Author: Linda Ma

Shares of Chinese electric vehicle maker Xpeng gained nearly 8% in Hong Kong trading on Monday after the company set a launch timeline for its first hybrid model, the X9 EREV, boosting investor expectations for sales growth. The stock rose 7.94% to HK$85.65, its highest level in almost five months, bringing its gains this month to 19%. The advance came after the extended-range version of Xpeng’s X9 multi-purpose vehicle was listed in China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology’s regulatory filing catalog, signalling an upcoming market debut. The X9 EREV, described as the company’s first super hybrid model, is scheduled…

China’s retail sales of passenger new energy vehicles (NEVs) fell back below 1 million units in July, with hybrid models recording their first year-on-year decline since tracking began, according to data released by the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA). July passenger NEV retail sales totaled 987,000 units, representing a 12.0 percent increase from the same month last year but an 11.2 percent decrease compared to June. This figure was below earlier CPCA estimates, which had forecast retail sales just above the 1 million mark. The data marks a retreat from May and June’s rebounds that pushed sales above 1 million…

An autonomous vehicle operated by Baidu’s Apollo Go robotaxi service fell into a deep construction pit in southwestern China while carrying a passenger, local media reported on Friday, sparking renewed discussion about the safety of self-driving cars. The incident occurred on Wednesday in Chongqing, according to reports from the Southern Metropolis Daily and Huashang Newspaper. A female passenger was uninjured and was rescued by nearby residents using a ladder. Videos circulating on Chinese social media showed a white vehicle bearing the Baidu Apollo logo at the bottom of what appeared to be a construction trench. A local shop owner told…

Chinese electric vehicle maker Leapmotor will introduce an all-wheel-drive version of its C10 compact SUV in Europe this autumn, featuring 800-volt technology and a dual-motor setup delivering 430 kW of power. The performance variant, available exclusively in the ‘Design’ trim, can accelerate from zero to 100 kph in four seconds. The new variant is powered by two electric motors — one on each axle — and is expected to weigh over two tonnes. It represents a major upgrade from the 400-volt architecture used in previous European C10 models. The 800-volt system is designed to improve charging performance, enabling the battery…

Li Auto shares dropped 5.3% to HK$97.35 in Hong Kong trading on Tuesday, extending their decline to 21.8% since July 21 and pushing the stock into a technical bear market. The fall comes despite the official launch of the Li i8, the company’s first all-electric SUV. The Li i8 debuted on July 29 with three variants—Pro, Max and Ultra—priced between RMB 321,800 and RMB 369,800. The starting price was cut by more than 8% from the company’s initial estimate, a common tactic in China’s competitive auto market, but analysts said the model faced pricing pressure from rival products, including Nio’s…

Nio Inc’s premium small electric vehicle brand, Firefly, will begin its first deliveries in Europe on August 14, starting in Norway and the Netherlands. The rollout marks the brand’s initial step toward building overseas sales, with additional markets expected to follow later this year. The launch coincides with the 10th anniversary of Nio’s global design center in Munich, which has played a central role in shaping the company’s European strategy. Over the past decade, the Chinese EV maker has entered five European markets — Norway, Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden, and Denmark — while developing an ecosystem that includes products, services,…

China’s Dongfeng Motor has unveiled a new strategy to accelerate its transition toward high-tech electric vehicles, with plans to launch solid-state battery models capable of delivering up to 1,000 kilometers of driving range by 2026. The move comes as the automaker consolidates its eπ, Fengshen, and Nano brands into a new subsidiary, Dongfeng eπ Technology. The reorganization, announced during a company event in Wuhan, establishes two distinct product pillars under Dongfeng Motor. Dongfeng eπ will focus on advanced new-energy vehicles, while Dongfeng Fengshen will continue to develop internal combustion engine and hybrid models. The strategy is aimed at strengthening the…

Chinese battery makers CATL and BYD strengthened their dominance in the global electric vehicle (EV) battery market in the first half of 2025, as overall installations climbed by more than a third, data from SNE Research. Global EV battery installations reached 504.4 gigawatt hours (GWh) in January-June, up 37.3% from 367.4 GWh in the same period last year. CATL led the market with 190.9 GWh, a 37.9% share, up from 37.7% a year earlier. BYD followed with 89.9 GWh, giving it 17.8% of the market, up from 15.4% in the first half of 2024. South Korea’s LG Energy Solution ranked…

SAIC Motor’s electric vehicle unit IM Motors has launched its first extended-range electric vehicle (EREV) system, as automakers compete to attract Chinese consumers seeking long-range alternatives to battery-only models. The system, named Hengxing, features a 66-kWh battery pack offering up to 450 km on the China Light-Duty Vehicle Test Cycle (CLTC) and supports 800-volt high-voltage fast charging. When fully fueled and charged, the vehicle’s total range can reach 1,500 km. IM Motors said the design provides up to three times the range of certain comparable battery electric vehicles (BEVs) with similar battery capacity. The battery, supplied by CATL, is the…

Zeekr Group said on Friday it delivered 44,193 vehicles in July 2025, representing a 19.7% increase from a year earlier and a 2.7% rise from June. The figure includes deliveries across both its Zeekr and Lynk & Co brands. The Zeekr brand accounted for 16,977 units, while Lynk & Co delivered 27,216 units in the month. The company also reported surpassing 2 million cumulative users. See also: Geely to Launch Five New Hybrid Models in H2 2025 The update follows a series of developments in July, including the introduction of Zeekr’s Super Hybrid Technologies on July 9. Built on the…

Onvo, the sub-brand of Chinese electric vehicle maker Nio, officially unveiled its L90 full-size SUV, entering the mainstream family SUV segment with a model featuring luxury-level specifications, advanced powertrain technologies, and an emphasis on spaciousness and comfort. The vehicle starts at 179,800 yuan ($25,000) under Nio’s battery-as-a-service (BaaS) plan. The L90 is built on a 900V high-voltage architecture and features the same rear electric motor used in Nio’s premium ET9 model. The rear-wheel-drive version offers a driving range of up to 605 km under China’s CLTC cycle, while the all-wheel-drive version reaches 570 km. Onvo says the L90 can charge…

BYD has introduced its compact electric SUV, the Yuan Up, to the Malaysian market under the name Atto 2, marking the model’s global debut in a right-hand drive configuration. The vehicle went on sale in Malaysia on July 24, the company announced on Tuesday. The Atto 2 is offered in a single Premium variant with a starting price of 100,000 Malaysian Ringgit ($23,630). It features a 51.13-kWh lithium iron phosphate battery, delivering a New European Driving Cycle (NEDC) range of 410 kilometers—exceeding the battery capacity of its Chinese and European counterparts. BYD said the model launch builds on the company’s…