Author: Linda Ma

Chinese car manufacturer GAC has entered the Brazilian market with the launch of five electric and hybrid vehicles and announced plans to build a production plant in the country by the end of 2026. The move highlights the growing competition among Chinese automakers in Brazil, the world’s sixth-largest automotive market. At a recent launch event, GAC introduced four electric SUVs—the Aion V, Aion Y, Hyptec HT, and Aion ES—alongside the hybrid Trumpchi GS4. According to CarNewsChina, the company has already established a network of 33 dealerships across Brazil to support its market debut. GAC projects that rising demand will justify…

Great Wall Motor (GWM) posted moderate growth in overall vehicle sales in May, while sales of new energy vehicles (NEVs) surged to a record high, the automaker said in a statement on Sunday. GWM sold 102,231 vehicles in May, an increase of 11.78% from a year earlier and 2.17% higher than in April. NEV sales rose sharply to 32,638 units, up 32.41% year-on-year and 13.28% month-on-month, accounting for 31.93% of the total – the highest monthly share this year and marking the third consecutive month of growth in the segment. The Haval brand remained the company’s best-seller, delivering 57,693 units…

Chinese electric vehicle maker Leapmotor, backed by Stellantis NV, reported record deliveries in May, supported by strong demand for its newly launched models. The company delivered 45,067 vehicles in May, setting a new monthly record and surpassing the previous peak of 42,517 units in December 2024. This marks a 148.1% increase from the 18,165 units delivered in the same month last year and a 9.8% rise from April’s total of 41,039 vehicles. See also: Leapmotor Launches Updated C10 SUV with Lower Prices and Extended Range Options Leapmotor has set an ambitious full-year sales target of 500,000 to 600,000 units, nearly…

Chinese tech giant Xiaomi said on Sunday it delivered more than 28,000 electric vehicles in May, marking the eighth consecutive month of deliveries above the 20,000-unit threshold. The company also expanded its retail footprint with the opening of 29 new EV showrooms across China. Xiaomi, which entered the electric vehicle market in 2024, did not disclose an exact figure for May deliveries but said the total was comparable to April’s performance. The company’s only model currently available is the SU7 sedan, offered in Standard, Pro, Max, and Ultra trims. The SU7 Ultra, priced at RMB 529,900 ($73,550), began deliveries in…

Nio unveiled updated versions of its ET5 sedan and ET5T touring wagon, introducing extensive feature upgrades while maintaining the original starting price of RMB 298,000 ($41,500), as competition in China’s EV market continues to intensify. The refreshed ET5 and ET5T now come standard with a 75-kWh battery pack and include more than 500 component-level upgrades aimed at enhancing vehicle safety, driving comfort, and the digital cockpit experience. Among the most notable updates is the inclusion of Nio’s in-house developed Shenji NX9031 autonomous driving chip, which the company says offers computing power on par with four Nvidia Orin X chips. This…

Chinese electronics giant Xiaomi has unveiled its second electric vehicle (EV), the YU7 SUV, which the company says is poised to compete directly with Tesla’s Model Y in China’s growing mid to large-size electric SUV segment. The YU7 was introduced at a product launch event on Thursday and follows the debut of Xiaomi’s SU7 electric sedan earlier this year. The YU7 is a five-seater SUV, measuring 4,999 mm in length with a 3,000 mm wheelbase, giving it a larger footprint than Tesla’s China-built Model Y. Three variants of the YU7 — Standard, Pro, and Max — will be offered, although…

Xiaomi plans to bring its new electric sport utility vehicle, the YU7, to market in July, CEO Lei Jun said in a post on Weibo on Thursday, marking the company’s second entry into the EV sector as it expands beyond smartphones into electric mobility. The company introduced the YU7 SUV at a product showcase on Thursday, though it did not disclose pricing details or open pre-orders. “We will not be announcing the official price or start pre-orders during this pre-launch event,” Lei said in the post. See also: Xiaomi Set to Unveil YU7 SUV, Targeting China’s Competitive Luxury EV Market…

