[SMM Analysis] Demand in the LFP industry chain continues to rise, but the supply-side response is significantly lagging behind. The most notable feature of the current market is that tight supply is rapidly transmitting from bottom to top, forming a sequential inversion of "battery cell production schedule > LFP cathode production schedule > iron phosphate production schedule." The slow release of LFP capacity and the iron phosphate industry segment have become the most prominent bottlenecks in the entire chain.

[SMM Cobalt & Lithium Morning Call: Raw Material Prices Diverge, Industry Demand Maintains Structural Support] This week, industry chain prices showed divergence. Lithium ore, lithium chemicals, nickel chemicals and cobalt products were overall under pressure. Downstream procurement remained focused on long-term contract cargo pick-ups and essential restocking, and the market still held expectations of increasing supply and price declines in the long term. Cathode material side, ternary system prices pulled back along with raw material costs, while LFP and iron phosphate strengthened slightly, supported by order growth and cost support. Anode and separator markets held stable overall, and electrolyte moved up, driven by rising additive and solvent prices. Demand from energy storage, commercial vehicles and markets outside China maintained good performance, supporting continued growth in the industry's production schedules, but recovery on the consumption side remained relatively slow.

SMM, August 3 News: On August 3 early trading, the broader market was under pressure and consolidated, while high-end manufacturing segments moved independently. As of the close on August 3, the Motor II sector rose 2.67%, with individual stocks such as Jiangxi Special Electric Motor hitting the daily limit up, and Wolong Electric Group, Yifan Transmission, Bafang Electric, Keli Motor, MOONS', and Jiangsu Leili leading the gains. The strength in motor sector futures was supported by multiple drivers: first, Unitree Robotics is about to launch its subscription and Tesla raised its long-term capacity target for humanoid robots, heating up expectations for mass production of joint servo motors; second, the rare earth permanent magnet sector rose simultaneously, with upstream permanent magnetic material prices increasing, boosting profit expectations for high-performance motors; third, the replacement policy for IE4/IE5 high-efficiency motors continues to be implemented, opening up room for stock replacement of traditional industrial motors; combined with stockpiling expectations from downstream automakers and equipment manufacturers in mid-to-late August, some market funds favoured the motor sector, driving the collective rise. Market News [State Council Executive Meeting Decides to Approve Four Nuclear Power Projects Including Liaoning Zhuanghe Phase I] The State Council Executive Meeting decided to approve four nuclear power projects including Liaoning Zhuanghe Phase I. The meeting pointed out that nuclear power units should be built and operated to the highest global safety standards, with strengthened full-chain and all-domain safety oversight to ensure nuclear safety is absolutely risk-free. [China Approved 8 New Nuclear Power Units, with Total Project Investment Exceeding 170 Billion Yuan] In 2026, China opened the floodgates for new nuclear project approvals. According to CCTV News on July 31, the State Council Executive Meeting held that day decided to approve four nuclear power projects including Liaoning Zhuanghe Phase I. It is reported that the new projects approved at this meeting include Zhejiang Jinqimen Nuclear Power Plant Phase II (Units 3 & 4), Guangdong Taipingling Nuclear Power Plant Phase III (Units 5 & 6), Liaoning Zhuanghe Nuclear Power Plant Phase I (Units 1 & 2), and Shandong Laiyang Nuclear Power Plant Phase I (Units 1 & 2), totaling 8 new units. Nuclear power projects have historically been an important boost to expanding effective investment, and it is estimated that the total investment of these new projects will exceed 170 billion yuan. (Jin Shi Data) [State Administration for Market Regulation: '15th Five-Year Plan' to Foresightfully Deploy High-Level Detection Platforms for Strategic Emerging Industries such as Integrated Circuits, New Energy, Biomedicine, and Humanoid Robots] The State Administration for Market Regulation held a press conference on July 21 to introduce the development achievements of China's inspection and testing service industry during the '14th Five-Year Plan' period. During the '15th Five-Year Plan' period, the administration will implement the Innovation Pilot for Inspection Testing to Promote Industrial Optimization and Upgrading, and the Three-Year Action for National Quality Inspection Center Quality Improvement and Optimization, foresightfully deploying high-level detection platforms for strategic emerging industries such as integrated circuits, new energy, biomedicine, and humanoid robots, and using digital transformation to drive service model innovation. Strengthen deep collaboration with industry chain leaders and research institutes, jointly tackle a number of key core technologies, and promote the upgrading of inspection and testing from a single service to "industry chain synergy," shifting from being a "post-event quality gatekeeper" to a "full-process innovation enabler." Coordinate the capacity building for green and low-carbon, food safety, and high-risk industrial product testing, and build a solid quality defense line for industrial development and people's livelihood safety. [China's robot industry chain sees explosive orders; a robot company receives over 10,000 orders in a month] Currently, publicly listed firms are gradually releasing their semi-annual reports and earnings forecasts. In H1 this year, the robot sector reported widespread positive earnings. From core parts to complete machine integration, from motion control to AI computing hardware, the robot industry chain is shifting from "concept-driven catalysts" to a new phase of "order volume growth and profit realization." MIIT data shows that from January to May, the revenue of China's above-designated-size robot enterprises exceeded 90 billion yuan, up 26.9% YoY, with an average annual growth rate of over 20% over the past five years. A robot company just launched a new humanoid robot product at the end of last month and received over 10,000 orders in less than a month. Another company's head stated that their frameless motor is a core component for humanoid robot joint actuation, and in H1 this year, the company's orders on hand exceeded 1 million units, an increase of more than nine times compared to last year. (Jin10 Data) [General Administration of Customs: In