Toyota Motor Corporation and Tsinghua University are establishing the Tsinghua - Toyota Joint Research Institute (Joint Research Institute). The two plan to conduct various research together over the next five years through the institute. By establishing the Joint Research Institute, Toyota sees an opportunity to further contribute to the development... Read more →

At Auto Shanghai 2019, Mercedes-Benz is premiering the close-to-production show car Concept GLB and the Mercedes-AMG A 35 L 4MATIC developed exclusively for China. Alongside the Concept GLB are the battery-powered EQC (electricity consumption combined: 20.8 – 19.7 kWh/100 km) (earlier post) and the new GLE, both of which celebrate... Read more →

Buick has launched the VELITE 6 MAV electric vehicle in China. As Buick’s first global all-electric vehicle and SAIC-GM’s first electric vehicle for the mass market, the VELITE 6 MAV (which stands for Multi-Activity Vehicle) integrates GM and SAIC’s resources and advanced technology in new energy and connected vehicles. It... Read more →

BYD debuted its E-SEED GT concept car and Song Pro SUV alongside its all-new e-series models at the Shanghai International Automobile Industry Exhibition. The company also showcased its latest Dynasty series of vehicles, which were recently unveiled at the company’s spring product launch in Beijing. A total of 23 new... Read more →

Toyota premiered its C-HR and IZOA battery electric vehicles (BEVs) as part of its activities on the opening day of Auto Shanghai 2019. The C-HR and IZOA will be the first battery-electric vehicles (BEVs) to launch in China under the Toyota brand. Sales on the new models are slated to... Read more →

Volkswagen is planning an extensive model offensive in China; the brand will double its SUV range by 2020. During Auto Shanghai 2019, Volkswagen announced that the share of SUVs is expected to rise to up to 40%. Volkswagen is targeting the traditional part as well as the growing e-mobility sector.... Read more →

Volkswagen Group China aims to produce more than half (11.6 million) of the group’s global objective of 22 million battery-electric vehicles (BEVs) by 2028. Initiatives with all three Chinese vehicle production joint ventures – FAW-Volkswagen, SAIC VOLKSWAGEN and JAC Volkswagen – will enable this target to be reached. To speed... Read more →

At Auto Shanghai 2019, Audi is introducing the Audi AI:ME, an electric showcar offering compact dimensions, a spacious, futuristic interior, and the ability to drive autonomously at level 4. The Audi AI:ME offers a broad range of high-tech features for communication, entertainment, or relaxation. Audi took a targeted approach to... Read more →

Volkswagen is expanding its electric ID. product range with a multi-variable all-round model: the new ID. ROOMZZ—a zero-emission SUV in the five meter category. Volkswagen will present the concept car as part of a world première at Auto Shanghai (18 to 26 April) in an homage to China, currently the... Read more →

Renault and Nissan have established a new research and development joint venture in Shanghai, China: the Alliance Automotive Research and Development (Shanghai), Ltd., which will be referred to as Alliance Innovation Lab Shanghai (AIL-SH). Renault and Nissan each hold 50% of this new entity which will conduct research and development... Read more →

Saft, a subsidiary of Total, has signed an agreement with Tianneng Energy Technology (TET), a subsidiary of the Chinese privately-owned Tianneng Group, to create a joint venture (JV) to expand their lithium-ion battery activity. Manufacturing will be based at the Changxing Gigafactory, with a potential capacity of 5.5 gigawatt hours... Read more →

Geely Auto Group (Geely) has selected Ricardo to assist with the development—right through to production implementation—of a new advanced transmission for range-extended plug-in hybrid vehicles. Key requirements for the transmission are high efficiency and competitive cost for high volume A and B-segment products. The approach taken is highly collaborative and... Read more →

Daimler AG and Zhejiang Geely Holding Group , the German and Chinese automotive groups, have formed a 50-50 globally focused joint venture to own, operate and further develop smart, the pioneer of small urban vehicles, as a leader in premium-electrified vehicles. Under the joint venture agreement, a new generation of... Read more →

China-based The9 Limited, an established Internet company, signed a joint venture agreement with Faraday&Future Inc. to establish a joint venture to manufacture, market, distribute, and sell electric cars in China. The JV’s immediate objective is exclusively to manufacture, market, distribute, and sell the Faraday Future’s new brand V9 model, a... Read more →

At Auto Shanghai 2019 in April, BMW Brilliance Automotive will present the new edition of the BMW X1 xDrive25Le. The compact Sports Activity Vehicle (SAV) developed exclusively for the Chinese automotive market with extended wheelbase and plug-in drive now achieves an electrically powered range of up to 110 kilometers (68... Read more →

Volkswagen Brand China and its Chinese joint ventu... Read more →

In January 2019, the Chinese market saw 253% more nickel deployed in passenger EV batteries than the same month the year prior, according to a model-by-model build-up using Adamas Intelligence’s EV Battery Capacity and Battery Metals Tracker. The accelerated deployment of battery nickel in China, due primarily to an ongoing... Read more →

