Horizon Robotics, a leading provider of energy-efficient computing solutions for advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) in consumer vehicles, has formed a strategic partnership with Aptiv PLC and its subsidiary Wind River in China. (Aptiv acquired Wind River in 2022.) Aptiv is a global technology company focused on making mobility safer,... Read more →
NaaS teams up with Hyundai China to boost EV charging services and business ventures
17 August 2023
China-based NaaS, an EV charging service company, is partnering with Hyundai Motor Group (China), to develop efficient charging management services for Hyundai car owners. The two parties will empower potential EV charging businesses via partnership. The partnership have made an order management service for charging and charger installation to be... Read more →
CATL introduced Shenxing, the first 4C superfast charging LFP (lithium iron phosphate) battery, capable of delivering 400 km (249 miles) of driving range with a 10-minute charge as well as a range of more than 700 km (435 miles) on a single full charge. CATL expects Shenxing to alleviate fast... Read more →
Geely Holding Group and Baidu Inc announced a significant milestone in their strategic partnership with the introduction of JI YUE, a premium intelligent technology brand. Inaugural JI YUE 01 model will enter production with first deliveries in the fourth quarter of 2023. JI YUE’s primary goal is to provide an... Read more →
In June, BorgWarner announced the next phase of its “Charging Forward” strategy for advancing its position as a technology leader in e-Products, while maximizing its foundational portfolio. In its subsequent Q2 report, BorgWarner listed a number of e-Products wins, including: iDM for Chinese OEM. BorgWarner will supply a new integrated... Read more →
Prices for black mass material—from process scrap fell by 5% in July from a month earlier, according to Benchmark’s inaugural black mass price assessment, due to a decline in the underlying prices for lithium. Black mass production is the first step in the battery recycling process and is based on... Read more →
BYD has produced its 5 millionth new energy vehicle (NEV), a DENZA N7. BYD spent 13 years reaching the milestone of one million NEVs, another 18 months to reach three million, and now just 9 more months to hit the five million mark. In 2022, BYD’s new energy vehicles saw... Read more →
Nikkei analysis finds Tesla relies on China for 40% of battery supply chain
09 August 2023
An analysis by Nikkei in Japan concludes that nearly 40% of the suppliers for materials used in Tesla’s electric vehicle batteries are Chinese companies. Nikkei sent a letter to Tesla asking about its dependence on Chinese suppliers but said that it had received no reply by the publication deadline. China... Read more →
Pony.ai and Toyota to form JV to advance mass production of L4 autonomous vehicles
05 August 2023
Pony.ai, a leading global autonomous driving company, Toyota Motor (China) Investment Co., Ltd. (TMCI) and GAC Toyota Motor Co., Ltd. (GTMC) will form a joint venture to advance the future mass production and large-scale deployment of fully driverless robotaxis. The joint venture company will be established in 2023, with an... Read more →
In November 2021, Finnish Minerals Group announced that it was negotiating with China-based Beijing Easpring Material Technology on the possibility to establish a cathode active materials (CAM) plant in Kotka, Finland. The parties have now agreed to set up a joint venture company by the end of 2023, of which... Read more →
Volkswagen Group investing $700M in XPENG for 5% stake, VW EV development; Audi jointly developing EVs with SAIC
27 July 2023
The Volkswagen Group is strengthening its position on the Chinese automotive market with cooperations between the VW brand and XPENG and between Audi and SAIC. The VW brand has concluded a technological framework agreement with XPENG. The initial stage of the cooperation will provide for the joint development of two... Read more →
The BMW Group further expanded its R&D footprint in China with the opening of a new R&D Center in Shanghai. China is already home to BMW Group’s largest R&D system outside of Germany, with locations in Beijing, Shanghai, Shenyang and Nanjing. Based on the concept of open innovation, all BMW’s... Read more →
China-based premium EV brand HiPhi—created by Human Horizons—launched its latest model—the mid-size SUV HiPhi Y—at a global event in Shanghai. The Y joins HiPhi’s dual flagship models, the X ‘Super SUV’ and Z ‘Digital GT’. Intended as a luxury mainstream model, the Y follows the same LuxTech philosophy as the... Read more →
