Volkswagen and Chinese EV maker Xpeng say they are jointly developing two mid-sized BEVs for 2026 for mainland China, with the first model being an SUV.
The two automakers signed a “master agreement” for platform and software collaboration, and the two will start jointly sourcing platforms and vehicle parts to help leverage scale while cutting costs, Automotive News Europe reports.
VW announced in July that it was buying 4.99% of Xpeng $700 million with the plan to make two EV models together in 2026. The purchase was completed in December.
Like other legacy automakers, VW is feeling the heat from Chinese rivals in China, and the move to work with Xpeng is targeted at regaining market share in China by combining innovations in design and engineering, slashing development time by more than 30%, the report said.
“In the world’s largest and fastest growing EV market, speed is fundamental,” VW Group board member and China chief Ralf Brandstatter said today.
China is the world’s largest car and EV market, with sales of BEVs accounting for about 60% of the global total.
Cars made through the partnership will carry the VW logo but use a platform developed by both companies that is based on Xpeng’s decade-old Edward technology, which is used on the brand’s G9 model.
Last year, China’s behemoth BYD overtook Volkswagen as the best-selling car brand in China, the first time any carmaker outsold the German brand since at least 2008. Volkswagen had been China’s best-selling brand for 15 years and carries a lot of clout, but times have changed, as the data show that Chinese consumers are buying cheaper, high-tech homegrown EVs these days.
For its part, Xpeng sold 141,601 fully electric cars to mainland customers in 2023, up 17% on the year.
Last year, VW also announced that it would develop another manufacturing platform in China derived from its modular MEB platform for entry-level EVs while using local components to cut costs. VW invested around €1 billion ($1.08 billion) in a new EV development and procurement center in Hefei, China.
While automakers are cutting costs, Xpeng, by contrast, said it was hiring 4,000 people this year and pouring millions of dollars into AI for its EVs.
Photo: XPeng’s newest EV to launch in China, the X9 MPV / Source: XPeng Motors/Weibo
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This week on Electrek’s Wheel-E podcast, we discuss the most popular news stories from the world of electric bikes and other nontraditional electric vehicles. This time, that includes “70 MPH e-bikes” prompting new law changes, recalled Amazon/Walmart e-bikes, Vietnam banning gasoline-powered motorcycles, and more.
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Exxon Mobil reported second-quarter earnings on Friday that declined significantly compared to last year, though the company beat Wall Street estimates as production growth in the Permian Basin and Guyana softened the impact of lower oil prices.
Exxon’s net income fell 23% to $7.1 billion, or $1.64 per share, compared to $9.2 billion, or $2.14 per share, in the same period last year.
Here is what Exxon reported for the second quarter compared with what Wall Street was expecting, based on a survey of analysts by LSEG:
Earnings per share: $1.64 vs. $1.54 expected
Revenue: $81.5 billion vs. $80.77 billion expected
The oil major pumped 4.6 million barrels per day, the highest output for the second quarter since Exxon and Mobil merged more than 25 years ago. Production in the Permian hit a record 1.6 million bpd.
Exxon’s production business posted a profit of $5.4 billion, down 23% from about $7.1 billion in the same period last year on lower oil prices. Its refining business booked earnings of $1.37 billion globally, up 44% compared to $946 million in the year-ago period due to higher refining margins.
Exxon paid out $9.2 billion to shareholders, including more than $4 billion in dividends and $5 billion in share repurchases. The oil major said it’s on pace to purchase $20 billion of shares this year.
Exxon has slashed its costs by $1.4 billion so far this year and $13.5 billion since 2019. It is aiming to cut another $4.5 billion through the end of 2030.
This is a breaking news story. Please check back for updates.
Chevron on Friday reported second-quarter earnings that took a substantial hit due to low oil prices and a loss on its acquisition of Hess Corporation.
The oil major’s net income declined about 44% to $2.49 billion, or $1.45 per share, from $4.43 billion, or $2.43 per share, in the same period last year.
Chevron booked a $215 million loss on the fair value measurement of Hess shares. When adjusted for that charge and other one-time items, Chevron earned $1.77 per share to beat Wall Street estimates.
Here is what Chevron reported for the second quarter compared with what Wall Street was expecting, based on a survey of analysts by LSEG:
Earnings per share: $1.77 adjusted vs. $1.70 expected
Revenue: $44.82 billion vs. $43.82 billion expected
Chevron completed its acquisition of Hess on July 18, after prevailing against Exxon Mobil in a long-running dispute that threatened to blow up the $53 billion deal. An arbitration court rejected Exxon’s claim to a right of first refusal over lucrative Hess assets in Guyana, clearing the way for Chevron to complete the transaction after a long delay.
Chevron expects the deal to begin adding to earnings in the fourth quarter. It also hopes to reduce annual run-rate costs by $1 billion by the end of 2025.
Chevron pumped a record 3.4 million barrels per day worldwide for the quarter, a 3% increase over the same period last year. U.S. production jumped about 8% to 1.69 million bpd compared to the year-ago period, with production in the Permian Basin hitting 1 million bpd. The Hess acquisition will add assets in the Bakken formation and Gulf of Mexico in addition to Guyana.
Chevron’s production business posted a profit of $2.72 billion, down 38% from $4.47 billion in the same period last year due to lower oil prices. Its refining business booked earnings of $737 million, up 23% from $597 million last year on higher margins for product sales.
Chevron paid out $5.5 billion to shareholders in the quarter, including $2.6 billion in share buybacks and $2.9 billion in dividends.