• 💼BRIEFING

  • Potential Impact of Trump's Proposed 25% Auto Tari …

    • Key Takeaways

    • Potential Outcomes

    • Conclusion

• Chinese EV Brands - January 2025 Delivery Overview

  • Key Deliveries by Major Chinese EV Brands:

    • Top Performers

    • Moderate Performers

    • Emerging & Niche Players

  • ⚡ROUNDUP

  • 🔬PATENT WATCH

    • Summary of Hyundai & Kia's All-Solid-State Battery …

      • Key Innovation: Expandable Anode Layer for Enhance …

      • Battery Structure

      • Key Features & Advantages

  • 📈MARKET SNAPSHOT

💼BRIEFING

Top insights and analysis that is moving the needle in the automotive industry

Potential Impact of Trump's Proposed 25% Auto Tariffs on Canada & Mexico

Key Takeaways

• Proposed 25% Tariff on Canadian & Mexican Imports:

  • Could be enacted as early as Spring 2025, though the timing remains uncertain.

  • Would apply to all vehicles and components imported into the U.S. from Canada and Mexico.

  • Expected reciprocal tariffs from Canada and Mexico, further complicating trade.

• Major Disruptions to North American Auto Production:

  • 5.3 million light vehicles are built annually in Canada & Mexico, with 70% exported to the U.S.

  • 54% of U.S. auto sales are produced domestically, while 15% come from Mexico and 7% from Canada.

  • Automakers Ford, GM, Stellantis, Toyota, Nissan, Honda, and Volkswagen have deep production ties to Canada & Mexico.

• Automakers Most at Risk:

  • Volkswagen (43%), Stellantis (23%), GM (22%), and Ford (15%) rely heavily on Mexico for U.S. vehicle sales.

  • High-volume vehicles at significant tariff risk: GM & Stellantis full-size pickups, Toyota RAV4, and Ford F-Series with Canadian engines.

  • A 25% tariff could increase the landed cost of vehicles by $6,250 on average, likely passed to consumers.

• Supply Chain & Economic Consequences:

  • U.S.-built cars would also become more expensive due to component imports from Canada & Mexico.

  • Automakers may reduce production, mirroring COVID-era supply chain slowdowns.

  • Smaller suppliers may struggle to absorb costs, leading to possible contract disputes or production halts.

Potential Outcomes

1. Tariffs Could Accelerate USMCA Revisions (set for review in July 2026) in favor of U.S. interests.

2. Consumers Face Higher Car Prices in an already strained affordability environment.

3. Shift in Production Strategy: Automakers may reconsider sourcing and manufacturing locations in response to tariff costs.

4. Possible Policy Delays or Modifications as the auto industry lobbies for a more measured approach.

Conclusion

Trump’s proposed 25% tariffs could significantly disrupt North American automotive trade, leading to higher costs, reduced production, and retaliatory tariffs from Canada and Mexico. Automakers with heavy Mexican production (VW, Stellantis, GM, Ford, Nissan) are most at risk. However, the final decision, timeline, and scope of these tariffs remain uncertain.

Chinese EV Brands - January 2025 Delivery Overview

Key Deliveries by Major Chinese EV Brands:

Top Performers

• HIMA:

  • 📦 34,987 vehicles delivered

  • 🔼 +4% YoY growth

  • Notable Model: 12,483 units of Aito M9

  • Source

• XPeng:

  • 📦 30,350 vehicles delivered

  • 🚀 +268% YoY growth

  • Source

• Li Auto:

  • 📦 29,927 vehicles delivered

  • 🔽 -4% YoY decline

  • Source

• Leapmotor:

  • 📦 25,170 vehicles delivered

  • 🚀 +105% YoY growth

  • Source

• Deepal:

  • 📦 24,575 vehicles delivered

  • 🔼 +34% YoY growth

  • Source

• Xiaomi:

  • 📦 20,000+ vehicles delivered

  • 🔥 Strong momentum in EV market

  • Source

Moderate Performers

• GAC Aion:

  • 📦 14,393 vehicles delivered

  • 🔽 -42% YoY decline

  • Source

• Nio:

  • 📦 13,863 vehicles delivered

  • 🔼 +37.9% YoY growth

  • Breakdown:

    • 🚗 7,951 vehicles from Nio main brand

    • 🚗 5,912 vehicles from Onvo sub-brand

  • Source

• Zeekr:

