Author: Jackson Han

BYD has become the leading electric vehicle (EV) brand in Hong Kong for the first half of 2025, capturing 27% of new private EV registrations and overtaking rivals Tesla and BMW, according to data from the city’s Transport Department. The Shenzhen-based automaker registered 4,902 EVs out of 18,356 total private EV registrations between January and June. Its sales were led by the Sealion 07, a mid-size SUV launched in late 2024, which accounted for 3,676 units—making it the best-selling EV model in the city during the period. Tesla followed with 3,889 registrations, while other automakers including Zeekr, Toyota, and Xpeng…

Aito, the automotive brand backed by Huawei and Seres Group, has opened pre-sales for the battery electric vehicle (BEV) version of its M8 SUV, the company said Friday. The vehicle is scheduled to launch officially in August. The starting price for the Aito M8 BEV is RMB 378,000 ($52,780), according to a post by Huawei’s Harmony Intelligent Mobility Alliance (HIMA) on Weibo. Customers who place a deposit of RMB 5,000 will receive a discount of the same amount and a complimentary purple exterior option valued at RMB 8,000. Originally launched on April 16 as an extended-range electric vehicle (EREV), the…

Yangwang, the premium sub-brand of Chinese electric vehicle maker BYD, announced on Sunday it will begin pre-sales for its flagship U8L Dingshi Edition on July 31. The official launch event will take place at 2:30 p.m. Beijing Time on the same day. The U8L is a full-size executive luxury SUV distinguished by a logo made from 24-karat pure gold, positioning it at the ultra-luxury end of the market. The model was first unveiled at the 2025 Shanghai Auto Show on April 23, with the company confirming at the time that a launch was expected in the second half of the…

Leapmotor has officially launched the B01, expanding its electric vehicle lineup with a new mid-size sedan targeting China’s price-sensitive EV market. The company revealed six variants of the B01 at a launch event, with prices starting at RMB 89,800 ($12,550), representing a 15% reduction from its earlier pre-sale price of RMB 105,800. The B01 now includes a newly introduced base model offering a CLTC range of 430 kilometers. Higher variants deliver extended ranges of 550 km and 650 km, with corresponding battery capacities of 56.2 kWh and 67.1 kWh. The entry-level model comes equipped with a 43.9 kWh lithium iron…

Tesla is planning to open its first Tesla Diner in China, with a launch targeted around the Lunar New Year in February 2026, according to a report by local media outlet West China City Daily on Wednesday. The automaker has reportedly allocated a 3,000-square-meter site adjacent to its Gigafactory in Pudong, Shanghai, for the facility, which would mirror Tesla’s first restaurant and charging hub that opened in Hollywood, California, earlier this month. Tesla’s Hollywood diner, which opened on July 21, features 80 V4 Superchargers, two 66-foot LED movie screens, and a 24-hour restaurant with seating for over 250 guests. The…

Chinese car brands are continuing their rapid expansion across European markets, with sales in the first half of 2025 surging 91 percent year-on-year to 347,135 units, according to new data from market research firm Jato Dynamics. This brought their market share across 28 European countries to a record 5.1 percent, nearly double the 2.7 percent figure recorded in the same period last year. The growth puts Chinese brands just behind Mercedes-Benz, which held a 5.2 percent market share in the same period, and ahead of Ford, which accounted for 3.8 percent. The report notes that in June alone, Chinese automakers…

Great Wall Motor has offered a first glimpse of a new high-performance supercar, marking a significant step beyond its traditional SUV and pickup truck lineup. The Chinese automaker, headquartered in Baoding, unveiled the veiled silhouette of the vehicle in a photo shared by chairman Wei Jianjun on social media platform Weibo. The image, featuring Wei and top executives posing next to the shrouded vehicle, comes as Great Wall Motor commemorates its 35th anniversary. Wei’s post hinted at the significance of the model, which will be the company’s first foray into the supercar segment—a category dominated by legacy players like Ferrari…

China is reinforcing its commitment to electrification in the transport sector, with Beijing becoming the latest major city to ban new gasoline vehicles from entering the ride-hailing market, according to state-affiliated China Automotive News. The restriction, effective from July 20, prohibits the registration of new fuel-powered vehicles on ride-hailing platforms in the capital. It marks a tightening of earlier rules, which had already barred older gasoline cars with sub-National 6 emission standards from operating in the sector. Drivers attempting to register vehicles now receive notices requiring them to switch to “green-plate” vehicles, a designation used for new energy vehicles (NEVs).…

China’s cumulative power battery installation reached 299.6 gigawatt-hours (GWh) in the first half of 2025, up 47.3% year-on-year, according to data released by the China Automotive Battery Innovation Alliance (CABIA). The figures reflect sustained growth in the country’s new energy vehicle (NEV) sector, alongside signs of a gradual shift toward a more diversified battery supply chain. CATL remained the market leader with 128.6 GWh installed, representing 43.05% of the total, though its market share declined by 3.33 percentage points from a year earlier. BYD ranked second with 70.37 GWh and a 23.55% share, down 1.55 percentage points. Combined, CATL and…

Onvo, a sub-brand of Chinese electric vehicle maker Nio targeting the family car market, will launch its first three-row SUV, the L90, on July 31, according to information obtained by CnEVPost. The launch will follow Li Auto’s unveiling of its Li i8 electric SUV by two days. Although neither Nio nor Onvo has officially announced the date, Onvo began pre-sales for the L90 on July 10, with customer deliveries expected to begin on August 1. The L90 carries a pre-sale starting price of RMB 279,900 ($39,000) including an 85-kWh battery, or RMB 193,900 with the battery rental plan under Nio’s…

Mirattery, the battery asset management firm backed by Chinese electric vehicle maker Nio (NYSE: NIO), said on Sunday that founding shareholder Hubei Science Technology Investment has increased its investment as part of the company’s ongoing Series C financing round. The disclosure was made in a statement accompanying the announcement of two new strategic cooperation agreements. Mirattery did not disclose the size, timing, or status of the Series C round. The Wuhan-based company signed separate agreements with Hubei Science Technology Investment and the Wuhan Optics Valley Intelligent Manufacturing Industrial Park Construction and Service Center. The partnerships are intended to support development…

Horizon Fuel Cell Group has secured a deal to supply 100 fuel cell systems to Chinese commercial vehicle manufacturer Shanghai Wuliu Automotive Technology, which is jointly developing a new 42-tonne hydrogen-powered truck with Z Truck Automotive Technology. The order will see Horizon’s VL-III Series fuel cell systems integrated into the upcoming truck model, which has been designed with a lightweight structure and an extended range. The trucks are expected to achieve a driving range of over 1,500 kilometres using the 250-kilowatt hydrogen system, according to Horizon Fuel Cell Technologies. Launched in 2022, the VL-III fuel cell platform has been deployed…