supply chain / nio / l80

XPeng reported 1Q2026 revenue of RMB 13.03 billion, down 17.6% year‑over‑year, and a net loss of RMB 1.78 billion (USD 260M), widening from a RMB 660M loss a year earlier. Vehicle deliveries dropped 33.3% to 62,682 units, though gross margin improved to 20.6% and automotive margin rose to 12.1%. Non‑GAAP net loss was RMB 1.69 billion. Chairman He Xiaopeng said the company will launch four new models in 2026 and pursue mass production of robotaxis and humanoid robots. For Q2, XPeng forecasts deliveries of 100,000–106,000 units (flat to slightly up y/y) and revenue of RMB 19.6–20.8 billion, implying strong sequential recovery.

NIO CEO William Li said on May 28 that rising prices for raw materials such as nickel, cobalt and lithium carbonate have increased the per-vehicle production cost by roughly ¥10,000 (about $1,400). Li warned that price pressures extend beyond commodities to components like memory chips, and that automakers have limited pricing power to pass these costs to customers. He added that memory price hikes this year have not reversed and that short-term relief for material-driven cost inflation is unlikely, meaning companies will need to absorb much of the margin impact. The remarks came during a media briefing on NIO’s ES9 rollout.

NIO CEO and founder William Li said Q2 brings higher cost pressure versus Q1, with per-vehicle costs rising roughly ¥10,000 on average and up to ¥15,000 for some models due to higher prices for memory, lithium carbonate, copper and aluminum. Li said the pressure is controllable and NIO will respond via sales growth, stable pricing, reclaiming some incentive discounts and supply‑chain cost reductions. He rejected cutting prices to drive volume for the new L80, saying a ¥10,000 price cut would require three to four times the sales to offset EBIT impact; NIO prefers reasonable volume without sacrificing margin. NIO expects monthly deliveries above 40,000 in coming months as L80, refreshed L60, ES9 and L90 ramp contribute net growth.