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Future of transport

Future of transport
From electric cars to on-demand car service apps, companies like Uber, Google and Didi Dache are changing the way we get from place to place, and having a potentially irreversible effect on employment in this key sector.
Illustration: Henry Wong
Electric & new energy vehicles

Shifting gears: how foreign giants aim to catch up in China’s EV era

International carmakers launch tailored models and accelerate R&D as they scramble to match the speed and sophistication of domestic rivals.

Electric & new energy vehicles

Lights, camera, traction: China’s EV race rolls out film-projecting headlights

Electric & new energy vehicles

Video | Cleaner, cheaper EV trucks gain traction in China

Mainland China

China taps the brakes on robotaxi licences after Wuhan incident: sources

Licensing curbs follow a Wuhan system failure that stranded passengers, as authorities shift focus from rapid roll-out to safety oversight.

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A safety operator sits in the driver’s seat of an Apollo Go robotaxi as the vehicle travels to Wuhan Tianhe International Airport. Photo: Coco Feng
Electric & new energy vehicles

China’s EV and battery makers race to cut charging times to under 10 minutes

Fast-charging technology takes centre stage at the Beijing Auto Show as firms unveil batteries promising unprecedented speed.

Electric & new energy vehicles

Chinese robotaxi firms accelerate global roll-outs as cost edge drives expansion

Pony AI and WeRide harness China’s supply chain strength to cut costs, boost efficiency and scale robotaxi fleets worldwide.

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Electric & new energy vehicles

China’s CATL touts landmark energy-storage order for sodium-ion batteries

Deal for massive grid storage system shows that CATL has ‘overcome all the challenges in mass-producing sodium-ion batteries’, company says.

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Electricity arcs in a cold-environment demonstration of CATL’s sodium-ion battery technology during Auto China 2026 in Beijing on April 25, 2026. Photo: AP Photo
Electric & new energy vehicles

Li Auto targets BMW and Mercedes with premium SUVs in Middle East, Asia-Pacific

Beijing-based EV maker expects overseas deliveries to account for 30 per cent of its total by 2030, president Ma Donghui says.

Electric & new energy vehicles

Xpeng sets August goal to overtake Tesla’s self-driving tech in China

Carmaker bets on training AI in China’s dense urban roads to build a competitive advantage for expansion into Europe and Southeast Asia.

Electric & new energy vehicles

Huawei earmarks US$11.7b for training of autonomous-driving systems

Company claims it will outspend all rivals combined to boost computing power, which is essential to enhance advanced driving systems.

Richard Jin, CEO of Huawei’s intelligent automotive solutions business unit, introduces the company’s latest advanced driving system in Beijing on April 23, 2026. Photo: Reuters
Electric & new energy vehicles

Chinese EV makers bet on in-house chips to make cars smarter and more autonomous

Chinese EV makers are showcasing advanced in-house chips at Auto China, powering smarter vehicles and challenging global tech leaders.

Hesai CEO David Li speaks at the lidar maker’s tech open day in Shanghai, on April 17, 2026. Photo: Reuters
Electric & new energy vehicles

China’s low-cost EVs to be fitted with lidar systems, usually saved for lux cars

Intense competition, rapid tech advancement and falling costs allow the superior driving systems to be fitted into budget-price vehicles.

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Electric & new energy vehicles

CATL to supercharge China’s EV sector with revamped battery tech

World’s largest EV battery producer reveals third-gen product that charges in under six and a half minutes, easing drivers’ range anxiety.

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China-EU relations

China’s CRRC drops bid for Lisbon metro deal as EU finds ‘billions’ in subsidies

Polish firm to replace state-backed Chinese giant as Brussels uses regulatory powers to curb what it says is market-distorting foreign aid.

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Workers operate on a production line at an assembly workshop of CRRC Zhuzhou Locomotive in China’s Hunan province. Photo: Xinhua
Electric & new energy vehicles

Jump in EU EV sales amid Iran war boosts Chinese brands’ fortunes

Chinese-made EVs accounted for 16 per cent of the EU market in the year’s first two months, up from 12.2 per cent in 2025, CPCA data shows.

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Sales of battery electric vehicles in the EU climbed 51 per cent month on month in March. Photo: EPA
Electric & new energy vehicles

China’s Hesai adds colour to lidar to help EVs level up in self-driving

Colour-capable sensors to ‘significantly enhance’ sensing, helping cars identify traffic lights, construction signs, Deutsche Bank says.

US, Israel war on Iran

Why Iran war is making petrol cars an unwanted luxury in Asia

From Nepal to Vietnam, soaring fuel costs are making petrol cars a luxury as Asia outpaces Europe in the race to go electric.

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Science

Chinese trucks could go 100% electric, halving road transport oil use: industry

China’s industrial supply chains and engineering expertise provide a distinct competitive advantage, CiDi CEO Albert Hu says.

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Diesel heavy trucks are responsible for about 50 per cent of all diesel and petroleum consumed in China’s road transport sector, according to Sany Truck chairman Liang Linhe. Photo: AFP
Middle East

‘First of its kind’ flying taxi station completed in Dubai

Commercial operations, with flights by California-based Joby Aviation, are expected to begin by the end of the year.

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Electric & new energy vehicles

China’s EV battery giant CATL to set up mining arm to secure supply chain

Global energy shock accelerates CATL’s upstream push as demand for EV batteries and storage systems surges.

Electric & new energy vehicles

Hyundai spearheads foreign EV comeback push in China with Ioniq brand

South Korean carmaker bets on local partnerships and technology as global brands prepare fresh push into China’s fast-moving EV market.

The new cars will be “shaped specifically for the Chinese market, integrating local technologies and partnerships”, according to Hyundai. Photo: Handout
Singapore

Singapore’s robotaxi drive revs up with help from Chinese AV leaders

The city state is working with Chinese companies like WeRide and Pony.ai to test and deploy shuttle taxi services on public roads.

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A passenger’s view from inside an autonomous vehicle in Punggol, Singapore. Photo: Jean Iau
Electric & new energy vehicles

China amps up battery buildout to ‘10 times US 2025 capacity’

China’s battery expansion plans highlight a widening gap with the US, as renewable energy demand fuels rapid growth in storage systems.

Electric & new energy vehicles

Chinese carmakers bet on solid-state batteries to drive next EV phase

Carmakers push next-generation battery tech as they chase longer range and improved safety, despite high costs.

The Philippines

Why high fuel costs could accelerate the Philippines’ EV boom

Vietnam’s VinFast is seizing the moment by offering incentives for drivers to make the switch from petrol-powered vehicles to electric.

A person on an electric scooter passes a jeepney at a transport terminal in Quezon City on March 19. The Philippines is grappling with a national energy emergency triggered by the war in Iran. Photo: EPA
Electric & new energy vehicles

More foreign marques face a do-or-die moment as Chinese buyers shun petrol cars

Following Skoda’s exit from China, other carmakers with falling sales are also likely to close shop this year, analysts say.

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Skoda, Volkswagen’s mass-market brand, shut down its Chinese operations this year. Photo: AFP
Robotics

Meter running: CaoCao backs heavy-asset play to scale robotaxis

Geely-backed firm targets 100,000 autonomous vehicles by 2030, banking on tighter control of cars, tech and operations to drive efficiency.

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.

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