Cupra updates Tavascan with a more accessible base version

March 27, 2026

Cupra has quietly updated the Tavascan and added a new entry-level battery variant. A much larger instrument cluster and a revised steering wheel also join the facelift, but the sleek coupe-SUV silhouette remains firmly intact. The Tavascan serves as Cupra’s flagship model, but it has been struggling to find inroads at customers’ driveways. With a […]

Ford’s new Transit City uses a chapter from China’s playbook

March 27, 2026

With the Transit City, Ford Pro has chosen a strategy as surprising as it is logical: an electric van that draws its cost structure from a Chinese joint venture and its credibility from decades of Transit heritage. In a segment that is slowly but irreversibly going electric, Ford is betting on a combination no pure […]

Looks like a Porsche, powered by Huawei: the Aistaland GT7

March 27, 2026

Aistaland is the latest joint venture from Chinese technology giant Huawei and an existing auto manufacturer, in this case, state-owned GAC. Its first model is the GT7, an electric shooting brake bearing a strong resemblance to the Porsche Panamera Sport Turismo. It will launch in China in June 2026. Aistaland won’t be an easy name […]

Skoda to end sales in China in 2026

March 26, 2026

Czech carmaker Skoda, part of the Volkswagen Group, will officially exit China by mid-year, underscoring the challenges foreign brands face amid fierce competition in the world’s largest auto market. Struggling to keep pace with China’s rapid shift toward electric vehicles (EVs), Skoda will withdraw from the market by mid-2026, Reuters reported Wednesday, citing the company. Before […]

Geely lands core brand in Benelux to take on EU’s mass EV market

March 26, 2026

Chinese carmaker Geely Auto is bringing its core, mass-market brand to the Benelux, explicitly positioning it as the group’s volume player alongside its more upmarket sister brands. The launch, announced in Amsterdam, is not just about two new SUVs, but about how Geely intends to structure its presence in Europe: with Geely Auto targeting affordability […]

The real driver of Europe’s EV shift: a €67 billion oil problem

March 25, 2026

The spike in interest in electric vehicles triggered by the Iran war and the resulting oil price surge is real. But treating it as just another short-lived ‘fuel panic effect’ risks missing the bigger shift underway. Europe spends around €67 billion a year importing oil just to keep its cars running. That structural dependency, rather […]

China’s battery grip tightens: 70% of the global market and rising

March 24, 2026

The numbers are in, and they make for uncomfortable reading if you’re sitting in Seoul, Detroit, or Brussels. Last year, Chinese battery manufacturers controlled 70.4% of the global EV battery market, up 20% from the year before. Basically, all car-producing nations outside of China are losing the battle for battery independence. Gradually, the fears are […]

From sharing to selling: Lynk & Co 10+ super sedan reflects strategic pivot

March 24, 2026

Lynk & Co is pushing its electric ambitions into a new, more extreme territory. The new 10+, a high-performance sedan revealed in China this week, transforms the already striking Z10 into a near-supercar rival, delivering around 900 hp and a claimed 0-100 km/h sprint time of under 3 seconds. It is a halo car in […]

For the first time, China exports more cars to Europe than it imports

March 23, 2026

The numbers tell a story that would have seemed impossible a decade ago. In 2025, for the first time on record, the value of cars and auto parts shipped from China into the European Union exceeded what the EU exported to China in return. For the global automotive industry, this represents a symbolic and economic […]

BYD targets Germany’s premium crown jewels with Denza’s EU debut

March 23, 2026

Chinese EV giant BYD will officially introduce its premium brand Denza to Europe on April 8 in Paris, using the unveiling of the Z9 GT as both a product launch and a strategic statement. While the Paris event marks the formal European debut, markets such as Belgium are expected to follow only later as part […]

Range gap: why European EVs outperform US rivals on the road

March 20, 2026

European-built electric vehicles are often outperforming their American counterparts in real-world range tests. It’s a trend highlighted not only by independent comparisons but also by findings from Consumer Reports, one of the United States’ most influential independent product-testing organizations. Drawing on controlled testing and large-scale owner data, the nonprofit has shown that several EVs fall […]

China’s hydrogen gamble: scaling vehicles while slashing fuel costs

March 19, 2026

China is looking into developing its hydrogen industry as part of its decarbonization strategy. A directive has been published by three major government bodies, including the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT), to both develop the industry and scale up the production of hydrogen vehicles, and to slash the price of hydrogen at the […]

Is e-truck domination next on China’s radar?

