China's electric vehicle industry

The world's largest EV market
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China has one of the fastest growing EV markets in the world with an estimated 500 electric car makers having piled into the world's largest vehicle market. As the Chinese government prods indigenous innovation, home-grown brands such as Nio, Xpeng and Li Auto, have sprouted to get a larger slice of the market under the Made in China 2025 industrial master plan. What are the infrastructure limitations, socioeconomic factors, and battery market competition that are having an impact?

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News
Tech Trends
The logo of Chinese EV maker Li Auto. Photo: Reuters
Tech Trends
Tesla rival Li Auto wants to expand into an AI and robot company
The premium EV maker aims to produce humanoid robots after achieving level-4 autonomous driving, CEO Li Xiang says.
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New ‘China shock’ to test car sector, Columbia historian Adam Tooze says
Professor Tooze urges Europe to focus on Chinese electric vehicle joint ventures instead of tariffs and fears a return of ‘the atomic card’.
Chinese EV maker Nio has leased nearly 10,000 square metres of space from CTP in Budapest. Photo: CTP
Business
Chinese firms seek European base for factories amid trade tensions, tariffs
European industrial real estate developer CTP expects increased demand from Chinese firms that do not want to get caught in the trade war.
BYD electric cars bound for export at a port in Yantai, Shandong province, in April. Photo: AFP
China EVs
EU tariffs slow Chinese EV exports, Geely looks to expand in Asia: 7 EV reads
From Chinese EV exports plummeting to Geely looking to expand in the EU and Asia, here are seven EV stories you may have missed.
East Asia
Japan’s Honda, Nissan aim to merge
CATL has a global market share of roughly 37 per cent in EV batteries. Photo: Reuters
China Business
China’s CATL launches EV chassis that can withstand high-speed crash
Avatr, Changan Auto and Huawei will be the first to use the chassis, which has a battery capable of running for about 1,000km.
1
The Foxconn building in Taipei. Photo: Reuters
Big Tech
Foxconn invests in EV battery plant in China’s iPhone city
The US$82 million capital injection marks the Taiwanese giant’s latest foray into the electric-vehicle sector.
Workers at an SAIC Motor workshop in Shanghai. Photo: Xinhua
China Business
China will retain car-export crown in 2025, but growth may slow on EU EV tariffs
China’s top auto firms are likely to diversify by introducing petrol cars and hybrid models to blunt the impact of trade barriers.
BYD’s electric vehicle (EV) factory’s construction site in Camacari, Bahia province, Brazil. Photo: Reuters
China
Chinese workers found in ‘slavery-like conditions’ at BYD site in Brazil
Officials said staff were working excessively long hours while being kept in ‘degrading conditions’ in their accommodation.
21
BYD electric cars stacked for export at Taicang Port’s international container terminal in Suzhou, Jiangsu province, in September. Photo: AFP
China Economy
Chinese electric vehicle exports plummet in November as EU tariffs bite
Exports down 19 per cent by volume last month as falling prices push value of shipments even lower.
31
China had 470 robots per 10,000 employees in 2023, up from 402 units a year earlier. Photo: Shutterstock
Tech Trends
China’s industrial robot sales shrink on ‘tightening demand’
Total industrial robot deliveries this year are estimated to reach 300,000 units, down 5 per cent from 2023.
Logos of Nissan Motor Corporation and Honda are seen at a joint press conference on their merger talks, in Tokyo, Japan on December 23. Photo: Reuters
East Asia
Japan’s Honda and Nissan join forces to create world’s third-largest carmaker
This move comes as the industry transitions away from fossil fuels and towards electric vehicles, where Japanese companies have lagged behind their rivals.
The hydrogen-powered train used in a test run. Photo: Handout
Transport
Hong Kong may drop plan to use hydrogen-powered light rail trains: lawmakers
MTR Corp faces double whammy of restrictive safety rules and need to adapt light rail platforms, pair of lawmakers say.
