Author: Linda Ma

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…

Zeekr said its Zeekr 9X large hybrid SUV has exceeded 10,000 deliveries in under two months following its September 29 launch. The model, Zeekr’s first hybrid offering, has attracted luxury vehicle consumers, with an average selling price of RMB 538,000 ($75,640), the company said. The six-seat full-size SUV starts at RMB 465,900, with an effective starting price of RMB 455,900 after a limited-time RMB 10,000 trade-in discount. Measuring 5,239 mm in length, 2,019 mm in width, and 1,819 mm in height, with a 3,169 mm wheelbase, the Zeekr 9X ranks among the largest vehicles currently available in China’s market. The…

Xiaomi said it has produced its 500,000th vehicle, marking a rapid expansion in its automotive business less than two years after its first model entered mass production. The company announced the milestone on Weibo, describing it as “a new starting point” as it works to establish a foothold in China’s highly competitive electric-vehicle market. “We will continue our efforts in the future and thank all owners for their support,” Xiaomi EV wrote in its post. See also: Xiaomi’s EV and AI Businesses Turn Profitable for First Time as Quarterly Deliveries Hit Record Founder and CEO Lei Jun told employees at…

QCraft has entered a strategic partnership with Chery Commercial Vehicles to jointly develop mass-production Level-4 autonomous logistics vehicles, the companies said on Friday. The collaboration aims to combine QCraft’s software and self-driving capabilities with Chery’s large-scale manufacturing and international market reach to accelerate deployment of driverless delivery fleets in urban logistics networks. Under the agreement, the partners will build an automotive-grade commercial autonomous-driving platform positioned to enhance brand development, product performance and service expansion. Their first jointly developed model is already undergoing pilot operations in several Chinese cities, including Suzhou, Jinhua and Wuhu, with nationwide and overseas rollouts planned. For…

Ford Motor has launched pre-sales in China for its electric Bronco, signalling a renewed effort by the US automaker to strengthen its position in the world’s largest electric vehicle (EV) market. Pre-sale pricing for the electric Bronco starts at RMB 229,800 ($32,320), with the model offered in both extended-range electric vehicle (EREV) and battery electric vehicle (BEV) configurations. The project is being led by Ford China rather than its joint ventures, Changan Ford and Jiangling Ford, although Jiangling Group has promoted the model on social media. Ford is offering three EREV variants at RMB 229,800, RMB 249,800 and RMB 272,800…

Nio has delivered its 300,000th ES6, the company said on Tuesday, a day after introducing a Milestone Edition of the electric SUV to commemorate the achievement. The ES6 reached the milestone in mid-November, with Nio co-founder and president Qin Lihong handing over the first batch of Milestone Edition vehicles to customers, according to a statement on the company’s Weibo account. The variant is priced from RMB 349,800 ($49,190) including a 100-kWh battery pack, a RMB 11,800, or 3.49%, premium over the standard ES6. See also: Nio Halts Production of 150 kWh Semi-Solid-State Battery Packs Amid Weak Demand The launch follows…

GAC Group and Alibaba Cloud have agreed to expand their collaboration into full-stack artificial intelligence, signing a new strategic cooperation pact on November 14. The initiative pairs GAC Group’s automotive manufacturing capabilities with Alibaba Cloud’s AI and cloud computing resources to build next-generation digital infrastructure for the auto industry and advance the use of AI across vehicle development, production, services, and daily operations. Under the agreement, GAC Group will adopt Alibaba Cloud’s infrastructure and Qwen-series large language models to develop an AI-based operating system covering the entire value chain, including R&D, factory operations, sales activities, internal management systems, and customer-facing…

Xiaomi EV, the electric vehicle unit of Xiaomi, will introduce an upgraded version of its driver-assistance technology at the 2025 Guangzhou auto show, marking the company’s latest advancement following a significant software update in July. The company said it will debut the Enhanced Edition of its Xiaomi HAD (Hyper Autonomous Driving) system on November 21 at 9:00 a.m. Beijing time. The event will coincide with the opening day of the 23rd Guangzhou International Automobile Exhibition, which will run through November 30. Media Day is scheduled for November 21, with public admission beginning November 22. See also: Xiaomi’s SU7 Wait Times…

Geely Auto reported a sharp rise in third-quarter earnings after strong vehicle sales pushed revenue to a new high, according to a filing with the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. The company posted net income attributable to shareholders of RMB 3.82 billion ($538 million), up 59% from a year earlier, while quarterly revenue increased 27% to a record RMB 89.2 billion. See also: Geely Galaxy Launches Starshine 6 Hybrid Sedan with Aggressive Pricing to Boost Market Share The carmaker sold 761,009 vehicles in the third quarter, a 42.5% year-on-year rise and almost 8% higher than the previous quarter, according to data…

Nio has introduced a new Milestone Edition of its ES6 electric SUV as the model approaches a cumulative delivery landmark of 300,000 units. The company confirmed earlier that the 300,000th ES6 rolled off the production line on November 1, marking a key achievement for one of its long-running bestsellers. See also: Mirattery, Nio’s Battery Asset Arm, Raises $94 Million in Series C Financing The ES6 Milestone Edition is priced from RMB 349,800, which includes a 100-kWh battery pack and reflects a modest premium over the standard ES6’s starting price of RMB 338,000. Under Nio’s Battery as a Service (BaaS) model,…