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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.
Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen
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.

Electric & new energy vehicles

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

Electric & new energy vehicles

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

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’.

The partners have begun testing in Zagreb, Croatia, using Pony’s Gen-7 system and electric SUVs made by Chinese state-owned carmaker BAIC. Photo: Handout
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.

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.

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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.

The Hesai booth at CES 2025 in Las Vegas, January 9, 2025. Photo: NurPhoto via Getty Images
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.

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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Large numbers of cars are lined up ready for export at a port in eastern China’s Jiangsu province. China recently overtook Japan as the world’s largest car exporter. Photo: Xinhua
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.

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.

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.

Lei Jun says the new-generation SU7 offers strong value for money. Photo: Weibo
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.

Visitors look at a new-energy sports car at an expo in Tianjin. Photo: Xinhua
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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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.

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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’s Great Wall Motor is in talks with Mercedes-Benz to share the German carmaker’s factory in East London, South Africa. Photo: Reuters
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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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.

CATL shares surged 9 per cent on Wednesday, following another 9 per cent gain the previous day. Photo: AFP
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.

Electric & new energy vehicles

Chinese EV maker Nio forecasts surge in deliveries after first quarterly profit

The company’s turnaround highlights resilience in China’s EV market, defying a slowdown that has weighed on most domestic rivals.

China-EU relations

Why the ‘China threat’ was barely mentioned in Germany’s latest state election

Baden-Wurttemberg’s car industry is facing steep job losses amid intense Chinese competition. But local candidates largely avoided blaming China.

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Candidates in the Baden-Wurttemberg state election attend a press conference in Stuttgart after the release of exit polls on March 8. Photo: AFP
CATL

China’s CATL profit surges 42% as global market share soars to all-time high

Surging demand solidifies CATL’s position as world’s top EV battery manufacturer for ninth consecutive year.

CATL’s 2025 sales volume of lithium-ion batteries rose 39 per cent from the previous year. Photo: AFP
Style Edit

Style Edit: BMW iX3 rewrites the EV rule book on range and sustainability

Based on the carmaker’s Neue Klasse platform, the new model has a sleek design, advanced tech and 805km range, all while cutting emissions.

Electric & new energy vehicles

Iran war oil shock accelerates Southeast Asia’s EV revolution

Southeast Asia was already going electric. Then war broke out in the Middle East and it started going faster.

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