Johnson Matthey (JM) signed an investment agreement with the Jiading District in Shanghai to help accelerate the hydrogen economy in China. JM and the Shanghai Jiading District plan to build a new catalyst-coated membrane (CCM) production facility, providing CCM production capability for multiple proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell applications... Read more →
Inceptio Technology, a China-based developer of autonomous driving technologies for heavy-duty trucks (earlier post), announced that the Inceptio Autonomous Driving System has powered more than 40 million kilometers of accident-free trucking on China’s highways. This latest milestone underlines the safety and reliability of Inceptio’s full-stack autonomous driving solution, as well... Read more →
China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation (Sinopec) announced that the Green Hydrogen Pilot Project in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region in northwest China, has begun producing green hydrogen to replace natural-gas-based hydrogen in its refinery in Xinjiang. As China’s first green hydrogen demonstration project of over 10,000-tonne capacity and based on solar... Read more →
Contemporary Amperex Technology Co., Limited (CATL) and Arun Plus Company Limited (Arun Plus) recently reached an agreement on CTP (cell-to-pack) cooperation in Thailand to serve local EV manufacturers, enhancing the potential for Thailand to become the battery production hub of ASEAN. CATL will supply a CTP production line to Arun... Read more →
BYD has introduced its fifth brand—Fang Cheng Bao—to meet the increasingly personalized needs of consumers by offering a series of unique and professional-grade new energy vehicle models. Fang Cheng Bao is a significant addition to BYD’s diversified brand matrix, following its Dynasty series, Ocean series, Denza, and Yangwang. The vehicle... Read more →
China-based Dongfang Electric Corporation (DEC) reported successful testing of non-desalinated seawater electrolysis technology for hydrogen production powered by offshore wind. The floating hydrogen production platform Dongfu One is sited in an offshore wind farm in East China’s Fujian province. This project was a joint effort by DEC and a research... Read more →
EcoCeres makes first cellulosic ethanol shipment to Europe
05 June 2023
EcoCeres, an Asia-based bio-refinery company, announced its first shipment of 100% agricultural waste-produced cellulosic ethanol to the European markets, a milestone the company achieved after commissioning another facility in China. EcoCeres can produce a diverse range of renewable biofuels, covering Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), Hydro-treated Vegetable Oil (HVO) and Cellulosic... Read more →
PPG has inaugurated a battery pack application center (BPAC) in Tianjin, China. The $30-million facility features a full range of capabilities to test the application of PPG coatings technologies, materials and systems for electric vehicle (EV) battery packs, allowing customers to accelerate the development of new EV technologies. The new... Read more →
China-based EV startup U Power Limited entered into a framework strategic cooperation agreement with Quantum Solutions Co., Ltd., the first and only independent Japanese electric vehicle (EV) manufacturer listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange, to develop business initiatives relating to marketing, research and development of new energy vehicles, financial technologies,... Read more →
To mark the 20th anniversary of the BMW Brilliance Automotive Ltd. (BBA) joint venture, Milan Nedeljković, member of the Board of Management of BMW AG responsible for Production, announced local production of the NEUE KLASSE in China. Following the market launch in 2025, models of the next vehicle generation will... Read more →
Bosch Ventures closes investment round in automotive middleware provider AutoCore.ai
16 May 2023
Innovations in the automotive sphere are increasingly driven by software engineering. One core enabler for this trend is the decoupling of hardware and software through a new generation of automotive middleware products that are now accelerating into stage of automotive mass production. Robert Bosch Venture Capital, the corporate venture capital... Read more →
Gotion to supply VW with LFP cells outside of China
13 May 2023
Under a new contract, China-based Gotion High-Tech will supply Volkswagen with LFP cells outside China. Gotion began supplying LFP cells to Volkswagen China in early 2022. The cells adopt the same design and specifications as those for the Chinese market, and are aimed at Volkswagen Group's full range of new... Read more →
SK IE Technology to supply separators for EV batteries to Sunwoda
03 May 2023
