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Self-driving cars and autonomous vehicles

Self-driving cars and autonomous vehicles
The latest news, analysis and opinion on Self-driving cars and autonomous vehicles. In-depth analysis, industry insights and expert opinion.
Chinese carmakers gear up for L3 self-driving roll-out
Electric & new energy vehicles

EVs | Chinese carmakers gear up for L3 self-driving roll-out

Industry ramps up testing of vehicles with Level 3 autonomous driving capabilities as regulators publish draft safety standards set to take effect in July 2027.

Singapore

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

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Electric & new energy vehicles

Volkswagen tests China’s appetite for locally developed EVs

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.

Chinese ride-hailing company CaoCao, backed by Geely, is betting on a heavy-asset strategy to emerge as a leading robotaxi operator. Photo: Handout
Mainland China

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.

Science

‘Lighthouses in space’: the Chinese jam-proof satellite network to fill GPS gaps

System places powerful light sources on satellites to send coded signals for drones, self-driving cars, space missions to navigate.

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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

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’.

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.

Future of transport

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.

WeRide’s planned entry into Hong Kong aims to cover both robotaxis and robobuses. Photo: Getty Images
Electric & new energy vehicles

3 Chinese EV makers raise prices – but demand slowdown could force reversal

Xiaomi, Chery and FAW adjust prices amid surging chip and raw material costs, but analysts say soft sales could undermine gains.

Xiaomi is the latest EV maker to adjust pricing of some models. Photo: Reuters
Electric & new energy vehicles

Xiaomi’s new-generation SU7 launch sparks fresh EV fight with Tesla in China

Updated smart sedan debuts with improved safety and smart-driving features, intensifying competition with Tesla and domestic rivals.

Electric & new energy vehicles

China presses EV makers to end price war and focus on innovation as demand cools

Oversight of China’s industry intensifies, with carmakers urged to move beyond discounts and focus on chips and self-driving systems.

Science

China boosts science budget: is it listening to everything Elon Musk says?

Beijing says greater allocation reflects importance of science and tech self-reliance in driving China’s economy and its rivalry with the US.

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Beijing’s draft budget announcement shows it is positioning frontiers such as satellite internet as China’s future industries. Photo: Xinhua
Electric & new energy vehicles

China should skip a step in self-driving cars, Xpeng CEO says

He Xiaopeng urges Beijing to clear way for a leap ahead in autonomous driving technology – a jump he promises to propose at the ‘two sessions’.

The Next P7, an electric vehicle from Xpeng, appears at the Indonesian International Motor Show in Jakarta on February 5, 2026. Photo: AP Photo
Artificial intelligence

Breakthrough or hype? How WeRide aims to edge rivals in crowded robotaxi field

WeRide says its world model has slashed costs to support global expansion, but investors question if it can deliver a lasting advantage.

Hong Kong transport

Hong Kong autonomous vehicle tests move up a gear with longer routes

Routes on the North Lantau trial will cover up to 43.2km, with more vehicles allowed to operate at the same time.

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Law

Legal Tales | Uber robotaxi: uber-sophisticated in tech and uber-complicated in law

Who do you sue if you have a traffic accident sitting inside an autonomous taxi?

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The Uber robotaxi features Level 4 autonomous driving, deploying real-time AI processing of situational data. Photo: AFP
Electric & new energy vehicles

Pony AI and Toyota roll out robotaxis in China’s autonomous drive push

Guangzhou-based Pony AI begins output of 1,000 autonomous cabs and targets a 3,000-unit fleet by the end of 2026 as it expands globally.

Electric & new energy vehicles

Tesla launches China AI training centre as self-driving race accelerates

US EV giant opens hub to advance its Full Self-Driving software, as Chinese carmakers step up their own L3 autonomous driving plans.

Hong Kong transport

New working group to push autonomous vehicle technology in Hong Kong

Transport Department’s strategy blueprint includes implementation of real-time adaptive traffic signals and smart motorway management system.

The Hong Kong government will form a working group focused on getting driverless vehicles onto the city’s roads. Photo: China News Service
The Philippines

Is Philippines falling behind in EV race as Southeast Asia revs up?

Policy uncertainty and the Philippines’ lack of competitiveness in key areas have reinforced investor unease, observers say.

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Heavy traffic on the streets of Manila. Electric vehicles accounted for only 12 per cent of vehicle sales in the Philippines last year. Photo: Shutterstock
Electric & new energy vehicles

How Tesla’s AI shift is prompting Chinese rivals to expand tech offerings

As Tesla diversifies into humanoid robots and self-driving cars, its Chinese competitors are also moving into flying cars, robots and chips.

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China jobs

With AI in the driving seat, China moves to rein in job displacement risks

China’s central government unveils plans for policy to reduce industrial labour pains caused by widespread use of artificial intelligence.

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HKEX

New energy, AI, EV and biotech to drive Hong Kong IPO growth: HKEX

11 companies raised US$4 billion in Hong Kong in the first three weeks of 2026, with hundreds more lining up to list, Bonnie Chan says.

HKEX will continue to help innovators access capital more efficiently, says Bonnie Chan. Photo: Edmond So
Electric & new energy vehicles

Chinese automotive suppliers speed up localisation to boost global market share

International carmakers’ orders from Chinese vendors are an endorsement of the quality and competitiveness of their products, analyst says.

BYD’s plant in Zhengzhou, central China’s Henan province. Photo: Xinhua
US-China relations

Tesla’s defeat, Harvard’s success, Beijing’s shock: 7 US-China relations reads

From China’s EV power to Hegseth’s new threat, here are highlights from the SCMP’s overseas correspondents in the first half of January 2026.

China Future Tech briefing

AI | Humanoid robot guides to hiker exoskeletons: CES 2026 round-up

Chinese companies comprised about one in four exhibitors at the world’s largest electronics expo, and they showcased everything from stair-climbing robot vacuum cleaners to AI-powered pet companions.

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