade-Network/dp/B07KRD76C7Watch on Sling - https://watch.sling.com/1/asset/191928615bd8d47686f94682aefaa007/watchWatch on Vizio - https://www.vizio.com/en/watchfreeplus-exploreWatch on DistroTV - https://www.distro.tv/live/schwab-network/Follow us on X – / schwabnetwork Follow us on Facebook – / schwabnetwork Follow us on LinkedIn - / schwab-network About Schwab Network - https://schwabnetwork.com/about

- Mercedes AMG GT Shows Off Axial Flux Motors - RIP Bollinger Motors - Tariffs Anyone? Audi Q3 Gets $3,900 Price Hike - Tesla Sales Plummet 50% In Europe - Republicans Target U.S. Safety Standards - Li Auto Turns from Profits to Red Ink - Great Wall Eyes European Plant - Leapmotor Enters Brazil and Chile - BYD Brazil Plans Big Capacity Expansion

In Episode 227, Tu and Lei break down a massive week in the global EV industry — one where China's innovation pace keeps accelerating while Western automakers scramble to respond.  Xiaomi's YU7 officially outsells the Tesla Model Y in October, marking a symbolic shift in China's most competitive EV segment. Meanwhile, Tesla's domestic sales slump to 26,000, signaling that aggressive price cuts and financing perks may not be enough as Chinese challengers tighten the pressure.The hosts also unpack XPeng's viral AI Day, featuring the “Iron Lady” humanoid robot, new L4 capable RoboTaxi prototypes, the Turing chip's rising importance, and XPeng's “physical AI” strategy — positioning the company as a vertically integrated mobility+AI platform rather than just an automaker.On the U.S. side, GM sparks headlines after reportedly urging suppliers to “de-China” their supply chains by 2027 — a massive, risky reshoring effort that could reshape cost structures across North America. Tu and Lei discuss the feasibility and geopolitical backdrop, including the Nexperia crisis, ICE tariff pressures, and USMCA uncertainty._____________________They also hit:

NIO reports Q3 2025 earnings on November 25, 2025, just five days away, with all eyes on whether the company can achieve its first quarterly profit in Q4 despite an escalating battery supply crisis. This episode provides a critical update on the battery shortage situation that has worsened significantly since last week.The battery crisis has reached new levels of desperation. Purchasing managers from major Chinese automakers are now stationed outside CATL headquarters carrying their company seals, booking hotels nearby, and moving their purchasing offices next to battery factories. Senior executives are personally leading battery task forces to secure supply. XPeng CEO He Xiaopeng revealed he has been drinking with all battery manufacturer bosses over the past two weeks trying to secure allocation.CATL reported Q3 2025 revenue of RMB 104.186 billion, up 12.9 percent year-over-year, with net profit of RMB 18.549 billion, up 41.21 percent. The company was operating around the clock in October with production capacity almost unsustainable. JP Morgan's supply-demand model shows power battery industry capacity utilization will exceed 80 percent for the first time since 2022.The crisis is concentrated in two areas: high-nickel ternary batteries used in premium models priced above 300,000 yuan including NIO ES8, Li Auto L8, Xiaomi SU7 Ultra, and Aito M7/M9, plus lithium iron phosphate batteries being diverted from automotive to energy storage applications.Lithium carbonate futures prices have surged 20 percent over the past month, with the most-active contract on Guangzhou Futures Exchange jumping 9 percent in a single session to 95,200 yuan per ton on November 17, approaching the psychological 100,000 yuan threshold. Since November alone, lithium has accumulated nearly 17 percent gains. Ganfeng Lithium Group Chairman Li Liangbin predicted 30 percent demand growth next year, with scenarios projecting lithium could reach 150,000 to 200,000 yuan per ton if demand accelerates.Four factors are driving the lithium price surge: First, China's energy storage lithium battery shipments reached 165 GWh in Q3 2025, up 65 percent year-over-year, with first nine months totaling 430 GWh exceeding 30 percent of all 2024. Energy storage uses the same lithium iron phosphate chemistry as mass-market EVs, creating competition for supply. Second, China's lithium carbonate output growth slowed to 1.4 percent in November while social inventories declined for 13 consecutive weeks, falling to a record low of 28.1 days turnover versus healthy levels of 45-60 days. Third, China's Jiangxiawo lithium mine producing 65,000 tons annually has been shut since August due to expired permits, removing 7,000 tons per month or roughly 10 percent of domestic supply. Fourth, purchase tax policy changes are front-loading demand with domestic lithium carbonate consumption surging to 135,000 metric tons in November, up over 40 percent year-over-year.Tesla Shanghai Gigafactory celebrated its 5 millionth battery pack rolling off the line on November 12, 2025. Tesla independently develops cell chemistry and designs battery pack structure but sources cells from CATL and LG Energy Solution rather than manufacturing in-house. This represents a hybrid self-reliance strategy. However, Tesla's October retail sales in China fell to 26,006 units, the lowest since November 2022, down 35.76 percent year-over-year and 63.64 percent month-over-month, indicating demand problems rather than supply constraints.Automakers are responding with three self-rescue strategies: First, the self-reliant approach represented by Tesla and BYD who develop their own batteries. NIO once pursued this but stopped due to huge R&D costs and is now planning to spin off its battery manufacturing department. Second, the joint venture approach like Li Auto partnering with Sunwoda

