U.S.-listed Chinese electric vehicle maker Xpeng Inc (NYSE: XPEV) on Thursday used a Psyduck Pokemon toy as a prop to express his frustration over the ongoing chip shortages, CnEVpost reported, citing a Weibo post.
What Happened: Psyduck, originally a Japanese videogame character, comes in a battery-operated toy avatar with fast-food meals in China by Yum! Brands Inc (NYSE: YUM)-owned KFC.
Xpeng CEO He Xiaopeng on Thursday shared a video on the Chinese social media site Weibo of the dancing toy duck with a message of his own.
The video shows the Psyduck holding a piece of paper in each hand with the messages, "urgently need" (急求) and "chip" (芯片), according to the report.
Why It Matters: Other EV rivals including Nio Inc (NYSE: NIO), and Tesla Inc (NASDAQ: TSLA) are recovering from a weeks-long production spurred by strict COVID-19 lockdowns in China.
Xpeng on Monday reported a wider loss and provided lower-than-expected delivery guidance for the current quarter.
Pokémon, partially owned by Nintendo Co (OTC: NTDOY), remains one of the best-selling video game franchises of all-time and a popular brand worldwide.
Price Action: Xpeng closed 0.98% higher at $20.5 on Thursday. Stock is down 59.2% YTD.