March 17, 2026

After infiltrating the European market with dozens of electric passenger cars, Chinese manufacturers are now looking to do the same for the truck market. According to Reuters, at least six manufacturers are planning to enter Europe with electric trucks that are up to 30 percent cheaper than European rivals. With the domestic market pretty much […]

Leapmotor posts first annual profit as sales explode

March 17, 2026

Leapmotor, partly owned by Stellantis, has recorded its first full-year profit. Also in Europe, few car brands have grown as fast as the Chinese EV maker. In the final quarter of 2025 alone, Leapmotor delivered over 17,000 vehicles across Europe, compared to just 399 one year earlier. The surge is surfacing in the figures. Leapmotor […]

Cooling EV enthusiasm pushes Renault to range extenders

March 16, 2026

Renault is recalibrating its electrification roadmap. To bridge the gap between internal combustion and a purely electric future, the French carmaker will introduce extended range electric vehicles (EREVs). Most likely together with partner Geely, with a technology focusing on ultra-compact ‘suitcase-sized’ engines that act solely as onboard generators. Will the other European car manufacturers follow […]

MIIT filing reveals more details of BYD’s 1,000-km Seal 08 flagship

March 16, 2026

Earlier, we reported on BYD’s ambitious plans for a new electric flagship sedan, the Seal 08, promising up to 1,000 km of range and the ability to add hundreds of kilometers of driving in just a few minutes of charging. New information from China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) now provides a clearer […]

MG4X with semi-solid battery signals next step in EV battle (update)

March 16, 2026

MG has unveiled the MG4X in China, a compact electric SUV derived from the successful hatchback, as the brand begins rolling out semi-solid battery technology — a world first in a mass-market EV — though that new technology is not yet confirmed for Europe. Regulatory filings published by China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology […]

Geely joins megawatt charging race as it prepares Benelux launch

March 10, 2026

China’s EV charging race has entered a new phase after Geely demonstrated a new 1.5 MW ultra-fast charger capable of delivering megawatt-level charging to a production Zeekr 001. The technology itself was first announced with the upgraded Zeekr 001 in late 2025, but the latest demonstration highlights the charging infrastructure required to deliver such extreme […]

Will BYD’s megawatt charging make battery swapping obsolete?

March 09, 2026

Chinese EV giant BYD has stirred the electric mobility world with the unveiling of its new ‘flash charging’ technology, delivering up to 1.5 megawatts of power and allowing charging from roughly 10% to 70% in about five minutes, or charging times that approach those of refueling a gasoline car. The announcement has sparked a wave […]

Lotus’ first range-extender gears up for official launch in Eletre X

March 06, 2026

Lotus has unveiled further details of its first-ever plug-in hybrid platform. The technology makes its Chinese market debut in the Lotus For me (a rebranded Eletre built specifically for the local market) and will arrive in Europe later this year as the Eletre X. European customer deliveries are expected in the fourth quarter. The X […]

BYD’s next EV leap: 1,000-km Seal 08 and charging in five minutes

March 06, 2026

China’s EV giant BYD used its Technology Day on March 5 in Shenzhen to unveil a new generation of battery and charging technology while presenting several new models across its expanding brand portfolio. The headline debut was the Seal 08, a new flagship sedan for the BYD brand that illustrates the company’s push toward 1,000-kilometer […]

Volvo’s EX60 off to a flying start as orders outpace expectations

March 05, 2026

Volvo has placed big bets on the EX60 before anyone has even driven one kilometer with it. The all-electric successor to the XC60 (its best-selling model ever) was always going to face intense scrutiny if buyers stayed away. Early evidence suggests the opposite is happening. During its first weeks on the market, the EX60 punched […]

Stellantis confirms Leapmotor B10 production in Zaragoza

March 04, 2026

Stellantis has confirmed that electric vehicles from Chinese automaker Leapmotor will be produced at its Figueruelas plant near Zaragoza from the second half of 2026, marking a major step in the group’s strategy to strengthen its position in the global EV market. The announcement turns the Spanish plant into the first major Leapmotor production hub […]

BYD’s Great Tang shows China’s ambitions for megawatt charging EVs

March 04, 2026

Chinese carmaker BYD is preparing to unveil one of its most technologically ambitious vehicles to date. The new Great Tang, a full-size electric SUV positioned at the top of the company’s Dynasty lineup, combines luxury, performance, and experimental ultra-fast charging technology that could point to the next phase of electric mobility. The model is expected […]

T&E: ‘Made in Europe could cut EV battery cost gap by two-thirds’

