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Automotive industry

Automotive industry
News about the global automotive industry with a focus on developments that matter most for the China market.
A Tesla vehicle on display at a Beijing showroom. Deliveries from the carmaker’s Shanghai plant hit a 2026 high in May. Photo: AFP
Electric & new energy vehicles

Tesla’s China sales surge to 2026 high, but rivals crowd the rear-view mirror

Tesla’s China sales rebounded in May on financing incentives and stronger demand, but local competitors are gaining momentum.

China-EU relations

China’s SAIC plans to build first EU car plant in Spain’s Galicia

Electric & new energy vehicles

Chinese EV makers recover in May but competition fierce amid overcapacity woes

Electric & new energy vehicles

Premium plan: China’s EV makers pin hopes on higher-margin models

New models from carmakers including Nio and Seres also challenge Tesla’s bestselling Model Y and cars from luxury German marques.

People inspect and pose with Nio’s ES9 ahead of the car’s launch event in Beijing on Wednesday. Photo: Reuters
Electric & new energy vehicles

China’s BYD aims for zero accidents with ‘God’s Eye’, vows crash cost coverage

EV giant pushes affordable autonomy with its system, aiming to make self-driving safer and accessible to mass-market consumers.

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Banking & finance

Millions of Chinese consumers ditch their credit cards amid weak retail spending

Banks report there are 120 million fewer active credit cards in China with 687 million customer accounts, a dramatic drop from 2022’s peak.

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Made in China 2025

China’s machinery giant XCMG eyes bigger scoop of global sales

State-owned firm banks on intelligent manufacturing, green technology, product integration and digital services to boost sales overseas.

A giant XCMG truck dwarfs other vehicles at the company’s customer festival in Xuzhou, in eastern China’s Jiangsu province, on May 19. Photo: Handout
Artificial intelligence

Xiaomi is pouring billions into AI to future-proof its hardware empire

Beijing-based firm bets on frontier tech, from topping AI benchmarks to designing chips that rival Apple, to secure its long-term survival.

Electric & new energy vehicles

Zelos looks to Middle East, Southeast Asia to turn a profit on robovan fleet

China’s robovan industry is in a period of consolidation, marked by the merger of Zelos with Cainiao’s autonomous-vehicle unit in January.

Robotics

Inside the Chinese auto-glass maker whose chairman sat beside Elon Musk

Fuyao Glass, which holds 35 per cent of the world market for automotive glass, banks on automation to cement its position.

Intelligent equipment manufactures automotive glass at the Fuyao Glass production facility in Hefei, Anhui province, on May 19, 2026. Photo: Ann Cao
Electric & new energy vehicles

Does Xpeng’s 33% cut on 6-seat SUV portend a new price war?

The slashed price on the GX model ‘surprised the market’ in a segment carmakers have high hopes for amid slumping EV sales.

He Xiaopeng, co-founder and CEO of Xpeng, speaks during a launch event for the GX SUV in Beijing on Wednesday. Photo: Reuters
Electric & new energy vehicles

Tesla’s FSD launch in China heats up competition with domestic EV makers

The long-awaited roll-out received approval from regulators a week after Tesla CEO Elon Musk visited China as part of a US delegation.

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Electric & new energy vehicles

China’s Chery plans for 1m EVs sold abroad amid global energy crisis

Anhui-based carmaker anticipates 27 per cent increase in foreign deliveries in 2026 as battery ranges improve and oil prices rise.

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Electric & new energy vehicles

China’s Nio slams EV price wars as costs surge, defying cuts by rival Li Auto

Nio and Li Auto take different approach to pricing new models, with one executive praising ‘reasonable’ carmakers that raise prices.

A Li Auto L9 is displayed at the auto show in Beijing on April 24. Photo: AFP
Energy

Video | Hanoi hits the brakes on petrol motorbike ban

The proposed ban has already been scaled back, as riders demand better infrastructure and government support before making the switch to electric.

FILE PHOTO: People ride their motorbikes duing rush hour at Hanoi's Old Quarter, in Hanoi, Vietnam, August 30, 2025. REUTERS/Athit Perawongmetha/File Photo
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Electric & new energy vehicles

Chinese firm Xpeng builds driverless cabs, challenging Tesla’s FSD software

The EV maker has embarked on mass production of robotaxis using its own chips and plans to trial the tech before the end of the year.

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China manufacturing

China’s old ‘Motown’, Shanghai bets on robotaxis, better batteries to bump GDP

City authorities point at the need to lure foreign firms, while emerging sectors are expected to generate a trillion-yuan boost over the next 5 years.

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Electric & new energy vehicles

Global growth of pure EVs faces hurdles in insurance, charging gaps: BNP Paribas

Charging limits and rising insurance costs could slow the global march of pure electric vehicles, BNP Paribas tells Hong Kong conference.

New electric vehicles are set to be loaded at Shanghai Port on May 9. Photo: AFP
Electric & new energy vehicles

Peugeot, Jeep take on Chinese rivals with new models using local EV tech

Peugeot and Jeep are following in the footsteps of Hyundai Motor’s Ioniq to regain lost ground in mainland China.

Electric & new energy vehicles

Chinese EV makers hunt for idled plants in Europe as they expand global influence

BYD, the world’s largest electric car maker, says it is in talks with Stellantis about using European marques’ idled assembly facilities.

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Electric & new energy vehicles

Xi-Trump summit: Ford-CATL plant shows how global carmakers need China

Collaboration with Chinese suppliers ‘the only way international carmakers can compete with Chinese carmakers’, Morgan Stanley analyst says.

A view of the Ford BlueOval Battery Park under construction in Marshall, Michigan. Photo: Universal Images Group via Getty Images
Electric & new energy vehicles

Oil shock fuels BEVs to 9 of top 10 in sales, with China brands overtaking Tesla

Battery EVs take nine of top 10 sales spots amid surging oil prices, giving local brands the edge and pushing Tesla down April charts.

Geely vehicles are on display at Auto France in Paris on April 28. Photo: Reuters
Electric & new energy vehicles

Tesla lures budget-conscious Chinese buyers ahead of state visit by Trump

US President Donald Trump’s entourage for his three-day trip to China includes Tesla CEO Elon Musk and Tim Cook of Apple.

Electric & new energy vehicles

Chinese smart cars set to control 20% of western European market by 2028: JPMorgan

Amid surging demand for electrification and a worldwide energy crisis, domestic carmakers can benefit from the stepped-up ‘go-global’ drive.

Electric & new energy vehicles

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

Chinese SUVs storm the premium segment with fresh momentum, giving German marques their toughest test in years.

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The NIO ES9 on display during the opening day of the Beijing Auto Show in Beijing on April 24, 2026. Photo: AFP
Americas and the Caribbean

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

The number of electric vehicles in Bolivia climbed from 500 to 3,352 in the last five years, and is set to triple again as broad appeal rises.

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An electrician installs a home electric vehicle charging station in La Paz, Bolivia, on April 21. Photo: AP
Electric & new energy vehicles

Chinese EV maker Leapmotor taps Stellantis’ Spanish plant for EU production

Hangzhou carmaker’s overseas strategy highlights how Chinese brands are leveraging idle plants to scale globally while easing trade barriers.

Malaysia

Malaysia’s EV import curbs to protect local sector criticised for inconsistency

The move contradicts the country’s aim to grow the EV sector and use more renewable energy sources, analysts say.

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