Source to China Times, despite the intense price wars engulfing the Chinese automotive market, domestic electric vehicle leader BYD is continuing to gain ground. In the third quarter of this year, BYD’s production volumes surpassed Tesla’s, making it the global leader in electric vehicle production. In terms of sales, BYD sold a total of 431,600 pure electric vehicles in the first three quarters of the year, just slightly behind Tesla, bringing it closer to the top spot in global electric vehicle sales.

According to reports from Chinese media on the 3rd of this month, BYD recently released its latest production and sales data. In September of this year, BYD produced approximately 280,000 new energy vehicles, representing a 36.6% increase compared to the same period last year.

TrendForce’s recent research showed that BYD surpassed Ford to become the fourth-largest global car brand in terms of car sales for August. Despite the weakening demand in the domestic car market, BYD was not significantly affected as all of its offerings are new energy vehicles. BYD saw a 5% increase in car sales compared with July and was just 0.1 percentage point behind Honda in market share, which held the third position.

It’s important to note that the term “new energy vehicles” in China includes plug-in hybrid vehicles and fully battery-electric vehicles. Regarding pure electric vehicles, BYD produced around 144,000 units in September, marking a 71% year-on-year increase. In the third quarter, BYD produced approximately 440,000 pure electric vehicles, which is a 67% increase compared to the previous year, establishing it as the largest manufacturer and seller of pure electric vehicles in China.

In contrast, Tesla, which exclusively produces pure electric vehicles, manufactured approximately 430,500 units in the third quarter of this year, marking an 18% year-on-year increase. Data indicates that in terms of production for that quarter, BYD has secured the title of the world’s largest electric vehicle manufacturer.

In terms of sales, BYD achieved a new record with 822,100 units of new energy vehicles sold in the third quarter of this year.

Specifically, BYD sold around 431,600 pure electric vehicles, representing a 23% increase from the second quarter, with 151,200 units sold in September, marking a 59% year-on-year increase. Tesla delivered 435,100 units in the third quarter, a decrease of more than 31,000 units compared to the previous quarter, marking its first decline since the second quarter of last year.

This narrows the gap between Tesla and BYD to 3,456 units, the closest it has been in their ongoing competition. Analysts point out that over the past year, BYD has aggressively expanded into new overseas markets such as Southeast Asia, Japan, the Middle East, Europe, and Latin America, leading to a continuous increase in deliveries. In contrast, Tesla faced production line adjustments and factory shutdowns, resulting in its first-quarter decline in deliveries in over a year, further closing the sales gap.

In recent years, with the Chinese government’s support and encouragement of car purchases, China has become the world’s largest market for pure electric vehicles, accounting for about 33% of global sales, and the market demand remains strong. Given BYD’s competitive advantage in the Chinese market, surpassing Tesla in both production and sales is not an impossible feat.

On the other hand, Tesla, despite initiating a price war successfully earlier this year in China, sacrificed its previously leading profit margins and now faces fierce competition not only from BYD but also from other peers like NIO in an increasingly competitive market. Even in its home market in the United States, Tesla must contend with competition from established automakers such as Ford, General Motors, Hyundai, and Volkswagen.

(Source: https://www.ctee.com.tw/news/20231004700119-439901)

Source to Blue Solutions, Blue Solutions has signed a memorandum of understanding with Foxconn and its subsidiary, SolidEdge Solution Inc., to jointly develop a solid-state battery ecosystem for the electric two-wheeler market.

Blue Solutions is a Bolloré Group entity and global industrial-scale designer and manufacturer of solid-state batteries, which have been marketed since 2011. The company has signed a memorandum of understanding (M.O.U.) with Foxconn – the world’s largest electronics manufacturing services provider – and its subsidiary SolidEdge Solution Inc., which designs battery materials. The aim of the agreement is to jointly develop a solid-state battery ecosystem.

The partners have agreed to combine their expertise, technologies, and resources to develop and produce batteries for two-wheeled vehicles. The partners’ objective is to co-develop batteries using Blue Solutions’ exclusive solid-state cell technology. Specifically, they will use Blue Solutions’ innovative Gen4 technology and SolidEdge Solution’s materials to equip two-wheeled vehicles to serve the target markets. According to the terms of the agreement, variants of these battery systems may also be adapted for other electric vehicles.

The cooperation between Blue Solutions and Foxconn will initially target the Indonesian market. According to McKinsey’s estimates, the global two-wheeled vehicle market will be worth about $218 billion by 2029, with a CAGR of 8.7% and the main growth momentum will come from electric motorcycles. The country’s ultimate goal is to have the number of electric motorcycles reach 13 million by 2030, a fraction of what it is now.

As a pioneer, Blue Solutions has an extensive background in solid-state batteries with research going back to the 1980s. It is the sole producer in the world, and since 2011, of solid-state cells, modules, and packs with production lines located both in France and in Canada. At this date Bolloré group has already invested €3 Billion in Blue Solutions and its activities, leading to more than 3 million cells delivered to the market.

Foxconn’s subsidiary, SolidEdge Solution, was founded in 2021 and is a pioneer in the development of battery materials in Taiwan. The goal of this innovative work is to develop common materials for each of the main components of a battery cell.