March 03, 2026

According to a new study by Transport & Environment (T&E), EV battery cells produced in the EU currently cost about $41-$43 per kilowatt-hour more than those made in China. For a typical 60 kWh family EV, that implies a gross cell cost disadvantage of roughly €2,000-€2,500 per vehicle. Yet the same T&E report delivers a […]

Audi reshuffles sales team in North America and Asia

March 02, 2026

Sales are not going so well for Audi in some important foreign markets, both for combustion engines and electric cars. Ingolstadt is now responding and has announced a series of management changes in key markets, including China and North America. In its announcement, Audi refers to a ‘coordinated management rotation’ designed to ensure a smooth […]

2,000 hp of imagination: Xiaomi’s Vision GT will likely stay virtual

March 02, 2026

At the Mobile World Congress 2026 in Barcelona, Xiaomi pulled the covers off one of the most dramatic cars ever to wear its badge: the Vision GT, a low-slung electric super-GT with fighter-jet proportions, extreme aerodynamics, and power claims that brush against hypercar territory. It dominated headlines and social media feeds within hours. Yet for […]

Fifth facelift for the world’s best-selling micro EV

February 27, 2026

SAIC-GM-Wuling has unveiled the fifth generation of its iconic Hongguang Mini EV, the lilliputian electric car that has sold more than 1.8 million units since its 2020 debut. The update brings retro-inspired styling cues and a clear signal that the tiny EV’s remarkable run is far from over. The numbers are staggering. The Hongguang Mini […]

Volvo adds a cheaper base model to fix sliding sales of EX30 

February 26, 2026

Volvo announced a new entry-level variant of its smallest EV, the EX30. It is expected to start in the low 30,000 euro range in select European markets, well below the current Belgian starting price of 38,990 euros for the 200 kW Single Motor variant. It will be positioned as the cheapest Volvo in the lineup, […]

A10/B03X: Leapmotor’s first serious bid for Europe’s EV mass market

February 25, 2026

China’s Leapmotor has revealed the first official interior images of its new compact electric SUV, the A10, offering a clearer picture of the model that will spearhead the brand’s push into Europe’s affordable EV segment. The A10, to be marketed in Europe as the B03X in the second half of 2026, is positioned as a […]

BMW drops Level-3: reality check for EU autonomous-driving goals

February 24, 2026

According to the German leading car magazine, Automobilwoche, BMW is abandoning its Level-3 automated-driving ambitions for the 7 Series. The headline sounded like a retreat. In reality, it may be a recalibration and a revealing one. BMW will discontinue its ‘Personal Pilot L3’ system in the 7 Series as part of the upcoming model update […]

Hydrogen sales rebound in Asia but FCEV passenger cars dream fades

February 24, 2026

It has become fashionable in European automotive circles to speak of hydrogen in the past tense. The mood darkened further last week as Cummins confirmed it is halting electrolyser production at its Belgian plant, cutting 100 jobs. Coming after Stellantis paused its light-fuel-cell commercial vehicle plans, it feels like another nail in a very expensive […]

Zipse’s China bet: why BMW’s future rides on Merz’s mission

February 23, 2026

As German Chancellor Friedrich Merz prepares this week for his first official visit to Beijing since taking office, the presence of leading industrial executives underscores the trip’s strategic significance. Among them is Oliver Zipse, chief executive of BMW Group, who has made clear in remarks reported by Reuters that engagement with China is indispensable for […]

MG shows how to win as a Chinese brand: one million sales in Europe

February 20, 2026

MG Motor has delivered its one-millionth vehicle to a European customer, a symbolic milestone that underlines one of the most remarkable comeback stories in the continent’s recent automotive history. Fourteen years after returning to the UK market, the former British sports car brand — now owned by China’s SAIC Motor — has become the most […]

BYD’s tiny Racco for Japan, a kei car with European consequences?

February 19, 2026

Chinese BYD has revealed the interior and key specifications of the Racco, a compact urban runabout tailored to Japan’s uniquely popular kei segment. But in a European context, it could become something much more significant: a test case for whether the EU is serious about enabling a new generation of genuinely affordable small EVs. Japan’s […]

Audi’s China-only E7X SUV shows it colors in winter tests

February 16, 2026

Audi’s plan to reinvent itself in China is further unfolding. Its new 670-horsepower E7X electric SUV has been spotted during winter testing, months after regulatory filings first revealed the model’s core specifications. When Audi chose to create a China-only brand written in capital letters rather than crowned by its familiar four rings, it was a […]

