The Zacks Analyst Blog Highlights Tesla, Rivian Automotive, NIO, Li Auto and XPeng

For Immediate ReleaseChicago, IL – April 4, 2025 – Zacks.com announces the list of stocks featured in the Analyst Blog. Every day the Zacks Equity Research analysts discuss the latest news and events impacting stocks and the financial markets. Stocks recently featured in the blog include: Tesla TSLA, Rivian Automotive RIVN, NIO Inc. NIO, Li Auto LI and XPeng Inc. XPEV.Here are highlights from Thursday’s Analyst Blog:EV Roundup: Q1 Deliveries of TSLA, RIVN, NEO and MoreMajor U.S. EV companies like Tesla and Rivian Automotive and China-based NIO Inc., Li Auto and XPeng Inc. released their delivery results for the first quarter of 2025. Here's a rundown of the delivery numbers.Tesladelivered 336,681 cars (323,800 Model 3/Y and 12,881 other models) worldwide in the first quarter, missing analysts' expectations of 378,000 units. This marked the lowest quarterly numbers in more than two years. Sales were down from 495,570 units in the fourth quarter of 2024 and 386,810 in the first quarter of last year. An obvious reason behind Tesla's soft first-quarter 2025 deliveries was the fact that it had to retool its factories to produce the new version of its Model Y SUV. The anti-Musk sentiment is also real, which is hurting the company's sales.Tesla produced 362,615 vehicles (345,454 Model 3/Y, and 17,161 other models) in the three months ended March. While the EV business is struggling, Tesla's energy generation and storage business is thriving. In the first quarter of 2025, Tesla deployed 10.4 GWh of energy storage — a staggering 156% year-over-year increase.Tesla stock currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).Rivian manufactured 14,611 vehicles in the first quarter of 2025 at its Normal, IL, plant, up from 13,980 units produced in the corresponding quarter of 2024. However, its deliveries dropped to 8,640 vehicles from 13,588 in the same period last year. The reported production and delivery figures align with Rivian's forecast of producing about 14,000 vehicles and delivering around 8,000.Rivian reaffirmed its 2025 delivery target of 46,000 to 51,000 vehicles, suggesting flat or declining deliveries for a second consecutive year, as demand for its premium R1 models appears to be stagnant. However, 2026 could mark a turning point with the launch of the R2, a compact crossover priced around $45,000, which is set to compete with top-selling models like the Toyota RAV4 and Tesla Model Y.Rivian stock currently carries a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell).NIO delivered 15,039 vehicles in March 2025, up 26.7% year over year. The deliveries comprised 10,219 vehicles from its premium smart EV brand NIO and 4,820 vehicles from its family-oriented smart EV brand ONVO. It delivered 42,094 units in the first quarter of 2025, which rose 40.1% year over year. As of March 31, 2025, NIO's cumulative deliveries totaled 713,658 units. In late March 2025, the company commenced delivery of the NIO ET9, its smart electric executive flagship.NIO's strong vehicle lineup, including ES6, ET5T, ES8, EC6, ES7, ET5, ET7, EP9, EVE, ET9 and EC7 models, are aiding the company's deliveries growth. In December 2024, the company launched a flagship smart executive sedan, the NIO 89. The limited first edition of NIO 89 sold out within hours and there is a strong demand for its signature version.NIO stock currently carries a Zacks Rank #4.XPeng's deliveries reached 33,205 units in March, surging 268% year over year and exceeding 30,000 units for the fifth consecutive month. In the first quarter of 2025, it delivered 94,008 smart EVs, which rose 331% from the corresponding quarter of the last year. Last month, XPeng revealed the 2025 versions of XPENG G6 and XPENG G9 with 5C AI batteries and Turing AI-powered smart driving features. XNGP's monthly active user penetration rate in urban driving reached 86% in March. The company also entered the Indonesian market to expand its global footprint.XPeng is also ramping up efforts to expand globally as part of its "go-global 2.0 strategy." By the end of 2024, it was present in 30 countries and regions and aims to reach 60 by 2025. The company expects half of its sales to come from overseas within a decade.XPEV stock currently carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.Li Auto delivered 36,674 units in March 2025, representing a 26.5% year-over-year increase. It delivered 92,864 units in the first quarter of 2025, up 15.5% year over year. Li Auto's cumulative deliveries totaled 1,226,736 units as of March 31, 2025. The new energy automaker had 500 retail stores in 150 cities, 502 servicing centers and Li Auto-authorized body and paint shops operating in 225 cities and 2,045 supercharging stations equipped with 11,038 charging stalls in China as of March 31, 2025.In February, Li Auto revealed the first images of its new all-electric SUV, Li i8. This will be its second all-electric model after Li Mega MPV. Li Auto's aggressive supercharging network expansion also bodes well. By the end of 2025, the company aims to build more than 1,200 supercharging stations along highways, covering 90% of national highways.Li Auto stock currently carries a Zacks Rank #3.What's Next in the Space?Stay tuned for announcements of upcoming EV models and any important updates from the red-hot industry.Why Haven't You Looked at Zacks' Top Stocks?Since 2000, our top stock-picking strategies have blown away the S&P's +7.7% average gain per year. Amazingly, they soared with average gains of +48.4%, +50.2% and +56.7% per year.Today you can access their live picks without cost or obligation.See Stocks Free >>Media ContactZacks Investment Research800-767-3771 ext. 9339support@zacks.com                                      https://www.zacks.com                                                 Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Inherent in any investment is the potential for loss. This material is being provided for informational purposes only and nothing herein constitutes investment, legal, accounting or tax advice, or a recommendation to buy, sell or hold a security. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. It should not be assumed that any investments in securities, companies, sectors or markets identified and described were or will be profitable. All information is current as of the date of herein and is subject to change without notice. Any views or opinions expressed may not reflect those of the firm as a whole. Zacks Investment Research does not engage in investment banking, market making or asset management activities of any securities. These returns are from hypothetical portfolios consisting of stocks with Zacks Rank = 1 that were rebalanced monthly with zero transaction costs. These are not the returns of actual portfolios of stocks. The S&P 500 is an unmanaged index. Visit https://www.zacks.com/performance for information about the performance numbers displayed in this press release.7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 DaysJust released: Experts distill 7 elite stocks from the current list of 220 Zacks Rank #1 Strong Buys. They deem these tickers "Most Likely for Early Price Pops."Since 1988, the full list has beaten the market more than 2X over with an average gain of +23.9% per year. So be sure to give these hand picked 7 your immediate attention. See them now >>Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Tesla, Inc. (TSLA): Free Stock Analysis Report NIO Inc. (NIO): Free Stock Analysis Report Li Auto Inc. Sponsored ADR (LI): Free Stock Analysis Report XPeng Inc. Sponsored ADR (XPEV): Free Stock Analysis Report Rivian Automotive, Inc. (RIVN): Free Stock Analysis ReportThis article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).Zacks Investment ResearchWeiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks