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Electric & new energy vehicles

Electric & new energy vehicles
Latest news, in-depth features and opinion on electric & new energy vehicles, with a particular focus on China.
In 2022, BYD dethroned Tesla for the first time as the world’s largest EV builder. Photo: Reuters
BYD

BYD founder bets on new tech to win back customers as sales decelerate

Company is pinning its hopes on a 12,000-strong R&D team to come up with technological breakthroughs.

Xiaomi

China’s Xiaomi says returns from AI investments ‘far exceed expectations’

Belgium

EU launches 1st formal review of Chinese EV tariffs after VW Anhui’s submission

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Tesla

Tesla’s China plant sees shipment surge ahead of subsidy expiry

However, the rebound may not be sufficient to help the company reclaim lost ground in China, an analyst says.

A Tesla logo seen on a Model 3 electric car. Photo: AFP
China manufacturing

Germany’s China playbook: if you can’t beat them, partner up

More than half of surveyed German firms plan deeper ties with local partners in China to match the rapid innovation cycles of domestic competitors, the German Chamber of Commerce has found.

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Energy

Opinion | Battery revolution set to spark Global South’s century of prosperity

The rise of the sodium-ion battery promises to supercharge a green energy transition that will help level the global playing field.

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Automotive industry

China’s EV makers post stellar sales before incentives are phased out next year

Leapmotor leads the pack with record sales for a seventh month in a row, while Voyah and Zeekr put on a strong performance.

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Voyah’s monthly sales rose for a fourth straight month, with deliveries rising 16.2 per cent month on month to 20,005 vehicles. Photo: Xinhua
Climate change

Opinion | How Cop30 laid bare the new geopolitics of climate action

Fractures, even among the Global South, show the energy transition is not just a technical challenge but a deeply political negotiation.

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BYD

China EV profit woes fuel market anxiety over challenging 2026

Investors quickly turn against EV makers as earnings fall short, and next year looks even more difficult, analysts say.

Automotive industry

Chinese EV makers step on gas abroad amid weakening mainland sales

A growing export drive by Chinese EV makers aims to soak up overcapacity and secure better profits as incentives fade.

Leapmotor announced this week that two of its models would make their debuts in Brazil and Chile. Photo: Handout
Robotics

Xiaomi hires engineer from Tesla’s Optimus team to lead robotic hand development

Zach Lu Zeyu joins Xiaomi as lead of its dexterous hand research and development operations.

International robotics research has been sharpening its focus on dexterous hands – a system designed to mimic humanlike hand and finger movements. Photo: Shutterstock
Tesla

Tesla affirms confidence in Chinese partners, repudiates supplier ban

American EV maker says rigorous standards – not geographic origins – guide its vendor choices.

SCMP Highlights

Chinese carmakers boost robotics efforts, Xpeng posts record revenue: 7 EV reads

From a Chinese team reducing car part production time with lasers to Xiaomi’s first profit, here are seven EV stories you may have missed.

Future of transport

Volkswagen revs up designed-in-China approach to catch up in EV market

Carmaker says mainland operations can now design and validate new models without approvals from Germany, reducing development time and cost.

An aerial view of Volkswagen Group China Technology Company in Hefei, in eastern China’s Anhui province. Photo: Handout
Style Edit

Style Edit: BMW’s luxury electric sedan, the i7 M70 xDrive

BMW’s i7 M70 xDrive is its top-of-the-range electric sedan, offering comfort without compromising on performance and sustainability.

BMW’s luxury electric sedan, the i7 M70 xDrive, is an impressive addition to the carmaker’s collection. Photo: Handout
Science

Chinese team cuts laser weapon, EV part production time from 1 hour to 1 second

High-intensity heating and cooling method speeds up creation of sought-after electrical component.

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The Philippines

‘Please stop’: Philippines nickel mining boom brings floods and failed crops

Nickel is vital to the global green transition, but its extraction is bringing environmental disaster to Filipinos on the front line.

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Xiaomi

Xiaomi open-sources AI model spanning autonomous driving and robotics

EV and AI initiatives have become an increasingly important part of Xiaomi’s business.

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A Xiaomi car seen outside the company’s electric vehicle factory in Beijing. Photo: AFP
China economy

Opinion | The rise of a Beijing-led ‘Global South Consensus’

As the Global South seeks a better development model and China looks for alternatives to mature markets, a match made out of mutual need is emerging.

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US-China relations

Opinion | The bright side to US-China decoupling and global self-reliance drives

And despite opposing perspectives, it may reduce mutual dependence such as to assure a strategic peace of mind for both the West and China.

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Foxconn

Taiwan’s Foxconn expands AI hardware push with OpenAI deal

Foxconn sees profits soar after shifting its focus from low-margin iPhone assembly to AI servers that are now in huge demand.

Foxconn Technology Group has been expanding capacity in the US, as a major supplier of AI servers and related networking gear. Photo: Shutterstock
CATL

Co-founder of EV battery giant CATL pockets US$239 million from 1% stake sale

Huang Shilin retains more than 9 per cent of CATL, whose shares have skyrocketed in Shenzhen and Hong Kong.

CATL batteries power more than a third of electric cars around the world, according to an analyst. Photo: Getty
China economy

Opinion | As China’s tech rises, companies must rethink their R&D strategy

Firms seeking to localise in China must see the country not just as a place to manufacture and sell, but as a co-creator and innovator.

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Tesla

Xiaomi reaffirms safety focus after raising 2025 sales target to 400,000 units

Safety is a foundation and a priority, founder and CEO Lei Jun says after Xiaomi’s 500,000th EV rolls off Beijing assembly line.

US-China relations

Opinion | US-China rivalry is moving beyond guns and growth

In this new era of entangled competition, humans aren’t the only ones shaping state power; technological and material systems also produce geopolitical outcomes.

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Illustration: Craig Stephens
Made in China 2025

Chinese EV makers accelerate robotics drive for ‘game-changing’ edge over US

Xpeng, Cherry and others expand beyond cars, with humanoid robot Iron winning praise from Tesla CEO Elon Musk.

Xpeng’s humanoid robot Iron relies primarily on visual data for training and decision-making. Photo: Shutterstock
CATL

CATL’s stellar run and record premium come up against doubling of stock supply

The availability of 76 million CATL shares in Hong Kong following the expiry of a six-month lock-up period could impede the gains.

Xiaomi

China’s Xiaomi posts first profit from EV, AI units as quarterly earnings surge

Beijing-based company sells nearly 109,000 electric vehicles in three months, underscoring pivot from smartphones.

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