China redifines rules: no more button-free interiors or yoke steering

February 16, 2026

China’s car industry is facing a regulatory reset. After the fire-prone battery standards and the ban on retractable door handles, a new draft for safety rules published by the country’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) signals two remarkable backsteps: no more yoke-style steering wheels and no more screen-dominated dashboards. Could this ripple through […]

German premium brands adjust pricing strategies in China

February 16, 2026

In early 2026, China’s luxury passenger car market reached a critical inflexion point as traditional European premium brands collectively adjusted pricing strategies amid continued sales erosion in the world’s largest auto market, according to the influential local website 36kr. Data from the 2025 calendar year showed that cumulative China sales for BMW, Mercedes‑Benz, and Audi […]

Europe enters 2026 as stabilizer of a wobbling global EV market

February 13, 2026

Fresh registration data from Benchmark Mineral Intelligence (BMI), the UK-based market intelligence firm tracking the global EV, battery, and critical minerals supply chains, show worldwide EV registrations (battery-electric and plug-in hybrid combined) fell 3% year-on-year in January to just under 1.2 million units. The decline was driven by a sharp reversal in China and a […]

Toyota beats Volkswagen for the first time in Chinese BEV sales

February 13, 2026

Toyota has overtaken Volkswagen in battery-electric car sales in China. A symbolic passing of the crown in the world’s largest car market that underlines the growing pressure on Europe’s biggest automaker. The reversal comes as Volkswagen has slipped to third place overall in China, ceding ground to domestic rivals and exposing the limits of its […]

Cupra Tavascan is first EV under EU-China minimum price deal

February 13, 2026

The European Commission has exempted Volkswagen’s Cupra brand from additional tariffs on its China-built Tavascan. Cupra is the first automaker to secure approval under the EU’s price floor mechanism for Chinese-made battery electric vehicles. In detail, the decision removes a 20.7 percent anti-subsidy duty that had been applied on top of the bloc’s standard 10 […]

Europe-built or no deal: Vooruit party targets Belgian company car

February 12, 2026

The company car is becoming the new bull’s eye in left-wing circles. After Groen’s train-for-car proposal, Belgium’s governing socialist party, Vooruit, wants to restrict tax breaks for company cars to vehicles largely produced in Europe. Protection or posturing? Interesting twist: including their batteries. But above all, these parties would rather abolish the system that has […]

BYD Atto 3 Evo to raise stakes in Europe’s €40k EV battlefield

February 12, 2026

After presenting it in China, BYD is planning to launch the Atto 3 Evo in Europe in spring 2026. It won’t be a routine facelift as the ‘Evo’ badge – short for evolution – signals a deeper technical reset for one of the brand’s most important European models. The compact SUV moves to an 800-volt […]

From Port of Antwerp to ‘transportable AI’: Windrose’s next big bet

February 11, 2026

Windrose, the Chinese electric truck start-up with production plans in the Port of Antwerp, is looking to innovate in the AI sector with containerized data centers and battery backup systems. Founder & CEO Wen Han took to LinkedIn to float the idea… using AI artwork and very little concrete data. Windrose has faced many hurdles […]

Hungarian-built BYD Atto 2 aims to start a price fight

February 10, 2026

BYD intends to localize production of its compact electric SUV, the Atto 2, in Hungary. This should reduce its retail price by several thousand euros compared to the lots built in China, avoiding import fines. However, the Hungarian site itself is facing regulatory scrutiny from Brussels over alleged state subsidies. BYD is betting that European […]

Forget NMC and LFP? China launches first production sodium-Ion EV

February 09, 2026

China’s Changan Automobile and battery giant CATL have unveiled what they claim is the world’s first mass-produced electric vehicle powered by sodium-ion batteries. It’s a major step for a technology that has long been seen as a lower-cost, safer alternative to lithium-based systems. The car, a variant of Changan’s Nevo A06 sedan, contains a 45 […]

After 265,000 km in 18 months, this Xiaomi SU7 battery refuses to die

February 06, 2026

A Chinese man’s daily driving habit has unexpectedly turned into a peculiar experiment in electric vehicle durability. So put away your established assumptions about battery lifespan under scrutiny. Mr. Feng, the proud owner of a Xiaomi SU7 Pro, has driven over 265,000 kilometers in just 18 months, and his car’s battery still retains 94.5% of […]

GX EREV SUV: a Range Rover lookalike and XPeng’s next bet for Europe?

