Author: Linda Ma

NIO has reached a new milestone, with its cumulative battery swap service providing 20 million swaps. This achievement was announced on the company’s mobile app, and it took only nine months to double the number of swaps from 10 million to 20 million, with an average of 45,000 services provided daily. This increase demonstrates the popularity of NIO’s battery swap stations as a way for its customers to quickly recharge their EVs. NIO’s battery swap stations are becoming increasingly popular among its customers, and they now provide over 60% of the power the company delivers to its owners. The swap…

Tesla is set to begin large-scale testing of its Full Self-Driving (FSD) technology in China, according to local media reports. The move marks a significant development for the company, which has been seen as slow to progress in the autonomous driving space in China. The news comes just days after auto blogger Zheng Xiaokang claimed that Tesla China would soon release a major update to its Autopilot software, sparking speculation that it could be the company’s vision-only V11 software. Currently, all Tesla vehicles come with the Basic Autopilot (BAP) software as standard, while Enhanced Autopilot (EAP) and FSD software are…

Li Auto, the Chinese electric vehicle manufacturer, announced on Thursday that it had delivered 20,823 vehicles in March, marking the second time it had surpassed 20,000 deliveries since December 2020. The figures reflect a 25% increase over February’s deliveries and an 88.72% increase compared to March of last year. The company delivered a total of 52,584 vehicles in the first quarter of 2023, a 65.8% increase year-on-year, and a 13.53% increase from the previous quarter. These figures are slightly above the company’s previous guidance range of 52,000 to 55,000 deliveries for the first quarter. Li Auto’s cumulative deliveries, as of…

Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla, is reportedly planning a trip to China in the coming weeks, with the intention of meeting with Chinese Premier Li Qiang. According to sources familiar with the matter, this will be Musk’s first visit to China since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic. China is a crucial market for Tesla, accounting for around 22% of the company’s total revenue in 2022, which amounted to $18.1 billion. Tesla’s Shanghai plant, which produces the popular Model 3 sedan and the Model Y crossover, is the company’s largest production center. In 2022, Tesla delivered over 1.3 million…

Chinese tech giant Huawei’s partnership with Seres Group, a prominent automaker in China, continues to flourish as the latter launches yet another new energy vehicle (NEV) brand called Landian (蓝电). The brand was officially unveiled today, and its first model, the plug-in hybrid E5, was made available with technology from both Huawei and BYD. The launch was conducted through an online event. The Landian E5 is a mid-size SUV that comes in five- and seven-seat versions. It measures 4,760 mm in length, 1,865 mm in width, and 1,710 mm in height, and has a wheelbase of 2,785 mm. The car…

SAIC-GM-Wuling, one of the leading players in the Chinese mini electric vehicle (EV) market, has recently launched a new model, the Binguo. This EV model offers five versions with starting prices ranging from RMB 59,800 ($8,683) to RMB 83,800, offering Chinese consumers a budget-friendly and eco-friendly option. Binguo is an A0-class EV that boasts impressive dimensions. It measures 3,950 mm in length, 1,708 mm in width, and 1,580 mm in height, with a wheelbase of 2,560 mm. In comparison, Wuling’s current top-selling Hongguang Mini EV is substantially smaller, with a length, width and height of 2,920 mm, 1,493 mm and…

Cadillac has opened a new state-of-the-art design space for buyers of its new electric flagship, the Celestiq. The design space, located at the GM Global Technical Center campus in Warren, Michigan, will provide customers with a highly personalized and elevated design experience. The new facility, called Cadillac House at Vanderbilt, offers customers the opportunity to work directly with Celestiq designers and a concierge to create a one-of-a-kind commissioning experience. Each Celestiq is personally commissioned and tailored to reflect the owner’s tastes. Melissa Grady Dias, global chief marketing officer at Cadillac, said, “From start to finish, the process is meticulously curated,…

Chinese electric vehicle manufacturer, NIO, is set to begin deliveries of its ET5 sedan in Germany on March 31st, fulfilling the company’s previous promise to begin European deliveries of the sedan this month. As part of the launch, NIO is offering a first-mover campaign, with the first consumers to receive delivery of the ET5 eligible for a free NOMI Mate voice assistance system and electric folding trailer hitch, worth 1,800 euros. NIO staff will contact existing customers who have ordered the ET5 to adjust their orders to include the offer. The ET5, which starts at 47,500 euros in Germany (excluding…

Electric SUVs are the talk of the town, but the YangWang U8 is no ordinary vehicle. With a 1,100hp power output from its four electric motors, it already dwarfs its competition. But, that’s not all. The U8 has another statistic that makes it the most formidable electric SUV on the market: its size. Despite being a new brand, YangWang has launched the most powerful electric SUV to date, and now it turns out, it’s the biggest as well. At 5.3 meters, the U8 is nearly 20cm longer than the Mercedes EQS SUV, nearly 40cm longer than the BMW iX, and…

HiPhi, the luxury electric car brand, is set to unveil its latest vehicle, the HiPhi Y, at the upcoming Shanghai Auto Show in April. The HiPhi Y will be the smallest and cheapest model yet from the Chinese automaker, and it is also set to be released in global markets, including Europe. The HiPhi Y is a departure from the brand’s earlier models, the HiPhi X and the HiPhi Z, which are high-end electric vehicles with price tags of over $80,000. The HiPhi Y, on the other hand, is designed to be less expensive, with the aim of selling in…

