Trendy electric scooter brand Niu launches SUV

Electric scooter brand launches SUV: Yesterday, Niutron 自游家, an electric vehicle (EV) brand launched in 2021 by Liǔ Yīnán 李一男, founder of the Nasdaq-listed Chinese e-scooter brand Niu Technologies 小牛电动, announced the opening of 44 stores across China and the launch of the brand’s first model, the Niutron NV, a mid-sized electric SUV.

Commodities at highest demand since May 2021: According to the China Federation of Logistics and Purchasing, the China Bulk Merchandise Index (CBMI), a gauge of the bulk commodity market, was 103.1% in September (a reading above 100 indicates expansion), an increase of 0.8 percentage points from August and the highest point since May 2021.

Battery boom does not equal irrational exuberance: CALB 中创新航, China’s second-largest lithium battery manufacturer after CATL 宁德时代, today went public on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, raising HK$9.86 billion ($1.25 billion). Although it was the largest IPO in Hong Kong this year, CALB’s stock price ended the day at HK$38, the bottom of the range earmarked for the IPO.

Update from The China Project: CALB — lithium battery giant with state defense ties — has lackluster IPO.