Author: Victor Choi

Mercedes-Benz will recall 19,481 electric vehicles in China due to potential battery safety issues, according to a notice published by the country’s top market regulator, marking another large-scale recall linked to EV battery reliability. The recall affects locally produced EQA and EQB electric SUVs manufactured between April 1, 2021, and March 12, 2024, and will begin on June 25, 2026. The vehicles were built by Beijing Benz, the German automaker’s joint venture with Chinese partner BAIC, and the campaign is being conducted under a defect investigation by the State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR). Regulators said variations in the high-voltage…

BYD has released the first official exterior images of the Song Ultra EV, signaling an acceleration in marketing activities for the upcoming electric sport utility vehicle. The Chinese new energy vehicle (NEV) maker shared two images of the model on its official Weibo account on Tuesday, highlighting the vehicle’s size and positioning within its Dynasty lineup. The Song Ultra EV is described as the brand’s first B-segment pure-electric SUV under the Dynasty series and the latest addition to the Song family. See also: BYD Sues U.S. Government Over Trump-Era Tariffs, Seeks Refund of Levies Paid According to a vehicle purchase…

BMW has appointed Christian Ach as President and Chief Executive Officer of BMW Group Region China, effective April 1, as the German premium carmaker seeks to stabilise its performance in its most important global market. Ach, who has led BMW’s home market in Germany since March 2024, will relocate to China at a time when foreign premium brands are under growing pressure from domestic automakers and a rapidly expanding local electric vehicle sector. China remains BMW’s largest single market by volume, despite a sharp decline in recent years. See also: BMW Launches 2026 iX1 Electric SUV In China With Equipment…

Xiaomi has filed a new ultra-high-performance variant of its YU7 sport utility vehicle, signalling a further push into the premium electric performance segment, according to a regulatory catalogue released by China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology. The filing reveals a YU7 GT pure-electric SUV with a combined power output of 738 kilowatts, or about 990 horsepower, exceeding the 508 kW output of the most powerful YU7 variant currently on record. The YU7 GT uses a dual-motor setup, with a 288 kW motor at the front and a 450 kW motor at the rear. See also: Xiaomi YU7 GT Electric…

Nio said on Thursday it expects to post its first-ever quarterly profit in the fourth quarter of 2025, under both non-GAAP and GAAP accounting standards, marking a potential turning point for the Chinese electric vehicle maker after years of losses. In a profit alert issued before market open, the company forecast non-GAAP adjusted operating profit of between 700 million yuan ($100 million) and 1.2 billion yuan ($172 million) for the quarter. That would compare with a non-GAAP adjusted operating loss of 5.54 billion yuan recorded in the same period of 2024. See also: Nio Launches Seven-Year Financing Plan as China…

Tesla recorded year-on-year growth in China-made vehicle sales in January, even as deliveries declined from the previous month amid a broader seasonal slowdown in the country’s auto market, industry data showed. Wholesale sales of China-produced Tesla vehicles totaled 69,129 units in January, including domestic sales and exports, according to figures released on Tuesday by the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA). The figure marked a 9.32% increase from 63,238 units a year earlier but represented a 28.86% drop from December’s 97,171 units. See also: Tesla Beats Q4 Earnings Expectations as Margins Improve and Energy Business Sets Records Monthly sales declines are…

Geely Auto sub-brand Geely Galaxy has previewed a new plug-in hybrid sport utility vehicle, the M7, as it looks to sustain strong growth in the PHEV segment, the company said. Geely Galaxy released the first images of the M7 on Weibo on Monday, describing the vehicle as a mid-size SUV. The model will be equipped with Geely’s Golden Battery, offering a battery-only range of 225 kilometres. With a full fuel tank and fully charged battery, the company said the M7 will deliver a combined driving range of more than 1,730 kilometres. The M7 will be the second model in Geely…

Nio Inc said it has delivered its 60,000th third-generation ES8 sport utility vehicle, marking a rapid acceleration in deliveries for the model just weeks after surpassing the 50,000-unit milestone. The Chinese electric vehicle maker confirmed the latest delivery on Sunday via a social media post by Yang Bo, head of user operations, who said the vehicle was handed over in Guangzhou. The company is expected to publish its full January delivery figures later on Sunday. See also: Nio Rolls Out Updated NWM Driver Assistance Software in China Nio launched the third-generation ES8 at its annual Nio Day event on Sept.…

Aito, the automotive brand jointly developed by Huawei and Seres Group, has released the first official images of its upcoming M6 sport utility vehicle, signalling an expansion of its lineup in China’s highly competitive SUV market. Aito and Huawei’s Harmony Intelligent Mobility Alliance (HIMA) shared multiple exterior images and a short preview video of the M6 on Weibo on Tuesday, offering an early look at the model’s design ahead of its official debut. The M6 adopts Aito’s established family styling, though its front-end design is closer to the entry-level M5 rather than the full-width headlight signature used on higher-end models…

Nio reported a sharp year-on-year increase in vehicle deliveries in January, supported by strong demand for its core brand and flagship ES8 sport utility vehicle, even as sales declined significantly from the previous month amid seasonal and policy-related pressures. The Chinese electric vehicle maker delivered 27,182 vehicles in January, representing a 96.08% increase from a year earlier but a 43.53% decline from December, according to company data. The drop reflects typical seasonal weakness at the start of the year following a year-end sales peak in China’s auto market. The January performance also came as China began scaling back supportive policies…