SK IE Technology (SKIET) signed an MOU with Sunwoda, the 9th largest battery manufacturer in terms of global market share (according to SNE Research in 2022), to strengthen cooperation in supplying battery separators. The MOU signing ceremony took place at Sunwoda Group’s headquarters in Shenzhen, China. SKIET plans to supply... Read more →
In a paper in Chinese Physical Letters, researchers from the Chinese Academy of Sciences report manufacturing practical pouch-type rechargeable lithium batteries with a gravimetric energy density of 711.3 Wh⋅kg−1 and a volumetric energy density of 1653.65 Wh⋅L−1. Current advanced practical lithium-ion batteries have an energy density of around 300 Wh⋅kg−1.... Read more →
At Auto Shanghai, Chinese battery giant CATL launched what it calls a “condensed battery”—a type of semi-solid state cell with an energy density of up to 500 Wh/kg. CATL says the cell can achieve high energy density and high level of safety at the same time, opening up a new... Read more →
Volkswagen Group investing ~€1B in vehicles and components, purchasing center in Hefei; shortening development time by 30%
19 April 2023
The Volkswagen Group is investing around €1 billion in a new development, innovation, and procurement center for fully connected intelligent electric vehicles in the southern Chinese city of Hefei. The Group made the announcement at the Shanghai Auto Show. The new company, with the project name ‘100%TechCo’, combines vehicles and... Read more →
Toyota Motor Corporation unveiled two BEV concept models, the bZ Sport Crossover Concept and bZ FlexSpace Concept, at Auto Shanghai. The concept models are being developed as part of the Toyota bZ series, a brand dedicated to BEVs. They will be launched in the Chinese market in 2024 as two... Read more →
Continued investment in China’s battery production scene is increasingly pushing its market into oversupply, putting strain on Tier 3 producers which are unable to access large global EV markets and are forced to compete in the saturated domestic space, according to Benchmark Mineral Intelligence. Benchmark’s Lithium ion Battery Cell Database... Read more →
XPENG unveiled its next-generation end-to-end integrated technology architecture SEPA2.0 (Smart Electric Platform Architecture), which sets the foundation for future production models. SEPA2.0 brings a series of more advanced architectural solutions, from XPENG’s in-house development autonomous driving software to vehicle engineering. XPENG says that SEPA2.0 will shorten future models’ R&D cycle... Read more →
Rheinmetall books order for more than 500,000 hybrid vehicle engine blocks from SAIC
13 April 2023
The Materials and Trade division of the tech enterprise Rheinmetall has booked a new order to produce engine blocks for a hybrid vehicle. The order, worth a figure in the mid-double-digit million-euro range, encompasses more than 500,000 units. The customer is Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation (SAIC), China’s largest maker of... Read more →
Mullen Automotive, an emerging EV manufacturer, has integrated solid-state polymer battery technology into Mullen’s commercial Class 1 EV cargo van program. Currently, the Mullen Class 1 EV cargo van features a 46 kWh lithium-ion battery pack with a 110-mile range. It is expected that the solid-state polymer technology will deliver... Read more →
The all-electric MINI Cooper SE Convertible (earlier post) celebrates its world premiere at Auto Shanghai, 18 to 27 April at the China Expo Convention and Exhibition Complex, Shanghai. The MINI Cooper SE Convertible (power consumption combined: 17.2 kWh/100 km according to WLTP) is the first locally emission-free premium convertible in... Read more →
Tesla will build its next Megafactory—the company’s utility-scale battery factory—in Shanghai; the plant will be capable of producing 10,000 Megapacks per year, equal to approximately 40 GWh of energy storage. Tesla’s original Megapack factory is in Lathrop, California, also with a 10,000 Megapack per year capacity. Megapack systems are customizable... Read more →
China-based Dongfeng Motor (DFM) has launched two new passenger cars powered by ProteanDrive Pd18 in-wheel motors. The two models were showcased at a ceremony in Wuxi, held by DFM and Weifu Electric Drive Technology (WFDT)—the joint venture between Weifu and Protean Electric (earlier post). Unveiled at the event was the... Read more →
Kia Corporation unveiled the Concept EV5 at Kia Chinese EV Day. The Concept EV5 provides a preview of a production all-electric SUV model that will be launched first in China later this year; details regarding any future plans for the other global markets will be made in due course. The... Read more →
