The world’s largest automaker, Toyota (TM-US), announced on Thursday, the 19th, that its North American division has reached an agreement with Tesla (TSLA-US). Starting in 2025, Toyota’s electric vehicles will adopt Tesla’s North American Charging Standard (NACS).

Prior to Toyota’s announcement, companies like Ford, General Motors, and BMW had already joined the Tesla NACS alliance, providing customers with access to Tesla’s extensive Supercharger network.

In 2025, Toyota will integrate the NACS interface into specific Toyota and Lexus BEVs, including a new three-row electric SUV produced at Toyota’s Kentucky plant.

Vehicle owners can connect to Tesla’s widespread North American charging infrastructure, comprising over 84,000 charging stations, including Level 2 and DC fast chargers, using Toyota and Lexus apps.

Owners or lessees of Toyota and Lexus vehicles using the Combined Charging System (CCS) specification will have the option to purchase NACS charging connectors starting in 2025.

Notably, we have anticipated that by 2026, the global tally of public charging stations will soar to 16 million, marking an impressive threefold increase from 2023 figures. As this unfolds, the global ownership of NEVs—which includes both PHEVs and BEVs—will surge to 96 million.

According to China’s 21jingji.com, Guangzhou Auto Group (GAC) announced on October 12th that its board of directors has approved an investment of up to $1.49 billion in Didi’s autonomous driving company. This investment is made through GAC Capital and Guangzhou Development District Investment Group in the form of a special fund, with each contributing equally to its establishment.

GAC’s contribution to GAC Capital will not exceed $0.75 billion, and this capital injection will support Didi’s continuous research and development efforts in autonomous driving technology, accelerating product applications and fostering open collaboration within the industry.

Not the first GAC-DiDi collaboration

In May 2021, GAC Aion and Didi’s autonomous driving company announced their joint effort to develop a mass-market, self-driving electric vehicle. In May 2023, they deepened their collaboration with the “AIDI Project,” marking the establishment of a joint venture. This initiative is a groundbreaking move towards the large-scale production of self-driving, new-energy vehicles in China.

The first mass-produced model, based on GAC Aion’s AEP3.0 high-end electric vehicle platform, will integrate Didi’s autonomous driving L4 urban generalized engine, as well as its self-driving technology for ride-hailing services. By 2025, these vehicles are expected to join Didi’s shared mobility network, facilitating 24/7, large-scale autonomous ride-hailing services and speeding up the commercialization of L4 autonomous driving.

Apart from the investment in Didi’s autonomous driving company, GAC has made various moves in the autonomous driving field. In August this year, GAC’s ride-hailing app platform “Ruqi” submitted its prospectus to the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, making its mark as the first autonomous driving operation technology company to go public.

Next Stop for China’s Robotaxi

Robotaxi is a pivotal scenario likely to lead the commercialization of autonomous driving before widespread adoption. GAC’s “Ruqi” has been actively pushing forward the commercialization of Robotaxi and autonomous driving technology over the past two years.

Robotaxi started the development and commercialization in 2021. In October 2022, a hybrid operation combining human-driven ride-hailing and Robotaxi service was launched in Guangzhou. In April 2023, Ruqi obtained the Intelligent Connected Vehicle Demonstration Operation Qualification in Guangzhou’s Nansha District, becoming the first domestic autonomous driving service platform in China to demonstrate operations with a self-developed Robotaxi fleet.

The fundraising from the prospectus submission is intended to be used primarily for the research and development of autonomous driving and Robotaxi operational services (about 40% of the funds) and product upgrades and operational efficiency improvements of mobility services (about 20% of the funds).

Path to Commercializing Autonomous Taxis in China

With the impetus from new players like Tesla, car manufacturers typically follow two paths in autonomous driving development: self-research and collaboration with suppliers. In the new trend, the outreach of automotive suppliers is expanding, as seen in the strategic investments by SAIC Group, General Motors in Momenta, Toyota’s investment in Pony.ai, and GAC’s strategic investment in WeRide

Some high-ranking executives in the autonomous driving industry believe that four key elements are required for the technology’s success: a shared mobility network, autonomous driving technology, support from automotive manufacturers and Tier 1 suppliers, and substantial capital support.