H1, China's exports of lithium batteries, wind turbines, and other green energy-related products increased by 37.6% and 35.6% respectively] The State Council Information Office held a press conference today to introduce China's foreign trade performance since the beginning of this year. Currently, the global green and low-carbon transition is deepening, and the construction of new energy and rising consumer demand align well with China's green products. In H1, China's exports of lithium batteries, wind turbines, and other green energy-related products increased by 37.6% and 35.6% respectively; green mobility products such as EVs, electric railway locomotives, electric motorcycles, and bicycles grew by 68.7%, 45.1%, and 31.5% respectively. Tesla Optimus project lead Ashok Elluswamy announced on social media on July 30, 2026, that the long-term annual capacity target for Optimus had been revised to 10 million units. This figure is ten times the originally planned capacity of 1 million units, marking a comprehensive upgrade in Tesla's humanoid robot capacity planning. [Google DeepMind launches Gemini Robotics 2 robot AI model] Google DeepMind has launched the Gemini Robotics 2 model. According to the introduction, Gemini Robotics 2 enables robots to reason about every action, thereby unlocking a broad range of tasks. For example, it can enable a humanoid robot to walk, squat, stretch, and manipulate objects to clean a cluttered room. It can even collaborate with other robots to complete tasks faster. This deep intelligence can also run locally on devices while seamlessly adapting to entirely new robot bodies within just a few hours. Meanwhile, Google DeepMind also launched two other robotic AI models — Gemini Robotics ER 2 and On-Device 2. Gemini Robotics ER 2 is the most powerful embodied reasoning (ER) model, a vision-language model (VLM) that will enable robots to communicate with humans, understand the physical world, and plan multi-step tasks lasting several minutes. On-Device 2 is the most efficient vision-language-action model (VLA), optimized to run locally on robotic devices. The model can now quickly adapt to entirely new robot entities with just hours of data. [Dayang Motor: Plans to Repurchase Shares Worth 120 Million–160 Million Yuan] Dayang Motor announced that the company plans to repurchase shares worth 120 million to 160 million yuan for future employee stock ownership plans or equity incentive plans, with a repurchase price not exceeding 11.5 yuan per share. [Xiangtan Electric: Expected Significant YoY Growth in Revenue from Synchronous Condensers and Flywheel Energy Storage This Year] Xiangtan Electric stated on an interactive platform that the company has actively developed new products in recent years, advancing R&D in synchronous condensers, flywheel energy storage, marine power, aviation electrification, and high-speed motors , achieving notable results in market promotion of synchronous condensers and flywheel energy storage. Revenue from these products is expected to see significant YoY growth this year; marine power, aviation electrification, and high-speed motors have also made some progress in market promotion. [BYD Plans to Launch Humanoid Robot in August This Year] Recently, reports suggested that BYD's humanoid robot is about to be launched. On July 28, BYD responded that it plans to launch the humanoid robot at "Di Space" in August. (Jin10 Data) [Unitree Robotics' Wang Xingxing: The "ChatGPT Moment" for Embodied AI Could Arrive Within Two to Three Years] According to the World Internet Conference news, the 2026 World Internet Conference Digital Silk Road Development Forum, themed "Smart Convergence on the Silk Road, Digital Opening of a New Journey – Jointly Building a Community with a Shared Future in Cyberspace," held its opening ceremony in Xi'an, Shaanxi, on July 22. Wang Xingxing, founder and CEO of Unitree Robotics, attended the ceremony and delivered a speech. Over the past few years, humanoid robots have made rapid progress from walking to dancing, from kung fu combat to simple services. Wang Xingxing believes that the "ChatGPT moment" for embodied AI is expected to arrive within as soon as two to three years: by then, robots will be able to directly work and achieve many basic functions in most unfamiliar scenarios. Therefore, everyone should make various plans and arrangements in advance based on their actual situation, so as to seize new opportunities in the intelligent era. (Jinshi Data) [Unitree Robotics: Preliminary Inquiry Date Is August 5, Offline Subscription Date Is August 10] Unitree Robotics announced that the company is conducting its initial public offering and listing on the STAR Market. The offering will be conducted through a combination of strategic placement, offline issuance, and online issuance. The company plans to publicly issue 40,446,434 shares, accounting for 10% of the total share capital after the issuance, with the total share capital after issuance at 404,464,340 shares. The preliminary inquiry date is August 5, 2026, and the offline subscription date is August 10, 2026. The company has a special voting rights mechanism arrangement, under which the actual controller, Wang Xingxing, controls a total of 68.78% of the voting rights through a differentiated voting rights arrangement. [Unitree Robotics’ Chen Li: Core Technologies of Joint Motors Entirely Self-Developed, Upstream Only Relies on Copper Wire, Magnets and Other Raw Materials] From July 3 to 4, the 2026 Yabuli Forum Innovation Annual Conference was held in Shanghai. Chen Li, co-founder of Unitree Robotics, stated that the company has achieved independent R&D and production of core parts and has integrated the underlying technology architecture, possessing the capability to independently develop and produce a full range of products including quadruped robots, humanoid robots, robotic arms, pumps, dexterous hands, etc., covering diverse application scenarios. In response to the view that joint motors rely on external procurement, Chen Li said that the core technologies of Unitree’s joint motors are entirely independently developed, with the upstream only involving the supply of basic raw materials such as copper wire and magnets, achieving a completely independent and controllable supply chain. He stated that by independently developing the full set of core technologies, Unitree's products maintain industry-leading levels in cost-effectiveness, reliability, stability, and consistency. At the same time, the company continues to invest in the R&D of core technologies such as robot control, perception, navigation, and AI algorithms, and has cumulatively applied for multiple patents. (Jinshi Data) [Report: China’s Embodied AI Market Size Has an Average Annual Compound Growth Rate