Sanxiang Metropolis Daily, March 31 (text/video All-media reporter Pan Xianxuan intern Lu Ao) Following the continuous "price increase tide" of electric vehicles, two-wheeled electric vehicles have also ushered in a collective price increase! Recently, the reporter visited a number of electric vehicle dealerships in Changsha and found that mainstream brands such as Yadi, Maverick, Emma, and Tailing have already increased their prices or are about to increase prices.
Two-wheeled electric vehicles collectively increased in price
As a travel tool that is more convenient than public transportation, flexible than the subway, saves money than taxis, and saves labor than bicycles, electric bicycles have always been one of the most favored commuting tools for office workers.
On the morning of March 30, it was raining lightly, and there was no customer patronage at a Maverick electric vehicle dealership on Furong Middle Road in Changsha's Kaifu District. The store owner said that the store received a notice of price increase half a month ago, and the increase of specific models is still waiting for the notice. The reporter noted that on March 21, 2022, the Maverick Electric Tmall flagship store issued a price increase announcement, saying that Maverick Electric will raise the retail guidance price of all lithium battery products on April 1, with an increase of 200 yuan to 1000 yuan.
On Deya Road in Kaifu District, several electric bicycle brand stores such as Yadi, Emma and Tailing have been opened in just 100 meters.
"On March 20, the company issued a notice that the price increase began on April 9, and the lithium battery model increased between 200 yuan and 600 yuan." Emma said the owner of the electric car.
The staff of the Tailing electric vehicle store also said that they have received the company's price increase notice, and the price will increase in April, and the specific increase has not yet been determined.
The owner of the Yadi electric vehicle dealership told reporters that the price had risen once a few years ago, and it is expected that the price will rise again in April, with an increase of between 100 yuan and 200 yuan.
Rising raw material prices have led to rising costs
Judging from the price increase notices issued by these two-wheeled electric vehicles, the core factor is also the sharp rise in the price of raw materials such as lithium batteries, as well as the price increase of four-wheeled electric vehicles.
The data shows that as an upstream industry in the lithium battery industry, the prices of nickel, cobalt and so on have recently soared. As of mid-March, the domestic price of lithium carbonate rose from 280,000 yuan / ton at the beginning of the year to about 500,000 yuan / ton, nickel prices rose from 155,000 yuan / ton to 260,000 yuan / ton, and cobalt prices rose from 490,000 yuan / ton to 570,000 yuan / ton, up about 220,000 yuan, 110,000 yuan and 80,000 yuan per ton respectively.
The reporter learned that after the New Year this year, due to the international form and economic environment, the prices of raw materials such as aluminum ingots, lead, steel, copper, chemicals, rubber and non-ferrous metals continued to rise, coupled with the impact of the epidemic at home and abroad, the increase in logistics and labor costs, etc., resulting in a sharp rise in the prices of core components such as motors, batteries, tires, shock absorption, frames, and plastic parts of two-wheeled electric vehicles. Industry insiders also pointed out that the sharp rise in the price of raw materials such as lithium batteries, in addition to affecting the new two-wheeled household electric vehicles, also made the cost of shared motorcycle operating enterprises in this industrial chain increase significantly, bearing greater pressure, and it is likely that the future operating enterprises will increase the cost of sharing cycling to offset the pressure brought about by cost increases.
Will price increases affect sales?
In the highly competitive field of electric bicycles, will the new round of price increases affect consumer choice?
"If the price is too expensive, it will definitely affect the purchase, and the price range I can accept is between 2,000 yuan and 3,000 yuan." Mr. Chen, a citizen of Changsha, usually rides an electric bicycle to and from work, and the vehicle has been riding for two years, which was purchased for 2400 yuan at that time. In his view, the selection of electric bicycles is mainly concerned with the two aspects of batteries and styles.
A dealer of Changsha Emma Electric Vehicle said that the consumer group of electric bicycles is mainly office workers and mothers, this group pays more attention to performance and cost performance, and too much price increase will affect sales to a certain extent. After this round of price increases, prices are not expected to continue to rise in the near future, and April to September is the peak season for electric bicycle sales, and dealers usually seize this period to make small profits and sell high.