Author: Jackson Han

Chinese autonomous driving technology firm DeepRoute.ai has raised $100 million from a domestic automaker to support wider adoption of its assisted driving systems in China. The Shenzhen-based company expects nearly 200,000 vehicles equipped with its technology on Chinese roads by the end of 2025, up from the current 20,000, CEO Maxwell Zhou told Reuters. “Our system is designed to navigate the complexities of Chinese urban traffic,” Zhou said, noting that DeepRoute.ai’s technology performs in settings with high volumes of pedestrians and scooters. The system aims to compete with Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (FSD) technology, which Tesla plans to launch in China.…

Nio has dismissed recent speculation that its upcoming third brand, codenamed Firefly, will include a hybrid model. Co-founder and president Lihong Qin confirmed that the Firefly line will adhere to Nio’s “chargeable, swappable, and upgradable” all-electric approach, setting a launch for Nio Day 2024. Qin’s statement follows a report from Yicai, which, citing unnamed sources, suggested Firefly would employ an extended-range hybrid system aimed for a 2026 launch. The report pointed to a Nio job posting for engineers skilled in NVH (Noise, Vibration, Harshness) development for air intake and exhaust, raising questions about potential hybrid designs. The report also highlighted…

Chinese electric vehicle manufacturer Zeekr  set a new monthly delivery record in October, fueled by strong demand for its latest model, the Zeekr X. The company reported 25,049 vehicle deliveries for the month, up from the previous record of 21,333 units in September, reflecting a 91.55% year-on-year increase and a 17.42% jump from the prior month. From January to October, Zeekr delivered a total of 167,922 vehicles, an 82.32% increase compared to the same period last year. The automaker is targeting around 230,000 deliveries for the full year, meaning it will need to average approximately 31,000 vehicles per month in…

Leapmotor, the Chinese new energy vehicle (NEV) manufacturer backed by Stellantis NV, recorded a significant milestone in October with the delivery of 38,177 vehicles. This marks a remarkable year-on-year increase of 109.74 percent and a 13.06 percent rise compared to September, as the company continues to see robust order growth. October’s results represent the fifth consecutive month of record deliveries for Leapmotor, with three consecutive months surpassing 30,000 units. Year-to-date figures reveal that from January to October, Leapmotor delivered a total of 211,038 vehicles, reflecting a year-on-year growth of 97.18 percent. Cumulatively, the company has delivered 516,862 vehicles since its…

Li Auto announced its 1,000th charging station milestone in China, unveiling its highest-altitude facility on Mount Everest. This marks significant progress in Li Auto’s charging network expansion, yet achieving its 2024 goal of 2,000 stations will require a rapid acceleration in installations. Currently, Li Auto operates charging stations in 175 cities across 31 provinces, providing 4,888 chargers. The company launched its own supercharging network in early 2023, with the first trial stations opening in April last year. In March 2024, Li Auto set an ambitious target to reach 2,000 supercharging stations by year-end, a goal that will demand an average…

Li Auto has established a first-tier division dedicated to overseas market expansion, signaling a renewed commitment to its international growth strategy, as reported by 36kr. This new division, led by Wang Jin, who has been with the company for over a year, operates under Zou Liangjun, the senior vice president of sales and service. Wang, who previously worked with Huawei and oversaw sales and services in Chile, will be pivotal in steering Li Auto’s international initiatives. Currently, the division has a small team and has yet to make significant moves in the overseas market. Initially, Li Auto planned to expand…

The Smart #5 has officially entered the Chinese market after its launch in August, with prices starting at 239,900 yuan (approximately $33,700). This new lineup includes four mid-size electric SUVs: the Long Range Adventure Standard, Long Range Adventure Deluxe, and Jungle Realm Limited, with prices ranging from 239,900 to 368,000 yuan (around $33,700 to $51,700). Available in both rear-wheel drive (RWD) and all-wheel drive (AWD) configurations, three of the four trims come equipped with RWD drivetrains, while only the Jungle Realm Limited features an AWD option. The Smart #5 measures 4,705 mm in length, 1,920 mm in width, and 1,705…

