Chinese green car boom fuels lithium rush 17 Jul 2017 Beijing's policy push toward electric vehicles is driving investor interest in lithium and lithium miners. The price of lithium carbonate has almost trebled since 2015, and acquisitions are underway. Demand for the suddenly strategic commodity could trigger a tussle over supply.
Doublethink threatens Chinese green leadership 14 Jun 2017 Donald Trump has gifted China the chance to lead the charge against climate change. But the country must conquer a contradiction. Beijing bureaucrats may love cleantech investment, but as economic growth slows, they fear the costs of regulation and restructuring.
China’s green push will drive out weaker carmakers 10 May 2017 Beijing wants to quadruple annual sales of "new energy" cars to 2 mln by 2020, but is scaling back subsidies. Manufacturers will thus have to boost sales and slash costs. Big companies like BYD, backed by Warren Buffett, can ride out the crunch. Smaller outfits may be less lucky.
Tesla demonstrates valuation staying power 3 May 2017 Boss Elon Musk vows that annual Model 3 production alone can meet the company's target of 500,000 vehicles by the end of 2018. That should be enough for the electric-car maker's faithful to overlook past missed goals and growing competition, and keep the stock unjustifiably high.
Delphi goes where carmakers only dream of driving 3 May 2017 The $23 bln parts maker is spinning off its powertrain unit to focus on connected and autonomous tech. These fast-growing, higher-margin businesses will sport a top-tier multiple even if car sales slow. The likes of Ford and GM don’t have the luxury of following Delphi’s lead.
Tencent drifts off course with Tesla 29 Mar 2017 The Chinese tech giant can easily afford a near-$2 bln stake in Tesla. But Elon Musk's electric cars are not a great fit with its cash-cow businesses, social media and mobile games. Making a huge, venture capital-style bet like this is a worrying sign of indiscipline.
Tesla’s surprise surge lights up China policy risk 15 Mar 2017 The electric carmaker unexpectedly tripled sales in the People's Republic last year to $1 bln. Favourable licence plate policies adopted recently in key cities are a likely factor. For Tesla, China's fast-moving green car rules can be as much an opportunity as they are a problem.
Hong Kong is stage for Tesla’s next power surge 22 Dec 2016 Though it's congested and boasts limited green credentials, the city's residents snap up thousands of Elon Musk's slick electric cars. The tax breaks that make them affordable are up for review. But 2017's cheaper Tesla could show the world how to switch on subsidy-free success.
China’s car scam shows best and worst of subsidies 15 Sep 2016 Lavish grants for electric vehicles nurtured new technology and a massive market. The largesse came at a price, though, with many millions of dollars lost to scammers faking sales to claim cash. There may yet be a happy ending for home-grown heroes like BYD.
China’s Netflix-to-Tesla is spread painfully thin 16 Aug 2016 Jia Yueting's LeEco is pushing into TVs, mobile handsets, electric vehicles and video-streaming. That poses huge financial and strategic challenges for his mostly private group. These are fast-moving, capital-intensive industries with very well-resourced competitors.