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  CALB Acquires Control of Suao Sensor, Accelerating Automotive Tech Integration

  CALB, China's leading battery manufacturer and the world's 4th largest, has strategically acquired control of Suao Sensor, a hidden champion in automotive sensing technology. Through a sophisticated transaction valued at ¥1.18B, CALB will secure 22.61% ownership and become the controlling shareholder of this sensor powerhouse that supplies major EV manufacturers including BYD, NIO, XPeng, and Li Auto. This acquisition represents a significant vertical integration move in the EV supply chain, combining CALB's battery expertise with Suao's advanced sensor technology and thermal management systems. The timing is particularly strategic as demand for high-performance components in 800V EV platforms continues to accelerate. Suao Sensor's impressive 131.88% YoY revenue growth in Q1 2025 signals the potential of this partnership to reshape the automotive tech landscape.

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  Panasonic to Shutter Its Solar and Energy Storage Division After 25 Years

  Panasonic has announced the closure of its solar and energy storage division after 25 years in the industry. Once a major supplier to Tesla/SolarCity, the company will cease manufacturing solar panels, inverters, and batteries for the residential market. According to Mukesh Sethi, Panasonic's solar business director, this strategic pivot is financially driven by recent industry transformations including declining component costs, emerging technologies, and increasing capital requirements for larger cell formats. The decision reflects broader market challenges where continuous manufacturing investment has become unsustainable amid shrinking margins. Panasonic plans to outsource production while maintaining focus on product design and sales activities in the renewable energy sector.

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  BYD's Record-Breaking "Shenzhen" Vessel Inaugurates New Era in Global EV Maritime Logistics

  The world's largest automobile carrier, BYD "Shenzhen," departed from Jiangsu's Taicang Port on April 27, 2025, carrying over 7,000 BYD new energy vehicles to Brazil. Built by Jinling Shipyard, the vessel features 16 decks accommodating 9,200 standard vehicle units—equivalent to 20 soccer fields of parking space. This fourth specialized carrier in BYD's fleet represents a critical component of the company's aggressive global expansion strategy, which targets 5.5 million total vehicle sales in 2025, including 800,000 international deliveries—a 91% year-on-year increase. The shipment marks China's largest single-batch automotive export to date.

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  Spain Declares State of Emergency: The Energy Storage Crisis Behind the Massive Blackout

  On April 28, 2025, Spain and neighboring regions suffered a catastrophic 10-hour blackout affecting 50 million people, just days after celebrating its "100% renewable energy" milestone. The crisis exposed a critical structural imbalance: while renewable sources comprise 67% of Spain's energy mix, storage capacity represents merely 0.3% of demand. The €20 billion economic disaster resulted from grid oscillations that cascaded through aging infrastructure with insufficient digitalization. This event serves as a warning that successful energy transitions require balanced investment across renewable generation, storage technologies, and grid modernization. As Europe accelerates emergency funding and policy reforms, the incident highlights that carbon neutrality demands systematic engineering rather than simply deploying renewable capacity.

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  Huamin Shares: Navigating the Solar Transition Amid 20 Billion Yuan Backlog and Improving Q1 Performance

  Executive Abstract Huamin Shares (300345) presents a compelling case study in strategic photovoltaic market transition. Despite reporting a 298 million yuan loss for 2024, Q1 2025 results show promising signs with narrowing losses and positive gross margins. The company holds over 20 billion yuan in orders while navigating industry-wide price collapses and technological shifts from P-type to N-type silicon. Under new leadership from industry veteran Zhou Dan, Huamin is accelerating N-type production capacity in strategic locations. However, increasing debt ratios (85.37%) and reduced cash reserves (72.24 million yuan) create significant financial pressure as the company executes its ambitious transformation strategy in a consolidating market.

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  Tesla's Supply Chain Evolution: Chinese Battery Maker EVE Energy Joins the Fold

  A recent teardown of Tesla's Megapack power bank has revealed the presence of EVE Energy INR18650/35V cells, suggesting the Chinese manufacturer has joined Tesla's elite supply chain. The $120 portable device contains six EVE cells in series, delivering 76.65Wh total capacity. This development follows December 2024 speculation when EVE Energy announced a partnership with "a certain group customer in the Americas" but issued a statement neither confirming nor denying Tesla as the customer. If confirmed, EVE Energy would become Tesla's sixth battery supplier and third energy storage battery provider for Tesla's U.S. operations, joining industry giants like CATL and BYD.

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  HG Laser and Synova Forge Joint Venture to Advance Water-guided Laser Technology

  On April 22, HG Laser and Swiss company Synova officially announced their joint venture in Beijing, aimed at advancing the application of water-guided laser (LMJ) technology.

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  Senergy’s Debuts Integrated Solar+Storage Solutions at Canton Fair 2025

  April 15-19, 2025, Guangzhou, China – The 137th China Import and Export Fair (also known as the Canton Fair), a 60-year-old beacon of China’s foreign trade, kicked off with a focus on Green Tech, Smart Manufacturing, and Digital Transformation, showcasing the nation’s dynamic industrial evolution. As a leading ODM provider of PV inverters and energy storage solutions, Senergy unveiled its cutting-edge grid-tied PV inverter series SE 2-10.5KTL, off-grid inverter SE 6KFG-S1/LV, longside its innovative range of low-voltage and high-voltage energy storage products.

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  Toyota Secures Foothold in China's EV Market with New Lexus Factory in Shanghai

  Toyota Motor Corporation has signed a strategic agreement to establish its first wholly-owned factory in China, marking a significant milestone following Tesla's manufacturing presence. Located in Shanghai's Jinshan District, the facility will focus exclusively on Lexus electric vehicle production and battery R&D. Set to begin operations in 2027 with an initial capacity of 100,000 vehicles annually, this investment represents Toyota's accelerated pivot toward electrification in the world's largest automotive market. The strategic location leverages the Yangtze River Delta's comprehensive supply chain ecosystem and Shanghai's manufacturing infrastructure. This development comes as Lexus seeks to strengthen its position amid growing competition in China's premium EV segment.