According to the latest data from the China Automobile Association, the production and sales of new energy vehicles in January 2022 reached 452,000 units and 431,000 units, respectively, an increase of 1.3 times and 1.4 times year-on-year, respectively, continuing the trend of rapid growth last year, and the scale of production and sales far exceeded the same period last year, becoming the biggest highlight of the automobile market.
New energy vehicles achieved double growth in January, continuing the high-speed growth trend, but also released a strong signal: new energy vehicles have truly entered the "track" of the car market, attracting consumers with independent innovation technology, and achieving the market effect of partial replacement of fuel vehicles. According to the policy plan, the promotion subsidies for new energy vehicles will all be withdrawn at the end of this year, and the "fight" in the new energy market may be more intense.
January sales "are red, and the market competition is fierce
2022 is the inflection point year of the rapidly developing new energy vehicle market. From this year, the subsidy for new energy vehicles will be reduced by 30% on the basis of 2021, and the subsidy will be terminated until December 31, 2022. With the full withdrawal of subsidies in the new energy market, it means that the "policy dividends" enjoyed by new energy vehicle companies will gradually disappear, and it is necessary to compete with fuel vehicles in the market with a full range of product strength.
The current new energy vehicle market pattern is quietly changing. More and more independent brands rely on new energy vehicles and gain growth space. According to the data of the Association, BYD's sales of new energy vehicles reached 92,788 units in January, an increase of 358.4% year-on-year, far exceeding the second place SAIC-GM-Wuling, and basically realized the new energy transformation of products.
The rapid change in the new energy vehicle market is unexpected. It is difficult to imagine that Tesla, whose sales were "riding the dust" before, was gradually overtaken by "latecomers". In January this year, Tesla's sales volume was 19,346 units, which was successfully surpassed by BYD, SAIC-GM-Wuling and Chery. In January, Xiaopeng Automobile delivered 12,922 units, an increase of 115% year-on-year, Ideal Automobile delivered 12,268 Ideal ONE units in January, an increase of 128.1% year-on-year, Weilai delivered 9,652 new cars, an increase of 33.6% year-on-year, and the new car-making force "Wei Xiaoli", which was once three points "under the world", fell out of the top five of new energy vehicle sales, and Weilai even fell to ten outside.
The new energy vehicle market has shown a situation of "multi-point blossoming". Although independent brands still occupy the head market of independent brands, joint venture brands have also begun to pursue. In January, SAIC-Volkswagen sold 6,855 new energy vehicles, an increase of 126.2% year-on-year, and FAW-Volkswagen new energy vehicles sold 5,505 units, an increase of 47.5% year-on-year, challenging its own brands. In addition, saic and GM Cadillac LYRIQ, SAIC Volkswagen Audi Q5 e-tron, Xiaopeng Automobile G9, Hechuang Automobile G06, Song MAX DM-i and other new cars will also appear this year, and the "fight" in the new energy market will become more intense.
With the new energy vehicle market towards structural optimization, technology iteration direction continues to upgrade, the federation estimates that the wholesale demand for new energy vehicles in 2022 will be about 5.5 million units, cui Dongshu, secretary general of the association, said that the recognition of domestic consumers in the new energy market has increased significantly, and the policy subsidies are stable, which will inevitably promote the surge in China's total sales of new energy vehicles in 2022, and continue to maintain more than 50% of the world's super share and leading position.
Prices are "generally rising", and some models still need to wait
However, with the further decline of new energy vehicle subsidies in 2022, the new energy vehicle market has changed synchronously, and many new energy vehicle companies have "increased prices" and cannot get cars, and since last year, the lack of core crisis that has a serious impact on the car market will continue to cast a shadow on the new energy vehicle market this year?
Nanfang Daily reporter visited the Guangdong market and found that there is a widespread price increase in the new energy vehicle market. In a Xiaopeng Automobile store in Guangzhou, many consumers are looking at the car, and the sales consultant who received the reception expressed his default to the price increase of the model, "because the entire new energy automobile industry is increasing prices, the state subsidies are reduced, and the price has naturally risen." ”
The sales consultant said that all models are sold in accordance with the guidance price announced by Xiaopeng Motors, but due to the reduction of subsidies, the prices of Xiaopeng P7, P5 and G3 have increased by different margins compared with last year, with an average price increase of more than 5,000 yuan.
Subsequently, the Southern Daily reporter came to a Weilai automobile store, and the sales consultant of Weilai Automobile told reporters that the price of Weilai EC6 was 368,000 yuan, the previous reduction was 18,000 yuan, and now less than 6,000 yuan, you can enjoy the state subsidy of 12,000 yuan. "Our car prices have not risen, but the state subsidies are less, and the price increase is not because we have increased the price."
The ideal car sales consultant also told the Southern Daily reporter, "Compared with the previous 2020 model, the new 2021 model has risen by 10,000 yuan, but the function has been updated, before it was 1 millimeter wave radar, now it is 5, achieving full vehicle coverage." ”
Previously, affected by the lack of core crisis, Xiaopeng P5 delayed delivery, and proposed the "first delivery and then reloading" program, and the ideal car also has the phenomenon of "delayed delivery". This year, the "lack of core" has been alleviated, but due to the continuous growth of consumer demand for new energy vehicles, some models still need to wait for a period of time to be delivered.
Xiaopeng Automobile's sales consultant said that it is now necessary to wait two months to two and a half months to buy the P5. "We really can't say for sure, it depends on the factory side, we can't fully guarantee it."
And Weilai currently has a current car supply, sales consultants told reporters that EC6 existing cars are more sufficient, orders can be picked up, some versions need to wait. Another sedan, the ET5, is not yet in full production and is expected to wait until around September.
Previously, Weilai Automobile was also affected by chip shortages, and on March 29, 2021, Weilai Automobile announced the suspension of production at the "Jianghuai Weilai" Hefei manufacturing plant for 5 days due to insufficient supply of key electronic components such as chips. Although the lack of cores has been alleviated, some models still cannot meet the needs of the market in time.
The car brands that also need to wait also include ideal cars, ideal car sales consultants introduced, ideal ONE needs to wait about two months, "if you want to be earlier, you can choose gray, it will be about a week earlier." ”
For the situation that new energy vehicles are generally less available, Ideal Car Sales explained that the new forces of car manufacturing are basically directly operated models, unlike traditional 4S stores that will hoard cars themselves. "Our system is fully transparent, consumers place an order on the APP, the factory will have a production schedule, when to deliver at a glance."
【Reporter】 Gong Qianshu
【Coordinator】 Guo Xiaoge
【Author】 Gong Qianshu
【Source】 Southern Press Media Group South + client