Great Wall Motor looking to build or buy EV plant in Europe

June 01, 2023

Chinese car manufacturer Great Wall Motor is looking into acquiring a European EV plant in order to support its international expansion. Building a new plant in Germany, Hungary or the Czech Republic would be an option, but the company is also looking to buy an existing plant. Great Wall Motor, known in Europe for the […]

Faraday Future finally launches its FF 91 for $309,000

June 01, 2023

The luxury electric crossover FF 91 was initially presented in 2017 and set for a 2018 launch date, but numerous setbacks have delayed the launch for about 5 years. To make up for this delay, the Chinese-Californian manufacturer Faraday Future has added AI buzzwords to every part of the vehicle. A couple of months ago, […]

BYD accused of breaking Chinese emissions standards by Great Wall Motors

May 31, 2023

Chinese car manufacturer Great Wall Motors has accused rival BYD of not complying with Chinese environmental standards with two of its hybrid models. According to Great Wall, the fuel tanks of these models were leaking noxious fumes. BYD has responded by denying these accusations, citing independent national certifications. The accusations come from testing performed by […]

Geely doubles its stake to electrify Aston Martin

May 23, 2023

Chinese car giant Geely is increasing its interest in iconic British sports car brands. The owner of Lotus has raised its share in Aston Martin to 17 percent, a little more than a half year after it stepped in, buying 7,6 percent in September last year. Geely is now the third-biggest shareholder of Aston Martin. […]

Gotion adds manganese to LFP and achieves 1 000 km range

May 23, 2023

Chinese battery maker Gotion High-Tech, a company heavily backed by Volkswagen, has unveiled its L600 battery. Its cells use lithium manganese ferro phosphate chemistry capable of providing a range of 1 000 kilometers. Under the optimistic Chinese driving cycle, that is. Battery packs promising 1 000 kilometers of range aren’t new, but until today, these […]

Macron could exclude non-European electric cars from EV bonus

May 12, 2023

French President, Emmanuel Macron, could announce a reform of the government’s EV bonus plan. The suggestion could be based on the vehicle’s carbon footprint, thus excluding cars produced in heavy-polluting countries such as China. However, it’s easier said than done. For a few months now, France has considered a way to exclude vehicles built far […]

Will Nio market solid state battery cars already this summer?

May 11, 2023

BMW has promised a prototype by 2025. Toyota says it has developers working like ants to make it work. And specialist Dotstore says we shouldn’t expect them before the beginning of the next decade. And then there’s Chinese EV start-up Nio, who filed for three BEV models with assumed solid-state technology expected to hit the […]

‘Cupra Tavascan to launch in China under a new VW sub-brand’

May 03, 2023

Until now, Cupra has been absent in China because of the cost and the risk involved. But with the Tavascan being made in China, the VW Group is looking into launching a new EV sub-brand for its Chinese-built models, according to Automobilwoche. The Spanish SUV coupé would lead the charge for this unnamed sub-brand. The […]

BYD biggest in China, dethrones Volkswagen

April 28, 2023

On its home turf, Chinese car giant BYD has beaten Volkswagen and is currently the number one brand in sales. Also, the brand doubled its registrations worldwide, boosting its profit fivefold during the first quarter of 2023. At Auto Shanghai, Volkswagen CEO Oliver Blume stated, “BYD is very, very strong”. Reporting on its sales for […]

IEA: ‘explosive’ growth of global EVs to a record share

April 27, 2023

The latest study from the International Energy Agency (IEA) reveals a significant jump in the adoption of electric cars around the globe. In a year-on-year comparison, the share has risen from 9% in 2021 to 14% in 2022, a new record. Expectations for this year are a further rise of 35%. In its yearly ‘Global […]

