Author: Jackson Han

Chinese autonomous driving firm WeRide is expanding its international presence with plans to deploy robotaxi services in Dubai in collaboration with Uber Technologies and the city’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), the company announced on Monday. The partnership aims to roll out commercial robotaxi services through the Uber platform by the end of 2024. The initial fleet will operate with onboard safety officers while also conducting fully autonomous road testing. The service is expected to transition to fully driverless commercial operations by the first quarter of 2026. The move follows WeRide’s launch of driverless pilot operations in Abu Dhabi last…

China on Friday unveiled draft guidelines aimed at regulating the export of automotive data, a move that could provide a framework for companies such as Tesla seeking to transfer vehicle-generated data abroad. The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) outlined circumstances under which companies would or would not be required to undergo security assessments for cross-border data transfers. The new draft, open for public feedback until July 13, is seen as a critical step toward clarifying how China will manage the sensitive issue of data generated by smart vehicles. According to the guidelines, data collected in China for the…

Chinese electric vehicle (EV) maker Leapmotor said on Thursday it will officially launch its updated C16 SUV on June 18, marking a significant refresh for the model just a year after its initial debut. The new version promises over 70 major enhancements and will include both extended-range and battery electric options. Leapmotor announced the launch date and accompanying product event via its official Weibo account, confirming that the 2026 C16 will be introduced during a live broadcast beginning at 2 p.m. Beijing Time. The SUV will feature notable upgrades, including extended driving range and improved cabin space, although the company…

eRoaming platform Hubject has received regulatory approval from Germany’s financial watchdog, BaFin, to operate its financial services subsidiary under the Payment Services Oversight Act (ZAG), becoming the first company in the eMobility sector with its own regulated financial services arm. The approval allows Hubject to provide fully compliant payment processing through its Interchange platform, streamlining transactions between charge point operators (CPOs) and eMobility service providers (EMPs). In addition to facilitating access to cross-border charging networks, Hubject can now handle invoicing, settlements, and multi-currency payments under a unified, regulated financial backend. “Today marks the completion of our most ambitious project,” said…

Denza, the premium electric vehicle brand under China’s BYD, will enter the German market in the fourth quarter of 2025 with two models: the Z9 GT shooting brake and the D9 electric van. The announcement marks a concrete step in BYD’s plans to expand its premium lineup into Europe, following an initial indication in April without specific launch details. The Denza Z9 GT will be offered in Germany in both a fully electric and a plug-in hybrid configuration. The battery-electric version, already on sale in China since September 2024, is equipped with three motors delivering a total output of 710…

Chinese electric vehicle (EV) maker Xpeng  on Wednesday  launched its new G7 electric SUV, marking the company’s first model to feature its proprietary autonomous driving chips and AI-powered cockpit system. Pre-sales for the G7 began immediately, with a starting price of RMB 235,800 ($32,780). Positioned between Xpeng’s G6 and G9 SUVs, the mid-size G7 is built on an 800-volt high-voltage platform and comes in Max and Ultra variants, each equipped with a battery supporting 5C fast charging. The company claims a CLTC range of up to 702 kilometers (436 miles) for both variants. Measuring 4,892 mm in length with a…

Xiaomi’s SU7 Ultra has broken the Nürburgring lap record for production electric vehicles, achieving a time of 7:04.957 and surpassing the previous benchmark set by the Porsche Taycan Turbo GT, the company’s chief executive said on Tuesday. The milestone was announced by Xiaomi founder and CEO Lei Jun on Chinese social media platform Weibo. According to Lei, professional driver Vincent Radermecker piloted the SU7 Ultra to the record on April 1, narrowly outperforming the Taycan’s previous best of 7:07.55 set in September 2023. “I believe this record will be broken again in the near future,” Lei wrote, sharing a timing…

BYD has expanded its presence in the Middle East with the launch of its Seal 07 DM-i hybrid sedan, renamed Seal 7 DM-i for the Gulf region. The vehicle became available in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Qatar, and Oman in May, with Bahrain set to follow shortly, the company announced on Tuesday. This launch marks BYD’s continued push in the Gulf markets, where it currently offers seven models, including three plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) and four battery electric vehicles (BEVs). The company signaled plans to introduce additional models in the region in the near future. The…

Tesla’s vehicle sales in China dropped sharply in May as mounting price competition from domestic electric vehicle (EV) makers weighed on demand. Retail sales fell 30.11% year-on-year to 38,588 units, despite a sequential rebound of 34.31% from April, data from the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA) showed on Sunday. The drop marked Tesla’s fourth year-on-year sales decline in the country so far this year, with total domestic retail sales reaching 201,926 units from January to May — down 7.82% from the same period in 2023. Analysts said intensified price wars led by local brands such as BYD (HKG: 1211) and…

Geely Holding Group chairman and founder Li Shufu said on Saturday that the global automotive sector is grappling with “serious overcapacity,” prompting the Chinese automaker to suspend new plant construction and expansion at existing facilities. Speaking at an auto industry forum in the central Chinese city of Chongqing, Li said the company had decided to refrain from further increasing its production footprint. “The global automotive industry is facing serious overcapacity, and we will not build new plants or expand production at existing ones,” Li stated, according to a company summary of the event. Geely, one of China’s largest privately held…

