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Future of transport

Future of transport
From electric cars to on-demand car service apps, companies like Uber, Google and Didi Dache are changing the way we get from place to place, and having a potentially irreversible effect on employment in this key sector.
Chinese ride-hailing company CaoCao, backed by Geely, is betting on a heavy-asset strategy to emerge as a leading robotaxi operator. Photo: Handout
Robotics

Meter running: CaoCao backs heavy-asset play to scale robotaxis

Geely-backed firm targets 100,000 autonomous vehicles by 2030, banking on tighter control of cars, tech and operations to drive efficiency.

Electric & new energy vehicles

Tesla outraces China’s BYD in pure electric car sales to regain world’s top spot

Electric & new energy vehicles

Leapmotor targets global growth with Europe R&D hub, eyes Canada assembly

Electric & new energy vehicles

China EV makers surge back in March as subsidies and financing spur demand

Carmakers report strong month-on-month gains as policy support and new financing schemes lift buyer sentiment.

The EV rebound has been underpinned by renewed policy support at the local level. Photo: AFP
Autonomous vehicles

Baidu’s robotaxi breakdown in Wuhan strands riders, raises safety concerns

Some Apollo Go self-driving cars stopped suddenly across the central Chinese city, dealing a blow to the tech giant’s global ambitions.

China travel

China builds record-breaking underwater tunnels to unite eastern, western hubs

China is building new high-speed rail lines that dive underneath major waterways, providing fast services without disrupting shipping traffic.

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Mainland China

How China’s EV makers think they can outrun disastrous price wars

At Beijing’s urging, an industry largely built on discounting must hold the line on prices and convince buyers to pay for better technology.

Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen
Electric & new energy vehicles

BYD’s four-year profit run ends, eyes global markets as next engine of growth

Earnings at China’s EV leader fall short of expectations amid intense domestic competition.

Electric & new energy vehicles

Pain at the pump fuels EV rush in China, driving a timely boost for carmakers

Brent crude above US$110 is pushing mainland buyers away from petrol cars, lifting China’s EV makers despite fading subsidies.

Electric & new energy vehicles

China’s Pony AI to launch robotaxi service in Europe with Uber, local start-up

Partners aim to operate thousands of robotaxis in various European cities over the next few years after starting in Zagreb, Croatia, ‘soon’.

The partners have begun testing in Zagreb, Croatia, using Pony’s Gen-7 system and electric SUVs made by Chinese state-owned carmaker BAIC. Photo: Handout
Mainland China

Video | Will oil shocks trigger a Chinese EV buying spree?

Oil shock from the Iran war might speed up the global EV shift and boost China’s auto industry, analysts say.

Motorists queue to pump gasoline into their vehicle at a gas station in Hanoi on March 10, 2026. Vietnam announced on March 9 it was scrapping tariffs on fuel imports, as the US-Israeli war with Iran disrupts oil supplies and pushes prices to their highest level since 2022. (Photo by Nhac NGUYEN / AFP)
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Electric & new energy vehicles

China’s lidar giants pivot to robotics in boost supply chain dominance

Hesai will spend US$28.9 million this year to design and manufacture ‘eyes and muscles’ for robots, creating a new growth engine.

Autonomous vehicles

China’s WeRide eyes Hong Kong, Singapore roads for robotaxi services

Company plans to put self-driving taxis and buses on Hong Kong streets this year, while Singapore service starts April 1 through Grab.

China exports

The Iran war could widen China’s EV lead over its global rivals. Here’s why

The ‘eye-watering’ surge in oil prices may push consumers around the world to switch to electric cars, boosting Chinese brands, analysts say.

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Large numbers of cars are lined up ready for export at a port in eastern China’s Jiangsu province. China recently overtook Japan as the world’s largest car exporter. Photo: Xinhua
Electric & new energy vehicles

3 Chinese EV makers raise prices – but demand slowdown could force reversal

Xiaomi, Chery and FAW adjust prices amid surging chip and raw material costs, but analysts say soft sales could undermine gains.

Xiaomi is the latest EV maker to adjust pricing of some models. Photo: Reuters
Hong Kong economy

Flying start for low-altitude economy goals as 100 drone projects proposed

Some pilot projects are set to launch in the first half of the year, transport chief Mable Chan says.

Electric & new energy vehicles

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

Updated smart sedan debuts with improved safety and smart-driving features, intensifying competition with Tesla and domestic rivals.

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Electric & new energy vehicles

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

Oversight of China’s industry intensifies, with carmakers urged to move beyond discounts and focus on chips and self-driving systems.

Visitors look at a new-energy sports car at an expo in Tianjin. Photo: Xinhua
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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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.

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

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.

Nio has set a delivery guidance of up to 83,000 vehicles for the first quarter of 2026. Photo: Xinhua
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.

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.

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 cars inside BYD’s first EV factory in Thailand. Observers say this year has proved a turning point for EV uptake across Southeast Asia. Photo: Reuters
Science

China boosts science budget: is it listening to everything Elon Musk says?

Beijing says greater allocation reflects importance of science and tech self-reliance in driving China’s economy and its rivalry with the US.

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Beijing’s draft budget announcement shows it is positioning frontiers such as satellite internet as China’s future industries. Photo: Xinhua
China technology

Editorial | China steps up its clean energy push with electric ships

As the world’s largest shipbuilder and a leader in EVs and advanced batteries, the country is well placed to help clean up the polluting shipping industry.

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’.

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