2 1 Shi Ji Jing Ji Bao Dao·2025-06-09 13:03Core Insights - The Chinese passenger car market showed strong growth in May 2023, with retail sales reaching 1.932 million units, a year-on-year increase of 13.3% and a month-on-month increase of 10.1% [1] - The competitive landscape among new energy vehicle manufacturers has shifted, with Leap Motor leading in deliveries for three consecutive months, while NIO has fallen to the bottom among the top four new energy brands [1][3] Group 1: Market Performance - Cumulative retail sales for the year reached 8.811 million units, reflecting a year-on-year growth of 9.1% [1] - Leap Motor, Xpeng, and NIO have shown varying performance in revenue, with Li Auto leading at 25.93 billion yuan, followed by Xpeng at 15.81 billion yuan, NIO at 12.03 billion yuan, and Leap Motor at 10.02 billion yuan [3] - Leap Motor's revenue grew by 187.1% year-on-year, while Xpeng and NIO saw increases of 141.45% and 21.46%, respectively [3] Group 2: Profitability and Margins - The gross margins of new energy vehicle manufacturers improved in Q1 2023, with Li Auto leading at 20.5%, followed by Xpeng at 15.6% and Leap Motor at 14.9% [3][4] - NIO's gross margin improved to 7.6%, but it still reported a significant net loss of 6.891 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 31.06% [4] - Leap Motor has identified technology services as a new profit path, achieving a historical high gross margin of 14.9% in Q1 2023 [4][5] Group 3: Strategic Partnerships and Future Outlook - Xpeng's collaboration with Volkswagen has become a key revenue driver, contributing 5.04 billion yuan in revenue for 2024 [5] - Xpeng's service and other business revenues reached 1.44 billion yuan in Q1 2023, accounting for 9.1% of total revenue [5] - The new energy vehicle sector is entering a critical phase, with companies like Leap Motor and Xpeng focusing on achieving profitability by 2025 [8][9] Group 4: Cost Management and Operational Efficiency - NIO has implemented a new operational mechanism called CBU to enhance investment returns and cost management [9] - The company reported a 46.8% year-on-year increase in sales, general, and administrative expenses, while R&D spending was 3.181 billion yuan, up 11.1% year-on-year [9][10] - All new energy vehicle manufacturers are focusing on optimizing their input-output ratios to achieve better results with lower investments [10]