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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.
Visitors look at Contemporary Amperex’s fast-charging battery at the Shanghai Auto Show on Wednesday. Photo: AP
Electric & new energy vehicles

Pure EVs regain market share in China on lithium cost, battery technology

Lithium prices are just one-ninth of the peak in 2022, allowing EV makers to win over new buyers in mainland China.

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IPO

Xpeng-backed maker of EV dump trucks plans US$30 million Hong Kong IPO

Electric & new energy vehicles

Digital cockpit is the key to the Russian EV buyer’s wallet, vendors say

South Korea

South Korea and US aim for deal to lift Trump tariffs by July, Seoul says

US Treasury chief Scott Bessent says talks are ‘moving faster than I thought’, and technical terms could be discussed as early as next week.

Cars for export are parked at a port in Pyeongtaek, South Korea, on Thursday. The country’s vehicle industry is facing the greatest impact from new US tariffs. Photo: AP
Electric & new energy vehicles

Chinese carmakers put brakes on self-driving hype at Shanghai show

‘Safety’ is the big buzzword as firms adjust tone amid Beijing’s closer scrutiny after a fatal crash involving a driver-assistance system.

Electric & new energy vehicles

Intel, Chinese partners ModelBest and Black Sesame push smart car systems

The collaborations reflect demand in China, the world’s largest electric vehicle market, for more computing power in sophisticated cockpits.

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Donald Trump

Trump administration weighs tariff relief for US car industry

Several proposals are being considered, which indicate that the administration is considering ways to narrow the scope of levies affecting the car industry.

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Cars for sale at a Nissan dealership in Katy, Texas. Photo: AFP
Donald Trump

Days to Canada election, Trump says country would cease to exist if not for US

The US president’s threats to its neighbour’s economy and sovereignty are on voters’ minds going into the polls.

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Electric & new energy vehicles

Hesai to quadruple lidar output to extend lead in laser range finders

The company plans to boost production to 2 million units this year from about 502,000 units in 2024, founder and CEO David Li Yifan says.

Electric & new energy vehicles

No-shows at Shanghai car expo reflect brutal mainland competition

Hyundai, Hozon, Jaguar Land Rover, Polestar and nearly a dozen other marques miss the world’s largest auto event.

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People throng the Shanghai auto show during a media day, in Shanghai on April 23, 2025. Photo: Reuters
Electric & new energy vehicles

Geely’s Zeekr debuts luxury SUV as Chinese auto giant takes on Mercedes, BMW

Regarding global expansion plans, tariffs will be the ‘number one factor’ to be considered when entering a new market, Zeekr says.

Zeekr’s first hybrid model, the SUV 9X, was launched at the Shanghai Auto Show on Wednesday. Photo: Handout
Electric & new energy vehicles

Japan’s Nissan looks to export China-made electric cars in global expansion push

Nissan displayed two new vehicles at the Shanghai Auto Show on Wednesday as part of an effort to launch 10 new-energy vehicles by mid-2027.

Electric & new energy vehicles

Chinese EV makers take spotlight as Tesla skips Shanghai Auto Show

Firms including BYD, Nio, Geely, Xiaomi and Leapmotor will showcase new and existing models at the two-week event starting on Wednesday.

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Donald Trump

Elon Musk to cut back work with Trump and Doge after Tesla sales skid

The billionaire CEO’s political actions as a close adviser to the US president have damaged the brand and caused blowback.

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Elon Musk attends a cabinet meeting at the White House in March. Photo: TNS
Electric & new energy vehicles

Chinese EV maker Nio to join fray in right-hand-drive car markets

Company’s Firefly minicar, priced around US$16,400, will be competitive in global markets despite tariffs, president says.

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William Li, CEO of Chinese EV maker Nio, poses next to the company’s ET9, in Shanghai on April 22, 2025. Photo: Reuters
Electric & new energy vehicles

EV makers urged to boost safety in self-driving systems after Xiaomi SU7 crash

Caution came as China’s level 2 driving automation system ‘has entered a critical period of large-scale application’.

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Electric & new energy vehicles

EVs | China to crack down on EV self-driving technology, ‘autonomous driving’ claims

Beijing warns EV makers and technology providers to adhere to development rules and take care not to overstate capabilities.

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BYD

BYD prices new SUV at aggressive US$18,300 to attract young consumers

BYD slashed the price of the Titanium 3, which includes its new advanced driver assistance system, at the last minute, capitalising on Tesla’s China challenges.

BYD launches the Titanium 3 electric SUV under its Fang Cheng Bao brand in Shenzhen on April 16. Photo: Handout
Style Edit

Style Edit: Enter the RM 43-01 Tourbillon Split-Seconds Chronograph Ferrari

Limited to 75 pieces each in its 2 versions, the RM 43-01 marries Ferrari’s design DNA with Richard Mille’s precision engineering, embodying peak performance with features like a 70-hour power reserve.

Electric & new energy vehicles

SAIC Motor to join Huawei in new smart EV project to stem multi-year sales slump

SAIC, which assembles petrol cars with GM and VW, has been left trailing as Chinese consumers switch to EVs sold by Tesla, Xpeng, Nio and Li Auto.

Electric & new energy vehicles

EVs | Xpeng eyes Toyota’s Alphard, Europe sales with its X9 electric MPV

More Chinese EV brands will enter the global market in the future, notwithstanding the current tariff turmoil, CEO He Xiaopeng says.

CEO He Xiaopeng stands next to its new all-electric X9 at Kai Tak Cruise Terminal on April 14, 2025. Photo: Sun Yeung
Canada

Canada offers carmakers tariff relief, as Honda denies plans for switch to US

PM Mark Carney will exempt manufacturers from retaliatory duties as long as they keep making vehicles in the country.

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Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney speaks at Nova Bus in Saint-Eustache, Quebec, Canada, on Tuesday. Photo: Reuters
Electric & new energy vehicles

China’s CATL joins with Sinopec to build EV battery-swapping network

World’s top maker of EV batteries and oil giant aim to build a ‘battery-swapping ecosystem across the whole nation’.

Electric & new energy vehicles

Exclusive | Xpeng to use own Turing AI chip to power its self-driving cars this quarter

Xpeng’s Turing AI chip is three times more powerful in computing power than the Nvidia chip installed in its existing EVs.

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Japan

Opinion | Will Trump’s economic tsunami undermine the US-Japan security partnership?

Tariff shocks have eroded the tentative confidence that the alliance was on a strong footing under Trump’s second administration.

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US President Donald Trump meets Japan’s Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba at the White House in Washington, US, on February 7. Photo: Reuters
Electric & new energy vehicles

China’s auto-parts makers could face biggest risk from tariff war fallout

At biggest risk US$13.6 billion worth of components which China ships to the US annually.

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An assembly line inside an electric vehicle (EV) factory owned by Li Auto in Changzhou in eastern Jiangsu province. Photo: Xinhua
South Korea

South Korea unveils emergency measures for car industry hit by Trump tariffs

The measures include financial support for vehicle makers as well as tax cuts and subsidies to boost domestic demand.

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US-China trade war

Chinese semiconductor, auto parts suppliers expect to gain from US trade war

Their view reflects Chinese tech firms’ increased confidence in providing highly competitive alternatives to US imports.

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