NEV Sales Revel In Revved-up Beginning To Year

鄭珊珊

Leading Chinese electric vehicle startups have seenstrong car deliveries in March despite challenges such asthe COVID-19 pandemic， showcasing the consumption momentumin new energy vehicles （NEVs）-including EVsandlocal consumers’ enthusiasm for environmentallyfriendly vehicles.

The rising car deliveries came as the Ministry of Industryand Information Technology， China’s top industry regulator，said recently that more efforts will be made to encouragethe use of NEVs and the nation will accelerate the developmentof domestic resources to cope with price increasesin raw materials for batteries.

Electric vehicle pioneer Li Auto said it delivered 11，034 of its Li One sport utility vehicles， or SUVs， in March，up 125.2 percent year-on-year. For the first quarter， Li Autosaid it had delivered 31，716 vehicles， an increase of 152.1percent year-on-year.

Another EV startup Xpeng said it delivered 15，414 vehiclesin March， up 148 percent from February. For the firstquarter， Xpeng delivered 34，561 cars， an increase of 159percent year-on-year.

Industry peer Nio delivered 9，985 vehicles in March，up 62.8 percent from February. The company delivered 25，768 vehicles in the first quarter， an increase of 28.5 percentyear-on-year.

Experts said the data showed relatively strong consumptionmomentum in NEVs， but they also warned thatrising local cases of COVID-19 may affect factory productionof NEVs to some extent.

Price hikes in raw materials for batteries will also posesome challenges， said Jia Xinguang， an independent auto analyst.

Xin Guobin， vice-minister of industry and informationtechnology， said at a forum in late March that the ministrywill make more efforts to cope with costlier raw materials.

Xin said the ministry will accelerate the developmentof domestic resources， crackdown on unfair competition activities-such as hoarding and speculation—and guide upstreamand downstream enterprises in the industrial chain tostrengthen cooperation and help ease prices of key raw materials.

More measures will also be taken to improve the supplycapacity of key raw materials and parts， and guaranteethe capacity of vehicle-charging services， Xin added.

Despite short-term challenges， experts have been cautiouslyoptimistic about this year’s NEV sales performance.

Fu Bingfeng， executive vice-president of the China Associationof Automobile Manufacturers， said earlier that productionand sales of NEVs are expected to maintain growththis year.

China’s low- carbon strategy， advancements in intelligentconnectivity technologies and innovation in businessmodels will help further popularize NEVs， Fu said.

面對新冠疫情等多重挑戰，國內領先的幾家電動汽車初創企業在3月份都迎來了交付量的強勢增長，展示出包括電動汽車在內的新能源汽車的消費動能和本土消費者對環保汽車的熱情。

不久前，工業和信息化部表示，將采取更多措施鼓勵新能源汽車的使用，并加快國內資源開發進度，解決動力電池原材料價格上漲問題。

電動汽車領頭羊理想汽車公布，2022年3月，理想汽車交付11034輛理想ONE越野車，同比增長125.2%。2022 年第一季度，理想汽車累計交付31716輛，同比增長152.1%。

另外一家電動汽車初創企業小鵬汽車公布，3月新能源汽車交付量達15414 輛，環比增長148%。2022年第一季度，小鵬汽車累計交付量達34561輛，同比增長159%。

業界同行蔚來汽車官方公布，3 月交付新車9985 輛，環比增長62.8%。2021 年一季度交付25768輛，同比增長28.5%。

專家表示，這些數據顯示出新能源汽車相對強勁的消費動能，但是專家也警告稱，本土新冠病例的增多可能會在某種程度上影響新能源汽車的產量。

獨立汽車行業分析師賈新光表示，電池原材料的漲價也將帶來一定挑戰。

工信部副部長辛國斌3月底在一個論壇上表示，工信部會努力解決當前動力電池原材料大幅漲價問題。

辛國斌提到，將適度加快國內資源開發進度，堅決打擊囤積居奇、投機炒作等不正當競爭行為，引導產業鏈上下游企業強化協作、共贏發展，推動關鍵原材料價格回歸理性。

辛國斌還表示，將采取更多措施來增強關鍵原材料和零部件供應能力，提升充換電服務保障能力。

盡管面臨短期挑戰，專家們對于今年新能源汽車的銷售業績還是持有審慎的樂觀態度。

中國汽車工業協會常務副會長付炳鋒早前曾預測，今年新能源汽車的產量和銷量將保持增長。

付炳鋒指出，中國的低碳戰略、智能網聯汽車技術的加持、商業模式的創新，將促進新能源汽車的普及。