According to a new report from Adamas Intelligence, China became a net-importer of several rare earth oxides (or oxide equivalents) in 2018. The report, Rare Earth Recap 2018: Global Production, Trade and Prices, provides an overview of global primary and secondary production by country, oxide (or oxide equivalent) and value... Read more →

Despite traditionally being a seasonally-slow month for the EV market, in January 2019, 3.27 GWh of passenger EV battery capacity was deployed in China, an increase of 439% over January 2018 levels, inferring from a model-by-model build-up using Adamas Intelligence’s ‘EV Battery Capacity and Battery Metals Tracker’. China was responsible... Read more →

The share prices of more than a dozen rare earth materials (REE) companies in China are up 20% or more year-to-date (through February 26, 2019) on the back of strong profits in 2018 and a promising long-term outlook for value-added rare earth materials, such as NdFeB permanent magnets, according to... Read more →

Didi Chuxing, the world’s leading one-stop transportation platform, announced a new joint venture with Beijing Electric Vehicle Co., an affiliate of BAIC. BAIC-Xiaoju New Energy Auto Technology Co. Ltd (JingJu) aims to combine the two companies’ strengths in new energy fleet operation and AI transportation solutions to develop next-generation connected-car... Read more →

BP’s venturing business, BP Ventures, has invested in PowerShare, an integrated hardware and software solutions provider for electric vehicle (EV) charging in China. The investment is part of PowerShare’s Series A round, which was led by BP Ventures and draws support from DETONG Capital Partners, a leading private equity firm... Read more →

The long-term expansion of the BMW Brilliance Automotive Ltd. (BBA) Joint Venture has achieved a significant milestone: a Special General Meeting of Brilliance China Automotive Holdings Ltd. (CBA) in Hongkong has approved the sale of a 25% shareholding in BBA to the BMW Group. Around 63% of the represented shareholders... Read more →

China will drive the majority of growth in the crude oil refining industry in Asia between 2018 and 2023, contributing 44% of Asia’s crude oil refining capacity in 2023, according to GlobalData. The company’s report: ‘China Crude Oil Refinery Outlook to 2023’ finds that the total refining capacity of China... Read more →

BMW will become the first premium carmaker to launch Tmall Genie onto the market in China in selected BMW models. The intelligent voice assistant from Alibaba A.I. Labs will be fully and seamlessly integrated in BMW vehicles in China by the end of 2019. The integration of the intelligent cloud-based... Read more →

A team from the Innovation Center for Energy and Transportation (iCET) reports that while average certified fuel consumption (FC) decreased by 15% between 2008 and 2017, real-world FC remained unchanged, resulting in a fuel consumption gap increase from 12% to 30%. The paper is published in the journal Energy Policy.... Read more →

NIO Inc. officially launched the NIO ES6 on December 15, 2018 during the annual NIO Day celebration in Shanghai. The electric SUV starts at a pre-subsidy price of 358,000 RMB (US$52,000), and is available now for public pre-order via the NIO app, with delivery to start in June 2019. The... Read more →

Ceres Power, a developer of low-cost solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC)company, and Weichai Power, one of the leading automobile and equipment manufacturing companies in China, finalized their long-term strategic collaboration first announced in May 2018. (Earlier post.) This includes a Joint Venture Agreement with the commitment to create a fuel... Read more →

Cadillac has launched its new CT6 flagship in China at the Cadillac Arena in Beijing. It offers the newest iteration of Cadillac’s design language featured on the Escala concept. The new-generation CT6 has adopted an all-new powertrain, with innovative technologies that are being applied in China for the first time.... Read more →

Spain-based SEAT, a member of the Volkswagen Group, signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Volkswagen Group China and Anhui Jianghuai Automobile Group Corp., Ltd (JAC) to advance e-mobility in China. Under the agreement, all parties will leverage their technology and product strengths to develop a battery electric vehicle platform for... Read more →

AVEVAI, a new B2B e-mobility and logistics solutions and technology provider based in Singapore, launched its range of IONA electric light commercial vehicles (e-LCVs) at the 5th Guangzhou International Electric Vehicles Show in China (16-25 November 2018). The electric vehicles—in van and truck configurations—are designed specifically for use by delivery... Read more →

BASF and the Research and Development Center of Guangzhou Automobile Group Co. Ltd. (GAC R&D Center) introduced three co-developed electric concept cars at Auto Guangzhou 2018, featuring futuristic designs that address the diverse needs of China’s drivers. The three two-seat concept electric cars are designed by GAC R&D Center, with... Read more →

Daimler plans to build the Research and Development Tech Center China with a total investment of more than 1.1 billion RMB (approximately €145 million). This marks the further expansion of the company’s footprint in its single largest market and will be its second major R&D site in Beijing, following the... Read more →

Ballard Power Systems has successfully closed a strategic collaboration transaction with Weichai Power Co., Ltd., initially announced in August. (Earlier post.) This strategic collaboration with Weichai—a leading automotive equipment manufacturer specializing in the production of powertrains, automobiles, intelligent logistics, automotive parts and components—underscores our high conviction in the opportunity for... Read more →

