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Automotive industry

Automotive industry
News about the global automotive industry with a focus on developments that matter most for the China market.
BYD Dolphin Surf EVs are parked at the Chinese carmaker’s event in Berlin, Germany, on Wednesday. Photo: Reuters
Electric & new energy vehicles

BYD overtakes Tesla in Europe for the first time as sales jump 169% in April

Shenzhen-based BYD sold 7,231 battery electric vehicles in April versus 7,165 by Tesla, according to data from Jato Dynamics.

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Electric & new energy vehicles

Xiaomi’s YU7 SUV aims to dislodge Tesla’s bestselling Model Y from pole position

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United States

Trump backer Elon Musk says he will spend ‘a lot less’ on political campaigns

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China technology

Editorial | Cautious route best for Hong Kong’s self-driving cars

Hong Kong aims to shift up a gear with trial runs for vehicles on more testing roads, but public safety must remain a priority.

An Apollo Go Robotaxi from Baidu is seen in Chongqing, China, in July 2024. Photo: China News Service/VCG via Getty Images
Electric & new energy vehicles

China’s EV price war worsens, threatening carmakers’ plans to stem losses

Chinese carmakers offered a record high 16.8 per cent average discount last month, from 16.3 per cent in March, JPMorgan findings show.

Electric & new energy vehicles

Exclusive | Stellantis, Leapmotor near decision on European production

Leapmotor says production costs likely to rise by 10 per cent compared with former Poland plant, but has no plans to raise prices.

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China exports

World’s biggest car carrier sets sail from China, highlighting export ambitions

With a maximum capacity of 9,500 vehicles, Anji Ansheng is the world’s largest car carrier, beating a record only set late last month.

A batch of SAIC MG brand cars are parked next to the Anji Ansheng ship, ready to be loaded. Photo: Xinhua
Electric & new energy vehicles

Chinese EV maker Xpeng launches AI-chip powered P7 to take on Model 3, SU7

The next-generation P7 will start from about US$41,630 and hit the mainland Chinese market in July or August.

Artificial intelligence

China deploys world’s biggest fleet of driverless mining trucks

The project aligns with the nation’s broader push to upgrade traditional industries with AI and other advanced technologies.

Electric & new energy vehicles

Chinese carmakers race to develop flying cars after rivalry in EV market

The government forecasts the low-altitude mobility economy will increase more than fivefold to US$486 billion by 2035 from last year.

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Xpeng’s AeroHT conducts a test flight during the Zhuhai Airshow in November 2024. Photo: Xinhua
Japan

Japan’s Nissan to axe 20,000 jobs, shut factories after huge loss

The carmaker’s biggest loss in a quarter of a century has prompted drastic action, including the closure of seven plants.

A Nissan logo is seen on a car at a Swiss auto expo. The Japanese carmaker has indicated broad plans to cut output. Photo: dpa
US-China trade war

Tariff flux leaves Chinese car-parts makers in limbo on global growth plans

The fluid tariff situation makes planning difficult, particularly with regard to offshore investment, S&P analysts say.

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BYD

BYD factory delayed in Brazil to be ‘fully functional’ by end of 2026: official

BYD’s investment in Brazil – its biggest market outside China – aims to turn factory into complex with capacity to make 150,000 EVs a year.

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United States

On Balance | How Trump’s erratic tariffs could crash his US car production goals

While levies may prompt some foreign carmakers to start scaling up US-based production, many see a market plagued by uncertainty and risk.

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Employees work at a car factory in Arlington, Texas. Photo: The Dallas Morning News/TNS
India

India’s EV drive risks stalling as China tightens grip on rare earth exports

Experts have urged India to explore innovative solutions to skirt the curbs, from e-waste recycling to extracting rare earths from oil wells.

An electric car charging station. Despite possessing some 6.9 million tonnes of rare earth reserves, India remains reliant on Chinese imports. Photo: Shutterstock
Autonomous vehicles

Apollo Go expands robotaxi tests in Hong Kong as it aims for global reach

The Baidu unit has received an updated pilot licence, allowing it to double the number of robotaxis operating in a wider area.

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IPO

Exclusive | Heavy equipment maker Sany to expand overseas after Hong Kong IPO

Aiming to raise up to US$1.5 billion in its proposed listing, company eyes lucrative overseas sales amid weak demand at home.

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Electric & new energy vehicles

BMW, Toyota, Mercedes-Benz recall nearly 70,000 vehicles in China

The large-scale recall follows a series of Chinese measures aimed at improving car safety after an accident involving a Xiaomi EV.

A BMW logo seen at the carmaker’s plant in Berlin, Germany. Photo: dpa
Xiaomi

Xiaomi founder has ‘hardest time’ since fatal crash involving its car

Lei Jun, an active social media user, has been relatively quiet on Weibo after a fatal accident involving a Xiaomi electric vehicle.

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Electric & new energy vehicles

Chinese EV brands are coming for Hyundai, Kia on their home turf

Success in the Hyundai-dominated country could burnish the image of Chinese-made EVs globally, analysts say.

US-ally trade wars

Toyota braces for bumpy year in 2025 as tariffs roil carmakers’ profits

Toyota said operating income may come in at ¥3.8 trillion (US$26 billion) for the year ending March 31, 2026, falling far short of analyst expectations.

Chinese workers assemble Toyota SUVs on the assembly line at a plant of FAW-Toyota in Changchun city in northeast China’s Jilin province on February 17th, 2020. Photo: Getty Images.
Electric & new energy vehicles

Tesla China deliveries drop as buyers favour cheaper domestic models

A sales increase in March proves short-lived, as April deliveries by the company’s Shanghai factory plunge nearly 26 per cent.

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The Tesla Gigafactory in Lingang new area outside Shanghai. Photo: Xinhua
Electric & new energy vehicles

Geely Auto offers to buy full control of Zeekr, delist EV unit from NYSE

Take-private offer could cost Geely as much as US$2.24 billion, values the NYSE-listed firm at US$6.5 billion.

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Electric & new energy vehicles

Auto Shanghai: Chinese EV makers post record holiday sales amid Tesla’s no-show

Leapmotor recorded its best-ever one day sales on Monday; Geely Auto saw unprecedented buying spree during ‘golden week’ holiday.

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IPO

Chery gears up for US$1.5 billion Hong Kong IPO without Wall Street banks

Chery is working with the Hong Kong units of CICC, Huatai Securities and GF Securities as joint sponsors.

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Chery Auto sells cars under the brands Chery, Jetour, Exeed, iCar and Luxeed. Photo: Reuters
Japan

Toyota ‘doesn’t break down’: why there’s hardly any love for US cars in Japan

Many Japanese admire vintage US cars, but when it comes to new vehicles, they hold more trust in domestic brands.

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US car dealer Yosuke Fukuda drives a 1954 Buick Roadmaster in Fukaya, Japan’s Saitama prefecture. Photo: AFP
Electric & new energy vehicles

Chinese EV industry pits battery swapping technology against ultra-fast charging

The duelling technologies are aimed at soothing consumer anxiety about driving ranges.

Mergers & Acquisitions

Japan’s carmakers under pressure to merge as Chinese rivals rise, tariffs bite

The consolidation could be Japan-specific as carmakers elsewhere have already been through that cycle, Man Group’s Stephen Harget says.

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