By Alberto Alerigi SAO PAULO (Reuters) -Brazilian motor maker Weg is set to begin selling made-in-Europe EV battery chargers to that same market next year, while it also looks to ramp up planned investments in Mexico to meet rising demand for electrical parts there, executives said on Friday. "We already started EV charge operations in Europe, and starting next year, we will have products on the market manufactured in Europe," Weg's Managing Director of Digital and Systems Carlos Grillo said in a present ...

Xpeng Inc. (NYSE: XPEV) surged over 4.36% in Friday’s premarket and recorded a 5.4% spike in its Hong Kong-listed shares. It's currently trading at $22.90 in pre-market, according to Benzinga Pro data.European ExpansionThe surge in share price comes as the company officially announced its entry into 5 European markets — Switzerland, Austria, Hungary, Slovenia and Croatia — after partnering with Magna International Inc. (NYSE: MGA) to build two EVs in Austria at one of Magna's manufacturing facilities. The p ...

Industry Overview - The U.S. Energy Department reported a lower-than-expected increase in natural gas supplies, with stockpiles rising by 110 billion cubic feet (Bcf) for the week ended May 9, compared to analysts' expectations of 111 Bcf [2] - Total natural gas stocks reached 2,255 Bcf, which is 375 Bcf (14.3%) below the 2024 level but 57 Bcf (2.6%) higher than the five-year average [3] - Natural gas futures fell about 12% during the week, ending at $3.343/MMBtu, the lowest in two weeks, due to mild weather leading to subdued demand [4] Company Focus - **Expand Energy (EXE)**: The largest natural gas producer in the U.S. after the Chesapeake-Southwestern merger, with significant assets in the Haynesville and Marcellus basins. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for its 2025 earnings per share indicates a 458.2% year-over-year surge, with an 18.7% increase in estimates over the past 60 days [7][8] - **Coterra Energy (CTRA)**: An independent upstream operator with a focus on natural gas, owning approximately 183,000 net acres in the Marcellus Shale. The expected earnings per share growth rate for Coterra is 20.3% over three to five years, compared to the industry's 17.8% [9][10] - **Excelerate Energy (EE)**: Specializes in LNG infrastructure and services, representing 20% of the global Floating Storage Regasification Units (FSRUs) fleet. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for its 2025 earnings per share indicates a 10.2% year-over-year growth [11][12]

Group 1: General Motors and LG Energy Solution Deal - General Motors will sell its entire stake in the Lansing, MI, battery plant to LG Energy Solution for approximately $2.08 billion, expected to close by May 31, 2025, enhancing LG Energy's U.S. battery production [1] - The acquisition of the Ultium Cells No. 3 plant allows LG Energy to streamline manufacturing operations without the need for new facilities, aligning with its annual capital expenditure plan [2] - The deal enables LG Energy to fulfill a 10-year contract with Toyota, supplying 20 gigawatt-hours of battery modules annually, sufficient for about 200,000 high-performance EVs [3] Group 2: General Motors' Strategic Shift - GM's decision to divest from the Michigan plant is part of a strategy to scale back EV expansion due to slowing sales and policy uncertainty under the Trump administration, while continuing battery joint ventures with LG Energy in Ohio and Tennessee [4] - For 2025, GM anticipates a slight decline in internal combustion engine wholesale volume in North America, with EV growth partially offsetting this impact, and expects pricing to decline by 1-1.5% year over year [5]