Electric-vehicle stocks had a down week amid stock market volatility, but China-based companies rode the momentum imparted by the stimulus measures announced by the country to kickstart economic growth. Market leader Tesla, Inc.‘s (NASDAQ:TSLA) rally stalled as traders did not take kindly to third-quarter deliveries just about managing to beat the consensus estimate.
Here’s a rundown on what happened in the EV space during the week:
Tesla Q3 Deliveries Beat And More: After two straight quarters of sales decline, Tesla turned things around in the September quarter. The company delivered 462,890 EVs in the third quarter, ahead of the company-compiled consensus estimate of 461,978 units. The quarterly number marked a 6.40% year-over-year increase and a 4.26% sequential rise. The stock fell 3.49% following the report and came under further pressure over the next two sessions before trimming the losses on Friday.
The negative reaction may be due to the small sales beat or possibly due to the typical “buy the rumor, sell the news” phenomenon. The stock had ran up appreciably in the run-up to the deliveries report.
With the deliveries report now in the rearview mirror, investors have begun to shift their focus to the Oct. 10 Robotaxi event. Most sell-side analysts, especially the bulls, and the Tesla community is excited about the event, which is scheduled to be held at the Warner Bros. studio in Los Angeles after the market close.
Offering his take on the event, Wedbush analyst Daniel Ives said, “We believe Robotaxi Day will be seminal and historical day for Musk and Tesla and marks a new chapter of growth around autonomous, FSD, and AI future at Tesla.” The analyst expects updates on Cybercab scaling, overall cost per mile, a Tesla ride-share app, and a Generation 1 demo on premises of the breakthrough technology designed to revolutionize urban transportation. Morgan Stanley analyst Adam Jonas expects robotaxis to have disruptive potential but believes the benefit will seep in only in the mid- to long-term.
Rivian Sales Miss Forecast: EV startup Rivian Automotive, Inc. (NASDAQ:RIVN) handed down its investors a double disappointment. The company’s third-quarter deliveries came in at 10,018 units, missing the consensus estimate of most analysts. The company cut its production outlook for the year from 57,000 units to 47,000-49,000 units, citing supply shortage, while it reaffirmed its annual deliveries goal of 50,500 to 52,000 units.
Separately, Reuters reported that the company has applied for a federal loan to facilitate construction of its Georgia facility, which was stalled earlier this year due to the company’s focus on speeding up next-gen R2 EV production and to conserve cash. The report said the department hasn’t made a final decision on the filing. The filing did not disclose the requested amount or terms.
See Also: Best EV Stocks
Nikola Reports Strong Deliveries: Shares of hydrogen- and fuel-cell vehicles manufacturer Nikola Corp. (NASDAQ:NKLA) jumped about 20% on Wednesday after the company said it wholesaled 88 Class 8 hydrogen fuel-cell trucks in the third quarter. “This is a record sales quarter for Nikola, with 88 hydrogen fuel cell electric trucks wholesaled to our dealers for end customers, as well as the addition of a first-ever U.S. dealer-based HYLA modular refueling station,” said Nikola CEO Steve Girsky.
The company has delivered 200 trucks so far this year compared to its full-year guidance of 300-350 trucks.
Chevy EVs Lifts GM’s Sales: Legacy automakers General Motors Corp. (NYSE:GM) and Ford Motor Co. (NYSE:F) presented a contrasting picture with respect to their EV sales. While GM’s EV sales spiked 60% to 32,095 units in the third quarter, thanks to the strong uptake of its Chevrolet Equinox EV and Chevrolet Blazer EV. On the other hand, crosstown rival Ford’s climbed a more modest 12% to 23,509 EVs. Blue Oval’s hybrid vehicle sales, however, were more than three times as much.
Nio To Expand Global Footprint: China’s Nio, Inc. (NYSE:NIO) announced late Friday that it has tied up with Abu Dhabi-based CYVN Holdings to launch the Nio MENA to launch Nio-branded vehicles and vehicles from its subsidiary in the Middle East and North Africa. This will expand its footprint and integrate further into the “global smart EV ecosystem,” the Shanghai-based company said in a statement.
CYVN Holdings, which made an investment in Nio earlier this year, will support the company with strategic investments for the expansion.
The KraneShares Electric Vehicles and Future Mobility Index ETF (NYSE:KARS) rose 3.08% on Friday before ending at $23.77, according to Benzinga Pro data. For the week, the ETF raced 5.60% higher.
Check out more of Benzinga’s Future Of Mobility coverage by following this link.
Read Next:
- Tesla’s ‘Cybercabs’ Could Be A Potential Ride-Sharing Disruptor, Says Analyst: Here’s What Investors Can Expect At Oct 10 Robotaxi Event
Here’s how the EV stocks fared this week:
Weekly Change (+/-) | |
Tesla | -3.99% |
Nio | +3.83% |
XPeng, Inc. (NYSE:XPEV) | +0.71% |
Li Auto, Inc. (NASDAQ:LI) | +13.58% |
Workhorse, Inc. (NASDAQ:WKHS) | -14.69% |
Hyzon Motors, Inc. (NASDAQ:HYZN) | -14.18% |
Canoo | -7.70% |
Rivian | -10.00% |
Lucid Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:LCID) | -6.96% |
Faraday Future | -2.88% |
Nikola Corp. (NASDAQ:NKLA) | +17.25% |
VinFast Auto Ltd. (NASDAQ:VFS) | -2.81% |