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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.
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

Semiconductors

Hit from memory costs spreads from smartphones to BYD EVs 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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Robotics

AI | China’s physical AI prowess on roads, in skies and factories

Innovation and competition drive rapid advances in Chinese humanoid robots, drones, autonomous vehicles and flying cars. America is playing catch-up.

China’s physical AI progress seen on roads, in skies and factories
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.

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 premium EVs mount tech-powered challenge to BMW, Mercedes-Benz at expo

10-day show in Beijing, the world’s largest, to feature 1,451 models and exhibition area of 380,000 square metres.

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A worker puts the finishing touches on the China International Exhibition Centre in Beijing on Wednesday ahead of Auto China 2026. Photo: AFP
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.

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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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.

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

Volkswagen tests China’s appetite for locally developed EVs

The three models, which will be launched over the next two weeks, use technology developed by Volkswagen’s Chinese partners.

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.

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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.

Many autonomous driving vehicles belonging to Chinese tech giant Baidu broke down in Wuhan on Tuesday evening. Photo: Weibo
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.

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
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.

The Hesai booth at CES 2025 in Las Vegas, January 9, 2025. Photo: NurPhoto via Getty Images
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.

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.

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.

Lei Jun says the new-generation SU7 offers strong value for money. Photo: Weibo
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.

Visitors look at a new-energy sports car at an expo in Tianjin. Photo: Xinhua
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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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’.

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