Author: Linda Ma

Chinese electric vehicle maker Nio plans to unveil its new flagship SUV, the ES9, in the second quarter of 2026, founder and CEO William Li said during an offline Q&A session, according to a video shared on Weibo by automotive blogger @兄弟电动. The announcement marks the first time Nio has provided a specific timeline for the ES9’s debut. Li did not confirm whether the model would officially launch or only be revealed in the second quarter, though some attendees suggested the company might first hold a technology event, similar to the rollout of the ES8. See also: Nio Launches Limited…

Chinese autonomous driving company Pony.ai has reached a new production milestone, rolling out its 300th ARCFOX Alpha T5 Robotaxi built in partnership with Beijing Automotive Group Co., Ltd. (BAIC Group), as it moves toward scaling its driverless fleet globally. The company began mass production of the ARCFOX Alpha T5, equipped with its seventh-generation (Gen-7) autonomous driving platform, in July 2025. The vehicle is designed for continuous, all-weather operation and integrates key cost and safety enhancements to enable broader commercial deployment. See also: Stellantis and Pony.ai Partner to Develop Autonomous Robotaxi Solutions in Europe https://twitter.com/PonyAI_tech/status/1981659880978264550 Pony.ai said its Gen-7 system reduces…

Zhao Changjiang, former head of sales for BYD’s premium brand Denza, has resigned from his position at the company’s Fang Cheng Bao division, according to an internal memo circulating on Chinese social media. The document stated that Zhao submitted his resignation as general manager of Fang Cheng Bao’s direct sales division for personal reasons, and the company has processed his departure. The move comes just three months after Zhao was reassigned in July from Denza to Fang Cheng Bao, another sub-brand under BYD. His resignation was later confirmed by several automotive bloggers who closely follow BYD developments. See also: Fang…

BYD has unveiled a preview of a new model targeting Japan’s popular K-Car segment, signaling the company’s next phase of expansion in the Japanese market. The vehicle was featured on BYD Japan’s website ahead of its official debut at the Japan Mobility Show 2025, which begins on October 30. The image reveals a compact, urban-oriented vehicle consistent with the proportions of Japan’s K-Cars—mini cars that are typically less than 3.4 meters long, 1.48 meters wide, and limited to 64 horsepower. Favored for their affordability and maneuverability, K-Cars benefit from reduced taxes and are widely used as second vehicles among urban…

Chinese electric vehicle maker XPeng has officially opened its new global headquarters in Guangzhou, unveiling a large-scale complex designed to function as a self-contained city for its employees. “Today marks the day when XPeng’s headquarters officially moves to its new site in Guangzhou,” CEO He Xiaopeng wrote on Monday in a Weibo post. The new campus, located in the Cencun area of Tianhe Smart City, spans more than 500,000 square meters, with a total floor area of about 364,500 square meters and an 80,000-square-meter park. See also: Xpeng Files for Extended-Range Versions of G6 SUV and P7+ Sedan Ahead of…

Great Wall Motor’s Tank brand has opened pre-sales for the updated Tank 400 SUV, introducing new configurations and upgraded technology to refresh one of its flagship models. The hybrid SUV is available in Hi4-T and Hi4-Z versions, with prices starting at RMB 309,800 ($43,520) and RMB 329,800, respectively. Initially launched in September 2023, the Tank 400 was originally offered only in the Hi4-T variant aimed at off-road enthusiasts. The newly added Hi4-Z version is positioned for urban users, offering improved performance and advanced driver assistance while featuring fewer off-road capabilities. GWM describes the Hi4-Z system as a new-generation hybrid powertrain…

BYD’s premium brand, Yangwang, announced that the U9 Xtreme has been officially listed on the Nürburgring Nordschleife production car leaderboard with a certified lap time of 6 minutes 59.157 seconds. The certification formally recognizes the model as the fastest production electric vehicle at the circuit and confirms its “dual first” status for both top speed and lap time. The U9 Xtreme also achieved a top speed of 496.22 km/h, making it the fastest global production supercar. The previous Nürburgring record for production electric vehicles was surpassed by five seconds, marking the first time an EV has completed the 20.8-kilometer track…

CATL is accelerating its battery swap expansion, aiming to increase its EVOGO station count by 1.5 times next year and reach 1,000 locations by the end of 2025, according to its subsidiary Contemporary Amperex Energy Service Technology (CAES). Currently, CAES operates 700 battery swap stations across 39 Chinese cities. By 2026, CATL plans to operate more than 2,500 stations in over 120 cities, as part of a long-term strategy to develop a nationwide battery swap network. The EVOGO brand was launched in January 2022, marking CATL’s entry into the battery swap market, previously dominated by Nio. See also: CATL Third-Quarter…

Zeekr Group said it will release its unaudited financial results for the third quarter of 2025 before U.S. markets open on November 17, the electric vehicle manufacturer announced on Monday. The company, which operates the Zeekr and Lynk & Co brands under Geely Holding, will not hold an analyst conference call following the results release, in line with its second-quarter reporting format. See also: Zeekr Group Reports 51,159 September Deliveries, Up 8.5% Year-on-Year; Lynk & Co Leads with 32,902 Units According to data compiled by CnEVPost, Zeekr Group delivered 140,195 vehicles in the third quarter, representing a 12.5% increase from…

Li Liyun, the former head of Xpeng’s autonomous driving center, has left the Chinese electric vehicle maker following his replacement by Liu Xianming, a company executive with expertise in artificial intelligence, according to local media outlet LatePost. Li, who joined Xpeng in June 2019, reflected on his 76-month tenure at the company, highlighting the expansion of the automaker’s smart driving system from highway applications to urban roads, the transition from reliance on high-definition maps to map-free operation, and a shift from multi-sensor dependence to vision-based systems. See also: Xpeng Reports Over 5,000 Vehicle Exports in September as Overseas Expansion Progresses…

A heavily camouflaged prototype believed to be the next-generation BYD Dolphin has been spotted testing on public roads in China, suggesting the compact electric hatchback is set for significant updates. The current Dolphin, which remains China’s top-selling compact EV with 21,888 units sold in September, is expected to undergo a major mechanical and technological overhaul for the 2026 model year. According to a Chinese automotive source, the upcoming Dolphin will likely adopt BYD’s cell-to-body (CTB) battery integration technology — a feature seen in higher-end BYD models — allowing improved rigidity and energy efficiency. The model is also expected to feature…

Nio founder and chief executive William Li has reiterated the company’s goal of achieving profitability in the fourth quarter of 2025, calling on employees to give their full commitment in the final stretch of the year, according to Chinese media outlet 21jingji. During an internal meeting on October 17, Li outlined his personal VAU (Vision Action Upgrade) plan for the fourth quarter and stressed the importance of meeting the profitability target, which has been a key company objective over the past year. The meeting, attended by mid- and senior-level managers, marked what Li described as the “final sprint” toward the…