Author: Linda Ma

China’s BYD reported a rebound in new energy vehicle (NEV) sales in March as the country’s auto market emerged from the seasonal slowdown at the start of the year. The company sold 377,420 NEVs in March, marking a 24.78% increase from a year earlier and a 16.90% rise from February, according to data released Today. See also: BYD Teases New e7 Electric Sedan Amid Wave of Model Launches BYD ceased production and sales of internal combustion engine-only vehicles in March 2022 and has since focused on plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) and battery electric vehicles (BEVs). Passenger NEV sales reached…

Li Auto  reported delivering 36,674 vehicles in March, marking a 26.53% increase from the same month last year and a 39.64% rise from February, according to data released today. This brings the company’s first-quarter deliveries to 92,864 vehicles, aligning closely with its earlier guidance range of 88,000 to 93,000 vehicles.​ See also: Li Auto to Open-Source Halo OS, Challenging Industry Standard AUTOSAR “Li Auto’s L series, a key contributor to the company’s rapid profitability and breakthrough of the RMB 100 billion revenue mark, is expected to achieve the milestone of delivering its 1 millionth vehicle soon,” the company stated.​ As…

Chinese new energy vehicle (NEV) manufacturer Leapmotor reported a significant rise in vehicle deliveries for March, with 37,095 units delivered, marking a 154.65% increase from the same period last year, the company said on Monday. First-quarter deliveries reached 87,552 units, up 162.05% year-on-year, as the company gained momentum following a traditionally slow start to the year. “The company’s C-series models have already achieved monthly sales of more than 40,000 units, and the future B-series models will be even higher,” Leapmotor said in a media interview after its latest model launch event. See also: Stellantis and Leapmotor Eye $200 Million Investment…

Chinese automaker Chery on Wednesday denied reports that it plans to invest $1 billion in an electric vehicle (EV) production facility in Turkey, contradicting an earlier announcement from the Turkish government. The Turkish presidency stated that Chery would establish a manufacturing plant in the Black Sea province of Samsun with an annual production capacity of 200,000 EVs. The announcement followed a video of Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan presenting a “certificate of appreciation” to Chery International President Guibing Zhang for the alleged investment. Bloomberg initially reported the news. See also: China’s Chery Files for Hong Kong IPO to Fund Expansion, R&D…

Nio  has commenced deliveries of its executive flagship sedan, the ET9, marking the introduction of its most expensive model to date. The inaugural vehicle was delivered to Fang Hongbo, chairman and CEO of Chinese home appliance giant Midea Group, in Foshan, Guangdong. Nio’s founder and CEO, William Li, personally handed over the vehicle.​ “I test drove it a few months ago and it impressed me,” Fang remarked, highlighting the vehicle’s spaciousness and intelligence. “Especially its sense of space, its cabin has a sense of a business jet, and it is also very intelligent.” See also: Nio Targets Fourth-Quarter Profitability, Expands…

Chinese electric vehicle maker Xpeng has delivered over 40,000 units of its P7+ electric sedan within four months of its launch, the company’s chairman and CEO, He Xiaopeng, said on social media. The milestone highlights strong demand for the mid-to-large-size sedan, with approximately one-third of buyers switching from gasoline-powered vehicles, He noted in a Weibo post. See also: Xpeng Plans at Least Five Extended-Range EV Models as Hybrid Market Expands  The latest figure suggests that Xpeng delivered 7,153 P7+ units so far this month, following cumulative deliveries of 32,847 at the end of February. Launched on November 7, 2024, the…

Nio has entered a strategic partnership with a state-owned enterprise backed by Beijing’s Changping district government to construct 100 battery swap stations, the electric vehicle (EV) maker said on Wednesday. Nio signed the agreement with Future Science City Group, which is majority-owned by the Changping District State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission. The deal focuses on developing a green energy battery swap network, according to Nio co-founder and president Li Hong Qin. See also: Nio Plans Share Issuance to Raise Capital Amid Financial Pressures “Last week, we reached a strategic cooperation with CATL on battery swapping to build the world’s…

BYD will bring its first 1,000-kW charging stations online next month, as the automaker prepares for the official launch of its Han L sedan and Tang L SUV, a company executive said on Thursday. The ultrafast chargers, first unveiled on March 17, can add 2 kilometers of range per second or 400 kilometers in five minutes, BYD said at the time. The company is planning to deploy 4,000 of these stations, with an initial batch of 500 set to be operational by early April. See also: BYD Targets 5.5 Million Vehicle Sales in 2025, Aims for 92% Overseas Growth “Some…

China’s Geely Group is consolidating its digital cockpit development teams from Zeekr, Lynk & Co, and Geely Auto into a single unit, a move aimed at enhancing efficiency and reducing costs, a source familiar with the matter told Reuters. The restructuring brings together nearly 2,000 engineers who had previously worked separately on digital cockpit systems for the three brands. The company has taken similar steps in recent months by integrating its smart driving research and development teams. See also: Geely Galaxy Cuts Prices on Updated LEVC L380 MPV, Expands Variant Lineup “Geely is optimizing internal resources to enhance synergies in…

Chinese electric vehicle (EV) manufacturer Nio announced on Thursday that it plans to issue up to 118.8 million class A ordinary shares in offshore transactions to non-U.S. investors, as the company looks to raise funds following financial challenges highlighted in its fourth-quarter earnings report. Nio said it intends to use the proceeds from the offering for research and development in EV technologies and new products, as well as for strengthening its balance sheet and other general corporate purposes. However, the company noted that there is no assurance the equity placement will be completed. Following the announcement, Nio’s American Depositary Shares…

