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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.
A Leapmotor electric vehicle is seen on display at the Essen Motor Show in Germany on December 3, 2025. Photo: AFP
Automotive industry

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.

Automotive industry

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

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Chile

Chilean firms partner to form giant company to exploit lithium

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.

Contemporary Amperex Technology makes another semiconductor-related investment. Photo: Shutterstock
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.

Automotive industry

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.

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Automotive industry

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.

Jetour International president Ke Chuandeng speaks at a fan gathering in Abu Dhabi on December 20,2025. Photo: Handout
SCMP Highlights

BYD’s big plans in Brazil, Xpeng tries to go global: 7 EV reads

From EV battery giants in China venturing into shipbuilding to BYD’s ambitious plans in Brazil, here are seven EV stories you may have missed.

Automotive industry

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 economy

Opinion | Why China has moved to curb steel exports

China’s pivot to emerging markets has kept its export machine running. But frictions are growing and steel is the most visible flashpoint.

A worker stacks steel products meant for the export market at a factory in Binzhou, Shandong province, China on April 15. 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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Autonomous 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 economy

Opinion | Arguing about China’s overcapacity overlooks its drive for clean energy

What is often described as overcapacity is the outcome of a development strategy that treats energy as the foundation of economic capability.

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Fields of solar panels at a power station in Weining, Guizhou province, in China on July 3. Photo: Xinhua
Made in China 2025

Can rising lithium costs save China’s energy storage firms from a price war?

China’s battery makers raise prices amid lithium rebound and global AI energy demand.

Deegares says it is raising prices of lithium batteries by 15 per cent. Photo: Handout
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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Robotics

CATL marks trailblazing deployment of humanoid robots at scale in China plant

The initiative underscores the growing use of intelligent Chinese-made robots in the country’s manufacturing industry.

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Autonomous 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
European Union

Opinion | A complicated new EU-China showdown is quietly taking shape

For now, both sides still need each other and there is nowhere else to turn. But behind this reliance, irritation and paranoia are rising.

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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.

Artificial intelligence

Xpeng CEO dismisses AI bubble fears, predicts more affordable robots soon

He Xiaoping’s recent trip to the US, where he met more than 30 professionals in the AI field, helped form his conclusions about the industry.

Xpeng CEO He Xiaopeng poses for a photograph at the Kai Tak Cruise Terminal in Hong Kong, April 14, 2025. Photo: Sun Yeung
Artificial intelligence

Xiaomi launches open-source model to compete against DeepSeek, OpenAI systems

MiMo-V2-Flash ‘particularly excels in reasoning, coding and agentic scenarios’, Xiaomi says.

Xiaomi’s open-source AI model, MiMo-V2-Flash, is available on the company’s developer site MiMo Studio, Hugging Face and the API Platform. Photo: Shutterstock
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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Future of transport

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.

Autonomous vehicles

Beijing approves first L3 autonomous cars in leap towards ‘hands-off’ driving

The cars, both pure EVs, can only navigate urban streets and highways in designated areas, according to the ministry.

The Baidu-BAIC Arcfox robotaxi is seen on the road. Photo: Shutterstock Images
Science

Why China’s growing demand for rare-earth steel is bad news for America’s F-35

Advanced product is used in huge infrastructure projects but that has further reduced supply for overseas buyers like the US defence sector.

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The vast mining district of Bayan Obo in Inner Mongolia holds 36 per cent of the world’s light rare-earth reserves. Photo: VCG via Getty Images
Volkswagen

Can Volkswagen regain its China market share with its US$3.5 billion bet?

Volkswagen, which once had 50 per cent of China’s vehicle market, has invested €3 billion in its largest R&D centre outside its home country in Hefei.

Automotive industry

Xpeng steps up ‘go global’ drive with Malaysian assembly hub for Southeast Asia

The Guangzhou-based company said it would partner with Malaysia’s EP Manufacturing to locally assemble intelligent EVs.

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