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Automotive industry

Automotive industry
News about the global automotive industry with a focus on developments that matter most for the China market.
Drivers charge their vehicles at a Tesla supercharger station. Photo: TNS
Electric & new energy vehicles

Tesla outraces China’s BYD in pure electric car sales to regain world’s top spot

Shrinking subsidies, new taxes sap China’s EV demand, giving Tesla an edge in global deliveries for first time since fourth quarter of 2024.

Electric & new energy vehicles

Leapmotor targets global growth with Europe R&D hub, eyes Canada assembly

Electric & new energy vehicles

China EV makers surge back in March as subsidies and financing spur demand

Electric & new energy vehicles

Middle East oil shock jolts EV demand, putting Chinese exports in fast lane

Orders for Chinese NEVs are rising along with footfalls at EV dealerships both at home and overseas, according to Nomura analyst.

China’s self-developed car carrier BYD Shenzhen, the world’s biggest, sets off on its maiden voyage with more than 7,000 new energy vehicles on April 27, 2025, from Suzhou, Jiangsu province. Photo: Imago via Zuma Press/TNS
Energy

Video | Thai undertaker brings corpse to petrol station to prove he’s not hoarding

After being denied fuel, a Thai man live-streamed the moment he showed station staff an occupied coffin to prove his urgent need.

Mainland China

How China’s EV makers think they can outrun disastrous price wars

At Beijing’s urging, an industry largely built on discounting must hold the line on prices and convince buyers to pay for better technology.

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Electric & new energy vehicles

BYD’s four-year profit run ends, eyes global markets as next engine of growth

Earnings at China’s EV leader fall short of expectations amid intense domestic competition.

The Shenzhen-based company reported a net profit of 32.6 billion yuan (US$4.72 billion) for 2025, down 18.97 per cent from a year earlier. Photo: Reuters
Electric & new energy vehicles

Pain at the pump fuels EV rush in China, driving a timely boost for carmakers

Brent crude above US$110 is pushing mainland buyers away from petrol cars, lifting China’s EV makers despite fading subsidies.

Electric & new energy vehicles

China’s Pony AI to launch robotaxi service in Europe with Uber, local start-up

Partners aim to operate thousands of robotaxis in various European cities over the next few years after starting in Zagreb, Croatia, ‘soon’.

Volkswagen

VW pulls Skoda brand from China after years of falling sales

Czech brand’s mainland sales declined from 341,000 in 2018 to around 15,000 last year as domestic carmakers’ EVs won market share.

A Skoda Peaq electric car is seen during the opening of a new battery assembly hall at the Skoda factory in Mlada Boleslav in the Czech Republic on February 27, 2026. Photo: AFP
Mainland China

Video | Will oil shocks trigger a Chinese EV buying spree?

Oil shock from the Iran war might speed up the global EV shift and boost China’s auto industry, analysts say.

Motorists queue to pump gasoline into their vehicle at a gas station in Hanoi on March 10, 2026. Vietnam announced on March 9 it was scrapping tariffs on fuel imports, as the US-Israeli war with Iran disrupts oil supplies and pushes prices to their highest level since 2022. (Photo by Nhac NGUYEN / AFP)
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Electric & new energy vehicles

China’s lidar giants pivot to robotics in boost supply chain dominance

Hesai will spend US$28.9 million this year to design and manufacture ‘eyes and muscles’ for robots, creating a new growth engine.

China exports

EVs lead China’s going global push

Chinese electric vehicle (EV) makers, led by BYD and Geely, dominate global sales, and demand may accelerate in 2026 as Middle Eastern instability pushes up fuel costs.

Hong Kong stock market

Memory costs ‘beyond imagination’ hurting smartphone makers: Xiaomi leader

Firms are being drawn into a price-raising cycle that could reshape the industry, executive says as company reports 27 per cent profit drop.

A man takes a picture of a Xiaomi phone at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain, on March 2, 2026. Photo: Reuters
China energy security

China EV makers gain as Iran war drives up fuel costs

Oil supply disruptions and higher fuel prices due to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz have bolstered the outlook for China’s world-leading electric-vehicle makers.

Chinese drivers queue for fuel ahead of record price increases. Photo: EPA
China exports

The Iran war could widen China’s EV lead over its global rivals. Here’s why

The ‘eye-watering’ surge in oil prices may push consumers around the world to switch to electric cars, boosting Chinese brands, analysts say.

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Electric & new energy vehicles

3 Chinese EV makers raise prices – but demand slowdown could force reversal

Xiaomi, Chery and FAW adjust prices amid surging chip and raw material costs, but analysts say soft sales could undermine gains.

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Middle East

Drivers in China rush to fill up before biggest petrol price hike this year

Beijing will raise refined oil prices for the fifth time this year at midnight but puts in place a temporary control to reduce the impact.

Motorists queue to fill their tanks ahead of a petrol price adjustment expected on Monday, at a petrol station in Suzhou, in China’s eastern Jiangsu province on Sunday. Photo: CN-STR/AFP
Electric & new energy vehicles

Xiaomi’s new-generation SU7 launch sparks fresh EV fight with Tesla in China

Updated smart sedan debuts with improved safety and smart-driving features, intensifying competition with Tesla and domestic rivals.

Electric & new energy vehicles

China presses EV makers to end price war and focus on innovation as demand cools

Oversight of China’s industry intensifies, with carmakers urged to move beyond discounts and focus on chips and self-driving systems.

China manufacturing

Global EV uptake expected to accelerate as Iran war causes petrol price hikes

With more than half of Chinese new car sales being electric in 2025, the nation could save US$28 billion a year in avoided oil import costs.

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Employees work on an electric vehicle (EV) production line at the Volkswagen Anhui factory in Hefei, Anhui province, China, as the Iran war pushes up petrol prices and global EV uptake is expected to accelerate. Photo: Reuters
Electric & new energy vehicles

Leapmotor’s Stellantis tie-up pays off as EV exports jump nearly 400% last year

The Hangzhou-based carmaker exported 67,052 units in 2025, up from 13,726 in 2024, according to an exchange filing.

Employees work on an EV production line at the Leapmotor factory in Jinhua, Zhejiang province. Photo: AFP
Electric & new energy vehicles

Chinese carmakers step up global expansion using idled foreign facilities

Great Wall Motors, Geely and other Chinese carmakers are using an asset-light strategy to accelerate their growth overseas.

China property

China mall shuffle: as EVs exit, who’s filling the ground-floor showrooms?

New demand for mall space comes from brands riding fresh trends, including Unitree Robotics, Pop Mart and Lululemon.

Electric & new energy vehicles

Tesla’s 91% February sales jump in China defies overall market slowdown

The US carmaker’s Shanghai Gigafactory delivered nearly 58,600 vehicles last month, with the Model Y topping the sales chart.

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Tesla cars are displayed outside a showroom in Chongqing, China. Photo: Getty Images
Electric & new energy vehicles

BMW sees smoother road ahead in China after sales skid in 2025

German carmaker reports a solid start to 2026 amid stabilising prices, with new EV model, its ‘most Chinese car’ ever, coming soon.

A Chinese-made version of BMW’s iX3 is set to debut in April. Photo: Handout
CATL

CATL profit jump fuels Hong Kong battery stocks amid global energy storage boom

The company’s strong results and energy storage push spark gains for battery makers listed in Hong Kong and mainland China.

Electric & new energy vehicles

Geely beats BYD sales in first 2 months of 2026 to become China’s top carmaker

Geely’s sales rise 1 per cent to 476,327 units in January and February, while BYD’s sales slump 38.5 per cent to 400,241 units.

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