Author: Linda Ma

Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. Ltd. (CATL) has broadened the use of its battery technology beyond electric vehicles and aircraft with the debut of China’s first all-electric tourist passenger ship, the Yujian 77, which set sail in Xiamen Bay on July 25. The 49-meter vessel was jointly developed by CATL and its partners and is equipped with the company’s marine battery system. According to CATL, the operation of the ship demonstrates the practicality of using pure electric propulsion for short-distance maritime travel while delivering a zero-emission and low-noise passenger experience. The ship features CATL’s Cell To Pack (CTP) technology and integrated…

WeRide has received a permit from Shanghai’s municipal government to operate Level 4 (L4) autonomous Robotaxi services in the city’s Pudong New Area, the company said on Saturday. The permit was announced during the 2025 World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC). The approval allows WeRide, in collaboration with Chery Group and Jinjiang Taxi, to launch fully regulation-compliant Robotaxi ride-hailing services on public roads in Shanghai. This marks WeRide’s entry into its tenth city worldwide, following operations in cities across China, the Middle East, and Europe. As part of WAIC 2025, the partners also launched a mass-produced, pre-installed L4 Robotaxi shuttle service…

BYD’s premium brand Denza is preparing to launch its new plug-in hybrid SUV, the N8L, in the second quarter of 2026, Chinese automotive news outlet Yiche reported Friday. The upcoming model will join the Denza N9 in targeting the high-end sport utility vehicle segment. The Denza N8L is a six-seat plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) that entered the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology’s (MIIT) catalog in May, revealing specifications such as a length of 5,200 mm, width of 1,999 mm, and a height of either 1,820 or 1,990 mm, with a wheelbase of 3,075 mm. The model is powered…

Chinese electric vehicle manufacturer Xpeng has begun localized production in Indonesia, delivering its first domestically assembled X9 multi-purpose vehicle (MPV) and launching its overseas localization strategy. The announcement was made at the 2025 Gaikindo Indonesia International Auto Show (GIIAS), where Xpeng confirmed the milestone marks the company’s first localized assembly operation outside China. The X9, a right-hand drive model, was assembled in Indonesia through a Completely Knocked Down (CKD) production process, which involves importing disassembled vehicle kits for local assembly. https://twitter.com/XPengMotors/status/1948020756983476643 Alongside the X9, Xpeng also exhibited its G6 sport utility vehicle, the company’s flying car prototype, and the humanoid…

Chinese electric vehicle maker Leapmotor will collaborate with state-owned FAW Group to co-develop new EV models based on Leapmotor’s B platform, with a focus on overseas markets, local media outlet Jiemian reported, citing unnamed sources familiar with the matter. The cooperation, the first publicly detailed report since the companies signed a strategic memorandum in March, resembles the structure of Leapmotor’s existing partnership with Stellantis, according to the report. Leapmotor and FAW signed the agreement on March 3 in Changchun, Jilin province, aiming to jointly develop new energy passenger vehicles and collaborate on key components. FAW had previously considered acquiring a…

Chinese battery manufacturer Svolt Energy is set to launch trial production of its first-generation semi-solid-state batteries in the fourth quarter of 2025, with plans to supply the 140 Ah cells to BMW’s Mini brand starting in 2027, according to Chinese media reports citing company chairman Yang Hongxin. The semi-solid-state batteries, which use a hybrid electrolyte combining both solid and liquid elements, are expected to deliver enhanced safety and energy density compared to conventional lithium-ion cells. Svolt’s first-generation cells will offer an energy density of 300 Wh/kg in a soft-pack format, while a second-generation version aims for 360 Wh/kg, according to…

Chinese electric vehicle (EV) manufacturer Nio said on Tuesday it has produced its 800,000th mass-produced vehicle, a key milestone in its growth strategy as it gears up for the official launch of the Onvo L90 SUV later this month. The 800,000th vehicle, an L90 SUV under its new mass-market sub-brand Onvo, was assembled at Nio’s F1 facility in Hefei, Anhui province, the company said in a statement. Deliveries of the L90 are scheduled to begin on August 1, following its official launch on July 31. See also: Nio Battery Swaps Surpass 80 Million as Network Expands Across China https://twitter.com/NIOGlobal/status/1948230297822138802 “The…

IM Motors, the electric vehicle unit of SAIC Motor, is preparing to launch its first extended-range electric vehicle (EREV) system, with a formal unveiling scheduled for August 1. The move signals the brand’s entry into the hybrid EV segment, following a broader trend among Chinese automakers adapting to evolving consumer preferences. The company’s new extended-range powertrain, described as a “super extended-range” system, is designed to deliver significantly longer driving distances through high-capacity batteries. The upgraded IM LS6 and an all-new six-seat SUV, the IM LS9, will be the first models equipped with the technology. These vehicles are expected to enter…

U.S.-listed shares of Zeekr Group, the electric vehicle brand backed by Geely, fell more than 4% in pre-market trading on Monday, following reports alleging the company had overstated its sales figures in recent years. Reuters reported on Sunday that Zeekr had been insuring unsold “0-kilometer used vehicles” in order to record them as sales ahead of actual transactions. The approach reportedly enabled the automaker to meet internal sales targets, as official figures are often derived from insurance registration data in China. See also: Geely to Take Zeekr Private at $6.83 Billion Valuation The practice was first highlighted by China Securities…

Nio said that its battery swap service has surpassed 80 million cumulative uses in China, reaching the milestone less than four months after hitting the 70 million mark in April. The electric vehicle (EV) manufacturer reported an average of approximately 97,000 battery swaps per day so far in July. According to the company, a vehicle currently completes a battery swap at one of its stations every 0.88 seconds. Nio operates 3,405 battery swap stations in China, including 1,000 located along major highways. Since the launch of its first swap station in Shenzhen in 2018, the network has delivered more than…

China has introduced new restrictions on the export of battery cathode material preparation technologies, including those related to lithium iron phosphate (LFP) and lithium manganese iron phosphate (LMFP), citing growing applications in sensitive sectors and the need to align development with national security objectives. The updated regulations, announced Tuesday by the Ministry of Commerce, were added to the country’s Catalogue of Technologies Prohibited and Restricted from Export from China and took immediate effect. Exporters must now obtain official licences before transferring such technologies abroad. “Battery cathode material preparation technology is increasingly being used in sensitive fields,” a spokesperson for the…

Li Auto’s second all-electric SUV, the Li i6, has been included in China’s latest list of new energy vehicles (NEVs) eligible for purchase tax exemptions, a key regulatory step ahead of the model’s planned market debut in September. According to the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT), the Li i6 will come with a single battery option rated at 87.3 kWh and weighing either 622.8 or 620.0 kilograms, depending on configuration. The vehicle will offer three range variants under the China Light-Duty Vehicle Test Cycle (CLTC): 660 km, 710 km, and 720 km. The five-seat, two-row electric SUV measures…