Author: Linda Ma

Zeekr, Geely’s premium electric vehicle (EV) brand, has commenced the delivery of its latest production vehicle, the Zeekr X, to customers in China. The Zeekr X was officially launched two months ago, and the company announced the successful delivery of the vehicle to owners in 25 cities across the country. Zeekr, which became an independent company in March 2021, introduced two other models prior to the Zeekr X: the Zeekr 001 hatchback and the Zeekr 009 MPV, both of which are currently available for purchase. In May, Zeekr delivered 8,678 vehicles, marking a 7.12 percent increase compared to April and…

Electric vehicle manufacturer NIO has recently announced its largest price and benefit adjustment in company history in an effort to stimulate sales. The company’s founder, chairman, and CEO, William Li, addressed the move in response to an article on the NIO App. Li mentioned that the adjustment had been under internal discussion for a considerable period, with input and suggestions taken from some of NIO’s customers. The company’s team was still finalizing the details of the adjustment as of 3 am today, indicating the thoroughness of their considerations. While NIO acknowledges that not everyone will be pleased with the changes,…

NIO, the Chinese electric vehicle (EV) manufacturer, has implemented a series of changes in an effort to stimulate sales. Starting from June 12, the company has reduced the starting prices of its entire lineup of models by RMB 30,000 ($4,200). However, one previously complimentary service, the battery swap option, will now be offered as a paid service. Under the revised pricing structure, the entry-level model ET5 sedan will be available at a starting price of RMB 298,000. Alternatively, customers can choose to lease the battery using the BaaS (Battery as a Service) plan, reducing the initial price to RMB 228,000.…

China’s New Energy Vehicle (NEV) market continues to surge as sales of electric cars and plug-in hybrids experienced significant growth in May. The China Association of Automobile Manufacturers (CAAM) reported that approximately 717,000 NEVs were sold during the month, marking a noteworthy increase compared to previous months. In April, 636,000 NEVs were sold, reflecting a 12.7% growth rate. May’s figures showcased an impressive 60% surge when compared to the same period in 2022, which saw sales of 421,000 NEVs. The market share of NEVs in total vehicle sales also rose from 29.5% in April to 30.1% in May. While these…

Chinese automaker BYD has recently unveiled the creation of a new sub-brand called Fang Cheng Bao, which translates to “Formula Leopard” in English. This addition marks BYD’s fifth sub-brand, joining the ranks of Denza, Yangwang, Dynasty, and Ocean series. With Fang Cheng Bao, BYD aims to blend the precision and regulations of Formula racing with the agility and untamed versatility of a leopard. The introduction of Fang Cheng Bao signifies a significant milestone for BYD, as the company seeks to cater to the increasingly personalized demands of consumers by offering a range of unique and high-quality new energy vehicle models.…

Neta Auto, the electric vehicle (EV) brand under Hozon Auto, is making its second shipment of thousands of EVs to overseas markets within a span of three months. The company announced that a total of 4,000 Neta EVs will be sent abroad, following the previous shipment of 3,600 vehicles in March, as stated in a recent WeChat post. Although Neta has not disclosed the specific countries to which the vehicles will be exported, it is likely that the focus will remain on Southeast Asia. Notably, in March, 3,600 units of the compact SUV Neta V were dispatched to Thailand. Thailand…

Great Wall Motor’s new energy vehicle (NEV) sales experienced significant growth last month as the company intensifies its efforts to transition towards electrification. According to recently released data, Great Wall Motor achieved a record-breaking sale of 23,755 NEVs in May. This represents a notable increase of 104.13 percent compared to the previous year and a 59.83 percent rise from April’s sales of 14,863 units. When considering both conventional fuel vehicles and NEVs, Great Wall Motor’s total sales in May amounted to 101,020 units. This signifies a year-on-year growth of 26.18 percent and an 8.49 percent increase from April’s sales figure…

NIO is preparing for the launch of its highly anticipated model, the ET5 Touring. The company recently announced that deliveries of the ET5 Touring will commence this month, and speculation suggests that the unveiling event will take place on June 15. A glimpse into the launch can be seen on the front page of NIO’s English-language website. The prominent image showcases an intricate detail of the model’s interior, accompanied by the text “Inspired By Life. Witness the launch of our next chapter.” While the specific model is not explicitly mentioned, the absence of a heads-up display (HUD) in the image…

German luxury carmaker BMW has announced a voluntary recall of electric vehicles (EVs) in China due to safety concerns. The recall, which began on June 2, affects a total of 99 EVs, including locally produced models such as the i3 and iX3, as well as imported models like the i4, i7, and iX. The recall was issued in accordance with the guidelines of China’s State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR). BMW Brilliance, the joint venture between BMW and a Chinese partner, will oversee the recall of the domestically manufactured EVs. Among these are 42 i3 EVs produced in China between…

On June 1, Zeekr, a brand under Geely, delivered the Zeekr 001 WE electric vehicle at the CATL headquarters in China. This model comes with CATL’s cutting-edge CTP 3.0 Qilin batteries, offering an impressive 1,032 km CLTC cruising range. The introduction of the Zeekr 001 WE marks a significant milestone as it becomes the world’s first mass-produced vehicle equipped with Qilin batteries capable of exceeding 1,000 km on a single charge. Customers can choose from two battery capacity configurations for the WE version. The first option is a 100 kWh battery capacity, providing a range of 741 km and an…

Smart Automobile, the joint venture between Geely and Mercedes-Benz, is expanding its presence in China’s booming electric vehicle (EV) market with the introduction of its second model since transitioning to electrification. The highly anticipated Smart #3 was officially unveiled in China during a grand event held on Thursday evening, marking the beginning of its market availability. Deliveries of the vehicle are scheduled to commence this month, generating significant excitement among EV enthusiasts. The Smart #3 offers consumers three distinct versions to choose from: the Pro+, Pulse, and Premium. These variants come with starting prices of RMB 209,900 ($29,586), RMB 239,900,…

XPeng is gearing up to launch its latest offering, the G6 SUV. The company aims to directly compete with Tesla’s Model Y, listed on NASDAQ as TSLA. XPeng announced on Weibo that pre-sales for the G6 will commence on June 9, although specific details were not disclosed. The introduction of the G6 follows XPeng’s successful pre-sale of the P5 sedan. As per their customary approach, XPeng intends to unveil the pre-sale price of the G6 next week, with the official pricing slated for the end of June. During an analyst call on May 24, following the announcement of their first-quarter…