Freelander is reborn as an electric 4×4 built in China (update)

April 29, 2026

Once upon a time, the Land Rover Freelander was the best-selling four-wheel-drive vehicle in Europe. It held that title for five consecutive years. Now, nearly three decades after its 1997 debut, the name returns, reborn as an independent electric brand built in China but coming to Europe. Together with Chery Jaguar Land Rover and Chinese […]

CATL turns sodium-ion into a grid reality with a 60 GWh landmark deal

April 29, 2026

One week after unveiling its Naxtra sodium-ion battery for electric vehicles, CATL has signed the largest sodium-ion battery order in history: 60 GWh for grid-scale energy storage over three years. The technology has crossed the line from lab breakthrough to industrial product. The ink on CATL’s Tech Day announcements was barely dry. The world’s largest […]

Dreame’s rocket-powered hypercar claims sub-1-second sprint

April 28, 2026

Chinese robot vacuum maker-turned-car-manufacturer Dreame has leveled up its Next 01 electric hypercar. The Jet Edition does as the name suggests, and adds rocket boosters to propel the Bugatti-lookalike to 100 km/h in less than a second. Or is it just a dream, and will it go the way of the similarly equipped Tesla Roadster? […]

BYD’s Sealion 08 an electric alternative to the BMW X7?

April 28, 2026

At the Beijing Auto Show, BYD unveiled its Sealion 08, which has a good chance of arriving in Europe. The specs of its flagship SUV are a sample of where the technological evolution of the car manufacturer and battery maker stands today: 643 hp, 900 km of range, and nine-minute charging. But the story behind […]

Nissan brings back the Terrano for Auto China

April 27, 2026

Nissan took the stage at Auto China 2026 in Beijing to unveil two NEV SUVs: the Urban SUV PHEV and the Terrano PHEV Concept. The latter brings back the nameplate first used in 1999 for the large-terrain SUV, also known as the Pathfinder. Good news for fans: Nissan is promising a production version within one […]

Hyundai hopes to reignite its China volumes with the Ioniq V

April 27, 2026

It looks like a concept car, but the Ioniq V, unveiled at the 2026 Beijing Auto Show, is definitely a production model. It looks like the lovechild of a Toyota Prius and a Tesla Cybertruck, but don’t let its appearance hide the real message: with its new subbrand Ioniq, Hyundai wants to start from scratch […]

Denza shows open-top Z sportscar at Auto China

April 27, 2026

After unveiling the first iteration of the Z sports car last year, Denza has picked Auto China in Beijing to show its open-top convertible sibling. The Denza Z will be an all-electric supercar available in three configurations: Standard, Convertible, and Track. The full launch will be at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in July. Denza […]

BMW at Beijing Auto Show: i7 update and LWB versions of iX3 and i3

April 27, 2026

The BMW Group’s exhibition stand at Auto China 2026 is dedicated entirely to the ‘Neue Klasse’. In Beijing, the new BMW iX3 Long Wheelbase, the new BMW i3 Long Wheelbase, and the new BMW 7 Series featuring Neue Klasse technologies are celebrating their world premieres. “With the introduction of the new BMW iX3 for China, […]

Peugeot previews made in China strategy with two new concepts

April 27, 2026

At the 2026 Beijing Auto Show, Dongfeng’s two French joint ventures put four concept vehicles on the floor in a coordinated push that looks like more than a design exercise. Production starts in 2027, on Chinese platforms, in China, but export is on the agenda. Are these the successors to the famed Peugeot 508 and […]

Windrose’s electric truck just leveled with its diesel rivals

April 24, 2026

As oil prices push fleet operators to despair, Windrose has slashed the price of its long-haul electric truck from €250,000 to €198,000. This basically puts it in the range of classic diesel trucks. Clearly, Chinese manufacturers are trying to disrupt the transportation industry, just as they did in the passenger car category. Is it schadenfreude […]

Who’s the leader? CATL fires four new game-changing batteries at once

April 23, 2026

On the eve of the Beijing Auto Show, CATL held its annual Tech Day and unveiled four new battery systems at the same time. An innovation stretch that reached from a record-breaking LFP cell for mass-market EVs to a sodium-ion battery heading for production later this year. The salvo is a direct response to BYD’s […]

Smart Concept #2: the Fortwo is back!

