Shenwan Hongyuan Securities·2025-08-21 02:12Investment Rating - The report maintains a positive outlook on Chinese automotive companies with global capabilities, including BYD, Geely, Great Wall, SAIC, and Changan, as well as companies like Li Auto, Xpeng, and NIO that have strong product definition capabilities in smart electric vehicles [4][3]. Core Insights - Since 2020, China's automotive export volume has rapidly increased, reaching 6.41 million units in 2024, making it the world's largest exporter, with a year-on-year growth of 22.7%. In the first half of 2025, exports continued to grow by 10.4%, totaling 3.08 million units [3][5]. - Chinese automotive companies are accelerating overseas localization to avoid tariffs and reduce costs, with brands like BYD, Changan, and Geely establishing factories abroad [3][20]. - Chinese companies benefit from high research and investment efficiency, leading to significant cost advantages. In 2024, the average R&D amortization per vehicle for Chinese companies was 7,660 yuan, significantly lower than foreign companies [3][39]. - The report predicts that from 2021 to 2030, the export market will evolve in three phases, with southern markets (Middle East, ASEAN) becoming the core growth area, expected to account for 65.7% by 2027 [3][4]. Summary by Sections 1. Domestic Exports & Overseas Factories - The automotive export volume has seen a significant increase, with monthly exports reaching 550,000 units by May 2025, a nearly sevenfold increase since early 2020 [14]. - In 2024, Russia was the largest market for Chinese automotive exports, with 1.158 million units, followed by Mexico with 445,000 units [17][3]. - Chinese brands are rapidly increasing their global presence, with BYD leading the growth in the first half of 2025, exporting 472,000 units, a 128% increase [17][3]. 2. Profitability Analysis of Overseas Expansion - The report highlights that the profitability of Chinese automotive companies is driven by localization, which allows them to avoid high import tariffs and reduce logistics costs [30][33]. - Local production in Europe can increase profit margins significantly compared to exporting, with examples showing profit margins improving by over 7 percentage points [33][30]. 3. Excess Returns Analysis for Chinese Automotive Companies - Chinese automotive companies are achieving excess returns due to their R&D and investment efficiencies, with net profits per vehicle significantly higher than foreign competitors [3][39]. - The report suggests that if overseas operations replicate domestic management models, excess returns could reach 26,000 yuan per vehicle under optimistic assumptions [3][39]. 4. Key Conclusions and Investment Recommendations - The report recommends investing in companies with strong global capabilities and those excelling in smart electric vehicle product definitions, such as BYD, Geely, Great Wall, SAIC, Changan, Li Auto, Xpeng, and NIO [4][3].