Chinese electric vehicle (EV) manufacturer BYD reported an 11.5% increase in net profit for the third quarter on Wednesday, reaching 11.6 billion yuan ($1.63 billion), as strong sales were bolstered by national trade-in incentives and regional subsidies supporting EV adoption. The company’s revenue for July-September rose 24% year-on-year to 201.1 billion yuan ($28.24 billion), exceeding Tesla’s revenue for the same period at $25.2 billion, according to BYD’s stock exchange filing. A significant portion of BYD’s sales growth was driven by the company’s latest plug-in hybrid models, with sales jumping 75.6% year-on-year to 685,830 units in the third quarter. Pure electric…

BYD’s premium sub-brand Yangwang is set to introduce its next-generation blade battery in the upcoming U7 sedan, according to Wu Ying, editor-in-chief of local automotive news site Xchuxing. This advanced battery will provide faster charging and enhanced power output capabilities. The second-generation blade battery will offer a charging multiplier exceeding 5.5 C and a discharging multiplier surpassing 14 C, Wu revealed in a post on Weibo. “Yangwang’s friend told me that I can get ready to experience the Yangwang U7,” he wrote, though he did not disclose additional details. The 5.5 C rating indicates that the U7 battery could fully…

BYD, China’s largest electric vehicle (EV) manufacturer, is eyeing Australia as the next market for its budget-friendly Seagull EV. The Seagull, which retails for under $10,000 (69,800 yuan) in China, has become a best-seller, topping monthly EV sales charts in China since March and recently surpassing 400,000 units sold. BYD’s expansion efforts are clear as it introduces the compact Seagull, branded overseas as the Dolphin Mini, in markets such as Mexico and Brazil, where it remains one of the most affordable EVs with starting prices around $20,000. David Smith, CEO of BYD’s Australian importer, EVDirect, recently confirmed that the company…

China’s Geely Automobile Holdings introduced its latest hybrid technology on Wednesday, touting fuel efficiency and driving range metrics that surpass those of rival BYD, the leading player in China’s plug-in hybrid segment. Named Leishen EM-i, Geely’s new system reportedly achieves fuel consumption of 2.62 litres per 100 km (62.1 miles) and a combined gasoline-electric range of 2,390.5 km, based on media test results. Geely’s hybrid system will first feature in the Galaxy Starship 7 crossover, which Geely claims can attain fuel consumption of three litres per 100 km in real-world driving conditions. The company stated that Leishen technology will also…

Xiaomi launched a high-end version of its SU7 electric sports car on Tuesday, setting the price at 814,900 yuan ($114,000) and aiming to position the vehicle as China’s fastest mass-produced four-door car. The move places Xiaomi in direct competition with established electric vehicle (EV) brands like Tesla (TSLA.O) and Porsche. Xiaomi, traditionally known for its smartphones and household appliances, entered China’s growing EV market earlier this year with the SU7, an entry model that mirrors the Porsche aesthetic with a starting price under $30,000. CEO Lei Jun presented the SU7 Ultra, a performance-focused model, at a three-hour, live-streamed product launch.…

Tesla will continue offering its five-year, zero-interest financing option in China next month, extending the purchase incentive for select Model 3 and Model Y variants. Originally introduced in April as a limited-time offer, the financing plan now allows Chinese customers who buy certain Tesla vehicles before November 30 to secure a 0 percent interest rate on their loans, as detailed on the company’s Chinese website. The incentive is available for the entry-level and long-range all-wheel-drive versions of both the Model 3 sedan and Model Y crossover, both of which are manufactured at Tesla’s Shanghai facility. The locally produced Model 3…