of 22% to 23%] The "China Embodied AI Industry Development Report (2026)" was released in Shanghai on July 2. The report states that China has become one of the fastest-growing embodied AI markets in the world. According to calculations by multiple research institutions, the market size of China’s embodied AI is expected to grow from approximately 213.3 billion yuan in 2018 to 1.09 trillion yuan in 2026, with an average annual compound growth rate of 22% to 23%. The report notes that China possesses the world’s only and most complete full-chain industrial support for embodied AI, spanning from core sensors, servo motors, and harmonic reducers to whole-machine assembly and algorithm adaptation, forming a highly clustered industrial ecosystem. The agglomeration effect of parts supply industries in the Yangtze River Delta and Pearl River Delta regions allows new prototype iteration speeds to significantly outpace those in Western countries, and China’s embodied AI sector enjoys particularly prominent cost advantages, with overall manufacturing costs 30% to 50% lower than outside China. [Musk Elon: Optimus robot production will progress extremely slowly in the early stages because all technologies are being developed from scratch] Tesla CEO Musk Elon posted a photo of himself at the Optimus humanoid robot production line at the Fremont factory in California, US, on social media, sparking discussions about Optimus’ mass production progress. Some users noted that Tesla has recently reduced public demonstrations of Optimus, possibly because mass production progress has already exceeded market expectations. In response, Musk replied: “No, Optimus production is going to be extremely slow at the beginning because everything is brand new. It’s not like building cars.” [Bernstein: Japanese automakers’ interest in humanoid robots rekindled] Analysts at Bernstein said in a report that interest from Japanese automakers in humanoid robots appears to be reemerging. They pointed out that Mitsubishi Motors has said it signed a memorandum of understanding with a Japanese startup to jointly develop and mass-produce humanoid robots. The analysts noted that Japanese automakers have a long history of involvement in robotics. By 2050, global humanoid robot shipments could reach 49 million units, and the market would expand to approximately $729 billion. Given the overlap in core technologies (including actuators, sensors, batteries, control units, and AI software), this makes humanoid robots an attractive sector where automakers and suppliers have already accumulated expertise through vehicle deployment. Motor Spot Price To learn more about tax-inclusive weekly prices for various models such as three-phase asynchronous motors, variable frequency motors, DC brushed motors, flat motors, gear motors, linear motors, coreless motors, and motor cores, please click to view(). Voices from All Sides A research report from Huaxin Securities pointed out: Domestically, Yushu’s inquiry and subscription dates have been confirmed; outside China, the Optimus mass production process is accelerating toward implementation, Tesla has clarified capacity targets and issued parts procurement guidance, and the first mass production line is about to come online. We are bullish on the humanoid robot sector ushering in a definitive market trend. It is recommended to prioritize positioning in certain targets within the Tesla chain, which benefit from capacity ramp-up and are expected to drive order growth; at the same time, pay attention to quality enterprises with core parts R&D capabilities and adapted to the mass production needs of humanoid robots, and seize the beta opportunities in the sector. CITIC Securities pointed out that Tesla combines leading AI large model technology with large-scale manufacturing capabilities, and the company is in the top tier of the global embodied AI industry chain. It firmly believes in the mass production and application prospects of Tesla's robots. Tesla's Optimus is about to enter the production phase, and the Cybercab is undergoing testing as planned. It is recommended to focus on core players in the industry chain. A research report from China Securities stated that in July, different rare earth varieties exhibited significant differences in performance. Pr-Nd oxide rose first and then declined, terbium oxide jumped and then pulled back, and dysprosium oxide remained generally stable. Supply side, tight raw material supply issues at scrap plants led to a notable decline in production. According to SMM, Pr-Nd oxide production was down 11% MoM in July, and there may be marginal improvement in August, but overall production remains suppressed. Downstream, the high-temperature holiday season led to reduced operations at motor factories, with demand pulling back. August remains in the off-season, but the September-October peak season is a traditional peak consumption period. Market expectations for the start of demand recovery remain strong. In mid-to-late August, downstream stockpiling is expected to restart, breaking the supply-demand weakness and driving prices to stabilize and move upward. Wanlian Securities pointed out that the humanoid robot industry is currently at the dawn of transitioning from technological breakthroughs to large-scale commercialization. Supply side, Tesla, Unitree Robotics, Agibot, and UBTECH are steadily advancing the mass production pace. Demand side, an aging population and climbing labor costs serve as long-term drivers. Simultaneously, with policy and capital forces jointly boosting, AI large models continuously infuse soul into robots. Humanoid robots are expected to form an emerging industry, gradually moving from B-end to C-end, with vast future market space. Yingda Fund recently released the Q2 2026 report of its fund. The Q2 report of the Yingda Flexible Allocation Fund managed by fund manager Liu Yubin shows that, looking ahead, the fund remains optimistic about opportunities in the humanoid robot industry chain, particularly the Tesla Optimus supply chain. It holds positions centered on core Tier 1 suppliers and key parts top-tier players, strengthening a performance and order-driven approach, and focusing on the mass production progress of global leaders and the pace of commercialization of the domestic supply chain. Liu Yubin judges that data is the core foundation for the iteration of general embodied AI. Subsequently, he will increase allocation to quality targets that combine self-developed data acquisition hardware barriers and build complete end-to-end data closed loops, while continuously improving the portfolio framework. (Jinshi Data APP) Want to know more about the fundamentals, technicals, and policy aspects of the motor industry? Please participate in