Xiaomi, known for its high-performance electric vehicles, is now emphasizing safety, with CEO Lei Jun demonstrating the resilience of its SU7 Ultra EV’s battery armor in an unconventional way—by dropping a watermelon wrapped in the material from a six-story building. In a video shared on Jun’s social media accounts, the Xiaomi chief conducted the test at the company’s EV division in Beijing. Three watermelons were dropped—one encased in Xiaomi’s “bulletproof” battery coating, which the company claims offers superior resistance to punctures, abrasions, and impacts. The demonstration is aimed at showcasing the enhanced safety performance of Xiaomi’s EV batteries, particularly in…

BYD has officially introduced the Qin L EV, a pure electric sedan built on its e-Platform 3.0 Evo vehicle architecture. Designed to appeal to young buyers, the model comes standard with free driver assistance features and advanced smart driving capabilities. Dimensions and Design The Qin L EV measures 4,720 mm in length, 1,880 mm in width, and 1,495 mm in height, with a wheelbase of 2,820 mm. By comparison, Tesla’s Model 3, a key competitor in China, shares the same length but has a slightly narrower width of 1,848 mm and a lower height of 1,442 mm, with a longer…

Volkswagen Group and China’s FAW Group have signed a strategic cooperation agreement at the German automaker’s Wolfsburg headquarters, outlining FAW-Volkswagen’s model strategy for the coming years, Volkswagen said on Friday. The joint venture plans to launch 11 new models from 2026, covering the Volkswagen and Jetta brands, and establishing a product roadmap through 2030, Volkswagen said in a statement. Among the planned vehicles, 10 will be new energy vehicles (NEVs), including six battery electric vehicle (BEV) models, two plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) models, and two extended-range electric vehicle (EREV) models. See also: JAC Motors and Volkswagen China Plan Capital…

Chinese technology giant Xiaomi has recruited at least five senior executives from leading automakers, including Germany’s BMW Group, as it advances plans to establish an electric vehicle (EV) research and development centre in Europe, according to LinkedIn posts. Xiaomi, the world’s third-largest smartphone maker, entered the EV market last year with the launch of its SU7 sedan, marking a shift from its core business of smartphones and smart home appliances. Since December, the company has outpaced Tesla’s Model 3 in sales in China, positioning itself as a key disruptor in the domestic automotive sector. Xiaomi President Lu Weibing said this…

Zeekr reported strong financial results for the fourth quarter of 2024, with record vehicle deliveries and a reduced net loss. The Chinese electric vehicle (EV) manufacturer recorded revenue of RMB 22.78 billion ($3.12 billion), reflecting a 39.2% increase year-on-year and a 24.1% rise from the previous quarter. The company delivered 79,250 vehicles during the quarter, nearly doubling from the same period in 2023 and marking a 44.08% increase from the third quarter. The growth was primarily driven by higher deliveries of new models, particularly the Zeekr 7X. Revenue from vehicle sales climbed 82.2% year-on-year to RMB 19.3 billion, despite a…

Shanghai and Hefei will introduce financial incentives for battery swap stations starting April 1, 2025, a move that is expected to strengthen the adoption of battery-swapping technology, particularly benefiting electric vehicle maker Nio. Shanghai’s newly announced policy will provide a 40% investment subsidy for swap stations that accommodate multiple vehicle brands, while those limited to a single brand will receive a 20% subsidy. See also: Nio Reports Nearly 100,000 Daily Battery Swaps in February Amid Holiday Travel Surge Additionally, energy supplied at these stations will be subsidized, and taxi drivers who primarily use battery swapping will be eligible for a…

Honda’s sales in China fell 30.9% in 2024, totaling 852,269 units, marking the first time in nearly a decade that the Japanese automaker has sold fewer than 1 million vehicles in the country. The decline comes amid rising competition from domestic brands and waning demand for internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles. In response, Honda is scaling back production at its Guangdong engine plant and accelerating its transition to electric vehicles (EVs). See also: Honda S7 Electric SUV Launched in China, Priced from $36,000 China’s new energy vehicle (NEV) market—which includes battery electric vehicles (BEVs), plug-in hybrids (PHEVs), and fuel cell…

Nio  announced that it will release its unaudited financial results for the fourth quarter and full year ending December 31, 2024, on Friday, March 21, 2025, before U.S. markets open. The company’s management is set to host an earnings conference call at 8:00 AM U.S. Eastern Time (8:00 PM Beijing/Hong Kong/Singapore Time) on the same day. Interested parties can access a live and archived webcast of the call on NIO’s investor relations website. In the fourth quarter of 2024, NIO achieved record deliveries, totaling 72,689 vehicles. This figure aligns with the company’s projected guidance of 72,000 to 75,000 vehicles, marking…

China’s new energy vehicle (NEV) sales declined in February compared to January, though at a reduced rate, as the country’s automotive sector continues to navigate shifting market dynamics. Retail sales of passenger NEVs reached 686,000 units last month, marking a 79.7% increase from a year earlier but a 7.8% drop from January, data from the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA) showed on Monday. The figure was slightly below the 720,000-unit preliminary estimate released on March 5 but higher than an earlier forecast of 600,000 units. See also: Tesla China Delivers 26,777 EVs Locally in February, Down 11.16% Year-on-Year Battery electric…

Denza, the premium brand of China’s BYD, will officially launch its latest SUV, the N9, on March 21, following a month of pre-sales, the company announced on Weibo. Denza, which began previewing the N9 in October 2024, said it will hold a launch event in Shenzhen, where BYD is headquartered. “The Denza N9 will reshape the value of luxury flagship SUVs to a new benchmark,” the company stated on Weibo. See also: Everything You Should Know About Denza N9 The N9, a six-seater hybrid, measures 5,258 mm in length, 2,030 mm in width, and 1,830 mm in height, with a…