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Electric & new energy vehicles

Electric & new energy vehicles
Latest news, in-depth features and opinion on electric & new energy vehicles, with a particular focus on China.
An aerial drone photo taken on April 10 shows vehicles to be exported at Yantai port in east China’s Shandong province. Photo: Xinhua
China exports

Chinese EVs are making inroads in one of world’s most competitive auto markets

BYD is now one of Korea’s fastest-growing imported EV brands while rivals like Chery look to break into a market long dominated by local giants.

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Automotive industry

Li Auto targets BMW and Mercedes with premium SUVs in Middle East, Asia-Pacific

Zimbabwe

Tianqi Lithium favours China’s salt lakes over Africa amid resource nationalism

Mainland China

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.

He Xiaopeng, CEO of Chinese electric vehicle maker Xpeng, walks past the new SUV GX six-seater on the opening day of Auto China 2026 in Beijing. Photo: AFP
Automotive industry

Chinese EV makers target global expansion at Auto China amid energy shock

Most carmakers taking part in the exhibition have either debuted models designed for export markets or announced expansion plans.

China energy security

Explaining China’s new carbon emissions reduction plan

SCMP Plus annotates the 18-point plan issued by the Central Committee and State Council for carbon emissions reductions across strategic sectors.

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Autonomous 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.

Richard Jin, CEO of Huawei’s intelligent automotive solutions business unit, introduces the company’s latest advanced driving system in Beijing on April 23, 2026. Photo: Reuters
Automotive industry

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.

Nio

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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China exports

‘Bigger winners’: why China’s battery firms stand to gain from the Iran war

Manufacturers are expected to see stronger overseas orders even as price wars hurt profits at home.

A worker at Henan Pude New Energy Technology assembling lithium-ion batteries in Sanmenxia city, Henan province, China, on March 12. Photo: Getty Images
Mainland China

China’s low-cost EVs to be fitted with lidar systems, usually saved for lux cars

Intense competition, rapid tech advancement and falling costs allow the superior driving systems to be fitted into budget-price vehicles.

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An exhibitor introduces a dynamic perception lidar which can be applied to self-driving systems and robots at the Zhongguancun Exhibition Centre, Beijing, on March 25, 2026. Photo: Xinhua
China technology

CATL to supercharge China’s EV sector with revamped battery tech

World’s largest EV battery producer reveals third-gen product that charges in under six and a half minutes, easing drivers’ range anxiety.

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Canada

Canadian who was detained by China warns against Carney’s EV deal

Ex-diplomat Michael Kovrig was imprisoned for three years after Canada arrested Huawei’s Meng Wanzhou on a US extradition request.

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European Union

Jump in EU EV sales amid Iran war boosts Chinese brands’ fortunes

Chinese-made EVs accounted for 16 per cent of the EU market in the year’s first two months, up from 12.2 per cent in 2025, CPCA data shows.

Sales of battery electric vehicles in the EU climbed 51 per cent month on month in March. Photo: EPA
Autonomous 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.

Sun Kai, Hesai Group executive director, co-founder, and chief scientist, explains the company’s 6D technology on April 17, 2026 in Shanghai. Photo: Handout
US, Israel war on Iran

Why Iran war is making petrol cars an unwanted luxury in Asia

From Nepal to Vietnam, soaring fuel costs are making petrol cars a luxury as Asia outpaces Europe in the race to go electric.

China-Canada relations

Why Canadians dream of electric vehicle price cuts, thanks to China

Canada slashed tariffs on Chinese EVs from the start of last month, but Chinese brands have yet to set up showrooms.

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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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Diesel heavy trucks are responsible for about 50 per cent of all diesel and petroleum consumed in China’s road transport sector, according to Sany Truck chairman Liang Linhe. Photo: AFP
China manufacturing

China focuses on car standards to put industry in global driving seat

New five-year plan also emphasised importance of stronger standards in boosting Chinese manufacturers’ competitiveness.

China energy security

China’s energy mismatch

China’s renewables drive depends on connecting power-hungry provinces in the south and east with generating regions thousands of kilometres away in the north and west.

Energy

China’s lithium giant Ganfeng sees profit jump as EV, ESS battery demand soars

The world’s top lithium producer forecasts a strong turnaround as global decarbonisation and AI-driven energy storage fuel demand.

Ganfeng Lithium has forecast an estimated profit of up to 2.1 billion yuan in the three months to March. Photo: Shutterstock
Semiconductors

Chinese investors cheer Tesla’s AI chip progress, boosting shares of suppliers

Shanghai Beite Technology saw the largest share spike among suppliers, up as much as 4.6 per cent on Thursday morning.

Employees work inside the Tesla Gigafactory in Shanghai during a government-organised media tour on April 14. Photo: Reuters
CATL

CATL market cap tops US$293 billion as shares surge on mining arm

A new investment unit to manage mining assets signals CATL’s deeper shift beyond EV batteries into energy storage.

China technology

China’s EV battery giant CATL to set up mining arm to secure supply chain

Global energy shock accelerates CATL’s upstream push as demand for EV batteries and storage systems surges.

SCMP Highlights

Brazil blacklists BYD, some foreign brands may exit China: 7 EV reads

From Telsa regaining world’s top spot to Chinese carmakers gaining rapid ground in Europe, here are seven EV stories you may have missed.

BYD’s electric-vehicle factory construction site in Camaçari, Brazil, in December 2024. Photo: Reuters
Tesla

Shanghai Gigafactory has potential to build humanoid robots: Tesla China head

Shanghai Gigafactory could be a ‘golden key’ to advancing Elon Musk’s hopes of commercialising the technology swiftly, Tesla China head says.

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A Tesla robot on display at the World Artificial Intelligence Conference in Shanghai. Tesla has said it is transforming itself into a physical AI firm. Photo: AFP
BYD

Video | Large fire breaks out at BYD parking garage in Shenzhen

BYD has since reported the fire is out and that there were no casualties.

China-Latin America relations

BYD made Brazil’s slave labour list. The man behind the decision lost his job

Union said sacking is part of pattern of political meddling in slavery cases.

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