This week on China EVs & More, Tu and Lei unpack a scary set of Q3 results for global automakers. Porsche's operating profit nearly vanishes, Mercedes-Benz and Volkswagen Group struggle, and BYD reports its first major profit decline in years. Meanwhile, Li Auto faces a costly Mega recall after a battery-coolant fire, raising new questions about safety and supply-chain quality.Tu shares insights from the Reuters Automotive Summit, including what executives from Rivian, Lucid, and Mercedes-Benz USA had to say about current challenging environment — plus takeaways from Ganesh Iyer of NIO USA. The hosts also discuss how Chinese tech players like Xiaomi and Geely are resetting global expectations, why CATL's battery dominance will continue for the next decade, and what the West must learn from China's hyper-competitive EV market.Chapters02:16 Halloween Reflections and Market Concerns05:04 Li Auto's Recall and Safety Issues08:00 Financial Performance of Major Automakers11:03 Competitive Landscape in the EV Market13:49 Restructuring of German Automakers16:46 Insights from the Reuters Conference19:59 Level 4 Autonomy and Future Trends30:03 The Evolution of Autonomy34:50 Mapping the Future of Autonomous Vehicles39:51 Marketing Strategies in a Multicultural Landscape44:31 Consumer Data Privacy and Trust54:08 The Future of Battery Technology_____Stay tuned for sharp analysis on involution, layoffs at GM, brand marketing shifts, and how the next generation of EVs from Mercedes, Hyundai, and NIO will shape 2026.Companies & Topics Discussed:BYD | Li Auto | CATL | Porsche | Mercedes-Benz | Volkswagen Group | Audi | BMW Group | Beijing Hyundai | NIO | Xiaomi | Geely | Luxeed | DJI | Momenta | FinDreams | Rivian | Lucid | Stellantis | Uber | Nvidia | GM | Honda | Apple | AESC | Gotion | Calb

In Episode 222 of China EVs & More, Tu Le and Lei Xing tackle a packed week in China's EV world as the industry faces mounting headwinds at home and abroad.They break down the major developments impacting China's auto sector:

Tu Le and Lei Xing unpack a pivotal month for China's EV sector — one defined by slowing giants, fast-rising challengers, and a global export push that's reshaping the industry.

In Episode 218 of China EVs & More, Tu Le and Lei Xing break down one of the most heated summers yet in China's EV world — a season of price wars, social media battles, and momentum shifts.We cover:⚔️ Onvo L90 vs. Li Auto i8 rivalry – aggressive pricing, messy launches, and social media smear campaigns.

In this episode, Tu Le and Lei Xing unpack a busy week in the global EV world — from the Chengdu Motor Show to the explosive 42,000 Zeekr 9X reservations in just one hour.We dive deep into:

- EVs Drive Up Sales in Europe - Kia Wants EU to Keep ICE Ban - Tesla and Waymo Take Different Approaches to Robotaxi Expansion - China Could Lose a Profit Maker - Mercedes Reveals EV Efficiency Efforts - Designer Reimagines the Skoda Felicia Fun - VW Says Amazon Will Save It Millions - Next-Gen Renault Clio Styling Mostly Unchanged - Chinese Automakers Not Backing Off Price War - Chinese Vacuum Maker Targets Bugatti

- EVs Drive Up Sales in Europe - Kia Wants EU to Keep ICE Ban - Tesla and Waymo Take Different Approaches to Robotaxi Expansion - China Could Lose a Profit Maker - Mercedes Reveals EV Efficiency Efforts - Designer Reimagines the Skoda Felicia Fun - VW Says Amazon Will Save It Millions - Next-Gen Renault Clio Styling Mostly Unchanged - Chinese Automakers Not Backing Off Price War - Chinese Vacuum Maker Targets Bugatti