4
Nio CEO William Li introduces its Firefly brand. Photo: Handout
China Business
EV maker Nio unveils Firefly branded cars to take on Mini Cooper and Smart
The launch is an advancement in Nio’s drive into international markets.
1
AI has emerged as a bright spot in a bleak domestic job market in China’s “new economy”. Photo: Shutterstock
Tech Trends
China faces AI talent shortage in otherwise booming industry, report finds
A quarter of ‘new economy’ job openings this year on the Maimai platform have been directly related to AI, as Big Tech firms fight for top talent.
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Thailand’s once-thriving economy, which grew an average of 5 per cent annually in the early 2000s, has been battered by two decades of political turmoil and coups. Image: Huy Truong
Economics
Thailand’s high-tech utopia starts to take shape – but will it deliver?
At its launch seven years ago, the Eastern Economic Corridor was marketed as a solution to Thailand’s economic malaise. But concerns persist.
Strong growth in Shenzhen’s trade has been buoyed, in part, by rising demand for Chinese electronics and hi-tech products. Photo: EPA-EFE
China Economy
‘Resilient’ trade gains see Shenzhen poised to overtake Shanghai despite US tech siege
Total trade value in city dubbed China’s Silicon Valley surged past 4 trillion yuan from January to November, with a record year-on-year increase.
3
Robots weld bodyshells of cars at Li Auto’s plant in Changzhou, in eastern Jiangsu province. Photo: Xinhua
China EVs
China’s car parts, software industry to hit US$356 billion by 2030
Market for car parts and software is likely to grow at an annualised pace of 28.8 per cent between 2026 and 2030.
Employees inside at a factory producing lithium battery for export in Huaibei in eastern Anhui province. Photo: AFP
Business
Tariff jab at Chinese graphite exports could inflate EV battery costs: analysts
A US coalition of graphite miners has asked the Commerce Department to probe Chinese producers and apply 920 per cent of anti-dumping duties.
2
Malaysia’s first locally produced electric vehicle, the e.Mas7, was launched in Kuala Lumpur on December 16. Photo: AFP
Economics
Pricey Chinese ‘rebadge’? Malaysia’s first home-grown EV splits opinions
Proton’s e.Mas7 struggles to convince EV fans, with some praising its good value and others dismissing the car as an overpriced model.
4
Geely’s Robocar Jiyue 01 is displayed at the Beijing Auto Show on April 29, 2024. Photo: AFP
China EVs
China’s EV champion Geely bets on tech edge to expand in Asia, EU
In an interview with the Post, Geely CEO Gui Shengyue discusses the company’s overseas strategy and EU tariffs.
1
Robin Zeng, CEO of EV battery maker CATL, greets a guest after a launch event for the next generation of swap stations in Xiamen, Fujian province on December 18, 2024. AP Photo
China Business
CATL to build 1,000 EV battery swap stations in China to ease range anxiety
Ten new EV models using the battery swap technology will be developed by CATL and its partners such as Changan Auto and FAW Group, chairman says.
Cars wait to be loaded onto ships for export at a port in China’s Jiangsu province on Thursday. EV tariff talks between China and the EU are “not close” to yielding a deal. Photo: AFP
China Economy
CEO sentiment in China sours amid slowdown risks, survey finds
Local competition and geopolitical tensions add to short-term pressures, but views of CEOs were more positive when pointing to China’s long-term outlook.
3
Petrol-powered cars to make up 30 per cent of Geely’s global auto sales, CEO Gui Shengyue says. Photo: Edmond So
China Business
Geely banks on profits from petrol cars as EVs inflict losses on rivals
‘As a carmaker, you will lose a profit growth engine if you do not make petrol cars,’ CEO Gui Shengyue says in interview.
6
The BYD logo displayed at the Beijing Auto Show on April 25. Photo: AFP
Big Tech
China’s top EV maker BYD kicks off robotics recruitment drive for young talent
The Shenzhen-based carmaker is increasing its investment in humanoid robots amid a flurry of investment from local governments.
