Author: Kevin Liu

Nio founder and chief executive William Li called on China’s electric vehicle industry to standardize battery cell formats and reduce semiconductor variety, saying fragmented component specifications are creating significant inefficiencies and capital waste across the supply chain. Speaking on Saturday at the China EV 100 Forum, Li said the rapid pace of smart EV product updates has disrupted the balance between supply and demand in China’s auto market. “The lack of unified battery cell specifications has become a very serious problem restricting costs, efficiency, market response capabilities, and long-term industry competition,” Li said. He said automakers frequently invest heavily to…

Geely has reorganised its European development operations by creating a new unit, Geely Technology Europe, consolidating activities in Gothenburg and Frankfurt. The new organisation will serve as Geely’s central European engineering hub, supporting global vehicle programmes and accelerating the development of platforms, software and digital vehicle functions for international markets. The restructuring is intended to strengthen Europe’s role within Geely’s global R&D network while ensuring that regional customer requirements are integrated earlier into product development. Under the new structure, Geely Technology Europe will collaborate more closely with the Geely Research Institute in China. According to a report by AutomotiveIT, this…

Qijing, a premium electric vehicle brand jointly developed by Huawei and GAC Group, has officially adopted the English name Aistaland, marking its global debut alongside the launch of its first model, the GT7 shooting brake. The brand said the name Aistaland is derived from “AI Start New Land,” reflecting its ambition to leverage artificial intelligence to redefine mobility. It also introduced “Make Difference” as its core value, positioning itself in the high-end EV segment with a focus on intelligent and safe driving experiences. The GT7, unveiled at the launch event, measures 5,050 mm in length, 1,980 mm in width, and…

Chinese electric vehicle maker Xpeng has launched an extended-range version of its G6 SUV as the company moves deeper into China’s fast-growing hybrid vehicle segment. The Xpeng G6 extended-range model starts at 186,800 yuan ($27,080), slightly higher than the 176,800 yuan starting price of the fully electric 2026 G6 introduced earlier this year. The vehicle combines a 1.5-liter turbocharged gasoline engine with a 55.8-kWh battery pack, providing a pure electric driving range of up to 430 kilometers. With both the battery fully charged and the fuel tank full, the SUV can travel up to 1,704 kilometers, which Xpeng said makes…

Huawei’s Harmony Intelligent Mobility Alliance (HIMA) said on Wednesday that pre-orders have opened for the new Maextro S800 and Aito M9 models, both equipped with the company’s latest LiDAR technology developed under its Qiankun automotive solutions business. At a HIMA event, Richard Yu said the Maextro S800 and Aito M9 start at 728,000 yuan ($105,310) and 479,800 yuan respectively for versions equipped with Huawei’s new 896-channel LiDAR system. Entry-level variants fitted with 192-channel LiDAR are also available, starting at 708,000 yuan for the Maextro S800 and 469,800 yuan for the M9. Huawei described the 896-channel sensor as the highest-specification LiDAR…

Taiwan’s government has accelerated the transition to cleaner transport by offering financial incentives to replace older combustion-engine vehicles with electric alternatives, targeting one of the island’s largest sources of urban pollution. Since launching its vehicle replacement program in 2022, authorities have facilitated the scrapping and replacement of 124,798 aging vehicles, according to the Ministry of Environment. The initiative focuses particularly on motorcycles and scooters, which outnumber cars by roughly two to one and dominate daily transportation. By the end of 2025, the program had delivered an estimated cumulative reduction of 529,212 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions, local media…

Chinese electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft developer Autoflight has unveiled a new eVTOL aircraft capable of carrying payloads of up to 1,500 kilograms, positioning the model at the upper end of the emerging electric aviation market. The aircraft, named Matrix, has been presented as a five-tonne-class eVTOL and has completed a public demonstration flight involving a full transition from vertical take-off to wing-borne cruise flight and back to vertical landing. Autoflight said this marks the first time an eVTOL of this size has publicly demonstrated such a flight profile. See also: Aerofugia Raises Nearly $140 Million to Speed eVTOL…

Chinese electric vehicle maker Leapmotor has set a sales target of 1.05 million vehicles for 2026, according to an internal memo circulated this week by its chief operating officer, as the company sharpens its focus on profitability, brand reputation and organisational stability. In the memo dated February 5, Xu Jun outlined a three-pronged strategy aimed at supporting the ambitious goal, beginning with tighter, efficiency-driven operations. Xu said the company would prioritise closer alignment between production and sales, inventory reduction and margin improvement to underpin sustainable growth. See also: Leapmotor January Deliveries Rise 27% Year on Year to 32,059 Vehicles, Slide…

Aito, the automotive brand jointly developed by Huawei and Seres Group, has filed the M6 as its latest sport utility vehicle, adding a new model to its fast-growing premium new energy vehicle lineup. The Aito M6 appeared in the latest model catalogue released on Friday by China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT), marking the final major regulatory step before sales approval. Public feedback on the filing can be submitted between Feb. 7 and Feb. 13. The five-seat M6 spans four pages in the catalogue and includes four variants, comprising two battery-electric vehicle (BEV) versions and two extended-range electric…

