Author: Linda Ma

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…

Tesla said on Friday that its Shanghai Gigafactory completed the production ramp-up for the refreshed Model Y in just six weeks, setting a new internal record for the company’s fastest model production scale-up. In a post on its official Weibo account, Tesla described its factories as “the company’s best products” and emphasized its manufacturing capabilities as a core competitive advantage. The U.S. electric vehicle maker added that its approach to vehicle production—based on first principles and continuous disruption of traditional manufacturing paradigms—will be difficult for others to replicate. Tesla also signaled ambitious plans for future production in North America, stating…

Xiaomi has announced a new partnership with Germany’s Nürburgring race track, as the company expands its efforts in the electric vehicle (EV) sector. As part of the agreement, Xiaomi will become a premium partner at the Nürburgring, the world’s longest permanent race track. The deal includes the naming of the “Xiaomi curve” at turn 12 on the Grand Prix circuit and the installation of a new advertising display on the Nordschleife section of the track, according to a statement from the Nürburgring. Xiaomi’s involvement with the Nürburgring builds on its increasing presence in the automotive market. The company launched its…

Leapmotor has announced the official launch of its facelifted C10 SUV, scheduled for May 15, following a pre-sale campaign that started last month. The launch event will take place at 2:00 pm Beijing time, with the company offering exclusive benefits for customers who pre-order the model. The updated C10, dubbed the 2026 C10, arrives a year after the original five-seat SUV was introduced in March 2024. As with its predecessor, the facelifted model is available in both extended-range electric vehicle (EREV) and battery electric vehicle (BEV) variants. Pre-sales for the new C10 have begun, with the EREV variants priced from…

Li Auto has launched updated versions of its L-Series extended-range electric vehicles (EREVs), retaining their previous pricing while adding several feature enhancements. The refreshed lineup includes four SUV models: the Li L6, L7, L8 and L9. The Li L6 remains available in Pro and Max variants, starting at RMB 249,800 ($34,530) and RMB 279,800, respectively. The Li L7 continues to be offered in three variants — Pro, Max and Ultra — with starting prices of RMB 301,800, RMB 329,800 and RMB 359,800. The Li L8 is also offered in Pro, Max and Ultra versions, priced from RMB 321,800 to RMB…

BYD has unveiled the Sealion 07 DM-i, a mid-to-large-size hybrid SUV and sibling to the all-electric Sealion 07 EV, expanding its Ocean series lineup. The new model is available in three variants priced at RMB 169,800 ($23,460), RMB 179,800, and RMB 205,800. It is built on BYD’s fifth-generation DM hybrid platform, known as DM 5.0, which was launched in May and promises enhanced fuel efficiency. See also: BYD Targets Doubling Overseas Sales by 2030 as Part of Global Push Measuring 4,880 mm in length with a 2,820 mm wheelbase, the Sealion 07 DM-i is powered by a 1.5T engine producing…

Uber plans to invest an additional $100 million in Chinese autonomous driving company WeRide, according to a report by Chinese media outlet Cailian citing sources familiar with the matter. The funding, expected to close in the coming months, would represent Uber’s largest investment in autonomous vehicle technology to date. WeRide, founded in 2017 and among China’s earliest developers of autonomous driving systems, listed on Nasdaq in October 2024. The company has partnered with Uber since September 2024 to integrate its robotaxi technology with the ride-hailing platform. See also: Pony.ai to Deploy Robotaxis on Uber Platform, Joining Wave of Chinese Autonomy…

Chinese electric vehicle maker Xpeng is considering an initial public offering (IPO) for its flying car subsidiary Xpeng Aeroht, according to a Bloomberg report citing people familiar with the matter. The company has reportedly invited banks to pitch for roles in the offering, which could take place in either Hong Kong or the United States. However, discussions are ongoing, and a final decision has not been made. Xpeng may opt for a different location or decide against proceeding with an IPO, the sources said. Asked for comment, Xpeng Aeroht told local media that it had “no specific releasable information at…