Author: Linda Ma

Chinese automakers unveiled a new wave of low-cost electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles at the Guangzhou Motor Show, underscoring the industry’s push to dominate the mass market for electrification as competition and price pressures intensify across the global auto sector. Several new models were introduced in the price range of 100,001 yuan to 150,000 yuan ($14,100–$21,100), a segment that has become the fastest-growing part of China’s new energy vehicle (NEV) market. According to Nikkei Asia, many of these models are being prepared for export, raising competitive pressure on Western automakers grappling with higher production costs and tightening emissions regulations. See…

IM Motors, the electric vehicle subsidiary of SAIC Motor, posted record monthly sales of 13,577 units in November, extending a three-month run of deliveries above 10,000 vehicles as demand strengthened following its shift toward range-extended powertrain technology. Sales at the brand have climbed sharply since it began prioritising extended-range electric vehicles (EREVs) alongside its battery-electric offerings. IM Motors currently markets a lineup that includes the IM L6 and L7 sedans, as well as the LS6 and LS7 sport utility vehicles. See also: IM Motors Launches IM6 Electric SUV in New Zealand as LS6 Expansion Continues The IM L6, launched in…

Huawei’s Harmony Intelligent Mobility Alliance (HIMA) posted record vehicle deliveries in November as momentum continued to build across its partner brands, highlighting the Chinese technology group’s deepening presence in the country’s rapidly evolving electric vehicle market. Models sold under the HIMA umbrella delivered 81,864 units in November, according to data released on Monday, surpassing the 80,000-unit mark for the first time and achieving a new monthly high for the third consecutive month. The figure represents an 89.61% increase from a year earlier and a 95.24% rise from October’s 68,216 units. See also: Luxeed Reportedly Developing First MPV Under Huawei’s HIMA…

Geely Galaxy said its A7 plug-in hybrid sedan reached 70,000 units in cumulative production on Nov. 25, only 110 days after the model’s market launch, underscoring the fast pace of demand in China’s mid-size hybrid segment. The company described the milestone as a segment record for delivery speed, following its broader achievement of surpassing one million cumulative vehicle sales. In a statement marking the event, the company said it had “rolled its 70,000th A7 sedan off the production line at the company’s Guiyang manufacturing hub.” See also: Geely Galaxy Launches 2026 Starship 7 EM-i Hybrid SUV, Targets BYD in China…

Nio is concentrating all efforts on boosting vehicle sales and achieving its first-ever quarterly profit in the fourth quarter, even as changing government policies weigh on demand across China’s auto market, its founder and chief executive William Li said during a media briefing. “There’s no ‘Plan B’ for achieving fourth-quarter profitability,” Li said at the company’s Shanghai headquarters, according to a Q&A transcript released by Chinese business outlet 21jingji. He added that the company would make every effort to meet the target. See also: Nio Marks 11th Anniversary as Cumulative Deliveries Near One Million Units The comments followed Nio’s third-quarter…

Hello Robotaxi, a subsidiary of AI-enabled mobility services company Hello Inc., has signed a memorandum of understanding with ComfortDelGro China to collaborate on the commercialisation and global rollout of autonomous mobility services, the companies said. ComfortDelGro China is part of Singapore-based transport operator ComfortDelGro. The agreement was formalised on Nov. 25 at the 15th Guangdong–Singapore Collaboration Council meeting. Under the partnership, Hello Robotaxi’s Level 4 autonomous driving system will be integrated into ComfortDelGro’s point-to-point mobility network, enabling robotaxis and conventional taxis to operate side by side through a jointly developed intelligent dispatch platform. The companies said the hybrid dispatching model…

