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Trip Report · May 2024

Spring 2024 EV &
Battery Deep Dive

Five days across five cities examining the full depth of China's electric vehicle and battery supply chain — from factory floors and autonomous driving labs to LiDAR manufacturers and national charging infrastructure operators.

Dates
May 2024
Cities
Shanghai · Suzhou · Hefei · Changzhou · Shenzhen
Duration
~5 days
Companies Visited
8
Status
Completed
Led by
Lei Xing & Freya Zhang
On the Ground

Companies Visited

EV Manufacturer
BYD
Shenzhen HQ showroom tour; Yangwang U8 luxury SUV test drives; SkyShuttle elevated rail transit system demonstration.
EV Manufacturer
NIO
NEO Park Factory 2 in Hefei; highly automated battery-swap production; live three-minute swap demonstration.
EV / Autonomous Driving
Jidu
Geely-Baidu joint venture; vision-based autonomous driving algorithms briefing; access to an unreleased prototype vehicle.
Battery
Gotion
Hefei headquarters; strategic briefing on battery market positioning, technology roadmap, and competitive dynamics.
Battery
SVOLT
Changzhou factory tour with VP walkthrough of cell manufacturing process and quality control systems.
Charging Infrastructure
Star Charge
National charging network data overview; integrated software and hardware management platform for public and private infrastructure.
LiDAR
Seyond
Suzhou headquarters; technology briefing on long-range solid-state LiDAR for ADAS and autonomous driving applications.
LiDAR
RoboSense
Shenzhen headquarters; competitive landscape discussion with leadership; product positioning relative to global LiDAR market.
Bonus
The trip opened with Xiaomi SU7 test drives arranged by vehicle owners — providing participants an early hands-on benchmark before visiting the broader supply chain.
Analysis

Key Takeaways

01
Supply chain sophistication exceeds outside estimates
China's EV supply chain automation depth and vertical integration reach a level that most outside investors have not yet modeled. Factory visits made the gap concrete rather than theoretical.
02
Every major brand is building beyond the vehicle
Across every meeting, the strategic narrative extended well past the vehicle itself — into lifestyle ecosystems, autonomous driving platforms, and full mobility services. The car is the entry point, not the product.
03
Battery competition is intense; CATL's lead is structural
The battery sector is highly competitive, but CATL's scale advantages are durable. Challengers are differentiating primarily through novel chemistry approaches and cultivated government relationships rather than cost-alone competition.
What Participants Said

In their words

"China is way far ahead of the curve versus the rest of the world."

Investor participant

"Seeing is believing — and Tech Buzz trips truly make you see."

Managing partner, Germany
Original Reporting from This Trip
Full Substack writeup — Spring 2024 EV & Battery Deep Dive
Read on Substack →
Trip Details
Spring 2024 EV & Battery Deep Dive
Dates May 2024
Cities Shanghai · Suzhou · Hefei · Changzhou · Shenzhen
Duration ~5 days
Led by Lei Xing & Freya Zhang
Status Completed
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