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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.
An exhibitor introduces a dynamic perception lidar which can be applied to self-driving systems and robots at the Zhongguancun Exhibition Centre, Beijing, on March 25, 2026. Photo: Xinhua
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

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China-EU relations

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

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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.

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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Electric & new energy vehicles

Leapmotor targets global growth with Europe R&D hub, eyes Canada assembly

Chinese EV maker lifts overseas sales target as rising fuel costs and easing tariffs boost demand abroad.

A Leapmotor C10 model car is displayed at a showroom in its headquarters in Hangzhou. Photo: Getty Images
Electric & new energy vehicles

China EV makers surge back in March as subsidies and financing spur demand

Carmakers report strong month-on-month gains as policy support and new financing schemes lift buyer sentiment.

Autonomous vehicles

Baidu’s robotaxi breakdown in Wuhan strands riders, raises safety concerns

Some Apollo Go self-driving cars stopped suddenly across the central Chinese city, dealing a blow to the tech giant’s global ambitions.

China travel

China builds record-breaking underwater tunnels to unite eastern, western hubs

China is building new high-speed rail lines that dive underneath major waterways, providing fast services without disrupting shipping traffic.

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China is building a high-speed rail tunnel stretching more than 14km (9 miles) under the Yangtze River between Shanghai and Taicang, Jiangsu province. Photo: People’s Daily
Mainland China

How China’s EV makers think they can outrun disastrous price wars

At Beijing’s urging, an industry largely built on discounting must hold the line on prices and convince buyers to pay for better technology.

Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen
Electric & new energy vehicles

BYD’s four-year profit run ends, eyes global markets as next engine of growth

Earnings at China’s EV leader fall short of expectations amid intense domestic competition.

Electric & new energy vehicles

Pain at the pump fuels EV rush in China, driving a timely boost for carmakers

Brent crude above US$110 is pushing mainland buyers away from petrol cars, lifting China’s EV makers despite fading subsidies.

Electric & new energy vehicles

China’s Pony AI to launch robotaxi service in Europe with Uber, local start-up

Partners aim to operate thousands of robotaxis in various European cities over the next few years after starting in Zagreb, Croatia, ‘soon’.

The partners have begun testing in Zagreb, Croatia, using Pony’s Gen-7 system and electric SUVs made by Chinese state-owned carmaker BAIC. Photo: Handout
Mainland China

Video | Will oil shocks trigger a Chinese EV buying spree?

Oil shock from the Iran war might speed up the global EV shift and boost China’s auto industry, analysts say.

Motorists queue to pump gasoline into their vehicle at a gas station in Hanoi on March 10, 2026. Vietnam announced on March 9 it was scrapping tariffs on fuel imports, as the US-Israeli war with Iran disrupts oil supplies and pushes prices to their highest level since 2022. (Photo by Nhac NGUYEN / AFP)
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Electric & new energy vehicles

China’s lidar giants pivot to robotics in boost supply chain dominance

Hesai will spend US$28.9 million this year to design and manufacture ‘eyes and muscles’ for robots, creating a new growth engine.

Autonomous vehicles

China’s WeRide eyes Hong Kong, Singapore roads for robotaxi services

Company plans to put self-driving taxis and buses on Hong Kong streets this year, while Singapore service starts April 1 through Grab.

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