Source to Carfun, in the past two decades, Chinese electric vehicle (EV) manufacturer BYD has been relentlessly pursuing patents for EV technology, amassing a staggering 13,000 patent applications, a figure more than 15 times greater than Tesla’s modest 863 patents. The stark contrast primarily boils down to one critical component: batteries. BYD not only produces its own batteries but also conducts extensive research and development in this domain. This relentless patent activity is primarily aimed at safeguarding its battery technology.

Recently, a Japanese software company named Patent Result conducted a comprehensive study on EV patents and uncovered some intriguing findings. Between 2003 and 2022, BYD submitted over 13,000 patent applications, while Tesla, during the same period, only filed 863 patents. What’s even more striking is that more than half of BYD’s patent applications pertain to battery technology. This underscores BYD’s unique approach compared to other automakers since they internally develop their batteries. In contrast, most other manufacturers rely on third-party suppliers, making them more reliant on patents to protect their battery technology from imitation.

Batteries constitute a vital element of electric vehicles, and BYD’s approach differs significantly from its competitors. Developing in-house battery technology demands greater dedication and effort. However, other battery manufacturers might attempt to replicate their innovations by dissecting their battery packs. BYD’s blade battery, which uses lithium iron phosphate as the cathode material, has established itself as a leader in the development and production of this kind of battery. It offers superior safety and cost-effectiveness compared to nickel, cobalt, manganese (or aluminum) ternary lithium batteries. Nonetheless, filing patents comes with its own set of risks, as patent applications are made public, potentially enabling competitors to derive various technologies from them.

Take Tesla, for instance. Although Tesla has only submitted 863 patents over the past two decades, its research and development heavily rely on the utilization of publicly available information and software. Consequently, its patents largely relate to charging infrastructure and communication between electric vehicles and drivers. This highlights the divergent priorities in their EV development strategies. Tesla also employs advanced production techniques within its factories to reduce the risk of replication by other companies. The question that arises is whether BYD, with its extensive patent portfolio, can translate this into improved sales and challenge the dominant position of global EV leaders. The answer to this query may become apparent within the next 5 years, as the competition in the electric vehicle sector continues to intensify. (Image credit: BYD)

(Source: https://carfun.tw/ecar-news/14585/)

Source to Volvo’s recent announcement, by 2030 Volvo plans to sell only fully electric cars, and by 2040 aims to be a climate-neutral company. That clear roadmap towards all-out electrification represents one of the most ambitious transformation plans of any legacy car maker. At Climate Week NYC Volvo announced the end of production of all diesel-powered Volvo Car models by early 2024. In a few months from now, the last diesel-powered Volvo car will have been built.

“Electric powertrains are our future, and superior to combustion engines: they generate less noise, less vibration, less servicing costs for our customers, and zero tailpipe emissions,” says Jim Rowan, Chief Executive at Volvo Cars. “We’re fully focused on creating a broad portfolio of premium, fully electric cars that deliver on everything our customers expect from a Volvo – and are a key part of our response to climate change.”

Volvo’s decision to completely phase out diesel by early 2024 illustrates how rapidly both the car industry and customer demand are changing in the face of the climate crisis.

Only four years ago, the diesel engine was Volvo’s bread and butter in Europe, as was the case for most other car makers. The majority of cars we sold on the continent in 2019 were powered by a diesel engine, while electrified models were only just beginning to make their mark.

That trend has largely inverted itself since then, driven by changing market demand, tighter emission regulations as well as brand’s focus on electrification. The majority of Volvo’s sales in Europe now consists of electrified cars, with either a fully electric or plug-in hybrid powertrain.

Fewer diesel cars on the streets also have a positive effect on urban air quality; while diesels emit less CO2 than petrol engines, they emit more gases such as nitrogen oxide (NOx) that have an adverse effect on air quality especially in built-up areas. (Source: Volvo)

Source to media China Timse,  in the realm of China’s mainland new energy vehicle industry, NIO announced on the 20th that it has successfully secured $1 billion in funding through two convertible corporate bond offerings. This move aims not only to reduce existing debt but also to strengthen its balance sheet. In addition, BYD has unveiled the pricing for its electric vehicle model, Dolphin, which is making its entry into the Japanese market.

The starting price for Dolphin in Japan is 3.63 million Japanese yen, approximately $24,565.2 USD. This Dolphin model is BYD’s second entry into the Japanese automotive market. For those seeking a longer-endurance version of Dolphin, the price is set at 4.07 million Japanese yen. Earlier this year, BYD introduced a higher-priced electric SUV in Japan.

Another electric vehicle manufacturer in China, NIO, has disclosed that it raised $500 million through a 6-year convertible bond issuance and another $500 million through a 7-year convertible bond offering. These bonds are categorized as senior unsecured bonds, with a yield of 3.875% for the 6-year bonds and 4.625% for the 7-year bonds.

Upon the release of this news, NIO’s stock price in Hong Kong experienced a sharp 12% drop during the morning session on the 20th. NIO plans to allocate some of the raised funds to repurchase existing debt securities and enhance its financial resilience.

NIO had previously announced at the end of August that they plan to launch their first self-developed smartphone around the end of September. They aim to enhance the attractiveness of their vehicles by leveraging improved software connectivity. During the second quarter, NIO reported a net loss of 6.12 billion RMB, approximately $8.3951 billion USD, compared to a net loss of 2.75 billion RMB in the same period last year. (Image credit: BYD )

(Source: https://www.chinatimes.com/realtimenews/20230920002512-260410?ctrack=pc_main_rtime_p06&chdtv)