Chinese electronics firm Xiaomi will unveil its second electric vehicle, the YU7 SUV, at a product launch event on May 22, as the company seeks to expand its footprint in China’s fast-growing and fiercely competitive electric SUV market. “Xiaomi YU7 is positioned as a luxury performance SUV,” the company wrote in a post on its official Weibo account. “It comes for the luxury experience, for advanced technology and aims to create an advanced SUV for this era.” The YU7 follows Xiaomi’s first model, the SU7 electric sedan, which launched in March and was positioned as a direct competitor to Tesla’s…

Chinese electric vehicle maker BYD has overtaken Tesla as the most future-ready carmaker, according to the 2025 Future Readiness Indicator report published by the Institute for Management Development (IMD) on Tuesday. The annual ranking, led by Professor Howard Yu, assesses how well companies across sectors are positioned for long-term success, factoring in metrics such as supply chain resilience, innovation, global reach, and financial health. Despite persistent trade tensions and tariff barriers, the report finds Chinese automakers are gaining ground on their international rivals, including Tesla, Volkswagen, and Toyota. “For the first time in automotive history, BYD has surpassed Tesla to…

Changan Automobile has inaugurated its first overseas electric vehicle (EV) manufacturing facility in Thailand, marking a significant step in the Chinese automaker’s international expansion strategy. The new plant, located in Rayong, an industrial hub on Thailand’s eastern seaboard, officially began operations on May 16 with the rollout of its first vehicle—a right-hand-drive version of the Deepal S05, a model under Changan’s new energy vehicle (NEV) unit. The unit represents the company’s 28.59 millionth vehicle produced to date, Changan announced on Chinese social media platform Weibo. See also: Changan’s Sub-Brand Nevo Teases Stylish New Sedan C390 Ahead of Expected Launch Construction…

Zeekr, the electric vehicle (EV) brand under China’s Geely Group, has commenced European deliveries of its 7X family SUV, beginning in Bergen, Norway, the company announced on Monday. The first unit delivered in Europe was a gray “Privilege” variant equipped with air suspension and offering a WLTP-certified range of 543 kilometers. According to the company, the dual-motor all-wheel-drive version is capable of accelerating from 0 to 100 km/h in 3.8 seconds and supports up to 360 kW of charging power. See also: Zeekr to Launch New Mid-Size Hybrid SUV 8X in Q4 as Part of Expanded Model Lineup The Zeekr…

CATL, the world’s largest battery manufacturer, has unveiled a standardized battery swap pack for heavy-duty trucks, marking its latest push to accelerate electrification in commercial transportation. The new “75#” battery swap block was introduced on May 18 at an event in Datong, Shanxi province. Developed by CATL’s subsidiary Qiji Energy, the battery is designed for use in battery swap-enabled heavy trucks and offers a modular approach allowing operators to adjust the number of packs per vehicle. See also: CATL Prices Hong Kong IPO at $33.70 per Share, Set to Raise $4.6 Billion in 2025’s Largest Listing “The battery swap…

China’s Huaneng Group has deployed more than 100 autonomous electric mining trucks at the Yimin open-pit coal mine in Inner Mongolia, marking what it describes as the world’s largest unmanned electric truck fleet. The launch, carried out in partnership with tech giant Huawei, signals a growing integration of artificial intelligence and 5G-Advanced (5G-A) connectivity into traditional industrial operations. See also: Initial Testing Underway for World’s First Zero-Emissions Autonomous Mining Trucks The vehicles are powered by Huawei’s Commercial Vehicle Autonomous Driving Cloud Service (CVADCS), which leverages high-speed, low-latency 5G-A networks to enable real-time coordination between trucks, cloud services, and control centers.…