  • 📦 11,942 vehicles delivered

  • 🔽 -4.8% YoY decline

  • Source

Emerging & Niche Players

• Avatr:

  • 📦 8,826 vehicles delivered

  • 🔼 +25% YoY growth

  • Source

• Voyah:

  • 📦 8,009 vehicles delivered

  • 🔼 +14% YoY growth

  • Source

1. XPeng, Leapmotor, and Nio saw strong YoY growth, while Zeekr and Li Auto experienced declines.

2. HIMA remains the leader in deliveries, followed closely by XPeng and Li Auto.

3. Xiaomi continues to expand rapidly in the EV market.

4. GAC Aion had the biggest drop, down 42% YoY.

5. The competition in the Chinese EV sector remains intense, with multiple brands scaling up production and deliveries.

⚡ROUNDUP

Key headlines shaping the auto industry this week

• Stellantis claims new tech could slash battery costs by 2030 (Link)

• GM just crushed its earnings report, so why are investors fleeing? (Link)

• Zeekr’s January Deliveries Drop 5% Year over Year to 11,942 (Link)

• XPeng Delivers 30,350 Vehicles in January, Up 268% Year-on-Year (Link)

• Polestar Arctic Circle Cars Showcase Swedish Performance DNA (Link)

• Nio’s Main Brand Deliveries Fall 21% in January to 7,951 Vehicles (Link)

• Hyundai wants to build these adorable micro EVs for India (Link)

• Tesla’s Q4 automotive revenue declines 8% YoY (Link)

• The Second-Life EV Battery Market Could Be Worth Billions By 2035 (Link)

• Mercedes-Benz partners with SAP for IT infrastructure overhaul (Link)

• How did Chinese EVs perform in Norway’s winter test? (Link)

• Porsche Charging Lounge opens for business in Hamburg (Link)

• Volvo Cars takes full ownership of NOVO Energy (Link)

• It's 2025, but Android Auto Keeps Struggling With Ridiculous Issues Like This One (Link)

• Tesla Confirms the Cybertruck Was Just a Testbed for Technologies Used by Future EV Models (Link)

• Li-Cycle partners with luxury EV maker under exclusive battery recycling agreement in Germany (Link)

• Range Rover’s first EV now has 57,000 buyers on the waitlist (Link)

• AI Is Coming For Your Car, Whether You Want It Or Not (Link)

• Stellantis unveils strategy for growth and strengthening dealer partnerships in 2025 (Link)

• Fifth Porsche Charging Lounge opens (Link)

• Tesla announces third Megafactory as competition heats up (Link)

• Intel & Karma Partner to Boost EV Range & Simplify Design (Link)

• Revolutionizing Cloud Car Testing Through Virtual Validation (Link)

• Xiaomi Auto recalls 31,000 SU7 EVs over parking feature issue (Link)

• Nio maintains 100,000+ daily battery swaps for five days straight (Link)

• Plus expands from self-driving to software-defined ADAS (Link)

🔬PATENT WATCH

Fresh Innovations from global automotive OEMs

Summary of Hyundai & Kia's All-Solid-State Battery Patent (US20250029980A1)

Key Innovation: Expandable Anode Layer for Enhanced Lithium Storage

• The patent describes an all-solid-state battery with an expandable anode layer that accommodates lithium metal during charging.

• This design improves energy density, performance, and safety compared to traditional lithium-ion batteries.

Battery Structure

1. Anode Current Collector – Conductive substrate (e.g., copper, nickel).

2. Expandable Anode Layer – Made of metallic particles (e.g., magnesium, tin, silver) that alloy with lithium and contain interparticular pores for lithium storage.

3. Solid Electrolyte Layer – Enables lithium-ion conduction while maintaining safety.

4. Cathode Active Material Layer – Stores and releases lithium during cycling.

5. Cathode Current Collector – Conductive material (e.g., aluminum, stainless steel).

Key Features & Advantages

✅ Expandable Anode Design – The anode swells 2x to 5.9x during charging, accommodating more lithium and preventing dendrite growth.
✅ Improved Lithium Storage – Lithium fills pores in the anode, allowing higher capacity storage.
✅ Stable Charge-Discharge Cycles – The anode maintains structure and efficiency over multiple cycles.
✅ Enhanced Safety – Solid electrolyte eliminates flammable liquid electrolytes, reducing fire risks.
✅ High Efficiency – Demonstrated Coulombic efficiency improvement and stable long-term cycling.

📈MARKET SNAPSHOT

This week’s key movers in the automotive stock market