Maxus launches eDeliver7 one-ton electric van

April 26, 2023

Maxus has filled the gap in its range between the compact eDeliver3 and the large (e)Deliver9 with the eDeliver 7, an electric 1-ton van set to compete with the likes of the Ford E-Transit Custom, Peugeot e-Expert, and the Mercedes eVito. Maxus, part of the SAIC group along with the new MG, is further expanding […]

Nio to launch affordable brand below €25k for Europe

April 21, 2023

Chinese premium carmaker Nio wants to move down the ladder. Under the codename Firefly, its CEO confirmed that a new subbrand is in the making, which will focus on Europe and aims at launching a small EV below the €25 000 mark to rival the forthcoming Volkswagen ID.2. Nio CEO Lihong Qin unveiled the plans […]

BYD revels Auto Shanghai with a threesome of newcomers

April 21, 2023

As the top-selling New Energy Vehicle brand in China, BYD didn’t miss out on its appointment at Auto Shanghai 2023. Instead, the brand showcased the concept car Song L, kickstarted pre-sales of the compact Seagull, and launched the Chaser 07. The latter is a plug-in hybrid, which applies to the NEV category. Starting with the […]

Far beyond the microcar: Smart #3 unwrapped

April 20, 2023

At Auto Shanghai 2023, Smart unveiled the undisguised version of its second model, the #3. Though it shares much of its technology with the boxier #1, the coupé cross-over is the largest car the brand has ever launched and is similarly sized to the Volkswagen ID.5. There are new times ahead for the brand since […]

Where’s the rear window on the new Polestar 4?

April 18, 2023

Polestar has thrown the rear window, well, out of the window on its latest addition to the range. Though the number in its nametag suggests otherwise, the cross-over coupé 4 slots exactly between the sedan 2 and the larger SUV 3. The new model was unveiled at the press day of Auto Shanghai. Swedish-Chinese EV […]

Zeekr X shows off ‘luxury’ interior and confirms Smart #1 shared specs

April 17, 2023

The Zeekr X is the first model from Geely’s young premium brand to journey to the European market. To that end, the compact SUV finally gives a peek under the hood of its third model while its minimalist but luxurious interior is also shown. While Zeekr has confirmed it aims for a European launch later […]

German TÜV approval opens EU doors for HiPhi X SUV

April 17, 2023

HiPhi, the young Chinese brand of the Human Horizons Group, is one step closer to launching in European markets. Its first model, the SUV called X, already for a while on sale in its homeland, completed TÜV SÜD testing in Germany successfully. The futuristic-looking Z sedan-GT and a compact SUV, called Y,  just announced as […]

MG Cyberster released ahead of Auto Shanghai reveal

April 14, 2023

Images and preliminary info of MG’s all-electric roadster have been released before its official debut at the Chinese motor show Auto Shanghai later this month. The body type of a roadster is historically rooted in the back-then British brand, but this new version is in every sense a modern take on that old formula. Instead […]

BYD Dolphin and Seal cross the ocean to Europe this summer

April 12, 2023

After launching the Han, Tang, and Atto 3 in Europe late last year, the Chinese EV leader BYD (Build Your Dreams) is expanding its European portfolio with two more models previously launched in China: the Dolphin hatchback and the Seal sedan. The first is at €35 000, a VW ID.3 competitor, and the second targets […]

Airbus Helicopters signs mega deal in China

April 11, 2023

Airbus Helicopters, the helicopter manufacturing division of the European aircraft giant Airbus, has signed a contract to supply 50 H160 helicopters to GDAT, one of China’s largest helicopter leasing and operating companies. The order is estimated to be worth between 750 million and 1 billion dollars. It is the most significant H160 order in the […]

HiPhi: another Chinese luxury brand armed to target Europe

April 03, 2023

It looks like, besides Zeekr, there is no end coming to Chinese EV brands that are targeting to land in Europe. HiPhi, the brand of the Human Horizons Group founded in 2018, will launch in some European markets later this year, a company executive told Reuters press agency. Today it sells the HiPhi X SUV […]