February 06, 2026

XPeng has lifted the veil in China on its most ambitious SUV yet: the XPeng GX, a large flagship crossover widely expected to reach Europe from 2027 as the brand expands its presence in the large premium SUV segment. Positioned at the top of XPeng’s lineup, the GX is designed from the ground up around […]

From rivals to roommates? Ford and Geely eye shared factories in Europe

February 05, 2026

Ford Motor and China’s Geely Group are said to be in early talks about sharing European manufacturing capacity, allowing Geely to assemble vehicles at under-utilized Ford plants in Europe, rather than on a full joint venture or merger of operations. While neither company has confirmed details publicly, several media outlets, including Reuters, have reported negotiations, […]

With the 06T, Chinese Avatr eyes Europe’s appetite for electric estates

February 05, 2026

Avatr, a still largely unknown Chinese EV brand in Europe and part of the Changan group, has sent a clear signal that it is no longer designing cars solely for its domestic market. On February 5, the brand released official images of the Avatr 06T, a low, sleek station wagon that immediately stands out in […]

New MG4 Urban: low on price, high on tech

February 04, 2026

MG has unveiled the MG4 Urban EV in the UK. The model shares its name with the current MG4 but introduces a completely new approach and replaces its base version. With a softer design and lower prices, it’s designed to woo customers considering entry-level battery-powered car models, yet it packs remarkable tech underneath. Although the […]

BYD to bet heavily on export markets as domestic sales slide by 30%

February 04, 2026

The Chinese electric carmaker BYD, until recently the world’s top EV seller, is facing a sharp downturn in domestic demand as government support dries up and price battles rage across the country’s once-booming green car sector. A 30% drop in sales in the first month of the year has sent the company scrambling to maintain […]

Court of Auditors warns for Europe’s Achilles’ heel: critical raw materials

February 03, 2026

The European Union is struggling with its strategy to reduce its dependence on other countries for the supply of strategic raw materials for the energy transition. Obstacles hinder domestic production, and recycling remains embryonic. However, demand for these materials will only increase sharply over the decade. Raw materials such as lithium, nickel, cobalt, copper, and rare […]

Fast charging without guilt? CATL touts 1.8-million-km batteries

February 02, 2026

Chinese battery heavyweight CATL believes it has found a new way to take the edge off one of the electric car’s biggest anxieties: how long will my expensive EV battery last? In a short video released in January 2026, the world’s largest battery maker claims its latest 5C battery can withstand repeated ultra-fast charging while […]

After turbulent start Windrose pushes ahead with Antwerp factory

January 30, 2026

Antwerp’s industry gets an electric jolt. Windrose, a little-known Chinese electric truck startup with outsized ambitions, has chosen the Belgian port city as the site of its first European factory. With promises of thousands of vehicles, hundreds of jobs, and a streamlined supply chain linking China, Belgium, and France, the decision marks a breakthrough after […]

China mandates automatic emergency braking, four years after Europe

January 29, 2026

China has issued its first mandatory national standard for automatic emergency braking (AEB), making the system compulsory for all new passenger cars and light commercial vehicles from 2028 onwards. The move introduces a formal nationwide safety baseline in the world’s largest car market, but comes several years after comparable requirements were already enforced in Europe. […]

A new challenger in Hilux pickup territory: Chery’s Rely R08 EV?

January 28, 2026

Chinese carmaker Chery has unveiled the Rely R08 EV, its first fully electric pickup truck under its wholly owned brand, marking a notable step into a segment that remains small but strategically important in Europe. A segment traditionally ruled by the Toyota Hilux, alongside models such as the Ford Ranger, Isuzu D-Max, and Volkswagen Amarok. Launched […]

At the top end of the ultra-luxury car market, China still speaks Western

January 27, 2026

In the battle for China’s car market, the high ground remains occupied. While Western carmakers have been steadily losing share in the broader landscape — overtaken in many segments by aggressive, fast-rising domestic rivals — their dominance at the very top of the market is proving stubbornly resilient. New data on 2025’s best-selling ultra-luxury vehicles […]

China-built world’s largest car carrier reshapes Hyundai’s export future

January 26, 2026

Guangzhou Shipyard International has launched the world’s largest car carrier to date, capable of transporting 10,800 vehicles. The LNG dual-fuel vessel is surpassing the previous generation of 9,000–9,500-car ships that only recently seemed enormous, and it’s intended for South Korean Hyundai. On the surface, it is a story about scale and engineering. Underneath, it is […]

Geely moves solid-state batteries out of the lab, not yet into showrooms

January 26, 2026

Geely, the Chinese group behind brands such as Volvo, Polestar, Lotus, and Zeekr, just announced that it will complete its first in-house all-solid-state battery pack in 2026 and start testing it in cars. It reignites one of the electric car industry’s most persistent promises: a battery that charges faster, goes further, and is safer than […]

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