A court in southern China has ordered two Xiaomi-linked companies to refund double a consumer’s vehicle deposit, in what is believed to be the country’s first legal ruling addressing the automaker’s practice of demanding full payment before vehicle inspection and delivery. The Haikou Meilan District People’s Court in Hainan province ruled that Haikou Xiaomi Jingming Technology Co., Ltd. and Xiaomi Jingming Technology Co., Ltd. must jointly return 10,000 yuan ($1,400) to a buyer identified as Ms Li within 10 days of the judgment taking effect, according to a report by Chinese media outlet Red Star, which cited court documents and…

Zhao Changjiang, the former head of sales for BYD’s premium Denza brand, has joined Luxeed as its marketing general manager, Chinese media outlet Jiemian reported on Wednesday, citing three people with knowledge of the matter. Luxeed is a new electric vehicle brand jointly developed by Huawei and Chery Automobile. Zhao later responded on China’s Weibo platform without directly confirming the report, saying he was still taking time off. “Thank you all for your concern. If there are any changes, I will be sure to share them with you all,” Zhao wrote. Born in 1986, Zhao was one of BYD’s youngest…

Xiaomi EV said it has started rolling out an enhanced version of its Hyper Autonomous Driving (HAD) driver assistance system to eligible vehicles, adding reinforcement learning algorithms and a so-called world model to refine driving behavior. In a post on Weibo, the company said the upgraded system is designed to continuously explore more optimal driving strategies through simulation and large-scale data training. Xiaomi said the world model enables simultaneous exploration of more than 100 driving routes, allowing the system to rapidly accumulate operational experience across a wide range of scenarios. See also: Xiaomi Hits 500,000-Vehicle Production Milestone, Sees Over 400,000…

Li Auto said it will begin deploying its in-house developed M100 smart driving chip in mass-produced vehicles next year, becoming the latest Chinese electric vehicle (EV) manufacturer to commercialise a proprietary autonomous driving processor following similar moves by Nio and Xpeng. The company disclosed the plan for the first time during its latest earnings call, officially naming the M100 as an AI inference chip. Li Auto said it is currently conducting large-scale system testing on vehicle controllers built around the chip, with commercial deployment targeted for next year. See also: Li Auto Revises Product and Overseas Strategy Amid Sales Slowdown…

Maextro, the premium automotive brand jointly developed by Huawei and Anhui Jianghuai Automobile Group Corp (JAC), plans to launch several new models next year as it steps up efforts to penetrate China’s luxury vehicle market, Chinese media outlet 36Kr reported. The brand is preparing to introduce both sport utility vehicle (SUV) and multi-purpose vehicle (MPV) models, each offered in standard and long-wheelbase variants, according to the report. In addition to the new SUV and MPV, Maextro is expected to release a higher-spec version of its only current model, the S800 sedan. Including the existing S800, the brand is projected to…

The U.S. Defense Department has concluded that Chinese companies Alibaba Group, Baidu and electric vehicle maker BYD should be added to a list of firms deemed to have links to China’s military, Bloomberg News reported. According to the report, Deputy Defense Secretary Stephen Feinberg informed U.S. lawmakers of the conclusion in a letter dated Oct. 7, weeks before Presidents Donald Trump and Xi Jinping reached a broad trade truce. It remains unclear whether the companies have formally been added to the Pentagon’s so-called Section 1260H list, which identifies Chinese companies considered to support the country’s military while operating in the…

WeRide reported one of its strongest quarters to date in the third quarter of 2025, posting significant operational and financial gains as the autonomous driving technology firm accelerated efforts to commercialize its services. Revenue climbed to 171 million yuan, up 144.3 percent from a year earlier, marking one of the company’s highest single-quarter increases since its founding, according to results released on November 24. The company said its Robotaxi division remained the key driver of growth, with autonomous ride-hailing revenue rising more than sevenfold year-on-year to 35.3 million yuan. WeRide described the division’s momentum as a sign of expanding demand…

