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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.
About 50 unprofitable Chinese electric vehicle makers face pressure to scale down their business or wind down operations. Photo: Shutterstock
Electric & new energy vehicles

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

Grappling with expiring cash subsidies and tax incentives, China’s car market is forecast to see deliveries slump next year.

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China’s C919 passenger plane

China’s Comac to team up with China Eastern for bigger C919 variant, sources say

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Electric & new energy vehicles

CATL poised to bring Yichun lithium output back online after licence lapse

Electric & new energy vehicles

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
Electric & new energy vehicles

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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Electric & new energy 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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Electric & new energy 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
Electric & new energy vehicles

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.

Electric & new energy 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.

Hong Kong economy

Opinion | Hong Kong is stepping up its competitiveness in aviation

By funding upgrades to the airport and signing international aviation deals, the city is proactively working to expand its global reach.

A Cathay Pacific jet takes off from Hong Kong International Airport in Chek Lap Kok on November 28, 2024, the day the third runway was inaugurated. Photo: Dickson Lee
Electric & new energy vehicles

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.

Workers conduct final checks on an Xpeng new energy car at the firm’s plant in Zhaoqing, Guangdong province, on October 9, 2023. Photo: Xinhua
Electric & new energy vehicles

China’s Geely Auto raises bar on car safety with world’s largest test centre

Carmaker expands testing to 27 categories at Ningbo facility to prioritise safety over discounts in a crowded market.

Autonomous vehicles

Chinese robotaxi firm Pony.ai bets on ‘asset-light’ strategy for growth

Firm sees working with partners as the best way to expand service in the mainland and beyond.

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China's military weapons

China’s drone carrier Jiu Tian takes flight to signal PLA swarm capacity boost

Xinhua hails ‘breakthrough in China’s large drone technology’, says Jiu Tian could also be deployed in wide range of civilian applications.

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China says its Jiu Tian aerial “drone carrier” has completed its maiden flight in the western province of Shaanxi, described as a “breakthrough” by state media. Photo: Weibo/人民日报
United States

‘Unusual activity detected’: US woman gives birth in Waymo self-driving taxi

The mother and child arrived safely at a San Francisco hospital, and the vehicle was taken out of service for cleaning.

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A Waymo robotaxi drives by the Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco on Monday. Photo: AFP
China-EU relations

‘A big opportunity’: why Spain’s new electric car plan hands an opening to China

Madrid’s ambitious strategy may hinge on attracting more Chinese investment, giving China’s firms greater leverage, analysts say.

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Electric & new energy vehicles

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.

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Electric & new energy vehicles

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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Electric & new energy vehicles

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.

Electric & new energy vehicles

Tesla affirms confidence in Chinese partners, repudiates supplier ban

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

Tesla has offered a vote of confidence to the more than 400 Chinese manufacturers that supply car components to Tesla’s Shanghai factory. Photo: Reuters
Electric & new energy vehicles

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
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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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.

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
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.

Xiaomi is targeting to deliver 350,000 electric vehicles this year: Photo: AFP
Electric & new energy vehicles

China’s car industry preps for next-level self-driving: Hesai

Use of advanced hardware will pick up next year, with some carmakers already adopting it to ‘pre-empt rivals’, CFO says.

Electric & new energy vehicles

Tesla and global carmakers race against Chinese EV rivals at expo

At CIIE, global brands like Tesla and Volkswagen are under pressure to win back market share from local competitors.

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