2
A Malaysian flag flies at the entry-point to a mining site in rural Pahang state in 2015. Photo: AFP
Politics
Raids on illegal mines spotlight Malaysia’s lucrative rare earth ambitions
Malaysia’s crackdown highlights the challenges of managing rare earth resources amid rising global demand for green technology.
Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim touches the first locally produced electric vehicle (EV), the e.MAS 7, during its launch event in Kuala Lumpur on December 16/ Photo: AFP
Economics
Proton’s new EV challenges BYD and Tesla in Malaysia’s growing market
Proton hopes the launch positions the Malaysian carmaker as a leader in the region’s burgeoning EV market, dominated by Tesla and Chinese brands.
2
Workers assemble an EV inside BYD’s first EV factory in Southeast Asia, in Rayong, Thailand, on July 4, 2024. Photo: Reuters
China EVs
Indonesia gives tax incentives to EV makers including China’s BYD, GAC Aion
The carmakers, which are building factories in Indonesia, will enjoy an exemption on import taxes and a break on luxury taxes.
2
Employees of Chinese electric truck start-up Windrose assemble vehicles at a factory in Suzhou, in eastern Jiangsu province. Photo: AFP
China EVs
Can Chinese electric trucks overcome global tariffs to dominate the market?
Fleets of electric trucks from China have been growing internationally even as Western countries target the country’s EVs with sanctions.
3
Opinion
Editorial|Accelerating electric dreams depends on smooth transition
The Hong Kong government is offering subsidies and enhanced infrastructure for recharging stations in push for bus and taxi operators to switch to EVs.
SCMP Editorial
1
Outside In|Europe’s battery crisis a humiliating reminder of China’s EV dominance
The collapse of a Swedish EV battery maker underscores just how much the green transition still depends on supply chains dominated by China.
David Dodwell
1
My Take|Tesla is getting love from Chinese state media, but can the affair last?
Communist Party mouthpiece People’s Daily praised Tesla for sparking an EV boom, but Musk’s role in a new Trump administration could complicate matters.
SCMP ColumnistZhou Xin
2
Outside In|Italian fuss about China’s tiny tomato exports has bigger implications
Tomatoes are only China’s 708th biggest export. But the world is realising China can swamp markets with even small output shifts.
David Dodwell
10
On Balance|Trump has stumbled upon a good idea for US climate change fight
Getting China to build electric vehicles in the US would be a boon to the country’s economy and transition away from fossil fuels.
SCMP ColumnistRobert Delaney
10
The View|Indonesia and Philippines must clean up their nickel mines
A US report on worker exploitation adds urgency to the call for reform of an industry already battling accusations of environmental abuse.
Mohammad Yunus
1
The View|More than costs, geopolitics is driving new wave of globalisation
Protectionism won’t bring back lost jobs. It will just push companies to move production to places where supply chains are intact even if costs are not the lowest.
Winston Mok
Macroscope|West should thank China for kick-starting its economic growth
Instead of being grateful, the US and Europe are lashing out at China while simultaneously adopting aspects of Chinese state capitalism.
Anthony Rowley
9
The View|How China is becoming the Saudi Arabia of renewables
China’s declining demand for fossil fuels and increased clean-energy capacity could usher in a new shift in global wealth distribution.
Andy Xie
2
My Take|Hidden lessons for Asia in EU’s import tax on China EVs
EU tariffs on Chinese EVs may benefit Southeast Asia and India, but complex environmental rules and carbon taxes pose challenges for Asian exporters.
Biman Mukherji
Outside In|Amid national security angst, US can’t see its biggest threat is at home
Paranoia over grave and imminent dangers all around is distracting America from the serious risks of domestic terrorism and political violence.
David Dodwell
12
The View|One lesson Asia’s emerging manufacturing powerhouses can learn from China
Asian countries may suffer setbacks in their manufacturing ambitions if they aren’t able to produce more sustainably from the start and decarbonise rapidly.
Janet Pau
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