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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.
Motorists queue to fill their tanks ahead of a petrol price adjustment expected on Monday, at a petrol station in Suzhou, in China’s eastern Jiangsu province on Sunday. Photo: CN-STR/AFP
Middle East

Drivers in China rush to fill up before biggest petrol price hike this year

Beijing will raise refined oil prices for the fifth time this year at midnight but puts in place a temporary control to reduce the impact.

Electric & new energy vehicles

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

Electric & new energy vehicles

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

China manufacturing

Global EV uptake expected to accelerate as Iran war causes petrol price hikes

With more than half of Chinese new car sales being electric in 2025, the nation could save US$28 billion a year in avoided oil import costs.

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Employees work on an electric vehicle (EV) production line at the Volkswagen Anhui factory in Hefei, Anhui province, China, as the Iran war pushes up petrol prices and global EV uptake is expected to accelerate. Photo: Reuters
Electric & new energy vehicles

Leapmotor’s Stellantis tie-up pays off as EV exports jump nearly 400% last year

The Hangzhou-based carmaker exported 67,052 units in 2025, up from 13,726 in 2024, according to an exchange filing.

Electric & new energy vehicles

Chinese carmakers step up global expansion using idled foreign facilities

Great Wall Motors, Geely and other Chinese carmakers are using an asset-light strategy to accelerate their growth overseas.

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China property

China mall shuffle: as EVs exit, who’s filling the ground-floor showrooms?

New demand for mall space comes from brands riding fresh trends, including Unitree Robotics, Pop Mart and Lululemon.

People walk past an EV showroom inside a shopping mall in Beijing. Photo: AP
Electric & new energy vehicles

Tesla’s 91% February sales jump in China defies overall market slowdown

The US carmaker’s Shanghai Gigafactory delivered nearly 58,600 vehicles last month, with the Model Y topping the sales chart.

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Electric & new energy vehicles

BMW sees smoother road ahead in China after sales skid in 2025

German carmaker reports a solid start to 2026 amid stabilising prices, with new EV model, its ‘most Chinese car’ ever, coming soon.

CATL

CATL profit jump fuels Hong Kong battery stocks amid global energy storage boom

The company’s strong results and energy storage push spark gains for battery makers listed in Hong Kong and mainland China.

CATL shares surged 9 per cent on Wednesday, following another 9 per cent gain the previous day. Photo: AFP
Electric & new energy vehicles

Geely beats BYD sales in first 2 months of 2026 to become China’s top carmaker

Geely’s sales rise 1 per cent to 476,327 units in January and February, while BYD’s sales slump 38.5 per cent to 400,241 units.

Geely Auto’s sales of EVs jumped 10.1 per cent to 241,740 units in the first two months of the year from a year earlier. Photo: Shutterstock
Electric & new energy vehicles

Chinese EV maker Nio forecasts surge in deliveries after first quarterly profit

The company’s turnaround highlights resilience in China’s EV market, defying a slowdown that has weighed on most domestic rivals.

China-EU relations

Why the ‘China threat’ was barely mentioned in Germany’s latest state election

Baden-Wurttemberg’s car industry is facing steep job losses amid intense Chinese competition. But local candidates largely avoided blaming China.

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CATL

China’s CATL profit surges 42% as global market share soars to all-time high

Surging demand solidifies CATL’s position as world’s top EV battery manufacturer for ninth consecutive year.

CATL’s 2025 sales volume of lithium-ion batteries rose 39 per cent from the previous year. Photo: AFP
Style Edit

Style Edit: BMW iX3 rewrites the EV rule book on range and sustainability

Based on the carmaker’s Neue Klasse platform, the new model has a sleek design, advanced tech and 805km range, all while cutting emissions.

The iX3 50 xDrive: BMW has completely rewritten the new car’s design language, dramatically upgrading everything from aesthetics to electronics to sustainability. Photo: Handout
Electric & new energy vehicles

Iran war oil shock accelerates Southeast Asia’s EV revolution

Southeast Asia was already going electric. Then war broke out in the Middle East and it started going faster.

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Electric & new energy vehicles

Top Chinese EV makers are selling more cars overseas than at home

Top EV makers such as BYD, Great Wall Motor and Chery are selling more cars in overseas markets than at home.

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CATL

China’s EV battery leader CATL to step up use of AI in R&D: founder

Billionaire Robin Zeng Yuqun promises higher investment, touts ‘resilient supply chain and ecosystem’ driving export growth.

A CATL battery design is displayed at an automotive trade show in Munich on September 5, 2023. 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’.

Two Sessions 2026

Chinese officials, car executives may discuss capping EV output

As China’s EV industry faces slowing growth, officials may discuss capping output and boosting tech innovation to combat price wars.

Autonomous vehicles

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.

A simulated environment created by WeRide’s world model Genesis. Photo: Handout
Germany

BMW to trial humanoid robots at German factory, as China competition heats up

The two AI-powered Aeon robots – touted as being smart enough to make their own decisions – will work alongside human staff.

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Aeon, a humanoid robot, is seen at a BMW facility in Munich, Germany, on Friday. Photo: AFP
Electric & new energy vehicles

China’s Geely bets on longer-range, faster-charging tech over fresh EV price war

‘We promise to compete based on technology, quality, brand, service and corporate ethics,’ Geely Auto CEO says.

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.

China-EU relations

Opinion | Germany’s outreach to China signals a reckoning, rather than a shift

The German chancellor realises that while China poses a long-term economic challenge, the United States is currently the more disruptive partner.

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Illustration: Craig Stephens
Electric & new energy vehicles

Low-cost models dominate China EV sales, surpassing Tesla and BYD

Geely’s and Wuling’s sub-100,000 yuan battery EVs ranked first and second in mainland China last year, each selling over 400,000 units.

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Geely’s Xingyuan was the top-selling EV on the mainland last year. Photo: Weibo
Electric & new energy vehicles

China’s EV insurers move towards profitability on higher premiums, AI adoption

Chinese insurers are turning to AI as the technology cuts labour costs and enhances pricing accuracy.

Electric & new energy vehicles

Geely’s Zeekr shifts into Italy as China’s European EV push gathers speed

The carmaker is pressing ahead despite tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles, betting on demand for high-spec models.

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