The Zeekr Mix, the latest offering from Geely’s premium electric vehicle brand Zeekr, has entered the Chinese market, priced from 279,900 yuan (approximately $39,250). This high-end electric MPV blends innovative concept-car aesthetics with advanced safety features, extensive cabin space, and practical design touches that position it as an attractive choice for families. As the sixth model in Zeekr’s growing lineup, the Mix sets itself apart with a stylish exterior and features aimed at meeting the needs of the modern driver. One of the Mix’s standout aspects is its design, built on Geely’s SEA-M modular architecture, which prioritizes space and versatility.…

Tesla’s Megafactory in Shanghai is on track to begin shipments by the first quarter of 2025, advancing Tesla’s expansion in energy storage manufacturing. Local media outlet IT Home reported last month that the factory, currently over 60% complete, has passed the halfway mark in construction—a milestone reached just five months after Tesla broke ground on May 23, 2024. The facility, located on a 49.4-acre site in Shanghai’s Lingang area near Giga Shanghai, will eventually have an annual production capacity of 10,000 Megapack batteries, equivalent to roughly 40 GWh of energy storage. During its Q3 earnings call, Tesla projected an initial…

German automotive supplier ZF Friedrichshafen has appointed Mathias Miedreich, former CEO of Umicore, as the new head of its Electrified Powertrain Technologies division, effective January 1, 2025. Miedreich, 49, will succeed Stephan von Schuckmann, who resigned for personal reasons earlier this year. ZF’s CEO, Holger Klein, has overseen the division on an interim basis, guiding it through a period of restructuring and operational adjustments. While the Electrified Powertrain Technologies division includes ZF’s electric, hybrid, and combustion engine drive systems, the bulk of its sales, totaling €11.5 billion, currently come from traditional combustion and plug-in hybrid systems. The shift toward battery-electric…

The European Union and China have agreed to pursue additional technical negotiations in an effort to find alternatives to the tariffs due to be imposed on China-manufactured electric vehicles (EVs) next week. The European Commission and China’s Ministry of Commerce confirmed the upcoming discussions, which may consider options such as minimum price commitments or increased Chinese investments within Europe. “The principals agreed that further technical negotiations would take place shortly,” the European Commission stated, following a video call between EU Trade Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis and Chinese Minister of Commerce Wang Wentao. With the investigation set to conclude, the EU is…

Japan, a former leader in electric vehicle technology, now trails behind China, which has taken the lead in the global EV market. In an effort to understand the advancements driving this shift, Japan’s Central Economic and Trade Bureau recently held a seminar to examine the technology in popular Chinese EVs, focusing on the BYD Atto 3. Known as the Yuan Plus in China, the Atto 3 impressed Japanese attendees for its affordability and capabilities. In China, this compact electric SUV starts at under $20,000 and offers a 201-horsepower motor paired with a 50-kilowatt-hour battery, providing up to 267 miles (430…

Chinese automaker BYD debuted its Shark hybrid pickup in Brazil, marking the model’s entry into its third international market following launches in Mexico and Panama. The launch event, held in Goiania, underscored BYD’s strategic expansion in South America, where the company has sold over 60,000 electric vehicles this year, a milestone noted by Alexandre Baldy, senior vice president of BYD Brazil. The Shark, based on BYD’s DMO (dual-mode off-road) platform, enters the Brazilian pickup market with specifications aimed at competing against top players like the Toyota Hilux and Ford Ranger. It measures 5,457 mm in length, 1,971 mm in width,…

Nio’s (NYSE: NIO) sub-brand Onvo is set to expand its lineup with the introduction of two new SUV models next year, following the recent market entry of its first vehicle, the L60 SUV. A report from local tech media outlet Leiphone indicates that the second model will be a six- or seven-seat SUV, anticipated for release by the end of the first quarter of 2025. Deliveries for this new SUV model are expected to begin around May; however, potential delays have not been ruled out, according to the report. This timeline appears to differ from previous statements made by Nio’s…