Half of all heavy trucks sold in China could be electric by 2028, up from just 10% in 2024, the chairman of CATL, Robin Zeng Yuqun, said on Sunday, according to Jiemian, a news site affiliated with the Shanghai government. Zeng made the comments during the launch of a battery-swapping initiative for heavy trucks, underscoring a potential acceleration in the electrification of China’s freight sector and adding pressure on traditional fuel demand, already declining due to the growing adoption of liquefied natural gas (LNG) trucks. See also: CATL Prices Hong Kong IPO at $33.70 per Share, Set to Raise $4.6…

Geely Galaxy, a sub-brand under China’s Geely Auto, has received over 10,000 firm orders for its new hybrid sedan, the Starshine 8, just six days after its launch on May 9, signaling strong early demand that could boost the company’s new energy vehicle (NEV) sales momentum. Geely Galaxy, which was elevated from a product lineup to a dedicated brand in March this year, unveiled the Starshine 8 as a mid-to-large-size hybrid sedan available in seven variants—five fuel-efficient EM-i versions and two performance-focused EM-P versions. Prices for the EM-i versions start at RMB 125,800 ($17,450), while the EM-P trims begin at…

Toyota is reportedly in discussions to acquire crisis-hit Chinese electric vehicle (EV) startup Neta Auto, as the Japanese automaker seeks to expand its presence in China’s fast-evolving electric mobility sector. The potential acquisition, first reported by Chinese outlet Kuai Technology and cited by CarNewsChina, remains unconfirmed, though it could signal Toyota’s intent to accelerate its local EV development amid intensifying competition from domestic manufacturers such as BYD and Nio. While Toyota’s China spokesperson Xu Yiming denied knowledge of any such talks, a successful deal would mark a rare instance of a Japanese original equipment manufacturer acquiring a Chinese EV company.…

Nio’s steer-by-wire (SBW) system on its ET9 executive sedan has received certification from the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), expanding the vehicle’s regulatory approvals beyond China. The certification was issued by Spanish automotive technical services provider Applus IDIADA, marking the first time the organization has approved a vehicle equipped with SBW technology in Europe, the Chinese electric vehicle (EV) maker said. See also: Nio Reaches 700,000th Delivery Milestone for Main EV Brand in China The ET9 had previously secured approval for mass production in China, making it the country’s first model to adopt the technology. Nio said the…

Tesla’s Shanghai Gigafactory reached a one-year high in vehicle exports in April, shipping close to 30,000 units, the company’s strongest monthly performance since early 2024. The increase was largely driven by international demand for the refreshed Model Y, which made its global debut in China earlier this year. The updated Model Y is now being exported to several markets, including Australia and South Korea, contributing to record order volumes across the Asia-Pacific region. In South Korea, demand was particularly robust, with Tesla’s local website temporarily crashing on the day of launch and customers lining up at showrooms to place orders,…

Chinese electric vehicle manufacturer Li Auto said cumulative deliveries of its Li L7 SUV have surpassed 300,000 units, just over two years after the model first launched. The company made the announcement on its official Weibo account Saturday, noting the achievement for its five-seat extended-range electric vehicle (EREV), which debuted in February 2023. The Li L7 is currently priced from RMB 301,800 ($41,700) for the 2025 model year. See also: Li Auto Updates L-Series EREVs With New Features, Maintains Pricing The L7 reached 100,000 deliveries in November 2023 and crossed 200,000 by July 2024, showing steady demand for the mid-sized…

Chinese electric vehicle maker Nio delivered 810 units of its flagship ET9 sedan in April, marking the first full month of deliveries for the company’s executive-class model, according to data from the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA). The ET9, which debuted at Nio Day 2024 in December, is one of the most expensive vehicles produced by a domestic Chinese automaker, with a starting price of RMB 788,000 ($107,220) including the battery. This is more than twice the price of Nio’s best-selling ES6 SUV, which starts at RMB 338,000. See also: Nio ET9 Features: Everything You Should Know April deliveries of…