Welcome to pilot episode, or probably better to call it Episode Zero of EV News China – a limited-run of podcasts I'll be doing from next Monday and then every weekday in July. I'll be sharing insights into China's EV revolution for listeners worldwide. I'm Martyn Lee, and EV News China is not replacing EV News Daily. Let me say first up, I'll be here with the usual global take on the EV industry.  Instead, this will be series of bonus shows, which I hope will be essential listening for anyone interested in, or doing business with, the world's electric vehicle superpower. I wanted to drop a pilot episode to explain my thinking, and what a moment to launch. China has just reached an historic milestone that changes everything in the global automotive industry. In May 2025, plugin electric vehicles captured 53% of China's passenger car market – meaning electric vehicles are now outselling traditional gasoline cars for the first time in history. Think about that for a moment. The world's largest car market has just tipped electric. This isn't a prediction anymore – it's reality. After 7 years of doing this podcast, pretty much every day apart from some breaks when we had two new additions to our family, or some mental health breaks, I've been doing this 7 days a week. And I can't tell you a time when I've been more fascinated about how the rest of the world views the Chinese EV market. And in many cases, how it's still a blind spot for them. The Numbers That Matter Let me put this in perspective with some hard data that business leaders need to understand. Plugin vehicle sales in China topped one million units in May alone – in a market of 1.9 million total passenger vehicles. That breaks down to 31% pure battery electric vehicles and 22% plug-in hybrids and range extenders. For the year so far, China has already sold over 4.3 million plugin vehicles, putting the country on track to exceed 10 million units by year-end – in China alone. To put that in global context, that's more than the rest of the world combined. The leader? BYD dominates with 28.9% of the plugin market, delivering over 376,000 vehicles in May – a 14% year-over-year increase. Meanwhile, Tesla's China market share has dropped to just 4.6%, ranking fifth behind Chinese competitors. The Tesla Reality Check Speaking of Tesla, the numbers tell a sobering story for Elon Musk's company in China. Tesla sold about 58,000 vehicles in China during April 2025, down 6% from the previous year. More concerning, Tesla's retail sales to Chinese customers in the first eight weeks of Q2 2025 dropped 23% year-over-year. This reflects a broader trend – Chinese consumers are increasingly choosing domestic brands. Tesla's China market share in the BEV segment fell from 11.15% to 6.36%, while Chinese rivals like XPeng delivered 33,525 vehicles in May, up 230% year-over-year. The Financial Impact The financial implications are staggering. BYD doubled its Q1 2025 net profit to 9.15 billion yuan, with operating revenue reaching 170.36 billion yuan, up from 124.94 billion yuan the previous year. But it's not just about one company. The Chinese EV trio – NIO, XPeng, and Li Auto – are expected to see explosive growth in 2025: NIO deliveries expected to double to 450,000 units XPeng projected to reach 400,000 units, up 110% Li Auto forecasted at 700,000 units, up 40% These aren't small startups anymore – these are major industrial players reshaping global automotive supply chains. The Technology Revolution What's driving this transformation isn't just price – it's technology. Chinese companies are leading in areas that will define the future of mobility. Solid-state batteries are moving from lab to production. China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology included all-solid-state batteries in core industrial standards for the first time in 2025, signaling this technology has moved from corporate R&D to national strategic priority. Artificial intelligence integration is accelerating rapidly. Over two dozen Chinese automakers, including BYD, are incorporating DeepSeek AI technology into their vehicles. BYD plans to offer preliminary self-driving capabilities in nearly all its models at no additional cost – making autonomous driving features accessible to mass-market consumers. Ultra-fast charging is becoming standard. Chinese companies like XPeng offer five-minute charging delivering 210 kilometers of range, while the industry moves toward 800V architectures that handle high current flow for rapid charging. Global Trade War Implications But this technological leadership is creating geopolitical tensions. The United States now imposes a 247.5% tariff on Chinese EVs – that's 145% from recent tariffs, plus 100% from Biden-era levies, plus standard duties. Anyone trying to import BYD's $7,800 Seagull to the US would pay an extra $19,300 in tariffs. Europe is taking a different approach, but Chinese brands still doubled their European market share in April 2025 despite tariffs reaching up to 35%. BYD faces a 17% EU tariff, yet still recorded 400% sales growth in the UK, where no tariffs apply. The contrast is stark: in tariff-free markets, Chinese EVs are winning on merit. The Infrastructure Foundation Supporting this EV revolution is massive infrastructure investment. China aims to complete an expressway charging network by end of 2025, with over 5,800 out of 6,000 expressway rest areas already equipped with charging facilities. The government has extended its vehicle trade-in subsidy scheme for 2025, offering up to RMB 20,000 for EV purchases when scrapping older vehicles. This policy has already attracted over 4 million applicants in its first six months. What This Means for Global Business So what does this mean for you – someone who might be an enthusiast of the EV transition, or maybe you work in the business of EVs or charging?  First, China is no longer an emerging EV market – it's the dominant one. Any global automotive strategy that doesn't account for Chinese competition is already obsolete. Second, the technology gap is widening in China's favor. Chinese companies can design and launch new models in six months while German competitors require two years. Third, supply chain dependencies are shifting. China controls a large share of battery-grade chemical production, and Chinese companies are rapidly expanding globally – BYD now operates in over 70 countries. Looking Ahead Over the coming 20 episodes of EV News China, during this limited run of podcasts, we'll dive deeper into these trends. We'll analyze quarterly earnings, decode policy changes, and track the technological innovations reshaping not just China, but the global automotive industry. We'll help you understand what these developments mean for your business, your investments, and your strategic planning. Because in a world where China has achieved 53% EV market share, the question isn't whether electric vehicles will dominate – it's how quickly the rest of the world can adapt. That's all for today's pilot episode of EV News China. Starting Monday, I'll be here every weekday with the latest developments from the world's electric vehicle superpower. Sometimes it will just be a news show, sometimes we'll dive into a specific topic. Remember, EV News China is essential listening for anyone interested in, or doing business with, the world's electric vehicle superpower.