SAIC Motor said its partner Qingtao Power has completed full-line commissioning of an all-solid-state battery production line in Anting, marking a key step in the automaker’s multiyear effort to industrialise next-generation cell technology. According to information reported by IT-Home, SAIC expects sample cells to be produced before the end of the year, with prototype vehicles to begin testing in 2025 and commercial deliveries planned for 2027. See also: Dongfeng Targets 2026 for Mass Production of 350 Wh/kg Solid-State Batteries The company has previously outlined ambitious performance targets for the solid-state chemistry, including a gravimetric energy density above 400 Wh/kg, volumetric…

BYD introduced the upgraded Tang L SUV — marketed overseas as the Atto 8 or Sealion 8 — at the 2025 Guangzhou Auto Show, unveiling six variants priced between 214,800 yuan (about 30,250 USD) and 274,800 yuan (around 38,620 USD) after subsidies. The model features both plug-in hybrid and fully electric options, according to industry outlet Y-Auto. The publication quoted BYD as saying the vehicle “combines cutting-edge electrification technology with a refined, culturally inspired design.” The refreshed Tang L continues BYD’s Dragon Face design language, updating its front “dragon whiskers” for a more fluid appearance. The D-pillar has been reshaped…

Zhuoyu Technology said on Friday it has secured more than RMB 3.6 billion in strategic funding from China FAW Group, a move that lifts its valuation to more than RMB 10 billion once the transaction is completed. The company said it will continue operating independently, keeping its management team, technology roadmap and brand strategy unchanged, while FAW will act as a strategic shareholder focused on business cooperation and resource coordination rather than direct oversight. FAW joins an existing group of investors that includes New Territory Technology Company Limited, BYD, Hengxu Capital and BAIC Capital, reflecting broad industry confidence in Zhuoyu’s…

Voyah, the premium electric vehicle unit of Dongfeng Motor, introduced a special edition of its Dream MPV at the 2025 Guangzhou auto show on Friday as the company seeks a stronger foothold in China’s high-end multi-purpose vehicle segment. The four-seat model, known as the Dream MPV Shanhe Edition, is priced from RMB 709,900 ($99,810), more than double the RMB 329,900 starting price of the seven-seat 2026 Dream MPV currently available. According to the company, the new variant incorporates exterior and interior upgrades, including a two-tone finish, revised wheels and a more upscale cabin. “A key selling point is its integration…

Onvo, a sub-brand of Nio, has introduced a limited-edition version of its L90 large electric SUV, expanding the brand’s recent product push alongside Nio’s main lineup and its Firefly division. The Onvo L90 Black Knight Edition debuted at the 2025 Guangzhou auto show, which opened on Thursday. Production is capped at 999 units, with deliveries scheduled to begin in early December. The model starts at RMB 306,800 ($43,140) including the battery pack, representing a RMB 41,000, or 15.43 percent, premium over the standard L90’s starting price of RMB 265,800. Under the Battery as a Service (BaaS) plan, the limited edition…

Dongfeng Moto announced at Huawei’s Qiankun ecosystem conference that its jointly developed automotive brand with Huawei will be named Yijing (奕境 in Chinese). The brand marks the first collaboration of its kind between a Chinese state-owned automaker and a technology company. Wang Junjun, general manager of Dongfeng eπ Automobile Technology, said Yijing’s first model is scheduled to debut at the Beijing auto show in April 2026, with the company planning to launch one new model annually. The brand’s official Weibo account was activated following the announcement, identifying the operational entity as Dongfeng eπ’s sales company. The new brand was previously…

Gotion High-tech  has started mass production of its Unified Cells for Volkswagen, with the first deliveries to the German automaker scheduled for November 20. The production marks a key milestone in the five-year strategic partnership between Volkswagen, its battery unit PowerCo, and Gotion. The Unified Cells are a standardized battery solution designed to accommodate multiple chemical systems and vehicle platforms. Gotion said the cells feature improvements in integration efficiency, fast-charging performance, safety, and low-temperature adaptability. “The delivered unified cells achieve world-class levels in energy density, safety performance, and cost control,” said Zhang Hongli, Gotion director and chairman of its Hefei…