According to preliminary statistics from the Passenger Vehicle Association, from August 1st to August 31st, the passenger vehicle market sold 1.91 million units, of which the new energy vehicle market sold 1.015 million units, an increase of 42% year-on-year and 16% month-on-month. After the penetration rate of new energy vehicles in July broke through 50% for the first time, it is expected to increase to about 53% in August, an increase of 2 percentage points from July.

Compared to the traditional off-peak season in August, with the arrival of the "Golden September and Silver October", many car companies are poised to gain a larger market share. Against this backdrop, reporters from the Passenger Vehicle Association visited the sales terminals of several popular new energy vehicle models in early September.

"Currently, the orders for the MONA M03 are very popular. If you book now, you will have to wait two months for delivery. If you need a test drive, you need to make an appointment in advance. The test drive slots for the near future are already fully booked," said a salesperson from xpeng. On August 27th, the xpeng MONA M03 was listed, with three models available and a price range of 1.198 million yuan to 1.558 million yuan. On August 30th, the xpeng MONA M03 completed its first batch of new car deliveries at the Chengdu Auto Show. It is understood that after only 48 hours of being listed, the small xpeng MONA M03 has already sold over 30,000 units.

"Currently, most users who choose this car value its cost-effectiveness and the driving experience as a sports sedan. The standard version of the MONA M03 can achieve Level 2 assisted driving, so the intelligent driving function is relatively basic. If you want to reach the level of xpeng XNGP, you need to choose the Max version, but it will not be available for delivery until after the 2025 Spring Festival," said a salesperson.

Clearly, the MONA brand, which originated from the Didi auto manufacturing project, emphasizes cost-effectiveness. xpeng even puts the intelligent driving experience second, hoping to achieve "volume through price" with the MONA M03.

"Based on our judgment of the market next year, xpeng believes that the competition in the automotive market will continue to intensify." said Yang Guang, head of the xpeng MONA product series, "We have set the price right this time, and we will not adjust it afterwards. This way, we can directly face the intense competition next year and also provide a better solution for existing car owners."

According to xpeng's chairman, He Xiaopeng, the sales of MONA in the second half of this year are expected to exceed the monthly sales of over 10,000 units of Xiaomi's SU7.

Similar to He Xiaopeng's expectations for MONA, Li Bin, the chairman of NIO, also places his hopes on the volume of the second brand Le D. which is scheduled to be listed on September 19th this year. "On August 15th, the first mass-produced Le D L60 rolled off the production line, and the order situation exceeded expectations. The presale price of this car is 2.199 million yuan, and there is still room for adjustment when it is officially launched. The supply chain of Le D L60 is prepared to deliver 0.01 million vehicles per month this year, and hopes to achieve 0.02 million vehicles per month next year." Li Bin said at the NIO Q2 2024 earnings call.

On September 6th, the reporter saw at a Le D brand sales store in Beijing that even though it was a working day, there was a constant stream of consumers coming to see the cars.

"Now the listing date has been determined, and users can pay a 'small deposit' to lock in the delivery order and some rights and interests." A salesperson said that because the current order volume is very good, it is difficult to guarantee the specific delivery time.

The performance of the two popular markets at the terminal is a microcosm of the current new energy vehicle market. New energy vehicle companies are enhancing their competitiveness in the market by clarifying their market positioning and price strategies to achieve "plunder" of the gasoline vehicle market.

At the same time, the sustained positive policies for new energy vehicles are also one of the important factors driving market growth. After the National Development and Reform Commission and the Ministry of Finance issued the "Measures to Further Support Large-scale Equipment Updating and Consumer Products Exchange" on July 25th, the subsidy standard for purchasing new energy vehicles was increased from 0.01 million yuan to 0.02 million yuan. From the national level to the local level, a series of policies and measures such as car purchase subsidies, exemption from vehicle purchase tax, and relaxed restrictions on car use and purchase have created a favorable development environment for the new energy vehicle market. During the market visits, many salespeople mentioned to reporters whether they need to replace gasoline vehicles in order to obtain more subsidies.

"The continuous improvement of the industry chain, the continuous promotion of technological innovation, and the further strengthening of policy support will continue to maintain the high-speed development trend of the new energy vehicle market and make greater contributions to promoting the transformation and upgrading of China's automobile industry." Cui Dongshu, Secretary-General of the China Passenger Car Association, said.

Industry insiders are generally optimistic about the market in September and future trends. "With the arrival of the 'Golden September and Silver October' peak season for sales, the new energy vehicle market is expected to continue its high-speed growth."