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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.
The vast mining district of Bayan Obo in Inner Mongolia holds 36 per cent of the world’s light rare-earth reserves. Photo: VCG via Getty Images
Science

Why China’s growing demand for rare-earth steel is bad news for America’s F-35

Advanced product is used in huge infrastructure projects but that has further reduced supply for overseas buyers like the US defence sector.

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Volkswagen

Can Volkswagen regain its China market share with its US$3.5 billion bet?

Automotive industry

Xpeng steps up ‘go global’ drive with Malaysian assembly hub for Southeast Asia

Geely

China’s Geely Auto raises bar on car safety with world’s largest test centre

Carmaker expands testing to 27 categories at Ningbo facility to prioritise safety over discounts in a crowded market.

A worker checks the frame of a car on a production line under Geely Auto’s Zeekr brand in Ningbo. Photo: Getty Images
Automotive industry

High-end car sales sink in China as cheaper brands trump European marques

Many buyers were swayed by a 20,000 yuan (US$2,830 ) trade-in subsidy offered by the government for purchasing electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles.

China manufacturing

China’s EV battery giants wade into shipbuilding to bolster Beijing’s dominance

CATL and Gotion add momentum to China’s efforts to build new-energy vessels amid an accelerated decarbonisation drive.

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Science

US green tech retreat echoes mistake of China’s Qing dynasty before collapse

While Washington pulls back on climate, Beijing is making it possible for developing nations to leapfrog into a cleaner energy era.

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Illustration: Henry Wong
China economy

Opinion | How China is cementing its central role as the architect of green tech

Beyond climate leadership and capacity building, China is rewriting its own energy system – and the global energy order.

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Hong Kong

Chinese lidar maker Seyond, founded by former Baidu engineers, debuts in Hong Kong

Its lidar sensors are used by carmakers such as Nio, as well as in robotics, unmanned delivery and industrial automation scenarios.

SCMP Highlights

China leans on German carmakers; BYD founder bets on new tech: 7 EV reads

From Spain’s new electric car plan to BYD’s founder betting on new tech to win back customers, here are seven EV stories you may have missed.

Robot arms are seen at work on a car production line at a factory of FAW-Volkswagen in eastern China’s Shandong province on March 12. Photo: AFP
China-EU relations

China leans on German carmakers to help break Brussels tariff deadlock

Commerce vice-minister urges German industry leaders to leverage their clout to push the European Commission towards a compromise on the anti-subsidy probe.

Labourers work on an assembly line at a factory in Chongqing, China, in May. Beijing has pressed German carmakers to help resolve disputes over the European Union’s anti-subsidy tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles. Photo: EPA-EFE
China-EU relations

‘A big opportunity’: why Spain’s new electric car plan hands an opening to China

Madrid’s ambitious strategy may hinge on attracting more Chinese investment, giving China’s firms greater leverage, analysts say.

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Malaysia

Malaysians swap hotels for RVs to drive down holiday costs

Rentals are up 200 per cent, with families finding a six-berth campervan more affordable than booking seaside resorts.

BYD

BYD founder bets on new tech to win back customers as sales decelerate

Company is pinning its hopes on a 12,000-strong R&D team to come up with technological breakthroughs.

In 2022, BYD dethroned Tesla for the first time as the world’s largest EV builder. Photo: Reuters
Xiaomi

China’s Xiaomi says returns from AI investments ‘far exceed expectations’

Xiaomi’s smart EV, AI and other new initiatives turned a profit for the first time in the third quarter.

A Xiaomi SU7 Ultra electric vehicle is displayed during a media day for the Shanghai Auto Show, April 23, 2025. Photo: Reuters
Belgium

EU launches 1st formal review of Chinese EV tariffs after VW Anhui’s submission

Bloc’s acceptance of a narrow review process from a manufacturer may give others hope that tariffs could be reduced or removed.

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Tesla

Tesla’s China plant sees shipment surge ahead of subsidy expiry

However, the rebound may not be sufficient to help the company reclaim lost ground in China, an analyst says.

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China manufacturing

Germany’s China playbook: if you can’t beat them, partner up

More than half of surveyed German firms plan deeper ties with local partners in China to match the rapid innovation cycles of domestic competitors, the German Chamber of Commerce has found.

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Robot arms are seen at work on a car production line at a factory of FAW-Volkswagen in eastern China’s Shandong province on March 12. Photo: AFP
Energy

Opinion | Battery revolution set to spark Global South’s century of prosperity

The rise of the sodium-ion battery promises to supercharge a green energy transition that will help level the global playing field.

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Automotive industry

China’s EV makers post stellar sales before incentives are phased out next year

Leapmotor leads the pack with record sales for a seventh month in a row, while Voyah and Zeekr put on a strong performance.

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Climate change

Opinion | How Cop30 laid bare the new geopolitics of climate action

Fractures, even among the Global South, show the energy transition is not just a technical challenge but a deeply political negotiation.

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Illustration: Craig Stephens
BYD

China EV profit woes fuel market anxiety over challenging 2026

Investors quickly turn against EV makers as earnings fall short, and next year looks even more difficult, analysts say.

Xpeng Mona M03 electric vehicles are displayed outside the venue of a launch event in Beijing on August 27, 2024. Photo: Reuters
Automotive industry

Chinese EV makers step on gas abroad amid weakening mainland sales

A growing export drive by Chinese EV makers aims to soak up overcapacity and secure better profits as incentives fade.

Robotics

Xiaomi hires engineer from Tesla’s Optimus team to lead robotic hand development

Zach Lu Zeyu joins Xiaomi as lead of its dexterous hand research and development operations.

Tesla

Tesla affirms confidence in Chinese partners, repudiates supplier ban

American EV maker says rigorous standards – not geographic origins – guide its vendor choices.

Tesla has offered a vote of confidence to the more than 400 Chinese manufacturers that supply car components to Tesla’s Shanghai factory. Photo: Reuters
SCMP Highlights

Chinese carmakers boost robotics efforts, Xpeng posts record revenue: 7 EV reads

From a Chinese team reducing car part production time with lasers to Xiaomi’s first profit, here are seven EV stories you may have missed.

Xpeng’s next-gen Iron humanoid robot speaks to media during a showroom tour at its headquarter in Guangzhou, in southern China’s Guangdong province, on November 5. Photo: AFP
Future of transport

Volkswagen revs up designed-in-China approach to catch up in EV market

Carmaker says mainland operations can now design and validate new models without approvals from Germany, reducing development time and cost.

Style Edit

Style Edit: BMW’s luxury electric sedan, the i7 M70 xDrive

BMW’s i7 M70 xDrive is its top-of-the-range electric sedan, offering comfort without compromising on performance and sustainability.

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