Qualcomm Technologies, Inc., a subsidiary of Qualcomm Incorporated, announced continued efforts with China’s growing ecosystem of leading automakers and suppliers to commercialize LTE Vehicle-to-Everything (LTE-V2X) direct communication technology based on 3GPP Release 14 specifications. Also known as C-V2X across the globe, LTE-V2X is a solution for V2X communications, which is... Read more →

Volvo Cars has reached an agreement with Baidu, the leading Chinese internet search provider, jointly to develop electric and fully autonomous drive-compatible cars with the aim of mass producing them for China, the largest car market in the world. The partnership will allow both companies to develop and to sell... Read more →

Ford Motor Company and Baidu, Inc. have begun a two-year joint autonomous vehicle test project, under which the two companies will further advance the development and on-road testing of autonomous vehicles in China. The Baidu-Ford L4 Autonomous Vehicle Test Project is a two-year initiative, with on-road testing slated to begin... Read more →

Nearly half of the world’s electric vehicles are in 25 cities, according to a new briefing by the International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT). As of the end of 2017, these 25 cities were home to nearly 1.4 million of the world’s 3.1 million passenger electric vehicles. These 25 cities,... Read more →

Alliance Ventures, the strategic venture capital arm of Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi, has become the lead strategic investor of WeRide.ai (formerly JingChi.ai), China’s leading autonomous driving company focused on Level 4 (L4) self-driving technology, following completion of the company’s Series A funding. The investment in WeRide.ai is Alliance Ventures’ first in China and... Read more →

Hyundai Motor has entered into a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Beijing-Tsinghua Industrial R&D Institute (BTIRDI) to establish a Hydrogen Energy Fund. Under this agreement, the South Korean automaker and its Chinese counterpart expect to strengthen their influence in the hydrogen ecosystem while accelerating the advent of a Hydrogen Society.... Read more →

Daimler Mobility Services and Geely Group Company, Geely Holding Group’s new business entity, will form a premium ride-hailing joint venture in China. Headquartered in Hangzhou, the 50:50 JV will provide ride-hailing mobility services in several Chinese cities using premium vehicles including but not limited to Mercedes-Benz vehicles. The fleet initially... Read more →

Ford Motor Company is reorganizing its Asia Pacific operations. As part of those actions, which include hiring a new President and CEO (Anning Chen) for Ford China, Ford China is elevated to a stand-alone business unit reporting to Ford global headquarters. Peter Fleet, president Ford Asia Pacific, will facilitate the... Read more →

Volkswagen Group China is beginning construction in Anting of the Group’s first factory specifically designed for the Modular Electric Drive Kit (MEB) platform. The first model that will be produced in the factory of SAIC Volkswagen will be an electric Volkswagen brand SUV in 2020. Together with the FAW-Volkswagen factory... Read more →

Momenta, a China-based autonomous driving company, has secured a new round of funding from industry-leading strategic investors and government funds at a valuation north of $1 billion, making Momenta the first autonomous driving unicorn company in China. Existing investor NIO Capital and Pagoda Investment increased their investments. Strategic investors, including... Read more →

Groupe Renault and Brilliance China Automotive Holdings Limited (Brilliance), who earlier this year formed Renault-Brilliance-Jinbei Automotive Co., Ltd., a joint venture to manufacture and sell light commercial vehicles (LCV), signed a Strategic Cooperation agreement with Chinese officials from Liaoning Province to further accelerate growth of LCVs in China. Renault also... Read more →

WiTricity announced an intellectual property licensing agreement with Anjie Wireless, a China-based automotive Tier 1 supplier. Under the terms of the agreement, Anjie Wireless will license WiTricity’s patented magnetic resonance technology and industry-leading designs to develop and commercialize highly efficient wireless electric vehicle (EV) charging systems for sale to leading... Read more →

Novelis, the global leader in aluminum rolling and recycling, broke ground on the expansion of its automotive aluminum manufacturing facility in Changzhou, China. The $180-million investment will double the facility’s production capacity of heat-treated aluminum sheet by 100,000 metric tons in order to better meet the growing demand for automotive... Read more →

The BMW Group and Brilliance China Automotive Holdings Ltd. (CBA) announced the early extension of the joint venture contract for BMW Brilliance Automotive (BBA) and the further deepening of the existing successful collaboration. The extended contract is valid for 22 years (from 2018 to 2040). Furthermore, the BMW Group intends... Read more →

Global clean energy investment was $67.8 billion in the third quarter of 2018, down 6% from the same period last year, according to the latest Clean Energy Investment Trends report from research company Bloomberg NEF (BNEF). The slip in the July-September quarter leaves clean energy investment for the year so... Read more →

TRATON AG, formerly Volkswagen Truck & Bus AG, announced two strategic partnerships. The first is with Solera, to develop smart and secure solutions to answer challenges of transport and logistics customers. The second is an expansion of TRATON’s long-term partnership with Sinotruk to establish a joint venture to localize a... Read more →