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Commented by Armin Schulz on April 28th, 2025 | 07:10 CEST
BYD doubles profits, European Lithium unlocks Greenland's treasures – can Volkswagen still keep up?
The global automotive industry is in turmoil. While the US is trying to seal off the market with drastic tariffs, Europe is seeking to reduce its dependence on raw materials. Lithium – the "white gold" of e-mobility – is becoming the key to technological sovereignty. That is why 47 projects in 13 member states are being funded. But can European manufacturers break their dependence on China while trade conflicts tear supply chains apart? And who stands to gain when protectionism meets innovation? BYD aims to expand westward. European Lithium seeks to mine the raw material in Austria. Volkswagen is struggling with US tariffs and trying to maintain its market share in China. The Financial Times recently reported that Donald Trump wants to accommodate automakers on tariffs.
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Commented by Nico Popp on April 24th, 2025 | 07:30 CEST
Germany Inc. as the last hope? Volkswagen, Bayer, Globex Mining
Germany's economy is facing its third consecutive year of contraction. The automotive industry is struggling with competition from China, and Bayer is grappling with past acquisitions, looming tariffs, and other challenges. Now, Bayer shareholders are even being asked to inject new capital. Is the German industry working with politicians to find long-term solutions? Not a chance! The days of Germany Inc. seem to be over. We look at how investors can seize opportunities in this complex situation.
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Commented by Stefan Feulner on April 15th, 2025 | 07:10 CEST
Volkswagen, European Lithium, Xiaomi – Who benefits from the tariff hammer
With the surprising tariff exemptions for certain product groups like smartphones and computers, the US government provided some relief for the global financial markets over the weekend, which even pushed the German leading index DAX back towards the 21,000-point mark. However, the next shock could be on its way. As early as this week, Trump is expected to address the tariffs on semiconductors.
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Commented by Armin Schulz on April 14th, 2025 | 07:20 CEST
123fahrschule is booming, while Volkswagen and Mercedes-Benz are struggling with tariffs and e-mobility
The German automotive industry is struggling with punitive tariffs and declining competitiveness, while the driving school sector is booming – a paradox of future markets. As Volkswagen and Mercedes-Benz face export declines and try to integrate the electric revolution into their existing structures, 123fahrschule is focusing on digital learning concepts and sustainability. But what connects luxury automakers with driving schools? Both face the question of how to master technology, global crises, and younger target groups. Innovation requires more than horsepower and premium labels. We look at how 123fahrschule, Volkswagen, and Mercedes-Benz meet these challenges and aim to shape the future.
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Commented by André Will-Laudien on April 10th, 2025 | 07:20 CEST
Tariffs, rare earths, Greenland, and Trump! BYD, European Lithium, VW, and thyssenkrupp in focus
The cat is out of the bag! Donald Trump is imposing tariffs of 20 to 34%, thus snubbing his transatlantic trade partners. What has worked well for years is now being put to the test. It did not take long for reactions to the extensive tariff plans to materialize. The state and party leadership in Beijing responded to Trump's ultimatum by announcing counter-tariffs of 34 to 84%. This means that the escalation spiral in the trade dispute between the USA and China continues. The EU had already imposed some additional tariffs in March and is now waiting to see whether the US administration will change its mind. Meanwhile, the focus is once again on rare earths, as China is now imposing export restrictions on this precious commodity. Trump's imperialism is also targeting Greenland again. This is an interesting situation for investors.
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Commented by Armin Schulz on April 2nd, 2025 | 07:00 CEST
RENK – The armaments hype is waning. First Phosphate and Volkswagen are taking advantage of the upswing in electromobility!
The demand for armaments stocks is waning. Despite record orders for tank transmissions from the RENK Group and global security investments, the defense boom is flattening out - partly because these stocks have become fundamentally expensive. At the same time, electromobility is gathering pace: The EU predicts a 38% increase in the number of electric vehicles registered in 2025, driven by Germany's planned tax breaks and subsidies for hybrids. This surge requires raw materials to produce lithium iron phosphate batteries, which is where First Phosphate comes into play. Meanwhile, Volkswagen is currently exploring the production of military vehicles, but is also pushing into the market with new electric vehicles and charging systems. Investments for the future should flow into green technologies, not tank production.
