Global EV Industry Surges Ahead

Amid a stock market rally on the trading floors of New York City, one particular market sector may be leading the pack. Major electric vehicle manufacturers across the world, from Tesla to Li Auto, are breaking records, with the attendant benefits to their share values.

Tesla Deliveries Race Ahead

On Sunday, July 2nd, Tesla (TSLA) reported that its second quarter deliveries had set a new record for the company, with over 460,000 vehicles hitting the road from March to June of this year. Deliveries for the firm have hit a strong uptrend over the course of recent quarters, along with its share price. Perhaps in response to last quarter’s record breaking deliveries, Tesla stock jumped by just under 7% over the course of trading Monday, bringing the industry leader’s stock to an overall gain of over 127% for the year so far.

With Q2 deliveries having exceeded estimates by more than twenty thousand cars, it may seem that the electric vehicle pioneer is going from strength to strength. However, Tesla also revealed Sunday that production for the second quarter of 2023 outpaced deliveries by more than ten thousand units, thus putting upward pressure on inventory.

The consumer price cuts emanating from Tesla’s executive suite may have had a strong influence on last quarter’s all-time record numbers. Furthermore, a range of carrots offered to customers could have pushed those still wavering to sign on the dotted line. All those who bought one of Tesla’s proprietary Model 3 cars received three months of supercharging free, and Chinese buyers also got a four figure insurance subsidy.

The firm’s most recent successes come amid an environment of market uncertainty, according to CEO Elon Musk. Tesla may well hit its 2023 production target of 1.8 million, even as its global production facilities are operating below capacity, but traders will have to wait and see how the rest of the year plays out.

Rivian Rides Ahead

Electric vehicle industry peer Rivian (RIVN) also beat analyst estimates for second quarter deliveries Monday with a final figure of over 12,000. This may have drawn the attention of traders, who pushed the firm’s share price up by almost 18% on Monday, for a total gain of more than 6% for the year so far.

The EV startup has faced myriad challenges recently, and still has not reached the stage of profitability. Rivian’s Illinois facility has been dealing with production issues for over a year now, with concerns about the timeline for fulfilling pre-existing vehicle reservations taking centre stage. Furthermore, last year’s near-total vehicle recall brought safety concerns to the forefront.

However, less than two years after its initial public offering, Rivian may already have the confidence of tech industry giant Amazon (AMZN), which holds nearly a fifth of the firm’s shares and has purchased over one hundred thousand Rivian-made vans. This relative newcomer to the sphere of electric vehicles may have hit the road only recently, but the road to profitability may be smooth riding if delivery numbers continue to climb.

Chinese Firms Surge

The buzz surrounding EV’s has not been limited to American shores. Across the Pacific, Chinese manufacturer BYD (1211.HK) revealed Sunday that deliveries for the second quarter had nearly doubled year over year to reach 350,000. This puts BYD firmly ahead of Tesla in market share in the world’s most populous nation. In response to the news, BYD shares climbed by over 4.5% on Monday. (Source:Barron’s)

Domestic competitor Li Auto (LI) reached 30,000 deliveries in the second quarter of 2023 for the first time ever, a more than 200% increase. This led the markets to reward the firm with a 3.3% share price jump on Monday. 

As the demand for electric vehicles continues to grow, it seems that the biggest fish are reaping the benefits. Smaller Chinese firm XPeng (XPEV) has seen a year over year drop in deliveries, with its share value falling by more than half over the past twelve months as well.

All in all, the global electric vehicle market continues to be dynamic and shows few signs of hitting the brakes in the near future. However, whether these firms can continue to thrive amid global economic uncertainty remains to be seen.