Author: Linda Ma

China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) launched a public consultation on Wednesday for a new mandatory national standard governing combined driving assistance systems in intelligent connected vehicles, the ministry said. The proposed regulation, titled “Safety Requirements for Combined Driving Assistance Systems in Intelligent Connected Vehicles,” seeks to set safety baselines and provide technical guidance for industry access, quality oversight, and incident investigations, MIIT officials told Chinese media Economic Information Daily (EID). Combined driving assistance systems, often referred to as Level 2 (L2) automation, reduce driver workload and improve comfort. According to MIIT data, sales of passenger vehicles equipped…

Buick, a unit of General Motors (NYSE: GM), has unveiled the Electra L7 extended-range sedan in China, signaling its bet on a new energy vehicle (NEV) segment that has expanded rapidly in recent years but now faces slowing growth and intensifying competition. The Electra L7, introduced at an event on Sunday, is built on the Xiao Yao Super Architecture and will begin pre-sales on Sept. 28, with a market launch slated for the fourth quarter. While pricing has not been disclosed, Buick previously indicated the sedan would be positioned around RMB 300,000 ($41,790). The model is part of Buick’s Electra…

Stelato, the electric vehicle (EV) brand jointly created by Huawei and Beijing Automotive Group (BAIC), said it will invest RMB 20 billion ($2.8 billion) over the next three years to strengthen its position in China’s competitive EV market. The investment will support advances in product design, assisted driving, smart cockpits, and quality, according to a company statement. Huawei and BAIC will form a dedicated Stelato business unit under a strategic alliance model, covering operations from design to sales services. The two companies also plan to build a dedicated manufacturing and supply chain system for Stelato, along with exclusive sales and…

China’s new energy vehicle (NEV) market continued its strong growth trajectory in August, with total sales reaching 1.395 million units, up 26.8 percent from a year earlier and 10.5 percent from July, according to data from the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers (CAAM). The figures include both domestic sales and exports, covering battery electric vehicles (BEVs), plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), and fuel cell vehicles. BEVs remained the largest contributor to sales, registering 908,000 units, a 40.5 percent increase year-on-year. PHEV sales reached 487,000 units, up 7.5 percent annually. Exports remained robust, with 224,000 NEVs shipped abroad in August, marking…

Great Wall Motor’s (GWM) premium Wey brand has opened pre-sales for its new Gaoshan 7 multi-purpose vehicle (MPV), marking the latest addition to the Gaoshan lineup. The Gaoshan 7 is offered in Standard and Welfare editions, priced at RMB 289,800 ($40,700) and RMB 349,800 respectively. Wey said the MPV received 3,756 pre-orders within the first hour. Positioned as a mid-to-large family MPV, the Gaoshan 7 features a 2+2+3 seating configuration. It measures 5,050 mm in length, 1,960 mm in width, 1,900 mm in height, and has a wheelbase of 3,085 mm. The vehicle uses a plug-in hybrid system that combines…

BYD’s premium brand Denza will release an updated version of its N9 large luxury SUV on Sept. 17, the company announced on Weibo, aiming to strengthen its position in the high-end SUV market. The refreshed model comes just six months after the N9’s initial launch in March. The N9, Denza’s flagship six-seat hybrid SUV, measures 5,258 mm in length, 2,030 mm in width, 1,830 mm in height, and has a 3,125 mm wheelbase. Powered by BYD’s e3 technology, the vehicle accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 3.9 seconds despite a weight of up to 3,245 kg. The original model…

Nio will fall short of its 2025 target for new battery swap stations in China as it reallocates resources toward a next-generation system, Chief Executive William Li said on Wednesday. The company had originally aimed to install 2,000 new stations this year, later revising the goal to between 1,800 and 2,000. As of September 10, Nio had added 488 sites, or about 27% of its revised target. “Mainly because we have to think about deploying the fifth-generation stations,” Li said, explaining that current fourth-generation stations cannot be upgraded to support the variety of battery sizes across Nio and its sub-brands,…

Chinese car makers are increasing their presence in Europe, with executives emphasizing long-term plans to establish local production and tailor vehicles to European customers, highlighting a shift from earlier struggles in the region. At the IAA Mobility auto show in Munich this week, Chinese automakers, facing intense competition and margin pressure in their domestic market, showcased their latest electric vehicles (EVs) for Europe. GAC displayed its Aion V electric SUV, set to launch in Poland, Portugal, and Finland this month, and the Aion UT, which will go on sale in Europe next year. “Everything we do starts with the needs…

BYD plans to produce electric vehicles locally in Europe within three years, a move that would help it sidestep European Union tariffs on Chinese-made cars, a senior company executive said on Monday. “We are training ourselves to be more European in production,” said Stella Li, executive vice president and BYD’s second-ranking executive, in an interview at the IAA Mobility auto show in Munich. The company is set to start output at its factory in Hungary this year and aims to begin production in Turkey in 2026. The EU imposed tariffs on Chinese-made EVs last year, citing what it said were…

Chinese electric vehicle (EV) maker Xpeng said on Monday it will open its first European research and development (R&D) center in Munich, Germany, as the company looks to deepen its foothold in one of its key overseas markets. The Munich site will be the company’s ninth global R&D hub and will work alongside facilities in Silicon Valley, San Diego, and several Chinese cities including Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, and Guangzhou. The automaker said the center, built on the principle “In Europe, With Europe,” is designed to capture local user needs, accelerate innovation, and advance localization efforts. “The Munich center enables us…

Chinese electric vehicle maker WM Motor said on Friday it has secured a new investor and will restart production after financial troubles pushed it into restructuring last year. Shenzhen Xiangfei Automobile Sales Co has become the restructuring investor and shareholder of WM Motor’s four operating entities, taking control of the businesses, according to an announcement on the company’s official social media accounts. Xiangfei said it is “fully committed to rapidly resuming mass production” of WM Motor’s EX5 and E5 models at its Wenzhou base in Zhejiang province. The restructured company targets production of 10,000 to 20,000 units of the two…

Shangjie, the new electric vehicle brand co-developed by Huawei and SAIC Motor, said its first model, the H5 SUV, has secured over 80,000 pre-orders since pre-sales began on August 25, signaling strong market interest ahead of its official launch on September 23. The brand announced the figures on Weibo, highlighting the SUV’s rapid uptake, which included more than 25,000 pre-orders within the first hour of pre-sales. Positioned as a mid-size SUV, the Shangjie H5 measures 4,780 mm in length, 1,910 mm in width, and 1,664 mm in height, with a wheelbase of 2,840 mm. It offers both Extended Range Electric…