HOZON Auto, NIO score 3-digit YoY surge in Oct. deliveries, but XPeng falls

Among the top 5 Chinese new energy vehicle (NEV) startups by monthly deliveries, occupants of the first four spots all posted a remarkable year-on-year growth in their Oct. 2022 deliveries, while XPeng was the only one to face a downward movement with the least vehicles delivered last month.

Compared to the previous month, HOZON Auto saw its monthly deliveries in Oct. remain flat, while NIO, Li Auto, Leapmotor, and XPeng all posted a decrease.

For the first ten months of 2022, the top 5 Chinese NEV startups all gained a year-on-year leap in their year-to-date deliveries, of which Leapmotor was credited the fastest-growing one. HOZON Auto also witnessed its Jan.-Oct. deliveries surge at a three-digit rate compared to the year-ago period, while the other three all attained a two-digit year-over-year rise.

As of Oct. 2022, HOZON Auto has ranked highest among Chinese NEV startups by monthly deliveries for the fourth month in a row. The company saw its monthly deliveries hit a new high of 18,016 units in October, following six consecutive months of growth month-by-month.

HOZON Auto said its Oct. deliveries were composed of 6,295 NETA Us and 11,721 NETA Vs.

Deliveries of the NETA S, the third production model of HOZON Auto, will commence in November to further drive the company's sales up.

Last month, HOZON Auto announces a significant cooperation with NVIDIA, which will offer the automaker its NVIDIA DRIVE Orin in-car computing platform. Besides, HOZON Auto will explore the introduction of the NVIDIA DRIVE™ Thor, NVIDIA's next-generation centralized computer for safe and secure autonomous vehicles, to elevate the AI-enabled intelligence level of its vehicles.

In October, NIO moved up to the runner-up place among Chinese NEV startups, despite a single-digit decline over a month ago. By the end of Oct. 2022, NIO's monthly deliveries have remained above 10,000 units for five straight months.

Three NIO-branded models—the ES7, the ET7, and the ET5, which became available for delivery this year, recorded a delivery volume of 2,814 units, 3050 units, and 1,030 units, respectively, in October.

With regard to the year-to-date performance, NIO still delivered the least vehicles compared to the other four NEV startups.

Li Auto boasted a 31.4% year-on-year growth in the Oct. deliveries. Although the company didn't reveal the sales breakdown of specific models, it can be surmised that the Li L9 served as a main contributor to Li Auto's sales increase.

"Orders for Li L9 remained robust and the level of its user satisfaction continued to exceed their expectations, further solidifying our market position in the 400,000 yuan and higher segment," commented Yanan Shen, co-founder and president of Li Auto.

On Sept. 30, Li Auto launched two new models–the Li L8 six-seater SUV and the Li L7 five-seater SUV, both of which comes with a Pro and a Max version.

"Since its launch, Li L8 has received positive user feedback and wide recognition, off to a strong start with continued increase in orders,” Mr. Shen added.

Test drives of the Li L8 will commence on Nov. 5, Li Auto noted on Tuesday.

By the end of Oct. 2022, Li Auto has deployed 274 retail stores in 119 cities, as well as 317 servicing centers and Li Auto-authorized body and paint shops operating in 226 cities.

Leapmotor saw its Oct. deliveries shoot up 92.3% year on year, while tumble 36.4% month on month. Its Jan.-Oct. deliveries were 218.8% more than that of the prior-year period.

Leapmotor officially put its flagship model, the C01, onto the market on September 28. The company said the early-stage ramp-up of the C01's production capacity would have a short-term effect on the overall vehicle delivery pace.

Additionally, Leapmotor disclosed that the C11's REEV (range-extended electric vehicle) version will make its debut soon.

XPeng clocked a two-digit decrease in Oct. deliveries both year-on-year and month-on-month. Nonetheless, it still delivered over 100,000 vehicles across the first ten months, only outsold by HOZON Auto.

Mass deliveries of the G9, XPeng's fourth production model, began on Oct. 27, reaching customers in over 100 cities across China.

"We are accelerating customer deliveries of G9. Logistics and transportation capabilities are all in place for a steady production ramp up beginning in November," said He Xiaopeng, Chairman and CEO of XPENG. "We expect that P7 and G9, both built on the Edward platform, will comprise a larger proportion of total deliveries in the coming months."