Author: Eric Liu

Svolt Energy plans to begin mass production of hybrid solid-liquid batteries by September, with the company expecting production costs to reach levels comparable to conventional liquid lithium-ion batteries. The company’s chairman and chief executive, Yang Hongxin, disclosed the plan in a video shared on Weibo on Tuesday, saying the new battery technology offers significantly improved safety performance compared with traditional battery systems. Yang said hybrid solid-liquid batteries are expected to become the dominant transitional technology before all-solid-state batteries can be commercially produced at large scale, adding that 2026 could mark the beginning of broader adoption and commercialization for the technology.…

BYD’s sales rebounded month-on-month in April as the company increasingly relies on robust growth in overseas markets amid sluggish domestic demand. The automaker’s new energy vehicle (NEV) sales stood at 321,123 units in April, representing a 6.96% increase from March, according to data released on Friday.However, this marks the company’s eighth consecutive month of year-on-year sales decline, dropping 15.51%. For the first four months of the year, BYD’s cumulative NEV sales totaled 1,021,586 units, down 26.02% year-on-year. This reflects the broader pressure brought by the Chinese auto market entering its traditional slow season at the beginning of the year. Despite…

General Motors’ Buick brand began pre-sales for the Electra E7 plug-in hybrid sport utility vehicle in China on Friday, as the automaker continues expanding its electrified product lineup in the market. The mid-size SUV is priced between 160,000 yuan ($23,410) and 210,000 yuan during the pre-sales period and will be offered in three trim levels, Buick said. The Electra E7 is scheduled to officially launch and begin deliveries on April 22. Customers who place online orders before April 21 will receive early-order incentives valued at 10,000 yuan, the company said. Buick said the Electra E7 is powered by its Zhenlong…

Tesla has added Chinese battery manufacturer Sunwoda to its global battery supply chain, Chinese media outlet 36Kr reported on Thursday, citing multiple industry sources, as the U.S. electric vehicle maker seeks to diversify sourcing and lower costs. Through its battery unit Sunwoda Electric Vehicle Battery Co Ltd, Sunwoda has become Tesla’s fifth global power battery supplier, according to the report. Battery cells from Sunwoda have already begun shipping from the supplier’s plant in Yiwu and are being installed in vehicles produced at Tesla’s Giga Shanghai for export markets, 36Kr reported, citing people familiar with the matter. It remains unclear when…

Nio’s sub-brand Onvo is set to introduce the company’s in-house developed Shenji smart driving chip in the updated 2026 L90 electric SUV, marking a further step in its transition away from external suppliers such as Nvidia, according to local media reports. The 2026 Onvo L90, scheduled for launch on April 21, will feature a significantly upgraded intelligent driving system and, for the first time, offer a LiDAR-equipped variant, Chinese outlet Leiphone reported, citing people familiar with the matter. The model is expected to be powered by Nio’s Shenji chip, built on a 5-nanometre process. The move would align Onvo more…

Chinese electric vehicle manufacturer Nio Inc reported a sharp increase in March deliveries as demand recovered following the seasonal slowdown at the beginning of the year. The company delivered 35,486 vehicles in March, representing a 135.96% increase year-on-year and a 70.63% rise from February, according to data released on Wednesday. Deliveries included 22,490 units from the Nio brand, 6,877 from its sub-brand Onvo, and 6,119 from Firefly. In the first quarter, Nio delivered 83,465 vehicles, up 98.28% from a year earlier, although down 33.12% compared with the fourth quarter of 2025. The total exceeded the upper end of the company’s…

CALB said it has begun deploying semi-solid-state battery technology in the light truck sector, marking an expansion of advanced battery systems from passenger cars into commercial vehicles. The company announced that its solid-liquid hybrid battery, unveiled at a commercial vehicle exhibition in Hefei, Anhui province on March 28, has entered mass production and is already being installed in light trucks produced by Chery Automobile. The move represents one of the first large-scale applications of semi-solid-state batteries in light commercial vehicles, as manufacturers explore higher-performance alternatives to conventional lithium-ion systems. The hybrid technology combines solid and liquid electrolytes, aiming to balance…

Lotus Technology, majority-owned by Geely Holding, has launched its first plug-in hybrid SUV in China, marketed locally as the Lotus For Me and globally as the Lotus Eletre X. The model entered the Chinese market with two variants, priced at 508,000 yuan ($73,500) for the Standard trim and 558,000 yuan ($80,730) for the SE version. Deliveries are set to begin on March 30, while a global launch is scheduled for June 2026. Built on Lotus’s X-Hybrid platform with a 900-volt architecture, the Eletre X combines a 2.0-litre turbocharged engine with dual electric motors, delivering a peak output of 700 kW…

Tesla has denied reports that it plans to introduce a lower-cost version of its Model 3 sedan in China, following widespread speculation on social media. Citing the company, local outlet Caiwen reported that Tesla has no plans to launch a cheaper Model 3 variant in the Chinese market and has not established any related production lines at its Shanghai factory. Tesla said its Giga Shanghai facility remains focused on producing and delivering existing Tesla Model 3 and Tesla Model Y vehicles, including both domestic sales and export orders. The company added that there are currently no plans to introduce additional…

Xpeng has previewed the 2026 version of its Mona M03 electric sedan, introducing its in-house developed Turing AI chip as the company pushes to expand advanced driving features into lower-priced vehicles. He Xiaopeng said the updated Xpeng Mona M03 has already arrived at stores across China, marking the start of its market rollout. The new model will be the first to feature Xpeng’s proprietary Turing AI chip, delivering up to 750 trillion operations per second (TOPS) of computing power. The chip is designed to support all-scenario assisted driving capabilities, bringing higher-level intelligent driving features to the sub-$20,000 segment. The move…

BMW is recalling nearly 180,000 vehicles in China due to a potential fire risk linked to improperly routed air conditioning wiring harnesses, according to the State Administration for Market Regulation. The recall affects a total of 179,527 vehicles, including both domestically produced and imported models. Among them, 133,849 units are locally manufactured BMW 5 Series vehicles built between December 5, 2023 and April 12, 2025. An additional 8,978 imported 5 Series cars produced between October 2023 and April 2025 are also included. The recall further covers 36,527 imported BMW 7 Series vehicles manufactured between June 2022 and April 2025, along…

Leapmotor has opened its first overseas innovation center in Munich, Germany, marking a step in its efforts to globalize design and product development as it expands internationally. The facility, located in Schwabing-Freimann in northern Munich, will oversee design iterations and the conceptual development of future models. The company said the move reflects a shift from exporting vehicles to exporting design capabilities, as it integrates international design concepts into its product strategy. Leapmotor now operates a global design network spanning Munich, Hangzhou and Shanghai, supporting its broader ambitions in overseas markets. The expansion comes amid rising export volumes, with the company…