Author: Linda Ma

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…