April 23, 2026

After first announcing the #2 for 2026 and even showing photos of camouflaged prototypes, Smart has now unveiled the concept version of its Fortwo successor. The Concept #2 blends the original Fortwo shape with the brand’s modern design cues, and will spawn a production version in Paris in October. Since its renaissance under the Geely […]

Seres joins BMW and Mercedes-Benz in Ionchi high-power charging

April 23, 2026

Chinese automaker Seres can apparently do more than install toilets in cars. It has joined the Ionchi fast-charging joint venture in China as an equal partner alongside BMW Group and Mercedes-Benz. Each of the three companies will hold a 33.3% stake in the venture going forward. With Seres, a major local player joins Ionchi. The […]

Volkswagen arrives in Beijing with three concepts to fence off Chinese dominance

April 22, 2026

On the eve of the world’s largest motor show, Europe’s biggest carmaker pulled the covers off three electric vehicles spread across the widest possible price spectrum. That is either a master plan or a sign of desperation,… possibly both. At the Group’s Media Night in Beijing, the Volkswagen brand presented three cars on stage that […]

Sunwoda presents a full charge in nine minutes: yes, but where?

April 21, 2026

Chinese battery manufacturer Sunwoda has revealed a new LFP pack on par with the best BYD has to offer and nudges ahead of CATL in the fast-charging arms race. Nine minutes is all it takes. But the real question is what that number actually means, and whether the infrastructure to use it exists anywhere outside […]

Seres patents in-car toilet for relief on long journeys

April 20, 2026

Chinese Seres and Huawei, the two owners of the sub-brand Aito, have patented an in-car toilet to “satisfy users’ toilet needs on long journeys, while camping or while staying in the car”. The voice-activated toilet is hidden under the passenger’s seat… and it actually appears to be quite cleverly designed. Seres is one of the […]

BYD’s new Yuan Plus outdates the still fresh Atto 3 Evo

April 20, 2026

The next generation of BYD’s best-known compact SUV is preparing for launch in China. Important, as the Yuan Plus is sold in Europe under the Atto 3 moniker. The upgrades are substantial: a larger body, a rear-wheel-drive platform, second-generation Blade battery technology, and flash charging that delivers a near-full charge in under 10 minutes. Commercialization […]

Stellantis ends 80 years of carmaking in Paris and courts China to fill the gap

April 17, 2026

Stellantis gathered the 2,000 workers at its Poissy plant, just west of Paris, yesterday to deliver the news that few found surprising: the site will stop producing cars by the end of 2028. It marks the end of nearly eight decades of vehicle manufacturing in the French capital region. Meanwhile, the group is seeking new […]

Chinese GAC’s AION UT enters Europe’s crowded affordable EV race

April 16, 2026

Little known to most European — and certainly Belgian — car buyers, Chinese carmaker GAC Group has officially launched its AION UT electric hatchback in Europe, marking a significant step in its long-planned entry into what it calls the “world’s most demanding automotive market.” Designed in Milan and assembled at Magna Steyr’s plant in Graz, […]

VW Group’s Q1 global sales down 4%; Europe up, China and U.S. slide

April 15, 2026

The VW Group continues to suffer from weak international sales (-4%), particularly in China and the United States, the German carmaker said in Wolfsburg on Monday. BEV deliveries were down 8% year on year. Globally, this pushed the number of deliveries across the VW Group in the time period between January and March down to […]

Geely outclasses Toyota’s hybrids with world record in thermal efficiency

April 14, 2026

When most people think of hybrid powertrains, they think Toyota. And when people think of Chinese brands, they think of fully electric drivelines. But if it depends on Geely, the parent company of Volvo, Polestar, Zeekr, and many more, those reflexes are becoming increasingly outdated.  That’s because the sprawling Chinese group has been quietly building […]

