Chinese language EV startup Xpeng shares soar after $744 million cope with Didi

BEIJING — Chinese language electrical automobile firm Xpeng stated Monday it’s shopping for Didi’s sensible electrical automobile growth enterprise in an change of shares price $744 million.

The Chinese language ride-hailing firm will develop into a strategic shareholder of Xpeng, and the 2 firms wish to cooperate in advertising, monetary and insurance coverage providers, charging, robotaxis and worldwide growth. That is in response to releases from each firms.

Xpeng shares rose greater than 13% in Hong Kong buying and selling as of Monday morning.

With the strategic partnership and new property from Didi, Xpeng stated it plans to develop an electrical automobile for launch subsequent 12 months beneath a brand new mass market model that can goal the 150,000 yuan ($20,580) value vary.

Xpeng’s automobiles usually sell for around 200,000 yuan or extra. The brand new model, developed beneath the mission title “MONA,” is ready to be completely different from that of Xpeng.

The startup’s cope with Didi comes as many firms search for methods to seize a slice of China’s rising however extremely aggressive electrical automobile market.

In late July, Xpeng and German auto large Volkswagen signed a deal to develop two new electric cars for China beneath the VW model, that is set to launch in 2026.

Beneath the settlement, Volkswagen plans to speculate about $700 million in Xpeng for a 4.99% stake.

The offers come as conventional auto giants have the cash that electrical automobile startups lack.

Earlier this month, Xpeng reported second-quarter internet loss 2.8 billion yuan ($384.5 million) — a wider loss than analysts anticipated and the biggest quarterly loss since the company went public three years in the past.

Xpeng provides a number of the most superior assisted driving know-how obtainable to drivers in China. However the startup’s month-to-month automobile deliveries have remained low versus rivals’ equivalent to BYD and Li Auto.

The Didi electrical automobile enterprise — held by a subsidiary known as Da Vinci Auto Co. — has additionally racked up losses. These for 2022 greater than tripled from the prior 12 months to 2.64 billion yuan, in response to a Hong Kong stock exchange filing. The unit had internet property of 937 million yuan as of June 30.

These monetary outcomes are set to be consolidated into Xpeng’s monetary statements after the preliminary deal, the submitting stated.

The deal is predicted to be accomplished in phases, with Didi set to obtain extra shares if the brand new mass market automobile model does effectively for an anticipated complete 3.25% stake in Xpeng.

Beneath the settlement, Didi can’t promote the shares for 2 years after the preliminary closing of the deal.

The strategic cooperation settlement is ready to final for at the very least 5 years.

Didi itself has tried to develop robotaxis and electrical autos, amid enterprise setbacks within the final two years.

The ride-hailing large delisted from the New York Stock Exchange simply months after going public in 2021, and went via a now-concluded authorities probe. Whereas the inventory stays tradeable over-the-counter, plans for an anticipated Hong Kong itemizing stay unclear.

— CNBC’s John Rosevear and Arjun Kharpal contributed to this report.