[SMM Cobalt Lithium Morning Meeting Summary: Raw Material Price Divergence Intensifies; Energy Storage Demand Supports Continued Industry Prosperity] This week, the relevant material markets continued to diverge in performance. Upstream ore prices stopped falling and rebounded, but high-price transactions remained constrained. Some ex-China capacities gradually recovered, and market attention shifted from supply disruptions to the pace of new capacity releases. Salt products were supported by maintenance outages, tightening circulation of spot orders, and low inventories, leading to somewhat active spot transactions. However, downstream players still mainly made just-in-time procurement on price dips, and concentrated stockpiling has yet to emerge. The cobalt industry chain remained under pressure overall, with the price centers of refined cobalt, intermediate products, cobalt salts, and cobalt powder shifting downward. Off-season demand, inventory pressure, and low-priced cargoes continued to weigh on the market. Nickel sulphate inventories declined, and cost support strengthened somewhat. Prices of ternary cathode precursors and ternary cathode materials generally remained stable. The LFP, electrolyte, and sodium-ion battery sectors performed relatively strongly, with demand from energy storage, commercial vehicles, and Q3 stockpiling driving production schedules higher. Inventories of some products continued to decline. The anode and separator markets were generally stable. Different raw material varieties in the recycling sector showed divergent performance. The overall industry chain remained in a phase of concurrent demand improvement and cost pass-through.

