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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.
The hybrid G7 super utility vehicle boasts a range of more than 1,700km without charging, according to Xpeng. Photo: Handout
Electric & new energy vehicles

China’s Xpeng unveils hybrid SUV boasting world’s longest driving distance

Launch of new G7 edition underscores Xpeng’s go-global push and rising competition with Tesla and BYD.

US-China trade war

BYD’s win, Tesla’s defeat, Ford’s pivot: the widening gap in US-China EV markets

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Electric & new energy vehicles

Xiaomi’s refreshed SU7 turns up the heat on Tesla in China’s EV race

China economy

Price wars in China

Intense price competition in China, known as “neijuan” or involution, is causing deflationary risks, corporate losses, reduced investments and wage pressure.

Price wars in China
Electric & new energy vehicles

China’s CATL, Nio deepen partnership to develop extended-life EV batteries

Joint effort highlights urgency as industry – including 40 million EV owners – braces for costly replacements.

China economy

Opinion | Innovation and exports will winnow China’s car industry in 2026

Exports will be key to profitability and chips will be the new battleground but consolidation is likely to be confined to the battery sector.

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Electric & new energy vehicles

Tesla’s China sales hit record as EV buyers race to beat tax increase

US carmaker’s share of world’s biggest EV market declines to slightly more then 4 per cent amid stern challenge from local rivals.

Tesla cars are displayed in a showroom in Beijing on April 4, 2025. Photo: Simon Song
Semiconductors

Chinese chipmaker Black Sesame’s Huashan A2000 clears US review hurdle

The chip has passed relevant reviews following nearly a year of technical clarifications and communications with US authorities.

Electric & new energy vehicles

Weak year-end sales cloud China’s EV outlook, keeping price-war fears alive

A weaker-than-expected year-end rush and falling deliveries at major brands are stoking fears of another price war.

Electric & new energy vehicles

China’s EV makers to corner one-third of global market by 2030, UBS says

Analysts see China’s EV edge enduring, citing overseas profits and supply chain strengths despite tariffs and Western protectionism.

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China’s carmakers are projected to generate most of their profits overseas. Photo: Reuters
Autonomous vehicles

How Chinese robotaxi giants are steering Middle East towards a driverless future

WeRide, Baidu and Pony.ai expand operations in the Middle East as UAE promotes clean energy and reduces dependence on oil and gas.

A WeRide robotaxi in Abu Dhabi on December 7, 2025. Chinese robotaxi developers see the Middle East as one of their starting points for global expansion. Photo: Coco Feng
Nexperia

Nexperia, Wingtech set for fresh face-off in January with US$8 billion at stake

Dutch chipmaker’s Chinese owner warns of multi-track legal action, seeking full control of the firm and damages for improper seizure amid supply-chain tensions.

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Electric & new energy vehicles

Beijing renews trade-in subsidy scheme amid domestic car market’s gloomy outlook

Buyers who replace their petrol and electric cars with new vehicles will receive a cash subsidy of up to US$2,858 per unit.

Electric & new energy vehicles

China’s oldest carmaker FAW buys US$534 million stake in EV assembler Leapmotor

‘Leapmotor aims to achieve annual deliveries of 4 million units a year in 10 years’ time,’ founder and CEO Zhu Jiangming says.

A Leapmotor electric vehicle is seen on display at the Essen Motor Show in Germany on December 3, 2025. Photo: AFP
Electric & new energy vehicles

Dozens of Chinese EV makers under pressure to fold or trim operations: analysts

Grappling with expiring cash subsidies and tax incentives, China’s car market is forecast to see deliveries slump next year.

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About 50 unprofitable Chinese electric vehicle makers face pressure to scale down their business or wind down operations. Photo: Shutterstock
Semiconductors

Chinese EV battery giant CATL and Guoxin Micro set up new automotive chip firm

The two companies expect to launch Tongxin Micro Technology as a developer of automotive domain controller chips.

Mergers & Acquisitions

Mercedes-Benz buys US$191 million stake in Chinese autonomous driving developer

The German carmaker obtains a 3 per cent stake in Chongqing Qianli Technology.

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Electric & new energy vehicles

CATL poised to bring Yichun lithium output back online after licence lapse

With battery costs again under the spotlight, regulators are set to green light CATL’s restart of the Yichun mine in eastern China.

A restart of the Yichun lithium mine could strengthen CATL’s output capacity at a time when carmakers are pushing suppliers to cut costs. Photo: AFP
Electric & new energy vehicles

Chinese SUV maker Jetour pushes localised offerings to hasten go-global drive

Jetour is already present in more than 100 countries and regions after seven years in operation.

Electric & new energy vehicles

Luxury EV built with Huawei tops Porsche’s Panamera and BMW’s 7 Series in China

Chinese carmakers gain confidence in the premium segment as Maextro S800 – developed by Huawei and JAC Group – tops sales above US$100,000.

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China trade

As Germany’s trade deficit with China nears new high, analysts warn of backlash

The widening gap, fuelled by a localisation push in China and fierce EV competition, is fuelling fears of political upheaval and rising protectionist sentiment in Berlin.

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Factory workers assemble cars at a Volkswagen plant in Qingdao, in China’s eastern Shandong province, last week. Photo: AFP
China-EU relations

China slaps tariffs on EU cheese and cream amid trade row

Alleging that European subsidies are hurting Chinese producers, Beijing has imposed fees that look to hit French exporters the hardest.

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China has slapped provisional anti-subsidy fees of up to 42.7 per cent on European producers of certain dairy products, including various types of cheese and cream. Photo: AFP
Electric & new energy vehicles

China’s approval for L3 self-driving cars to stimulate slowing mainland market

Chinese carmakers could sell about 270,000 semi-autonomous vehicles next year, representing 1 per cent of the total market, Daiwa says.

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China-EU relations

Discriminatory and egregious: China blasts EU’s subsidy crackdown

Commerce authorities vow to defend firms such as Nuctech and CRRC, while Beijing continues talks with Brussels over EV tariffs.

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Electric & new energy vehicles

BYD ups the ante on L3 autonomous cars, begins testing for mass production

BYD has pinned its hopes on preliminary self-driving technologies to bolster its sales in mainland China.

BYD says it has completed more than 150,000 kilometres of real-world L3 testing. Photo: Xinhua
China-Latin America relations

BYD plans giant Brazil factory to scale electric bus and truck production

The new plant would dwarf BYD’s current Brazil operation, lifting output from about 600 units over a decade to up to 7,000 a year.

BYD’s confidence in Brazil was reinforced in October with the opening of the company’s large passenger vehicle factory in Camacari, in the northeastern state of Bahia. Photo: Handout
European Union

EU drops 2035 combustion engine ban in victory for its carmakers

Europe pivots to bolstering its crisis-hit auto sector in a major green policy retreat.

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Electric & new energy vehicles

Xpeng, Li Auto given approval to test ‘hands-off’ L3 cars amid slowing market

Deregulation to legalise L3 technology represents a leap forward in commercialising autonomous driving systems in China.

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