Tesla's China woes; Lucid commits to NACS: This week in EVs

Investing.com -- Here is your weekly Pro Recap of the past week's biggest headlines in the electric vehicle space: Lucid commits to NACS in 2025; Tesla slumps in China; and XPeng delivers big.

As always, InvestingPro users got these headlines at lightning speed. Never miss another opportunity to secure an edge for your portfolio.

Lucid Motors embraces Tesla’s charging standard

Lucid Motors (NASDAQ:LCID) has joined the league of automakers adopting Tesla's (NASDAQ:TSLA) North American Charging Standard (NACS) for their electric vehicles. Lucid announced on Monday its decision to integrate NACS connectors into its EVs starting in 2025. Lucid's vehicles, currently using the Combined Charging System (CCS), will be able to charge at Tesla Supercharger stations with an adapter.

This move follows in the footsteps of Ford (NYSE:F) and General Motors (NYSE: NYSE:GM), making Lucid the latest in a growing list of car manufacturers to choose the Tesla Standard charging connection. Among the others are Toyota (NYSE:TM), Honda (TYO:7267) (NYSE:HMC), Rivian (NASDAQ:RIVN), BMW (ETR:BMWG) (OTC:BMWYY), Hyundai (KS:005380) (OTC:HYMTF), Mercedes Benz (ETR:MBGn) (OTC:MBGAF), and Fisker (NYSE:FSR).

Shares of LCID ended the week down 15.36%.

Tesla's China woes: market share decline and pricing adjustments

On the other side of the globe, Tesla is navigating challenges in China: The China Passenger Car Association reported a 2.6% month-over-month decline in Tesla's October deliveries, with 72,115 China-made Tesla EVs reaching customers. Sales of China-made Model 3 and Model Y cars managed a modest 0.6% increase from the previous year.

Tesla's focus on sales over profits in China has led to increased competition from domestic rivals. Despite offering discounts, Tesla saw its profit margins take a hit without a corresponding rise in market share. In Q3, Tesla's market share in China's EV sector dropped to 9.89%, down from 12.98% in the previous quarter and 9.93% year over year.

To counterbalance these challenges, Tesla China announced slight price adjustments for its Model 3 and Model Y Long Range variants. The Model 3 Long Range saw a RMB 1,500 ($1 = 7.29 RMB) increase, starting at RMB 297,400, while the Model Y Long Range's price adjusted by RMB 2,500, now starting at RMB 302,400.

Notably, only the Long Range variants experienced price hikes, leaving speculation about potential adjustments for other models in the near future.

Shares of TSLA ended the week down 3.5%.

Xpeng soars as deliveries pile up

In contrast, Chinese EV maker XPeng (NYSE:XPEV) is soaring to new heights. The company's October 2023 vehicle-delivery report revealed a record-breaking 20,002 Smart EV deliveries, showcasing a 31% month-over-month increase and an astounding 292% year-over-year growth. The XPENG G6, with an increased production output, achieved a remarkable single-month delivery volume of 8,741 units, solidifying its position as the leading battery electric SUV in the RMB200,000-250,000 price range.

XPeng is expected to reach 55-57K units in Q4 - a positive trajectory due to a substantial order backlog. Market expectations are high for increased volume in the final months of 2023, sustained orders for G6 and G9, potential gains from LFP-P7i, and a margin recovery in Q4.

XPeng's annual Tech Day on October 24 showcased the company's plans for its advanced driver assistance system (ADAS). The deployment of certain XNGP features, independent of high-definition maps, is set to expand to 50 cities by the end of the year. XPeng also announced a new ADAS function, AI Valet Driver, accessible to specific customers by the end of 2023, with nationwide availability in 2024.

Adding to the excitement, XPeng unveiled the XPENG X9, a spacious 7-seater MPV with a futuristic exterior design inspired by starship aesthetics, developed on the SEPA2.0 framework. The XPENG X9 will be showcased at Auto Guangzhou 2023 in November as the company's flagship model.

Shares of XPEV ended the week down 12.55%.