Era of Auto-Driving Is Coming                        

UBS Group predicts that by 2030, the global market for autonomous ride-hailing services may exceed $2 trillion, with China being a major force. IHS Markit has also predicted that by 2030, the total market size for shared mobility in China will reach $2.25 trillion, with a compound annual growth rate ranging from 20% to 28%. In this scenario, Robotaxi is expected to account for 60% of the market, with a size of $1.3 trillion, signifying a shift in the future of the ride-hailing market toward autonomous vehicle services.

(Image: Didi)

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 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/)

Report to InfoTimes, Chinese electric vehicle giant BYD is making impressive strides in Southeast Asia, not only leaving strong rivals like Tesla far behind but also dominating the market share in the region. Currently, in the local market, at least one out of every four electric vehicles is a BYD.

Industry analysts point out that BYD’s competitive advantage lies in its affordability and high value for money. Early on, the company partnered with large enterprises and conglomerates in Southeast Asia, adopting a distribution model to sell its vehicles. This approach allowed BYD to gradually expand its influence, understand the preferences of Southeast Asian car owners, and navigate the complex local regulations without running afoul of them.

According to TrendForce, in Q2, BEVs alone posted sales of 2.151 million units, marking 39.3% growth YoY. While Tesla maintains the lead with a market share of 21.7%, but BYD trails closely behind with a boosted share of 16.2%. In PHEVs, with the registering sales of 876,000 units in Q2—a striking 52.9% YoY increase. Astonishingly, about 66% of these sales hailed from the Chinese market. In this segment, BYD continued its lead with a whopping 36.5% market share.

In fact, this sales model is not something BYD pioneered. Japanese automakers employed a similar strategy decades ago when entering Southeast Asia. Collaborating with local businesses in a united front, as opposed to competing directly with Tesla, set BYD’s marketing approach apart.

Data reveals that BYD has forged partnerships with various Southeast Asian entities, including Sime Darby, a conglomerate with over a century of history in Malaysia and Singapore, Bakrie & Brothers in Indonesia, Ayala, a renowned conglomerate in the Philippines, and Rever Automotive in Thailand.

Automobile sales consultancy firm Urban Science believes that BYD’s collaboration with prominent local conglomerates helps establish a stable foothold before gaining fame. When Southeast Asian consumers have reservations about Chinese-made cars, knowing that well-known large corporations are involved should provide reassurance, particularly in terms of after-sales service.

Recently, BYD has invested nearly $500 million in building a new factory in Thailand. Starting in 2024, it aims to produce 150,000 electric vehicles annually and export them to various Southeast Asian and European countries. AC Motors, a subsidiary of the Philippines’ Ayala Group, plans to establish more than ten BYD service centers in the Philippines within the next 12 months.

AC Motors emphasizes that the initial focus of its operations is on building brand confidence and encouraging more people to consider buying electric vehicles. Some individuals may have concerns about running out of power with electric cars or find their prices too high.

Currently, Tesla has only opened two stores in Singapore, which caters to a higher-income demographic. However, Tesla is also actively recruiting in Thailand and Malaysia. Leveraging Elon Musk’s personal global influence, Tesla can operate directly toward consumers after leaving the United States, a strategy that sets it apart from other automakers.

To increase its visibility, BYD has partnered with Sime Darby Group to launch five BYD by 1826 centers in Singapore, combining car showrooms with delicious restaurants. This innovative approach aims to attract more people to discover the BYD brand through fine dining and, in turn, become part of BYD’s growing community of car owners. (Image credit: BYD)

(Source: https://www.chinatimes.com/cn/realtimenews/20230919001709-260410?chdtv)