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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.
last updated:
9 September, 2024
BYD EVs at a plant in Rayong, Thailand. Photo: Reuters
Electric & new energy vehicles

Prices slashed again in China’s EV sector, threatening unprofitable carmakers

An anticipated sales decline after a subsidy expires is expected to exacerbate the financial squeeze that is throttling smaller players.

Electric & new energy vehicles

China’s CATL launches EV chassis that can withstand high-speed crash

Electric & new energy vehicles

China will retain car-export crown in 2025, but growth may slow on EU EV tariffs

Robotics

China’s industrial robot sales shrink on ‘tightening demand’

Total industrial robot deliveries this year are estimated to reach 300,000 units, down 5 per cent from 2023.

China had 470 robots per 10,000 employees in 2023, up from 402 units a year earlier. Photo: Shutterstock
Electric & new energy vehicles

EV maker Nio unveils Firefly branded cars to take on Mini Cooper and Smart

The launch is an advancement in Nio’s drive into international markets.

Electric & new energy vehicles

China’s car parts, software industry to hit US$356 billion by 2030

Market for car parts and software is likely to grow at an annualised pace of 28.8 per cent between 2026 and 2030.

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Malaysia

Pricey Chinese ‘rebadge’? Malaysia’s first home-grown EV splits opinions

Proton’s e.Mas7 struggles to convince EV fans, with some praising its good value and others dismissing the car as an overpriced model.

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Malaysia’s first locally produced electric vehicle, the e.Mas7, was launched in Kuala Lumpur on December 16. Photo: AFP
Electric & new energy vehicles

Exclusive | China’s EV champion Geely bets on tech edge to expand in Asia, EU

In an interview with the Post, Geely CEO Gui Shengyue discusses the company’s overseas strategy and EU tariffs.

Electric & new energy vehicles

CATL to build 1,000 EV battery swap stations in China to ease range anxiety

Ten new EV models using the battery swap technology will be developed by CATL and its partners such as Changan Auto and FAW Group, chairman says.

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Mergers & Acquisitions

Nissan and Honda may merge to take on larger rivals and EV makers

Honda is considering several options including a merger, capital tie-up or the establishment of a holding company, Executive Vice-President Shinji Aoyama said.

BYD’s dealership in Yokohama, the home base of Nissan Motor, on April 3, 2023. Photo: AP
Electric & new energy vehicles

Geely banks on profits from petrol cars as EVs inflict losses on rivals

‘As a carmaker, you will lose a profit growth engine if you do not make petrol cars,’ CEO Gui Shengyue says in interview.

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Petrol-powered cars to make up 30 per cent of Geely’s global auto sales, CEO Gui Shengyue says. Photo: Edmond So
Malaysia

Proton’s new EV challenges BYD and Tesla in Malaysia’s growing market

Proton hopes the launch positions the Malaysian carmaker as a leader in the region’s burgeoning EV market, dominated by Tesla and Chinese brands.

Electric & new energy vehicles

Brazilian ports jammed with 70,000 Chinese EVs as tariffs loom

Chinese carmakers flood the world’s sixth-biggest car market as they try to avoid new tariffs.

Electric & new energy vehicles

Chinese EV maker Nio takes aim at BMW, Audi with new luxury sedan

The ET9, which Nio expects to start delivering in March, is priced at 800,000 yuan (US$110,080) in presale.

A view of Nio’s luxury model the ET9. Photo: Handout
Electric & new energy vehicles

Chinese EV maker Jiyue to cut operations in bid to stay in brutal race

Some projects will be scrapped and some business units merged in an ‘all-out’ effort towards ‘rebirth’, CEO says.

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A Jiyue 01 EV is displayed at the Beijing Auto Show on April 29, 2024. Photo: AFP
Electric & new energy vehicles

China’s CATL, Stellantis to build US$4.3 billion EV battery plant in Spain

Joint venture received support from the Spanish government, which abstained in the EU’s October vote to impose extra tariffs on Chinese-made EVs.

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Electric & new energy vehicles

Chinese EV start-up Hozon eyes exports to ride out price war

The Shanghai-based EV maker aims to sell 50 per cent of its cars overseas by 2026 and turn a profit the same year, founder Fang Yunzhou says.

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Electric & new energy vehicles

EV test drive: Xpeng P7+ offers luxury, space, AI driving assistance

The Guangzhou-based company’s fast-selling new model has ample creature comforts and a smoother self-driving experience than its forebears.

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A file photo of the Xpeng P7+. Photo: Xpeng
General Motors

GM’s China dream fades amid shift to EVs and rise of local rivals

Carmaker is restructuring its operations as it struggles to compete with domestic brands and shift to EVs.

South Korea

Mercedes-Benz fire sparks EV safety overhaul in South Korea

With investigations failing to pinpoint the fire’s cause, the overhaul seeks to prevent future incidents and protect consumers.

Electric & new energy vehicles

Xiaomi SU7: an electric car that’s more than just a fanboy effect

Xiaomi has found runaway success with the SU7, but some have said the company could have done more to create its own look.

It is possible to sync more than 1,000 Xiaomi products with the SU7. And in the case of a Xiaomi phone, drivers can mirror it completely on the car’s screen and use apps. Photo: AFP
Electric & new energy vehicles

Renault goes on China hiring spree to bolster EV push at home

‘We are there to learn and we will integrate this knowledge into our own teams,’ in France, an officer says.

A Renault Twingo electric car is unveiled during Renault Group capital market day for its new EV unit Ampere, in Paris, on November 15, 2023. Photo: Reuters
Electric & new energy vehicles

Volkswagen’s controversial Xinjiang plant sale signals strategic shift in China

VW sells assets to address political risks and cut excess capacity, while extending its partnership with SAIC to regain market share in China.

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Future of transport

China’s EV boom threatens to push petrol demand off a cliff

Brokerage Citic Futures sees Chinese gasoline consumption dropping by 4 to 5 per cent a year through 2030.

Electric & new energy vehicles

Beijing sees Hong Kong as launch pad for Chinese EV makers to go global

Hong Kong ‘can act as a two-way gateway for Chinese EV makers to go overseas and bring in new technologies’.

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A Leapmotor factory in Jinhua, China. Photo: Agence France Presse
Donald Trump

Mexico’s Sheinbaum hints she could retaliate against Trump tariffs

Meanwhile, Canada’s Trudeau says he had a ‘good’ conversation with the US president-elect after the latter’s surprise tariff threat.

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Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum gestures during a press conference at the National Palace in Mexico City on Tuesday. Photo: EPA-EFE
Electric & new energy vehicles

Foreign carmakers risk losing up to US$20 billion a year in China: UBS

‘We think foreign automakers need to re-evaluate and adjust their strategies’ in China, bank says.

Electric & new energy vehicles

EV review: Geely’s Galaxy E5 is easy to live with – flirty AI aside

Smart-looking and fully featured, the SUV is a solid package, despite some range concerns with the test car and small annoyances.

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