Chery Group’s new energy vehicle brand iCAUR will hold the global launch of its V27 mid-to-large hybrid sport utility vehicle in Dubai on Feb. 8, marking the brand’s official entry into the Middle East market, the company said. The iCAUR V27 is built around a range-extended electric vehicle (REEV) powertrain designed to deliver more than 150 kilometres of pure electric driving and a combined range exceeding 1,000 kilometres. The model is positioned to cover urban commuting as well as long-distance travel, Chery said, as competition intensifies among automakers offering electrified SUVs in global markets. See also: Chery’s LEPAS Brand Unveils…

Chinese electric vehicle maker Xpeng has begun pre-sales in China for the battery-electric version of its X9 multi-purpose vehicle, expanding the model range two months after introducing an extended-range electric variant. The company said on Thursday that it is accepting consumer reservations for the 2026 seven-seat X9 BEV, offering five variants: 665 Max, 650 Ultra SE, 650 Ultra, 750 Ultra and 710 AWD Ultra. Xpeng has not disclosed pre-sale pricing but said customers can place an order with a 2,000 yuan ($290) deposit, which will be applied as a 7,000 yuan discount toward the final purchase price. See also: Xpeng…

Nio has taken part in a large-scale vehicle-to-grid (V2G) pilot in eastern China, using its battery swap stations to supply electricity back to the power grid as part of efforts to integrate electric vehicles into energy management systems. Six of Nio’s fourth-generation battery swap stations were involved in the trial on Jan. 22 in Nanjing, the capital of Jiangsu, according to a social media post by GCL Energy Technology. The stations were upgraded with V2G capabilities by GCL and Nio ahead of the test. See also: Nio and CATL Sign Five-Year Deal to Deepen Battery and Swap Network Cooperation During…

China’s electric vehicle industry is entering a period of heightened strain as rising raw material and semiconductor costs converge with the withdrawal of policy support and the reintroduction of purchase taxes, according to a recent research note from UBS. UBS said early 2026 represents a critical inflection point for the sector, with manufacturers simultaneously absorbing the impact of commodity price inflation, surging memory chip costs and a 5% EV purchase tax that took effect in January. The research team led by Paul Gong estimates that production costs for a typical mid-sized smart EV could rise by between 4,000 yuan ($575)…

Yijing Auto, a premium intelligent vehicle brand jointly developed by Dongfeng Motor and Huawei, has released initial teaser images of its first production model, a large six-seat SUV, the company said. The images, published on the brand’s official WeChat account on Jan. 23, show a camouflaged vehicle undergoing cold-weather performance testing. The tests follow the rollout of the first tooling prototype on Dec. 22, 2025, indicating that the programme has moved into a vehicle validation phase. See also: Dongfeng–Huawei Brand Yijing Rolls Out First Pre-Production SUV Prototype The vehicle is positioned as a flagship family-oriented SUV and will feature Huawei’s…

Chery’s new energy vehicle brand LEPAS has introduced its LEX vehicle platform, targeting global markets with a modular architecture designed to support pure electric, hybrid and multiple powertrain configurations. The LEX Platform incorporates Chery’s EEA 5.1 electronic and electrical architecture, featuring a dual-zone, dual-center integrated layout. The system enables coordinated operation across intelligent cockpit functions, advanced driver assistance systems and powertrain controls, while supporting hardware standardisation, over-the-air software updates and cross-domain data sharing. See also: Chery to Acquire Nissan’s South Africa Plant as Overseas Localization Push Advances Chery said the platform has been engineered to meet diverse regional requirements. Battery-electric…

Tesla has reinstated insurance subsidies for its Model 3 electric sedan in China, the company said, as it steps up incentives in the world’s largest electric vehicle market following the introduction of ultra-long-term, low-interest financing earlier this month. Chinese customers who purchase eligible Model 3 variants by Feb. 28 will receive an insurance subsidy of 8,000 yuan ($1,150), according to a statement posted on Weibo by Tesla. The offer applies to the rear-wheel-drive, long-range rear-wheel-drive and long-range all-wheel-drive versions, which are priced from 235,500 yuan, 259,500 yuan and 285,500 yuan, respectively. The performance all-wheel-drive variant, priced from 339,500 yuan, is…

Sales of new energy heavy-duty trucks in China surged to a record level in December 2025, pushing market penetration above 50% for the first time, as buyers rushed to lock in incentives ahead of policy changes, industry data showed. China sold 45,300 new energy heavy-duty trucks domestically in December, accounting for 53.89% of total heavy-duty truck sales of 84,000 units, according to data from CV World. The penetration rate jumped more than 17 percentage points from November’s 36.45%, marking a historic milestone for electrification in the segment. December sales of new energy heavy-duty trucks rose 198% year on year and…

Geely Auto said it plans to begin production of solid-state battery packs later this year, marking a further step by Chinese automakers toward next-generation battery technologies as competition intensifies in the electric vehicle market. The company disclosed the target on Thursday during Geely Holding Group’s five-year strategy briefing, saying it will complete production of its first in-house developed all-solid-state battery pack in 2026 and proceed with vehicle installation and verification. See also: Geely Holding Targets 6.5 Million Global Vehicle Sales by 2030, With NEVs at 75% Geely Auto also said it will roll out a newly developed lithium manganese iron…

Onvo, the mass-market electric vehicle sub-brand of Nio Inc, has launched a native application for Huawei’s HarmonyOS, extending its digital services to one of the world’s largest mobile operating systems. Onvo president Shen Fei said in a post on Weibo on Wednesday that the HarmonyOS version of the Onvo app is now available through Huawei’s App Gallery, adding that the release responds directly to user demand on Huawei devices. See also: Nio’s Onvo Launches Lunar New Year Special Edition of L60 SUV The move follows earlier steps by Nio to adapt its main-brand mobile application for HarmonyOS. That app has…