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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.
A Pony AI robotaxi is displayed at the Beijing Auto Show. Photo: DPA
Future of transport

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.

China technology

China’s CATL touts landmark energy-storage order for sodium-ion batteries

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China exports

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

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Automotive industry

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

Beijing-based EV maker expects overseas deliveries to account for 30 per cent of its total by 2030, president Ma Donghui says.

Li Auto’s flagship L9 SUV is displayed at the ongoing Auto China in Beijing. Photo: Reuters
Zimbabwe

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

In response to Zimbabwe’s export ban, two Chinese companies have promised to build a domestic lithium sulphate plant.

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.

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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.

Xpeng CEO He Xiaopeng speaks at the launch of the Xpeng GX at the Beijing car show on Friday. Photo: AFP
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.

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.

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.

Hesai CEO David Li speaks at the lidar maker’s tech open day in Shanghai, on April 17, 2026. Photo: Reuters
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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A worker puts the finishing touches on the China International Exhibition Centre in Beijing on Wednesday ahead of Auto China 2026. Photo: AFP
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.

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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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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People look at a model of CATL’s Chocolate 26# Battery during the CATL Tech Day event ahead of the Beijing Auto Show in Beijing on April 21. Photo: AFP
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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Canadians Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig in 2023. Photo: AP
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.

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.

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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.

A man looks at an EV from a Chinese carmaker at an auto expo in Shanghai. Photo: AP
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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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.

Chinese carmaker Nio’s one millionth vehicle rolls off the assembly line in Hefei, Anhui province, in January. Photo: Xinhua
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.

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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.

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.

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.

CATL’s has gained on expectations the Fujian-based company would step up its expansion into energy storage. Photo: Reuters
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.

CATL reported a net profit of 20.74 billion yuan in the three months to March, up 48.5 per cent from the previous quarter and beating analysts’ estimates. Photo: AFP
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.

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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