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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.
VW plans to reduce its Gotion holdings to 19 per cent by selling 96 million shares to an investment firm controlled by the Hefei government. Photo: AP
Electric & new energy vehicles

VW, Gotion deepen ties with US$3.7b commitment to EV battery production

Gotion will invest about €1.6 billion to build three manufacturing facilities in Spain, Slovakia and Morocco, with VW putting in a similar amount.

Electric & new energy vehicles

China’s Nio and Geely deepen commitment to EV battery swapping tech

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China trade

Chinese carmakers gain as high petrol prices boost European EV sales

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Electric & new energy vehicles

Chinese EV battery giant CATL starts trial production in Hungary

Analyst says development could see it secure massive orders from global marques such as BMW and Volkswagen.

The CATL exhibition hall. as this month’s World Power Battery Conference in Yibin, Sichuan province. Photo: Xinhua
Hong Kong environmental issues

Opinion | Hong Kong lacks a climate narrative to unify its efforts

Hong Kong does not mention ‘climate change’ in its five-year plan, yet it already has many ingredients of climate leadership.

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Low-altitude economy

Low-altitude sector hits turbulence in China’s Hangzhou as subsidies face repeal

Hangzhou tech hub looks to end financial incentives for development of light aerial vehicles, including eVTOLs, signalling more optimised regulations after June crash.

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CATL

Despite stock stress, CATL set to retain EV battery dominance in China: analysts

CATL’s tech edge and brand safeguard its EV battery lead, though carmakers are seeking alternative suppliers.

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An advertisement for CATL is displayed on Nanjing Road in Shanghai on July 14, following the launch of its new ultra-fast EV battery. Photo: Getty Images
Singapore

US firm Waymo to launch robotaxi service in Singapore in 2028

Trained specialists will drive Jaguar I-Pace vehicles and help Waymo adapt its technology to Singapore’s road layouts and other conditions.

Low-altitude economy

Big Macs from above: Meituan and McDonald’s launch drone delivery in Shanghai

Fast-food orders will soar through the Shanghai sky, quickly reaching designated kiosks along the West Bund, offering a new way to collect meals.

Electric & new energy vehicles

‘Key pillar’: the 5-year powerhouse plan for China’s car industry

Beijing’s outline calls for boosting domestic market and innovation while controlling capacity to avoid involution effects.

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Employees work at a factory of electric vehicle maker Nio in Hefei, in central China’s Anhui province, on April 2, 2025. Photo: Reuters
Electric & new energy vehicles

Foreign marques offer steep discounts on petrol cars in cutthroat Chinese market

With more consumers switching to electric vehicles, companies including VW and Toyota are slashing prices on lower-tech offerings.

Workers assemble vehicles on a production line at an FAW-Volkswagen factory in Chengdu, Sichuan province, in December. Photo: VCG/VCG via Getty Images
Science

Chinese team achieves fourfold leap in fuel-cell power

The proton-transfer breakthrough could improve hydrogen vehicles and space systems, while reducing the use of costly platinum.

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Electric & new energy vehicles

Over 65% of cars sold in China are now EVs as Iran war drives electric shift

China’s electric vehicle adoption rate has hit yet another record high, as rising fuel prices accelerate the pivot away from petrol cars.

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Electric & new energy vehicles

Will Tesla’s rare-earth-free motor put China’s trade trump card at risk?

Elon Musk says Tesla’s new Cybercab motor has no rare earths, but analysts saw the move as only a slight step towards reducing industry reliance – or China’s leverage.

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Tesla’s Cybercab, also known as the Robotaxi, is a two-passenger self-driving car which is fully autonomous with no steering wheel or pedals. Photo: TNS
Electric & new energy vehicles

Market squeeze: Tesla revives China price cuts to stem slumping deliveries

The discounts underscore Tesla’s sliding output and fading demand, as analysts warn of intensifying EV price battles.

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A Tesla humanoid robot and a Model Y electric vehicle are displayed in a store in Beijing in August. Photo: EPA
Electric & new energy vehicles

In Focus | China’s EV makers see synergy in their race to beat Tesla in humanoid robotics

Robotics has supply chain synergy with smart EV production because key components like cameras and radar, as well as software, are in both.

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Electric & new energy vehicles

Tesla to exhibit Cybercab robotaxi in China: can it spark buzz amid slow sales?

While the company stresses the tour does not signal the vehicle will be sold in China, some observers believe it could still bolster the brand’s position.

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Artificial intelligence

In Focus | Will geopolitics put a potential Musk merger between a rocket and a hard place?

Security concerns in Beijing and Washington could create ‘bottleneck’ if Elon Musk attempts to combine the two flagship companies.

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Illustration: Victor Sanjinez
Electric & new energy vehicles

Chinese carmaker Chery to begin testing solid-state EV batteries next year

Chairman says it plans to invest US$1.49 billion in the new battery technology over the next two years.

Electric & new energy vehicles

BYD, Leapmotor buck EV market slowdown as pressure piles up on small rivals

China’s leading EV makers saw sales surge in August, with BYD up 17.8 per cent from last year and Leapmotor up 80.7 per cent.

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Electric & new energy vehicles

Beijing issues guidelines for Chinese carmakers to curb discount wars overseas

New rules signal push for sustainable expansion as Chinese EV makers pursue long-term gains and influence in global markets.

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An electric vehicle assembly line in Chongqing, southwestern China. Photo: EPA
China shipbuilding

How China’s top 2 container ports became world’s busiest – and beat Singapore

The nation’s ports claimed six of the top 10 busiest worldwide, according to a prominent data provider.

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The ship Dubai Tower pictured at the Ningbo-Zhoushan port in Ningbo, eastern China’s Zhejiang province, on August 15. Photo: AFP
Electric & new energy vehicles

Chinese authorities tell carmakers to focus on quality, not tech offerings

Vice-minister says that to ensure safety, new technologies that fail to pass stricter approval procedures will be barred from market.

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Electric & new energy vehicles

BYD posts US$1.2 billion profit in second quarter on surging global demand

The Chinese EV giant beat market estimates in the second quarter, as booming exports helped offset a prolonged decline in the domestic market.

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Hong Kong economy

Unmanned electric aircraft makes maiden flight in Hong Kong

Flight marks collaboration between mainland Chinese firm EHang, local transport operator Kwoon Chung Bus Holdings and tech hub Cyberport.

EHang’s flagship model, the EH216-S, carried a robot and conducted multiple sorties along predetermined routes at Cyberport. Photo: Dickson Lee
Electric & new energy vehicles

Uncertainty over CATL lithium mine restart could fuel price volatility: analysts

The latest hold-up has yet to meaningfully roil lithium carbonate prices but the impact may be felt during the fourth-quarter.

An ad for CATL is displayed on Nanjing East Road in Shanghai, July 14, 2026, following the launch of its new ultra-fast EV battery. Photo: NurPhoto via Getty Images
Electric & new energy vehicles

Chinese battery giant CATL spreads investments in search of new growth drivers

World’s largest producer of lithium-ion batteries for EVs and energy storage systems has committed over 17 billion yuan to non-battery deals.

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Electric & new energy vehicles

China’s new traffic safety law set to clarify liability for fully automated cars

Lawmakers are set to establish clear liability standards for self-driving cars, a move that could open the floodgates for next-gen vehicles.

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