Since March, the news of rising prices of new energy vehicles has continued. Recently, electric bicycles have come to “join the fun”.
Since March 14, Tesla has raised the price three times in a week, with a range of tens of thousands of yuan; On March 21, Xiaopeng automobile announced a price increase of up to 30000 yuan. Some netizens said: “reverse cutting leeks?”
On March 21, maverick electric announced that it would raise the price of all lithium battery products from 2001000 yuan on April 1. “Buy quickly, don’t wait!” Become the most replies from netizens.
price increase, what’s the reason
Since 2022, new energy vehicles have faced several rounds of cost pressure. First, the “core” shortage, then the “lithium” Mang, and recently the “nickel” demon, which can be described as “one wave is not flat, one wave rises again”.
In early March, lunni staged an “epic” market, which once exceeded US $100000 per ton. With the calm of the market, the price of Lun nickel still reached US $47000 per ton on March 21. Before the market broke out, Lun nickel was only US $20000 per ton, and the price more than doubled.
According to the China International Capital Corporation Limited(601995) Research Report, the price of Lun nickel increased from 20000 US dollars / ton to 50000 US dollars / ton, and the raw material cost of nickel for 8-series new energy vehicles charged with 60kwh per vehicle increased by about 10000 yuan.
In addition to nickel, lithium, another important material for power batteries, is also in a rapidly rising market.
Take the price of lithium carbonate, the main material of power battery, as an example. At the beginning of 2021, the average price of battery grade lithium carbonate was only 50000 yuan / ton, and it rose to 290000 yuan / ton at the end of the year, with an increase of 480% in just one year.
In 2022, the growth of lithium carbonate did not slow down at all. On March 17, the comprehensive market quotation of battery grade lithium carbonate has risen to 480 Chang Jiang Shipping Group Phoenix Co.Ltd(000520) 000 yuan per ton.
According to the calculation of UBS evidence lab, at present, the battery cost of most manufacturers will be equal to that of gasoline powertrain. The power battery accounts for 25% – 40% of the total cost of electric vehicles and is the most expensive electric vehicle parts. The rapid rise in the price of power battery materials has sharply increased the production cost pressure of vehicle enterprises.
In addition to battery materials such as nickel and lithium, the shortage of chips and the decline of subsidies have also become factors for the rapid rise of the price of new energy vehicles. Since 2021, some car specification chips have risen from tens of yuan to thousands of yuan, and their value has increased by more than a hundred times. The decline of subsidies will directly lead to the transmission of the price rise of new energy vehicles to the consumer level.
car companies and dealers: it is difficult to achieve without raising prices and cash in cars
Since 2021, the price rise of battery materials and the shortage of chips have made car enterprises miserable.
Since March 14, Weima, Byd Company Limited(002594) , Tesla, Xiaopeng, Nezha, Zero run and other new energy vehicle enterprises have successively issued price increases. The price increases range from 1000 yuan to 10000 yuan. Tesla raised the price of domestic model y three times in a week, with a price increase of tens of thousands of yuan.
In addition to the price increase, some car enterprises choose to stop production of some medium and low-end models to make up for the loss of material price increase. Dong Yudong, CEO of Euler brand, said in response to the stop of receiving orders for its black cat and white cat models: “after the sharp rise in raw materials in 2022, some models have brought huge losses to the company, and the single black cat has lost more than 10000 yuan.”
At the same time, some new energy vehicle 4S stores are also facing the situation of “no cars to sell”. After visiting a number of new energy vehicle 4S stores, many salespeople told Zhongxin finance that they had basically sold all the cars except the exhibition cars.
“Look at the green exhibition car, which was ordered by the customer two days ago. It has just been moved there and is preparing to clean up. Usually, this color car is difficult to sell.” The salesperson pointed to the exhibition car in the corner and told reporters.
“According to the customer’s requirements, now the doors are locked and the deposit has been paid. We can’t help it.” The salesperson reluctantly refused the reporter’s request to see the car again.
expert: resumption of supply of raw materials will ease the price rise
In view of the rise in the price of raw materials, the competent departments and relevant enterprises are also actively giving advice to promote the normal development of the industry.
At the Symposium on the operation of lithium industry and the price rise of upstream materials of power batteries held recently, the Ministry of industry and information technology required upstream and downstream enterprises in the industrial chain to strengthen the connection between supply and demand, work together to form a long-term and stable strategic cooperative relationship, jointly guide the rational return of lithium salt price, strengthen efforts to ensure market supply, and better support the healthy development of strategic emerging industries such as Shanxi Guoxin Energy Corporation Limited(600617) automobile.
Some power battery manufacturers also said they would adopt diversified procurement schemes to deal with the rise of raw materials. “At present, the rise of battery materials is a general trend. We have always paid more attention to the problem of supply chain, so we also have our own layout in advance,” the person in charge of honeycomb Energy said in an interview with Zhongxin finance and economics
Some auto enterprises “find another way” to solve the problem with alternative fuel solutions. Li Shufu, chairman of Geely Holding Group, once proposed that the legal status of methanol as a new clean and renewable energy should be clarified; Strengthen the access and operation management of methanol vehicles; Encourage the continuous innovation of methanol fuel and methanol vehicle technology. It is suggested to support the development and application of a variety of clean energy technologies by adding major national science and technology projects.
In response to the question of whether the price of materials will continue to rise, Cui Dongshu, Secretary General of the passenger Federation, said that the rise in the price of raw materials for new energy vehicles is a cyclical behavior. At present, the general rise in vehicle prices is also a reflection of the rise in the price of raw materials. With the recovery of the supply environment at the end of the raw material industry, the adverse factors of price rise will also be alleviated to a certain extent.
