Kit Car Magazine

Recently, on a corporate inquiries website, I learned that Guangzhou Pengbo Automobile Technology Co., Ltd. was formally established last week. The legal representative is Xia Heng, co-founder of Xiaopeng Automobile. It is noteworthy that scope of activity: research and development in field of technical wear technology, auto parts and accessories production, battery production, battery spare parts production, engine production and other projects.

Company information shows that Pengbo Technology is 100% owned by Pengyi Automobile Technology, and Pengyi Technology is a subsidiary of Xiaopeng Motors. Thus, establishment of Pengbo Technology means that Xiaopeng Motors has officially entered manufacturing industry. power battery.

Suppliers are limited and iron still needs to be solid

Xpeng Motors is a "new force" automotive company that produces exclusively electric vehicles. Batteries for mass-produced models are still supplied by battery suppliers that were dominated by Ningde era. This is understandable in context of automotive industry of that era. "big suppliers", but hidden dangers behind it have gradually emerged in last two years.

In recent years, due to rapid transition of automotive industry to electrification and electrification, political support of automobile market for purely electric vehicles and other factors, production and sales of new energy vehicles have increased significantly. While overall market situation in 2022 does not look ideal, according to data released by China Automobile Manufacturers Association, production and sales of new energy vehicles in first eight months of this year reached 3.97 million and 3.86 million, respectively. , which remained at same period last year, there is an increase of 1.2 times and 1.1 times, and according to previous forecast of China Automobile Association, sales volume of new energy vehicles in second half of year is expected to be more than 5.5 million

In terms of products, new energy vehicles are still "running at high speed", but on part of businesses they are faced with an awkward dilemma: "sell car and lose money, and then sell more." Yuan and Wei. Xiaoli, known as leading group, suffered a total net loss of more than $10 billion in first half of year.

One of important reasons for this phenomenon is rise in prices for raw materials. In a sense, car companies that sell cars to users and play role of "Party A" are also "Party B" to suppliers. .".

According to this year's public information, in March this year, battery-quality lithium carbonate comprehensive market quotation was in range of 480,000 yuan/ton to 520,000 yuan/ton, and in September, powder broke into history. 535,000 yuan per ton The highest point, but you should know that at beginning of 2021 a year ago, price was 50,000 yuan per ton.

Prices of raw materials have increased tenfold, and price war of new products between enterprises is intensifying; Research and development of power battery channels is what car manufacturers with a solid foundation should be doing in future. they are all in their own hands. A production chain "without intermediaries earning price difference" can in a certain sense benefit company's own profits. More decision-making power. Of course, for formation of such an industrial scale, one cannot ignore initial costs.

Xpeng Motors has also postponed production and delivery of models such as Xpeng P5 due to shortages this year of key components such as lithium iron phosphate batteries. For this reason, Xiaopeng Motors has cooperated with many battery manufacturers. Battery suppliers including Yiwei Lithium Energy and AVIC Lithium Battery are looking for multi-party suppliers to spread costs even more and make production and delivery process smoother.

Conclusion: Industry "screening" continues

Xpeng Motors should be more than one of new car companies accelerating deployment of battery production. After all, with apparent trend of change in automotive industry, form of purely electric vehicles is gradually becoming more popular. mainstream, but so many competing companies. So far, there is no real winner who can break shackles of supply chain and form their own unique production structure. This is undoubtedly "insurance" for enterprise itself.

The bonus period shaped by new experience of new forces and Internet thinking has passed, and style and way of buying a car at consumer level is gradually becoming rational and safe through impression of force majeure, is well known in recent years. The "new forces" are on rise, and the strong emergence of joint venture brands also shows an oppressive force. The new energy market is in limbo.