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Commented by Armin Schulz on March 26th, 2025 | 07:10 CET
Volkswagen, European Lithium, BYD – Lithium as a winner in the crisis: Why analysts are predicting a rally despite the chaos
The global energy transition is catapulting lithium into the spotlight. As an indispensable raw material for batteries, the electrification of mobility and energy infrastructure has fueled demand enormously. But after the hype, prices plunged from record highs to below USD 10,000. Now, there are increasing signs of a trend reversal: Production cutbacks, a predicted demand explosion of around 20% this year, strategic investments by large corporations, and technological leaps in extraction could curb the oversupply. Is lithium on the verge of returning as the scarce "white gold"? The stage seems to be set for a revaluation of the market.
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Commented by Juliane Zielonka on March 21st, 2025 | 07:00 CET
BYD, Volkswagen, First Phosphate: Who will shape the future of batteries?
China's electric giant BYD is outpacing Volkswagen. With 322,846 vehicles sold in February 2025, the Chinese automaker is putting the competition under pressure. In addition, Volkswagen continues to lose ground in China, facing a meager profit margin of just 5.9%. The race for e-mobility supremacy is bringing more players into the game: First Phosphate, a Canadian explorer, reports progress in the extraction of high-purity phosphate for lithium iron phosphate batteries. BYD is successfully using these raw materials in its innovative Blade Battery. Volkswagen also aims to score points with electric vehicles and strike back with the ID. EVERY1 model for around EUR 20,000 from 2027. However, access to raw materials remains the ultimate challenge. First Phosphate could become the bottleneck: With the coveted raw material phosphate, the Company could generate USD 700 million in cash flow in three years according to the PEA and thus become a key partner in the battery supply chain. Will this make a Canadian raw materials supplier the secret winner? Investors should follow developments closely.
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Commented by Armin Schulz on March 12th, 2025 | 07:00 CET
Nel ASA, First Hydrogen, Volkswagen – The EU and Germany are pumping billions into hydrogen – who is cashing in?
As the global search for alternatives to oil and gas gathers pace, hydrogen could become the secret star of the energy transition. Green hydrogen could become a game changer not only for factories but also in the transport sector. The EU has now launched a multi-billion funding program – in Austria alone, 112,000 tons of green hydrogen are to be produced with it, and in Lithuania, 13,000 tons. One thing is clear: from 2027, it will be noticeably more expensive at the gas station. Experts expect price jumps of between 38 cents and 1 euro per liter. Suddenly, many are looking again more closely at emission-free drives. Innovative companies are driving this technology forward and positioning themselves as pioneers of an emission-free era. Opportunities are opening up for investors. Those who invest in hydrogen players early on could benefit from the upheaval in the energy and automotive industries. But which companies are setting the trends?
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Commented by Juliane Zielonka on March 5th, 2025 | 07:25 CET
BYD, XXIX Metal Corp, Volkswagen – Copper crowns the electric boom
Electric mobility is gaining momentum worldwide, and copper is becoming an indispensable fuel for this energy transition. Without the metal, there would be a lack of batteries, electric motors, and the necessary infrastructure like charging stations. In the automotive sector, Chinese electric vehicle pioneer BYD is setting the course for its global expansion with a multi-billion dollar share issuance. The Company aims to produce 6 million vehicles in 2025. This boom will benefit the demand for raw materials such as copper. Here, the Company XXIX Metal shines. The Canadian copper explorer holds nearly 5 billion pounds of copper and could become a key player in this boom. Its name says it all: "XXIX" for the Roman numeral 29, which represents the atomic number of copper in the periodic table. Volkswagen can breathe a sigh of relief thanks to relaxed EU CO₂ regulations, but the Company is burdened by the planned US tariffs and technical setbacks. We provide the details.
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