The electric vehicle (EV) space - one of 2020’s hottest trends - has found less joy so far in 2021. Several of last year’s high-flyers have struggled to gain momentum in this year’s choppy stock market.
Shares of Chinese EV player XPeng (XPEV), for instance, are down by 28% year-to-date.
The Chinese EV segment is particularly competitive, with several names vying to take market share in the world’s biggest EV market. However, after last week’s virtual investor meetings with XPeng's Managing Director of Strategy Charles Zhang, Deutsche Bank analystEdison Yu, came away no less confident in XPeng’s strategy.
“In the near term,” Yu said, “Management is confident about its demand trajectory and while supply chain could be tight in some areas, XPeng does not foresee any meaningful impact to its product launch schedule this year.”
This includes the reveal of a third model in April. Production on the model – a smaller sedan, akin to a Camry/Passat – should kick off in 4Q21, and will come with Livox supplied LiDAR as an option.
By the end of the year, the company anticipates producing 3 models at the Zhaoqing plant. The facility boasts 100,000 capacity on 1 shift and 180,000 on 2 shifts.
The G3 - slated for a “mid-cycle exterior refresh” in the third quarter - will also be produced in-house after originally being manufactured by a partner.
Looking ahead, in 2H22, XPeng is targeting the launch of a larger SUV. This model will be manufactured at the company’s second plant in Guangzhou, which is currently under construction and should have a 100,000 capacity.
Elsewhere, in late January, the company launched its ADAS system XPILOT 3.0 software via OTA (over-the-air) to “favorable consumer and media reception.”
The software’s leading component is the Navigation Guided Pilot (NGP) feature, which on most Chinese highways provides Level 3 functionality and incorporates HD Mapping technology from Alibaba.
XPILOT 3.5 should be available for XPeng's 3rd model, probably by early next year. The update will boast greater coverage on highways and will also be able to deal with major city roads, although small, complicated streets are not on the menu yet.
Further ahead, by 2025, XPeng is setting its sights on cornering 10% of the EV market and delivering a 25% gross margin.
“It believes margin will increase, driven by higher volumes/scale, higher software contribution and attach rates, and the potential to monetize content as fleet grows,” the analyst summed up.
All in all, Yu reiterated a Buy on XPEV shares, backed by a $48 price target. The upside here comes in at 56%. (To watch Yu’s track record,click here)
The forecast is even brighter amongst Yu’s colleagues. At $52.08, the average price target calls for gains of ~69% over the next 12 months. As such, most analysts remain fully behind the EV maker; with 6 Buys vs. 1 Hold, the stock boasts a Strong Buy consensus rating. (See XPEV stock analysis on TipRanks)
To find good ideas for EV stocks trading at attractive valuations, visit TipRanks’Best Stocks to Buy, a newly launched tool that unites all of TipRanks’ equity insights.