China’s fuel cell vehicle (FCV) market has experienced remarkable growth in recent years, with the compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of FCV sales reaching 32.3% during the 2016-2022 period. Luo Junjie, Executive Vice President of the China Machinery Industry Federation, announced on Tuesday at a press conference that about 10,300 FCVs were sold in China during this period. FCVs use hydrogen gas to generate electricity to run their motors, making them a type of electric vehicle. China has been actively promoting the development of the hydrogen energy industry and has implemented numerous policies to attract more investment in the sector,…

Denza, the premium new energy vehicle (NEV) brand under BYD, is gearing up to launch two new SUVs in the near future. While Denza has been focusing on marketing its N7 model earlier this month, the brand has already started promoting the N8 model on social media platforms such as Weibo. The Denza N8 is expected to carry over much of the design of the discontinued Denza X, which measures 4,890mm in length, 1,950mm in width, and 1,725mm in height, with a wheelbase of 2,820mm. The N8 will be a mid to large-size SUV and will be available in 5-,…

Li Auto, a Chinese new energy vehicle company, announced on March 25 that its assisted driving system has accumulated over 550 million kilometers of total mileage, with its Navigate on Autopilot (NOA) feature exceeding one billion kilometers. The company’s NOA users have also surpassed 250,000. Li Auto highlighted the importance of its automatic emergency braking (AEB) function, which has been triggered more than 122,000 times over the past three years, providing strong protection for drivers’ safety. Li Auto continues to invest heavily in research and development, independently developing core components such as range extenders and XCU central domain controllers. The…

China’s DeepWay, a smart commercial vehicle developer and manufacturer, recently announced that it has raised CNY 770m ($117m) in a Series A+ financing round led by Shandong Weiqiao Pioneering Group and SB China Venture Capital, with participation from existing investors, including Qiming Venture Partners. The company plans to use the new round of financing to manufacture smart electric heavy-duty trucks and develop intelligent driving systems to ensure mass production and high-quality delivery of DeepWay trucks, further consolidating the company’s leadership position in the smart electric heavy truck market. With the funding, DeepWay aims to become a vital player and promoter…

Chinese electric vehicle (EV) maker NIO has partnered with Norwegian smart energy provider Tibber to enhance the charging experience of NIO customers in Europe. The partnership will enable NIO customers in Norway, Germany, Sweden, and the Netherlands to connect their vehicles to Tibber’s app through a dynamic power contract. Tibber offers a range of services, including real-time energy prices, energy use tracking, and the ability to control the charging of EVs during hours when electricity prices are at their lowest. The Tibber App’s Smart Charging feature can be used with any wallbox, including NIO’s Power Home 3.0. According to the…

Didi Chuxing, the popular Chinese ride-hailing company, has announced the launch of its autonomous driving services in the Huadu district of Guangzhou, Guangdong province. The move aims to tap into the rapidly growing market of autonomous vehicles in China. Using WeChat’s mini-programs, customers can now ride in Didi’s autonomous vehicles and pay based on distance and usage time. According to Li Jian, an officer in charge of the company’s autonomous driving business, the vehicles have achieved multiple levels of safety by installing around 50 high-performance sensors in both onboard and remote assistance systems. See also: Baidu Secures Permit to Launch…

CATL has signed a 450 MWh supply agreement with US battery storage project developer HGP. Under the deal, CATL will provide HGP with the EnerC, an outdoor premade pod system that offers high safety, long life, and high integration for a variety of weather extremes. The battery storage project will be deployed in Texas and is expected to begin commercial operations in 2024. The partnership between CATL and HGP will leverage the strengths of both companies in battery technology and energy infrastructure and storage resource development to provide a more convenient solution for the market. This will help meet the…

Nine years after its first vehicle entered the Chinese market, Tesla has announced that deliveries of the new Model S and Model X have begun in mainland China. While the company’s China website shows expected delivery dates for both models in the second quarter, Tesla has confirmed the start of deliveries through a post on Weibo. Despite not providing additional information on Weibo, Tesla did announce the prices of the new Model S and Model X on January 6, which are not produced locally in China. This announcement came at the same time as the company significantly reduced the prices…

Chinese electric vehicle manufacturer NIO has launched trial operations of its third-generation battery swapping station, Power Swap Station 3.0, in China. The move is part of Nio’s efforts to make battery swapping a more viable alternative to rival EV makers’ rapid-charging technology. The new stations are faster and more efficient, and can store up to 21 battery packs each. According to Shen Fei, Nio senior vice president for power management, the station can speed up battery swapping to less than five minutes, and reduce the service cost per swap. Nio has set a target of having 2,300 battery swapping stations…

Aion, a Chinese automaker best known for producing cheap and cheerful EVs targeted at younger customers, has just entered the hypercar market with its first electric vehicle – the Hyper SSR. Boasting a 900 kW (1,225 hp) powertrain and a lightning-fast 0 to 100 km/h spring time of just 1.9 seconds, this dramatic-looking vehicle has the potential to compete with the fastest electric cars in the world. The Hyper SSR is set to be a halo vehicle for the Aion brand, with the company hoping to sell more upmarket electric cars as part of its new strategy. While Aion has…