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Self-driving cars and autonomous vehicles

Self-driving cars and autonomous vehicles
The latest news, analysis and opinion on Self-driving cars and autonomous vehicles. In-depth analysis, industry insights and expert opinion.
A woman in China has been fined for applying make-up, eating and dancing when driving while claiming that her car’s assisted driving system is more reliable than she is. Photo: SCMP composite/Shutterstock/CCTV
Trending in China

China driver fined for doing make-up, dancing at wheel; says assisted driving more reliable

SUV-driving woman eats snacks while travelling through tunnel, posts videos online of her ‘dangerous’ driving, prompts police action.

Electric & new energy vehicles

Tech and pricing edge behind China’s SUV surge against BMW, Mercedes and Audi

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Americas and the Caribbean

EVs surge in Bolivia amid fuel shortages, ‘junk gas’ scandal

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Electric & new energy vehicles

Tesla China posts 36% sales rise, as local rivals nip at heels

April sales rose on a year-on-year basis but dropped from the previous month, indicating fiercer competition from domestic brands.

An employee works in Tesla’s Gigafactory in Shanghai on April 14. Photo: EPA
Electric & new energy vehicles

Chinese start-up ZYT eyes semi-autonomous truck production this year

DJI spin-off is providing autopilot systems to six manufacturers, as fuel-saving abilities gain importance amid oil supply shock.

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Electric & new energy vehicles

Shifting gears: how foreign giants aim to catch up in China’s EV era

International carmakers launch tailored models and accelerate R&D as they scramble to match the speed and sophistication of domestic rivals.

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Electric & new energy vehicles

Lights, camera, traction: China’s EV race rolls out film-projecting headlights

Ultra-fast charging technology and a wave of smart features are helping Chinese EVs win over overseas buyers.

A GAC Montx concept car is displayed on the opening day of Auto China in Beijing. Photo: AFP
Semiconductors

Hit from memory costs spreads from smartphones to BYD EVs in China

Carmaker explicitly cites sky-high memory costs as it raises the price of a high-end driver-assistance system by 21 per cent.

Mainland China

China taps the brakes on robotaxi licences after Wuhan incident: sources

Licensing curbs follow a Wuhan system failure that stranded passengers, as authorities shift focus from rapid roll-out to safety oversight.

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Electric & new energy vehicles

China’s EV and battery makers race to cut charging times to under 10 minutes

Fast-charging technology takes centre stage at the Beijing Auto Show as firms unveil batteries promising unprecedented speed.

Visitors look at a chamber with sub-zero temperatures that showcases battery-charging technology at the Beijing Auto Show. Photo: AP
Electric & new energy vehicles

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.

A Pony AI robotaxi is displayed at the Beijing Auto Show. Photo: DPA
Robotics

AI | China’s physical AI prowess on roads, in skies and factories

Innovation and competition drive rapid advances in Chinese humanoid robots, drones, autonomous vehicles and flying cars. America is playing catch-up.

Electric & new energy vehicles

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.

Electric & new energy 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
Electric & new energy vehicles

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
Electric & new energy vehicles

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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Electric & new energy 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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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
Electric & new energy vehicles

EVs | Chinese carmakers gear up for L3 self-driving roll-out

Industry ramps up testing of vehicles with Level 3 autonomous driving capabilities as regulators publish draft safety standards set to take effect in July 2027.

Singapore

Singapore’s robotaxi drive revs up with help from Chinese AV leaders

The city state is working with Chinese companies like WeRide and Pony.ai to test and deploy shuttle taxi services on public roads.

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Electric & new energy vehicles

Volkswagen tests China’s appetite for locally developed EVs

The three models, which will be launched over the next two weeks, use technology developed by Volkswagen’s Chinese partners.

Volkswagen unveiled the ID. ERA 9X, ID. AURA T6 and ID. UNYX 08 electric vehicles in Beijing on Wednesday. Photo: Reuters
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.

Chinese ride-hailing company CaoCao, backed by Geely, is betting on a heavy-asset strategy to emerge as a leading robotaxi operator. Photo: Handout
Mainland China

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.

Science

‘Lighthouses in space’: the Chinese jam-proof satellite network to fill GPS gaps

System places powerful light sources on satellites to send coded signals for drones, self-driving cars, space missions to navigate.

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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

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
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.

Future of transport

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.

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