① Policy: China's first national standard for vehicle solid-state batteries (GB/T43568-2026) took effect, paired with a consumption tax exemption; ② Materials: multiple hundred-ton-level sulfide production lines commenced commissioning in Q3, with a leading EV manufacturer completing a 1‑ton electrolyte tender (awarded below RMB 2 million/ton), signaling the industry's shift to "ton‑level transactions"; ③ Products ：SVOLT Energy's hybrid solid-liquid batteries entered volume production in Q3,

[SMM Cobalt & Lithium Morning Brief: Battery Material Prices Show Divergent Trends, End-user Procurement Remains Cautious] Lithium ore prices are in the doldrums but low-priced resources are limited, lithium carbonate spot and futures prices rebounded, and lithium hydroxide maintained a steady slight increase. Refined cobalt and cobalt salt are generally in the doldrums, impacted by off-season demand, sufficient inventory, and cautious procurement. Nickel sulphate cost support strengthened, ternary cathode precursor prices held steady, and ternary cathode material rebounded slightly, but actual cargo pick-up remained cautious. LFP prices declined along with raw material, while shipments continued to grow, supported by energy storage and commercial vehicle demand. Anode, separator, and electrolyte prices were generally stable, with expectations for some raw material cost transmission downstream. Sodium-ion battery material supply remained relatively tight, while the recycling market consolidated on a weak note due to fluctuations in lithium and cobalt raw material prices.

On July 16, SVOLT Energy Technology held its 2026 Global Partner Summit in Changzhou, Jiangsu Province, where it unveiled four major "killer moves": the fully upgraded SVOLT Short Blade 3, the hybrid solid-liquid battery ready for launch, a dual push into energy storage and emerging markets, and the within-year mass production of Fly Stacking 4 — cementing its role as a trailblazer from the "stacking era".

[SMM Flash] According to data from the Motorcycle Chamber of Commerce, in June, China's motorcycle industry achieved both YoY and MoM growth in production and sales, while exports continued their strong growth momentum. Since May, domestic sales have continued to improve, and exports remain the core engine boosting industry growth. In June, production and sales of fuel-powered motorcycles were 1.8436 million and 1.8445 million units, up 13.84% and 13.73% YoY; production and sales of electric motorcycles were 420,300 and 405,900 units, up 54.33% and 55.63% YoY. From January to June, production and sales of fuel-powered motorcycles were 10.1402 million and 10.1724 million units, up 12.41% and 12.44% YoY; production and sales of electric motorcycles were 1.9448 million and 1.8961 million units, up 14.12% and 13.04% YoY. In the first half, total production and sales of motorcycles reached 12.085 million and 12.0685 million units, up 12.68% and 12.53% YoY. Motorcycle exports in June stood at 1.3726 million units, up 1.6% MoM and 15.75% YoY.

China's lithium battery exports rose 37.6% YoY in the first half of 2026, while wind turbine exports increased 35.6%, according to the State Council Information Office. Exports of electric vehicles, electric locomotives, and electric motorcycles and bicycles also climbed 68.7%, 45.1%, and 31.5%, respectively, highlighting robust global demand for green energy products.

Dongxing City in Fangchenggang joined hands with Jiangsu Wotu Intelligent Transportation Technology Co., Ltd. to hold a signing ceremony for the Fangchenggang V-Process EPC Aluminum Alloy Integrated Two-Wheeler High-End Equipment Production Site project. It is understood that the first phase of the project will renovate existing factory buildings in the industrial park and plans to establish specialized production lines for new national standard e-bikes and electric motorcycles to rapidly advance production and operations. The second phase plans to construct new production facilities, office buildings, and employee dormitories to build an integrated modern smart manufacturing industrial park.