Lockdown at Chile has yet to affect exports of lithium salt
Chile has closed its borders from April 5 to May 1 to control the widespread of Covid-19, only allowing international transportation for emergency, humanitarian or medical purposes. The lockdowns in Chile have not affected the exports of lithium salt. Shipments from major manufacturers have been smooth, but it cannot be ruled out that future shipments may be affected by the delay of shipping schedules. According to SMM calculations, its imports from Chinese lithium carbonate account for about 20-25% of the overall supply (domestic production + total imports). If the pandemic situation continues to worsen, exports may be delayed and supply to China will be tightened. SMM will continue to follow up on the impact of the lockdowns.
BYD launched 4 EV models using "blade batteries"
On April 7, BYD released four pure electric models, including Qin Plus EV, 2021 Tang EV, Song Plus EV and 2021 e2, all of which adopted "blade batteries." In addition to these four new car models, BYD Chairman Wang Chuanfu announced that “the company’s pure electric models have begun to adopt blade batteries in an all-round way, and acupuncture tests have been launched as a corporate standard.”
BYD also announced two major decisions at this press conference. The current pure electric models will be fully switched from the previous ordinary aluminium shell batteries to blade batteries. The blade batteries will be fully exported to the global market. It is reported that the blade LFP battery is an innovative product in the field of motive power batteries. Having passing battery acupuncture test, it can still not smoke or fire. At the same time, the surface temperature is only 30-60 degrees Celcius. The optimisation of the process helps to reduce the structural parts, and improve the energy density of the battery pack. The sale of blade batteries will also greatly increase the demand for upstream LFP.
Volkswagen China's investment in Guoxuan Hi-Tech accepted after review
On April 6, Guoxuan Hi-Tech issued an announcement stating that the China Securities Regulatory Commission’s Issuance Review Committee had reviewed its application for non-public offering of shares in 2020. According to the review results of the meeting, the company's application for non-public issuance of shares has been approved. That means that Volkswagen China's plan to invest in this company has been officially accepted after review.
If the transaction is completed, Volkswagen China will hold a 26.47% stake in Guoxuan Hi-Tech and become the largest shareholder. The two companies will collaborate on the standardisation module of the MEB platform under ternary and LFP systems. Mass production and supply is expected to materialise in 2023. The deep binding relations between Guoxuan Hi-Tech and Volkswagen China will not only provide support for Volkswagen's lithium-ionisation transformation in the Chinese market, but the former can also rely on the latter's brand advantages and star models to achieve the goal of rapidly expanding market share and international influence.
