FUNTI's daily electric motorcycle market brief for October 17, 2026: raw material prices, overseas market regulation and China export data, compiled from public sources for importers, distributors and fleet operators.
FUNTI MARKET INTELLIGENCE · October 17, 2026
① Today's Highlights
- A new official line on China–EU auto talks: at a press briefing on October 12, the spokesperson of China's Ministry of Commerce, answering questions on the China–EU consensus over hybrid and electric vehicles, stated that for hybrid vehicles the two sides reached an “upward arrangement” on the basis of 2025 volumes (302,000 units), safeguarding Chinese firms' export space and stable growth; meanwhile reports say the EU plans to halve imports of Chinese-made hybrid cars through trade safeguard measures (China Youth Net / MOFCOM, October 12–13, 2026). Takeaway: Europe will see “negotiation track plus safeguard measures” coexist, so quotations for high-end e-motorcycles and parts bound for Europe must carry tariff- and quota-adjustment clauses rather than assuming zero barriers long term.
- Export destinations are tilting further toward Europe: in the first seven months of 2026, Chinese independent brands exported 777,000 vehicles to the EU, up 106% year on year, overtaking Central and South America (594,000) and Russia and Central Asia (491,000) to become the No.1 regional destination (China Youth Net / customs data, October 13, 2026). Takeaway: the EU has moved from “high-end showcase market” to “No.1 growth market”; certification, carbon footprint and tariffs all deserve a higher priority.
② Raw Materials & FX
- FX: the RMB central parity rate against the USD was 6.7220 on October 16, up 33 basis points from the previous trading day; EUR/CNY 7.5228 (up 160 bp), JPY100/CNY 4.2439, GBP/CNY 8.9037, HKD/CNY 0.85658. Bank of China board rates for October 17: USD telegraphic buying 667.68, selling 670.49, BOC conversion rate 672.20 (RMB per 100 USD), with EUR selling at 754.64 and THB at 20.09, and RMB 1 = MXN 2.7458 (CFETS / Bank of China, October 16–17, 2026). Takeaway: the USD settlement rate remains on the firm side (slightly unfavourable for export quotations); keep pricing USD orders within 6.70–6.73 and state “subject to the central parity on the day of confirmation” on all customer quotations.
- Flagged move · lithium carbonate spot falls again, battery-grade goes below RMB 100,000: on Baiinfo's reading, battery-grade lithium carbonate (99.5%) trades in the RMB 99,000–105,000/t range at an average of RMB 102,000/t, down 1.92% from the previous trading day; SunSirs shows a battery-grade reference price of RMB 101,000/t and industrial-grade RMB 99,000/t on October 16 (versus RMB 120,000 and RMB 118,000 on October 1) (Baiinfo / SunSirs, October 16, 2026). Takeaway: spot has shifted from “catching down” to “stabilising below RMB 100,000”, the only material cost item to move meaningfully this week (the break below RMB 100,000 was reported on October 15–16; this is the first full spot session afterwards, i.e. new data). Cost quantification: taking the latest recalculation baseline (`reports/电池成本重算_20261013.md`, battery-grade spot RMB 115,400/t on October 12), battery-grade spot at RMB 101,000/t on October 16 has fallen about RMB 14,400/t, equal to about −0.0086 to −0.0115 RMB/Wh at cell level, or roughly −RMB 17~22 per 72V27Ah pack, −RMB 26~35 per 42Ah pack and −RMB 41~55 per 67Ah pack (about −1.2% to −2.3%), i.e. a downward cost trend. Action: lock long-term volumes in tranches below RMB 100,000/t (one quarter to one third of quarterly usage each time) and keep “price-linked” or staged-lock clauses on the battery line of quotations.
- Copper, aluminium, steel, silicon steel, rare earths and electrolyte materials: October 17 is a Saturday and domestic commodity markets are closed, so no new quotes for copper, aluminium, steel, silicon steel, NdFeB rare earths, LiPF6 or separators were obtained today; the October 16 closing levels were presented in the previous issue and are not repeated here (public information, October 17, 2026). Takeaway: today's cost variables are only FX and lithium carbonate. Sensitivity reminder: copper is 50%–60% of main wiring-harness cost and 20%–30% of motor enamel wire cost, so a 1% rise in copper lifts harness and motor copper cost by about 0.5%–0.6% (usually single-digit RMB per unit); aluminium is 10%–15% of frame, wheel and housing cost; silicon steel is 25%–35% of motor cost, NdFeB over 30% of permanent-magnet motor cost and LiPF6 over 60% of electrolyte cost — long-term contracts must keep raw-material adjustment clauses.
③ Overseas Markets
- The Philippines: Executive Order No. 12 grants zero import duty to e-bicycles, e-trikes, e-motorcycles and EV batteries through 2028, and batteries are covered too, so batteries, controllers and complete vehicles can be quoted together, leaving about two years of the policy window (EVAP / industry sources, October 9, 2026). Takeaway: a rare “duty-free whole vehicle plus battery” window in Southeast Asia; bundling battery packs with vehicles is more economical than selling vehicles alone, but remember the window expires.
- The Philippines: LTO-registered EVs rose from 24,286 units for the whole of 2024 to 29,715 units in January–July 2025, with EVAP forecasting about 35,000 for the full year; EVAP says local EV production is limited and most vehicles are still imported (EVAP / industry sources, October 9, 2026). Takeaway: registration data reflects real market size better than sales figures; the market is “low base, import-dependent”, making local channels and after-sales capability the key competitive edge.
- Bolivia: Supreme Decree No. 5653 sets a 0%–20% specific excise tax on imported electric and hybrid vehicles, valid until December 31, 2026; pure EVs (including cars, motorcycles, pickups and trucks) are taxed at 0% with no age restriction (Bolivia's La Razón / China's MOFCOM, July 10, 2026). Takeaway: a clear “zero excise for pure EVs” window in an inland South American market — good for small sample-vehicle trials to test channels, but do not write a time-limited incentive into long-term terms.
- Kazakhstan: the duty-free EV import quota was exhausted in October 2025 and no new quota has been added for 2026, so Chinese pure-EV exports now face a 15% tariff; the country also strictly restricts zero-mileage used-car exports and is shifting to attract local assembly investment (Caixin, July 25, 2026). Takeaway: Central Asia is moving from “CBU imports” to “local assembly”; for this market, prioritise SKD/CKD and local partnership proposals rather than piling up complete vehicles.
FUNTI · Taizhou Fangxiang Technology Co., Ltd.
Daily electric motorcycle market brief for importers, distributors and fleet operators. Figures are compiled from public market sources and industry associations; verify before commercial use.
