Author: Jackson Han

Volkswagen announced that its highly anticipated ID.2, the brand’s most affordable electric vehicle, remains on schedule to debut in late 2025. The compact EV, priced below $27,000 (€25,000), is expected to redefine the German automaker’s electric lineup, providing a new benchmark in affordability and design. Unveiled as the ID.2all concept earlier this year, the model emphasizes advanced technology and design inspired by Volkswagen’s iconic past, such as the Golf and Beetle. The company’s design chief, Andreas Mindt, has promised a production model that builds on the concept’s appeal, blending modern aesthetics with heritage elements. Mindt hinted that features like “Classic”…

China’s electric vehicle (EV) leader, BYD, is continuing its aggressive international expansion, with plans to build a new manufacturing plant in Cambodia. The facility will be strategically located alongside newly opened plants from Ford and Toyota, further solidifying Southeast Asia as a critical region for EV production. BYD’s remarkable growth shows no signs of slowing down. In October, the company surpassed a milestone by selling over 500,000 new energy vehicles (NEVs) in a single month, marking its fifth consecutive record-setting sales month. This achievement highlights BYD’s growing dominance in the EV market, as it continues to look beyond China’s increasingly…

Chery has announced the construction of the world’s first GWh-level all-solid-state battery production line in Wuhu, Anhui Province. Equipment for the facility was delivered to the site on November 18, marking a major step in the development of the project within the Wuhu Economic and Technological Development Zone, as reported by Anhui Daily. The production line is part of a larger project covering 150 mu (100,000 square meters) and is a collaboration between Anhui Anwa New Energy Co., Ltd. and the Wuhu Economic and Technological Development Zone. Anhui Anwa, founded in 2020 and controlled by Chery Holdings, also includes investors…

Chinese electric vehicle (EV) maker Xpeng dismissed concerns that U.S. restrictions on advanced semiconductor exports could disrupt its development of self-designed artificial intelligence chips. Vice President Charles Zhang assured on a post-earnings call that the mass production of Xpeng’s Turing system-on-chip (SOC) is “progressing well” with no reported impact from recent U.S. curbs. The U.S. Department of Commerce recently directed Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) to halt shipments of advanced AI chips to Chinese firms, raising fears of potential repercussions. However, Zhang noted that Xpeng’s autonomous driving chip development remains unaffected. The Turing AI chip, unveiled on Nov. 6, supports…

BYD is reportedly advancing its efforts to develop an in-house smart driving chip, following similar moves by competitors like Nio and Xpeng. The chip is expected to feature a computing power of 80 TOPS (Tera Operations per Second) and is planned for integration into BYD models priced between RMB 80,000 ($11,060) and RMB 300,000. The development is led by BYD Semiconductor with technical support from select suppliers, according to a report by Chinese media outlet 36kr. This initiative aligns with BYD’s broader strategy to enhance vehicle intelligence across its lineup, including the introduction of intelligent driving systems in more affordable…

China has called on Germany to help mediate a dispute with the European Union over electric vehicle (EV) tariffs. Last month, the EU decided to raise tariffs on electric vehicles imported from China by as much as 45.3%. Beijing views Germany, its largest trading partner in Europe, as a key player in resolving the issue. During a meeting at the G20 Summit in Rio de Janeiro on Tuesday, China’s President Xi Jinping told German Chancellor Olaf Scholz that Beijing would continue to offer “broad market opportunities for German companies” in exchange for Germany’s support. “China regards Germany as an important…

Dutch supermarket chain Albert Heijn has extended its emission-free delivery service to cover all shops within Amsterdam’s city centre ring road. The company has increased its fleet of electric trucks and enhanced its charging infrastructure at the Home Shop Center (HSC) Amsterdam depot to support this expansion. The move builds on over a year of electric deliveries within the city. With this extension, Albert Heijn now delivers to a larger area, eight times the size of its original ‘zero-emission zone’ (ZE). The company currently delivers 10,000 customer orders per week to 82 shops within the city centre ring road using…

China’s push to diversify electric vehicle (EV) battery chemistries has reached a new milestone with sodium-ion technology, which could address limitations of lithium-ion batteries, particularly under extreme weather conditions. Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. Ltd (CATL), the world’s largest battery maker, has announced breakthroughs in sodium-ion batteries, including the ability to perform reliably at temperatures as low as -40 degrees Celsius. Sodium-ion batteries operate similarly to lithium-ion cells, with ions shuttling between electrodes during charge and discharge cycles. However, sodium-ion technology offers potential advantages, including reduced thermal runaway risks, lower raw material costs, and enhanced resilience to temperature fluctuations. CATL’s second-generation…

Gotion High-tech, the Chinese battery giant backed by Volkswagen, has secured a significant investment for its battery production project in Morocco. On November 13, Gotion signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with CDG Group, Morocco’s largest public financial investment institution, which plans to invest 300 million euros ($280 million) into the first phase of Gotion’s Moroccan project. The initial phase of the project will focus on the production of power batteries, energy storage batteries, and the manufacturing of cathode and anode materials. This phase is expected to create over 2,000 local jobs, Gotion announced. The collaboration with CDG will support…

Zeekr, the premium electric vehicle (EV) subsidiary of Geely Holding Group, has confirmed its acquisition of a controlling 51% stake in Lynk & Co, marking a significant shift in the ownership structure of the electric vehicle brand. The deal, valued at approximately $2.5 billion, will see Zeekr purchase a 20% stake in Lynk & Co from Geely Holding for RMB 3.6 billion ($500 million) and a 30% stake from Volvo Cars for RMB 5.4 billion. Lynk & Co, founded in 2017 as a joint venture between Geely Auto and Volvo Cars, has undergone significant changes in its ownership as part…

Xiaomi EV, the automotive arm of Chinese tech giant Xiaomi Corp, celebrated a milestone as the 100,000th unit of its inaugural electric vehicle, the SU7, rolled off the production line. The achievement comes only 230 days after the launch of the SU7, signaling rapid production progress for the company’s new venture into the electric vehicle (EV) market. Xiaomi founder and CEO Lei Jun announced the milestone on social media platform Weibo, remarking, “As a newcomer to the auto industry, this speed is already remarkable.” Lei shared that he visited the Xiaomi EV plant early in the day and spent some…

Tesla announced on Wednesday a recall of 2,431 of its recently launched Cybertruck electric pickups in the United States, citing a potential loss of drive power as the reason for the recall. This issue marks the sixth Cybertruck recall in 2023, and follows a similar move last month when Tesla recalled over 27,000 Cybertrucks due to delayed rear-view camera images that posed risks to driver visibility. According to Tesla’s filing with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), Cybertrucks manufactured between Nov. 6, 2023, and July 30, 2024, could experience a fault in the drive inverter. This fault may prevent…