Geely Auto Group officially launched a new high-end electrified product series:Geely Galaxy. The first car from the Geely Galaxy range, the Galaxy L7 long-range PHEV SUV was unveiled along with a fully electric concept model, the “Galaxy Light.” Galaxy light electric concept At the launch ceremony, Geely Auto also unveiled... Read more →
China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation (Sinopec) officially launched China’s first methanol-to-hydrogen and hydrogen refueling service station in Dalian, China. An upgrade from the previous fueling station offering oil, gas, hydrogen, electric charging services, the integrated complex can produce 1,000 kilograms of hydrogen a day, with a purity of 99.999%. Sinopec’s... Read more →
Radar, the premium outdoor lifestyle brand from Geely Holding Group, began deliveries of its flagship pure electric pick-up truck recently at an event in Shenzhen. (Earlier post.) Further delivery events have been planned for users across the country over the course of February 2023. Radar brand was established in 2022... Read more →
Albemarle reported that its Q4 2022 lithium net sales increased $1.7 billion (+410%) to $2.1 billion due to higher pricing net of FX (+328%) related to renegotiated contracts and increased market pricing. Volume was also higher (+82%) related primarily to the La Negra III/IV expansion in Chile and higher tolling... Read more →
Mercedes‑Maybach has launched its first plug-in hybrid: the Mercedes‑Maybach S 580. With an electric range of up to 100 kilometers (WLTP) depending on the vehicle’s configuration and an electric-drive output of 110 kW/150 hp, the luxury sedan can travel locally CO₂ emission-free, both in the city and on interurban journeys.... Read more →
CATL to build Integrated Intelligent Chassis plant in Yichun
25 January 2023
Contemporary Amperex Intelligence Technology (Shanghai) Limited (CAIT-SH), a wholly-owned subsidiary of CATL, and the Yichun Economic and Technological Development Zone Management Committee held a signing ceremony for the CATL Integrated Intelligent Chassis (CIIC) Production Base Project in the city of Yichun, Southeast China’s Jiangxi Province. CIIC skateboard chassis integrates battery... Read more →
Topsoe to provide technology for first commercial size dynamic green ammonia plant in China
20 January 2023
Topsoe has been chosen by Mintal Hydrogen to provide technology to the first dynamic green ammonia plant in China. The dynamic green ammonia plant is Topsoe’s first Power-to-X project in China and includes Topsoe’s process licensing, engineering design package, proprietary equipment, and catalysts. The first phase will have a capacity... Read more →
CATL extends strategic partnership with NIO, signs integrated chassis cooperation with NETA
19 January 2023
Leading battery manufacturer CATL and EV maker NIO have signed a five-year comprehensive strategic cooperation agreement. The comprehensive strategic cooperation agreement further deepens CATL's strategic partnership with NIO. The two parties will advance technological cooperation in new brands, new projects and new markets, improve supply-demand coordination, propel overseas expansion, and... Read more →
The number of hydrogen stations deployed globally has surpassed the 1,000-mark, according to a study by Information Trends. China represents roughly one-third of global deployments, but the US lags far behind with less than 100 hydrogen stations. The second highest hydrogen station deployments after China are in Japan, followed by... Read more →
Bosch to invest around €950M in development and production of electromobility and automated driving tech in China; new JV for BEV and FCEV systems
13 January 2023
Bosch will invest around €950 million in the development and production of components for electromobility and automated driving in Suzhou, China. Tthe first phase of the project in the eastern city of Suzhou will be completed by mid-2024. Bosch already has four factories in Suzhou employing nearly 10,000 people. Earlier... Read more →
BYD reported that it sold 1,857,379 light-duty New Energy Vehicles in 2022, consisting of 911,140 battery-electric vehicles (49%) and 946,239 plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (51%). Total NEV sales were up 213% year-on-year, with BEV sales up 184% and PHEV sales up 247%. Including commercial vehicles, BYD sold 1,863,494 New Energy... Read more →
China-based EV maker NIO delivered 15,815 vehicles in December 2022, a new record-high monthly delivery, representing an increase of 50.8% year-over-year. The deliveries consisted of 6,842 electric SUVs including 4,154 ES7s, and 8,973 electric sedans including 1,379 ET7s and 7,594 ET5s. NIO delivered 40,052 vehicles in the fourth quarter of... Read more →