BYD has entered the top 10 list of best-selling imported car brands in Japan for the first time, driven by strong demand for its newly launched Sealion 7 electric SUV, the company said on Friday. The Chinese new energy vehicle (NEV) manufacturer registered 416 vehicles in Japan in May, a record monthly high that surpassed its previous peak of 353 units set in March. The surge in sales helped BYD secure a spot among the top 10 imported car brands in the country, according to data from the Japan Automobile Importers Association. “The Sealion 7 electric SUV has significantly increased…

BYD has started sea trials for its two newest car carriers, BYD Xi’an and BYD Changsha, each capable of transporting up to 9,200 vehicles — among the highest cargo capacities globally for automotive transport vessels. The announcement was made Thursday by semi-official Weibo account @小迪快报, which tracks developments related to BYD. The two vessels are expected to enter service soon, marking a key step in the Chinese automaker’s push to enhance its international logistics capabilities. The BYD Changsha and BYD Xi’an will be the fifth and sixth ships in the company’s expanding fleet, joining earlier vessels including BYD Explorer No.…

Chinese electric vehicle maker BYD plans to significantly expand its dealership footprint in South Africa by 2026 as part of a broader strategy to boost its market share in the region, a company executive said on Wednesday. The company expects to have around 20 dealerships in the country by the end of 2024, up from about 13 currently, and aims to grow that number to between 30 and 35 in 2025. “The aim is to expand that to about 30, 35 the next year,” said Steve Chang, General Manager of BYD South Africa, in an interview with Reuters. BYD, which…

Tesla has reintroduced its owner referral rewards program in China, offering discounts on paint options to encourage vehicle purchases amid continued sales pressure in the country, the world’s largest electric vehicle (EV) market. From June 5 to June 30, customers who buy Tesla vehicles through a referral can receive a discount of RMB 8,000 ($1,110) on paid paint finishes, according to an announcement on Tesla’s official Weibo account. Referrers, including existing Tesla owners or customers who have placed orders but not yet taken delivery, will earn Tesla points valued at RMB 800 per successful referral. The program covers Tesla’s Shanghai-made…

Maextro, the new high-end automotive brand co-developed by Chinese tech giant Huawei and Anhui Jianghuai Automobile Group (JAC), secured over 2,600 firm orders within 72 hours of launching its first model, the Maextro S800 luxury sedan, Huawei’s Harmony Intelligent Mobility Alliance (HIMA) announced on Monday. The Maextro S800 debuted on the evening of May 30, offering both battery electric vehicle (BEV) and extended-range electric vehicle (EREV) variants. The model carries a starting price of RMB 708,000 ($98,360), notably lower than earlier estimates of between RMB 1 million and RMB 1.5 million. Within an hour of the launch event, more than…

Chinese electric vehicle maker Zeekr will officially launch its Zeekr 7X SUV in Hong Kong later this month, the company said on Tuesday, as it expands international sales following the model’s recent debut in Europe. A Zeekr spokesperson told CnEVPost that the 7X is “poised to become a new benchmark for family vehicles in the city” when it goes on sale in late June. The model, a mid-sized electric SUV, is Zeekr’s second offering aimed at the mainstream market, following the Zeekr 007 sedan. The 7X debuted in mainland China on September 20, 2024, and is available in three variants…

Xiaomi’s electric vehicle (EV) business is expected to turn profitable in the second half of 2025, the company’s founder and CEO Lei Jun said at its annual Investor Day event, underscoring the smartphone maker’s ambitions in China’s highly competitive EV market. If achieved, the milestone would make Xiaomi the fastest among China’s new automotive brands to reach profitability. Rivals Nio and Xpeng, both launched around a decade ago, are targeting quarterly profitability this year, while Li Auto has remained profitable since the fourth quarter of 2022. Leapmotor reported its first quarterly profit at the end of 2024. See also: Xiaomi…

Luxeed, the electric vehicle brand formed through a partnership between Huawei and Chery, has delivered its 100,000th vehicle, the company said on Monday, marking a key milestone less than a year after its first model entered the market. The company announced the achievement on Chinese social media platform Weibo, noting it would host a ceremony at its manufacturing plant in Wuhu, Anhui province to commemorate the event. Luxeed is part of Huawei’s Harmony Intelligent Mobility Alliance (HIMA), which also includes other automotive collaborations such as Stelato, Aito, Shangjie, and Maextro. The brand launched its first model, the all-electric Luxeed S7…

BYD’s premium sub-brand Yangwang has commenced production of its ultra-luxury U7 sedan, with the first batch of customer vehicles now off the assembly line. The announcement was made via the brand’s official Weibo account, with customer deliveries expected to begin shortly. The Yangwang U7 was officially launched on March 27 with a starting price of RMB 628,000 ($87,240), notably lower than the RMB 1 million threshold previously mentioned by the company. The vehicle is available in both battery electric (BEV) and plug-in hybrid (PHEV) configurations, and comes in four-seat and five-seat versions. Built on Yangwang’s proprietary e4 technology platform, the…

Li Auto (NASDAQ: LI) provided detailed insight into its product roadmap during its recent earnings call, confirming the launch schedule for its first fully electric SUVs and sharing hints about future sedan ambitions. The company will introduce its first all-electric SUV, the Li i8, in July 2025, followed by the Li i6, a five-seat electric SUV, scheduled for release in September. The Li i8 will be a larger six-seat SUV model, further diversifying Li Auto’s lineup beyond its current extended-range electric SUVs (EREVs)—the Li L6, Li L7, Li L8, and Li L9—as well as its pure electric MPV, the Li…