Tesla quietly circles back to the entry model it publicly killed

April 10, 2026

Two years ago, Elon Musk told investors that building affordable electric cars for human drivers was, in his words, “pointless” and “silly.” Instead, his company would focus on the automated Cybercab and the profit model behind it. But Musk’s decision firmness isn’t his greatest quality. Reuters has reported that Tesla is backing off on that […]

Volkswagen reveals its first EV with lidar and XPeng software

April 09, 2026

At the VW Brand Night in China, the German car manufacturer has pulled the wraps off the ID. Aura T6. This mid-size electric SUV is built on an entirely new, China-specific architecture. Say goodbye to MEB and meet CEA: the platform co-developed with XPeng. When unveiled, the T6 was still tightly wrapped in camouflage film, […]

Five-minute charge, €115,000 price tag, Denza faces EU reality check

April 09, 2026

With BYD’s Vice-President Stella Li taking the stage in Paris on Wednesday to launch Denza in Europe, the setting was as strategic as the product itself. China’s largest carmaker did not opt for a conventional auto show or conference hall, but rented the iconic Palais Garnier, one of Europe’s most emblematic temples of culture and […]

Tesla makes a comeback in European sales charts

April 07, 2026

Registrations tripled in France, nearly doubled in Norway. After the worst year in recent memory, Tesla’s sales numbers are moving in the right direction again. The question is whether a cheaper Model Y and surpassing a stumbling BYD again are enough to call this a recovery. A year ago, Tesla was bleeding. Exactly one year […]

ACEA report: growth returns, but Europe’s car industry loses its edge

April 03, 2026

The latest Economic and Market Report for full-year 2025 from ACEA, the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association, paints a cautiously optimistic picture on the surface, but a deeper reading reveals a more unsettling reality for Europe’s automotive sector. While the headline figures point to stabilizing macroeconomic conditions and modest market growth, the underlying data highlights structural […]

End of the road for Volvo’s go-it-alone strategy as Geely calls the shots

April 01, 2026

Volvo Cars is drawing closer to sister brand Polestar and its Chinese parent, Geely, through a pair of moves that signal the end of the Swedish carmaker’s long-running independence. Volvo has long benefitted from an exclusive position within the Geely group, lending the brand a strong independence to safeguard its Swedish roots. But that privilege […]

A full charge in nine minutes? BYD Song Ultra storms the market

March 31, 2026

BYD is fighting a downward trend in its home market. And the best remedy to counter such a dip is a fresh product. Enter the Song Ultra EV, a car that aims to set a benchmark for what a mid-size electric SUV can deliver for the money. Buyers didn’t fail to notice. The Ultra is […]

Geely puts Volvo in charge to fix Lynk & Co’s troubled European execution

March 31, 2026

Volvo Cars will take responsibility for the commercial and brand operations of its sister-brand Lynk & Co in Europe, marking a decisive step in Geely Holding Group’s accelerating strategy to integrate its brands and scale more efficiently on the continent. The move, announced on March 30, gives Volvo Cars control over Lynk & Co’s European […]

World’s largest electric carmaker BYD posts first profit drop in four years 

March 30, 2026

BYD, the world’s largest electric vehicle manufacturer, reported a 19% decline in net profit for 2025. It’s the company’s first such drop in four years. The results reveal the growing cost of competing in China’s saturated EV market. BYD is hastily looking beyond its home borders to counter the downward trend. The numbers in brief […]

Geely integrates European engineering centers

March 30, 2026

The Chinese car manufacturer Geely is restructuring its European development activities by consolidating operations in Sweden and Germany under the new Geely Technology Europe unit. The move is intended to strengthen the region’s role within the group’s global development network. The move comes at the same time as the arrival of Geely-branded cars in Europe. […]

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, […]

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