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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.
Volkswagen workers seen at an assembly line in the German carmaker’s plant in Qingdao, in eastern Shandong province, on December 23, 2025. Photo: AFP
Electric & new energy vehicles

Major foreign carmakers set to stage a comeback in China this year: analysts

Foreign carmakers ‘will fight back because they will have the same products’ as their Chinese rivals, consultancy head Denis Depoux says.

Electric & new energy vehicles

China’s flying car makers aim for deliveries this year as passenger use nears

US-China trade war

Beijing-Ottawa deal reinforces China’s dominance in EV industry, analysts say

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Electric & new energy vehicles

Editorial | China’s EV industry should focus on consolidation at home, expansion abroad

With Beijing discouraging ‘irrational competition’, the fewer brands with greater scale that emerge from the consolidation wave should look to opportunities abroad.

Workers assemble Zeekr models at a plant in Ningbo, Zhejiang province, on April 17, 2025. Photo: AP
Electric & new energy vehicles

Chinese EV makers’ outlook overseas improves as Europe levels the playing field

Europe’s 33 per cent EV sales growth outpaces the mainland in 2025, while Germany launches a US$3.5 billion subsidy programme.

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.

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China-EU relations

Editorial | China-EU compromise over EVs bodes well for trade and overall ties

With the Trump administration turning aggressive towards allies and foes alike, Beijing and Brussels have more reasons to work together.

Vehicles wait to be loaded onto a carrier at the Taicang Port on January 11, 2025 in Suzhou, Jiangsu province. Photo: VCG via Getty Images
Energy

Opinion | Clean energy works at scale. Now it must be coordinated

The next decade will be defined not only by new clean energy capacity, but by how well grids, storage and demand systems are connected and optimised.

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Electric & new energy vehicles

Chinese electric vehicle makers eye Western markets as trade barriers fall

Canada will drop the 100 per cent punitive tariffs on Chinese-made pure electric cars while setting an annual import quota of 49,000 units.

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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.

Practitioners perform martial art next to a BYD Sealion 7 electric vehicle at Singapore Motorshow on January 9. Photo: AFP
Electric & new energy vehicles

China’s subsidy change adds to EV makers’ stress, while petrol cars gain

Typical subsidy on an EV drops by around US$1,150, changing buyer calculations and exacerbating the sector’s profitability woes.

Customers check out an EV at a shopping center in Wuhan, in central China’s Hubei province, on January 14, 2026. Photo: Xinhua
Electric & new energy vehicles

China-EU tariff consensus on EVs will cut shipments but boost profits

Agreement on price floors will allow mainland carmakers to avoid price wars and nurture brand reputation, analysts say.

Electric & new energy vehicles

China’s EV makers face slowdown in export growth after doubling in 2025

Chinese carmakers sold more than 2.6 million units to overseas markets last year, up 104 per cent from a year earlier, association says.

Electric & new energy vehicles

Xpeng’s flying car unit readies Hong Kong IPO for take-off

Aridge, formerly AeroHT, eyes listing this year as it aims to accelerate its efforts in the low-altitude market, sources say.

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The X2 flying car designed by Xpeng affiliate Aridge is seen at an auto show in Tangerang, Banten, Indonesia, on July 26, 2025. Photo: Shutterstock
Tesla

Nvidia, Tesla chase same self-driving goal via different paths

Tesla is betting on winning autonomy as a specialist, while Nvidia is positioning itself as an arms dealer, selling tools to the entire industry.

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang used his speech at CES to extol the virtues of Alpamayo, an open-source AI model designed to speed development of level 4 self-driving cars. Photo: AFP
Electric & new energy vehicles

China’s Xpeng unveils hybrid SUV boasting world’s longest driving distance

Launch of new G7 edition underscores Xpeng’s go-global push and rising competition with Tesla and BYD.

US-China trade war

BYD’s win, Tesla’s defeat, Ford’s pivot: the widening gap in US-China EV markets

From wavering policy to cost gaps, analysts say decades of state backing have given China a decisive edge over US rivals.

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Electric & new energy vehicles

Xiaomi’s refreshed SU7 turns up the heat on Tesla in China’s EV race

Updated SU7 model offers longer range – more than 900km (560 miles) on a single charge – and other advanced features.

A refreshed version of Xiaomi’s SU7 will be launched in April. Photo: AFP
China economy

Price wars in China

Intense price competition in China, known as “neijuan” or involution, is causing deflationary risks, corporate losses, reduced investments and wage pressure.

Electric & new energy vehicles

China’s CATL, Nio deepen partnership to develop extended-life EV batteries

Joint effort highlights urgency as industry – including 40 million EV owners – braces for costly replacements.

China economy

Opinion | Innovation and exports will winnow China’s car industry in 2026

Exports will be key to profitability and chips will be the new battleground but consolidation is likely to be confined to the battery sector.

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Vehicles awaiting export at the Nanjing Port Longtan area operated by Jiangsu Port Group in Nanjing, in China’s eastern Jiangsu province, on December 8. Photo: AFP
Electric & new energy vehicles

Tesla’s China sales hit record as EV buyers race to beat tax increase

US carmaker’s share of world’s biggest EV market declines to slightly more then 4 per cent amid stern challenge from local rivals.

Tesla cars are displayed in a showroom in Beijing on April 4, 2025. Photo: Simon Song
Semiconductors

Chinese chipmaker Black Sesame’s Huashan A2000 clears US review hurdle

The chip has passed relevant reviews following nearly a year of technical clarifications and communications with US authorities.

Electric & new energy vehicles

Weak year-end sales cloud China’s EV outlook, keeping price-war fears alive

A weaker-than-expected year-end rush and falling deliveries at major brands are stoking fears of another price war.

Electric & new energy vehicles

China’s EV makers to corner one-third of global market by 2030, UBS says

Analysts see China’s EV edge enduring, citing overseas profits and supply chain strengths despite tariffs and Western protectionism.

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China’s carmakers are projected to generate most of their profits overseas. Photo: Reuters
Autonomous vehicles

How Chinese robotaxi giants are steering Middle East towards a driverless future

WeRide, Baidu and Pony.ai expand operations in the Middle East as UAE promotes clean energy and reduces dependence on oil and gas.

A WeRide robotaxi in Abu Dhabi on December 7, 2025. Chinese robotaxi developers see the Middle East as one of their starting points for global expansion. Photo: Coco Feng
Nexperia

Nexperia, Wingtech set for fresh face-off in January with US$8 billion at stake

Dutch chipmaker’s Chinese owner warns of multi-track legal action, seeking full control of the firm and damages for improper seizure amid supply-chain tensions.

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Electric & new energy vehicles

Beijing renews trade-in subsidy scheme amid domestic car market’s gloomy outlook

Buyers who replace their petrol and electric cars with new vehicles will receive a cash subsidy of up to US$2,858 per unit.

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