Southwest Securities·2025-05-12 13:30Investment Rating - The report maintains an "Outperform" rating for the automotive industry as of May 11, 2025 [1] Core Views - April saw a record high in passenger car wholesale, with retail sales reaching 1.755 million units, a year-on-year increase of 14.5% [2][8] - The "2025 China Intelligent Automotive Technology Exhibition" was held on May 8, focusing on future research, strategic trends, and technological breakthroughs in the automotive industry [3][60] - The report suggests focusing on companies with technological innovation in smart driving algorithms, sensors, and intelligent cockpits, as well as traditional automakers actively entering the smart vehicle sector [3][63] Summary by Sections Passenger Vehicles - In April, passenger car retail sales were 1.755 million units, up 14.5% year-on-year but down 9.4% month-on-month; cumulative retail for the year reached 6.872 million units, a 7.9% increase [8][61] - Wholesale for April was 2.190 million units, a 10.7% year-on-year increase but down 9.2% month-on-month; cumulative wholesale for the year was 8.468 million units, up 11.1% [8][61] - Recommended stocks include BYD (002594), Geely (0175.HK), and Xpeng Motors (9868.HK) [61] New Energy Vehicles - April retail for new energy passenger vehicles was 905,000 units, a 33.9% year-on-year increase but down 8.7% month-on-month; cumulative retail for the year was 3.324 million units, up 35.7% [8][62] - April wholesale was 1.133 million units, a 40.2% year-on-year increase and a 0.3% month-on-month increase; cumulative wholesale for the year was 3.981 million units, up 42.1% [8][62] - Key stocks to watch include BYD (002594), Geely (0175.HK), and Huayu Automotive (600741) [62] Heavy Trucks - In April, heavy truck wholesale was approximately 90,000 units, down 19% month-on-month but up 9.4% year-on-year; cumulative sales for the year were about 355,000 units, flat year-on-year [10][64] - The report highlights opportunities in the heavy truck sector due to the inclusion of natural gas heavy trucks in the subsidy range, enhancing their economic advantages [10][65] - Recommended stocks include Weichai Power (2338.HK/000338) and China National Heavy Duty Truck Group (000951/3808.HK) [65] Smart Vehicles - The report emphasizes the importance of technological advancements in smart driving and suggests monitoring companies with significant innovations in this area [3][63] - Key companies mentioned include BYD (002594), Geely (0175.HK), and SAIC Motor (600104) for complete vehicles, and Desay SV (002920) and Huayang Group (002906) for components [3][63]