Li Auto on Friday unveiled an updated version of its flagship L9 sport utility vehicle, positioning the model as an “embodied intelligence” SUV as the Chinese automaker looks to refresh its top-end offering amid intensifying competition. The next-generation Li L9 is scheduled for an official market launch in the second quarter. Founder, chairman and chief executive Li Xiang said the update goes beyond incremental specification changes, aiming instead to deliver a more user-centric vehicle experience. “The evolution of the Li L9 is not just about hardware upgrades, but about creating a truly living vehicle centred on users,” Li said at…

Chinese electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft maker Aerofugia said on Feb. 2 it has raised nearly 1 billion yuan ($140 million) in a new funding round, the largest single investment in China’s low-altitude economy so far this year, as the company accelerates its push toward commercial deployment. The latest financing, Aerofugia’s second independent market-based raise in three months, highlights growing investor confidence in the sector and in the company’s development trajectory. The Chengdu-based firm said the capital will be used to support final airworthiness certification of its AE200 series aircraft, expand production capacity at its global headquarters, and further…

Li Auto has begun rolling out its OTA 8.2 software update, introducing upgrades across driver assistance, smart cockpit and smart electric systems, as the Chinese automaker continues to refine the comfort and practicality of its vehicles in urban driving environments. The update, which started on Jan. 21, enhances Li Auto’s VLA driver assistance model through behavioral reinforcement learning. By integrating millisecond-level steering and pedal inputs, the system improves both lateral and longitudinal control, delivering smoother car-following and more natural driving behavior in congested city conditions such as traffic jams, mixed traffic and unprotected turns, the company said. See also: Li…

Li Auto is evaluating the closure of some underperforming retail outlets as it grapples with a sustained slowdown in vehicle deliveries amid intensifying competition in China’s crowded auto market, domestic media reported. The company is assessing the move, although the number of stores potentially affected has not been finalised, Lanjinger reported on Thursday, citing a source familiar with the matter. The focus of the review is not the scale of closures but improvements in operational efficiency and overall channel effectiveness, the source said. According to the report, most of the outlets under consideration were opened during Li Auto’s aggressive expansion…

Xpeng said it accelerated its international expansion in 2025, surpassing 1,000 sales outlets worldwide and extending its footprint to 60 countries and regions by the end of the year. The company said it operated 721 sales outlets in China as of Dec. 31, covering 255 cities, including 41 cities added during 2025. Domestically, Xpeng also ran 327 delivery centres serving more than 236 cities and 372 service centres across 223 cities, reflecting continued investment in sales and after-sales infrastructure. Overseas, Xpeng expanded to 380 international stores across 60 markets. The automaker entered nearly 30 new countries and regions in 2025,…

Xiaomi has rolled out ultra-long-term, low-interest financing for its YU7 electric SUV in China, following a similar move by Tesla as competition intensifies in the country’s crowded EV market. Xiaomi founder and chief executive Lei Jun announced during a livestream on Thursday that the company is offering a seven-year financing plan across all YU7 variants. The incentive applies to orders placed between Jan. 16 and Feb. 28 and allows buyers to make a minimum down payment of 49,900 yuan ($7,160), with monthly instalments starting from 2,593 yuan. See also: Xiaomi Reveals Redesigned Interior for Updated SU7 Sedan Ahead of April…

Porsche China said it is taking steps to protect customers after the suspension of operations at two dealerships in central and southwestern China left buyers facing delivery delays, registration problems and uncertainty over deposits. At the end of December 2025, the Zhengzhou Zhongyuan Porsche Centre in Henan province and the Guiyang Mengguan Porsche Centre in Guizhou province ceased operations, according to local media reports. Vehicles and equipment were removed from the sites, and hundreds of customers were affected by unresolved deposits and missing vehicle conformity certificates. See also: Porsche Reconsiders EV-Only Strategy After Macan Decision, Former CEO Says Some customers…

China’s BYD has removed its popular Song Plus models from the Ocean lineup as part of a broader effort to streamline and clarify its product portfolio, according to information published on the company’s China website. Following the change, BYD’s Ocean lineup now consists of the Seal, Sealion, Seagull and Dolphin series, all of which follow the brand’s marine-themed naming convention. The Song Plus EV and Song Plus DM-i hybrid had been the only models simultaneously positioned within both BYD’s Ocean lineup and its Dynasty lineup, which is named after ancient Chinese dynasties. See also: BYD Becomes Global BEV Sales Leader…

Contemporary Amperex Technology Co Ltd (CATL) said sodium-ion batteries are expected to see large-scale commercial adoption beginning in 2026, as rising lithium prices reshape cost dynamics across the battery supply chain. The world’s largest power battery maker made the comments at a supplier conference in Ningde, its headquarters city in China’s Fujian province, according to local media outlet Cailian. The company said sodium-ion batteries are set to be deployed across multiple applications, including battery swap systems, passenger vehicles, commercial vehicles and energy storage. See also: CATL Begins Mass Production of Fifth-Generation LFP Batteries, Boosting Energy Density and Lifespan  CATL described…

Anhui Jianghuai Automobile Group Corp (JAC) has formed a joint laboratory dedicated to flying car research, becoming the latest Chinese automaker to enter the emerging low-altitude mobility sector. The lab was established on December 9 in Hefei, Anhui, where JAC is headquartered, in collaboration with the Beijing Institute of Technology and IAT Automobile Technology. JAC said China’s growing low-altitude economy has elevated flying cars to a “golden development period,” highlighting their potential in emergency response, cultural tourism and urban commuting. The company noted, however, that despite rapid interest, the industry still faces “a series of common challenges” related to core…