On Thursday, Bernstein provided insights into global xEV sales for October, highlighting a record-breaking month. Global passenger xEV sales, which include battery electric vehicles (BEVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), reached a new all-time high with 1.76 million units sold. This represents a 38% increase year-over-year and a 5% rise month-over-month. Year-to-date figures for 2024 also show substantial growth, with 13.1 million units sold, marking a 24% increase from the previous year.
China continued to dominate the xEV market in October, contributing 71% to global sales, followed by Europe at 15% and North America at 9%. In China, sales soared to 1,242,000 units, a 57% jump year-over-year and a 36% increase year-to-date, solidifying its position as the year's best-performing market. Europe's sales remained stable with 266,000 units, a slight 2% increase year-over-year, while North America saw a 9% rise year-over-year with 155,000 units sold, which was below Bernstein's initial estimates for the region.
The growth of PHEVs outpaced that of BEVs in October, with PHEVs witnessing a 69% surge in sales compared to the same month last year, and a 51% increase year-to-date. BEVs still experienced a healthy growth of 23% year-over-year and 12% year-to-date. In terms of market share, BEVs accounted for 54% of China's xEV sales, 68% for Europe, and a significant 82% for North America.
Among the manufacturers, BYD (SZ:002594) led the charge with 492,000 units sold in October, marking a 74% increase year-over-year. Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA), now commanding a market capitalization of $1.19 trillion, followed with 129,000 units, an 11% rise from the previous year, including 94,000 Model Y and 29,000 Model 3 vehicles.
According to InvestingPro data, Tesla's recent performance has been remarkable, with a 7.5% gain in the past week and over 100% surge in the last six months. However, the company's gross profit margin of 18.2% suggests increasing competitive pressures in the EV market. Geely came in third with 94,000 units, a 73% year-over-year increase.
Other notable performances included SGM Wuling with 82,000 units and Changan with 76,000 units sold in October. European manufacturers like BMW (ETR:BMWG), Mercedes, Volvo (OTC:VLVLY), and VW also reported varied sales figures, with Volvo and VW showing notable growth. For investors seeking deeper insights into Tesla and other EV manufacturers, InvestingPro offers comprehensive analysis, including 20+ additional ProTips and detailed valuation metrics.
Based on InvestingPro's Fair Value analysis, Tesla currently appears to be trading above its intrinsic value, suggesting careful consideration is needed for potential investors.
In other recent news, xAI is expanding its "Colossus" supercomputer facility, aiming to increase its capacity ten-fold to over one million Graphics Processing Units (GPUs). This significant capital investment in the Memphis region is set to transform the city into a leading global hub for artificial intelligence. Meanwhile, Tesla Inc. has been the subject of various analyst updates. Guggenheim maintained its Sell rating on the electric vehicle manufacturer's stock, citing risks to its future growth targets.
Conversely, BofA Securities maintained a Buy rating, highlighting the potential of Tesla's Optimus robot to drive the next wave of automation. Bernstein, however, maintained its Underperform rating on Tesla, pointing out considerable risks associated with the company's strategic focus on developing a dedicated 'Cybercab'. On a different note, Neuralink, the brain technology firm led by Elon Musk, has been cited by the FDA for "objectionable conditions or practices" at its animal testing laboratory. The agency has urged Neuralink to voluntarily correct the issues found.
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