In its latest report, Tech, Media, & Telecom (TMT) Predictions 2022 – Thematic Research, data and analytics company GlobalData predicts that Tesla and China are set to maintain their dominance in the EV sector. GlobalData also suggests that the lithium shortage will not affect all players equally. In the short... Read more →

BASF has signed a joint development agreement with China BlueChemical Limited Company, a leading natural gas producer, and the chemical engineering company Wuhuan Engineering Co., Ltd. to promote low-carbon development and utilization of marine gas resources. In the Dongfang Industrial Park of Hainan Province, China BlueChemical extracts large quantities of... Read more →

Kandi Technologies Group signed a framework agreement with Hunan Hengrun Automobile Co., Ltd. jointly to produce battery-swap enabled pure electric vehicles. According to the agreement, Kandi and Hengrun will use their respective capabilities to produce battery-swappable pure electric vehicles. The specific division of labor and cooperation content will be clarified... Read more →

Autonomous driving technology company Pony.ai recently formed a joint venture with Sinotrans, part of China Merchants Group and one of China’s leading logistics and freight forwarding companies. The two companies will work together to build a smart logistics network featuring autonomous driving trucking technologies. PonyTron and Sinotrans self-driving truck The... Read more →

Tesla’s embrace of lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries has propelled the chemistry into the mainstream of the automotive industry. Automakers including Volkswagen, Daimler, and Ford have also adopted the cost-effective technology in their lower-range EVs. However, more than 90% of the world’s LFP battery cell manufacturing capacity is based in... Read more →

Honda Motor (China) Investment Co., Ltd., a wholly-owned Honda subsidiary in China, announced that Dongfeng Honda Automobile Co., Ltd., a Honda automobile production and sales joint venture in China, will build a new dedicated electric vehicle (EV) production plant to establish sufficient production system and capability in preparation for the... Read more →

04/01/2022 Images are for editorial use only. Partnership builds on existing relationship to deliver increased automation and sustainability for auto parts production New joint venture agreement signed by both parties on December 30th 2021 and expected to commence operation in Q2, 2022 Automation expert ABB and China’s leading automotive parts... Read more →

China Yuchai International, a leading manufacturer and distributor of engines for on- and off-road applications in China through its main operating subsidiary, Guangxi Yuchai Machinery Company Limited (GYMCL), announced that the company’s YCK05 hydrogen-powered engine achieved stable ignition and operation in a recent demonstration at the Beijing Institute of Technology.... Read more →

Chinese EV maker XPeng delivered 16,000 EVs in December 2021, exceeding its monthly delivery benchmark of 15,000 units for the second consecutive month despite ongoing global supply chain challenges. The December deliveries represented a 181% increase year-over-year. Deliveries in December 2021 consisted of 7,459 P7 sedans; 5,030 P5 sedans; and... Read more →

Chinese lithium carbonate prices soared in 2021, due to a surge in demand for lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries in the country, according to the end-of-year analysis by Benchmark Minerals Intelligence. Transacted prices in China began to breach the RMB 200,000/tonne mark in November—a historical milestone for lithium pricing. Battery-grade... Read more →

Nidec Corporation announced that its in-wheel moto... Read more →

Daimler Greater China Ltd. and its long-term Chinese partner BYD Auto Industry Co., Ltd. (BYD) signed an equity transfer agreement to realign the structural setup of their originally 50:50 joint venture Shenzhen DENZA New Energy Automotive Co., Ltd. (DENZA). (Earlier post.) Both partners intend to complete an equity transfer in... Read more →

Cummins Inc. and China Petrochemical Corporation (Sinopec Group) have formed a 50:50 joint venture: Cummins Enze (Guangdong) Hydrogen Technology Co., Ltd. The joint venture will accelerate the affordability and availability of green hydrogen through increased technological innovation, research and development, and manufacturing capacity. Cummins Enze, located in Foshan, Guangdong Province... Read more →

​ At NIO Day 2021 in Suzhou, China, NIO unveiled ET5, its new mid-size smart electric sedan. Inheriting NIO’s high-performance DNA, the 360 kW ET5 accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 4.3 seconds with its dual-motor architecture (150 kW induction asynchronous motor in the front and 210 kW permanent... Read more →

Giga Carbon Neutrality (GCN) has secured a contract to supply 200 hydrogen and battery EV powered heavy trucks and associated engineering machinery from The People’s Government of Ejin Horo Banner, an administrative division of Ordos City of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region in China. The GCN trucks will be produced... Read more →

The Wall Street Journal reported that China will create one of the world’s largest rare-earths companies with the aim of maintaining its dominance in the global supply chain of the strategic metals as tensions deepen with the US. Citing unnamed “people familiar with the matter”, the WSJ said that the... Read more →

Lithium prices continued to rise in November, with Chinese battery-grade prices surpassing the RMB 200,000/tonne (US$31,395/tonne) mark, according to Benchmark’s Lithium Price Assessment. Source: Benchmark Mineral Intelligence The rise in lithium carbonate prices could increase production costs of lithium-iron phosphate (LFP) battery cells by at least 16%, Benchmark Mineral Intelligence... Read more →

Pony.ai has received approval to run paid autonomous Robotaxi services in the Beijing Intelligent Networked Vehicle Policy Pilot Zone in southeastern Beijing. With this approval, Pony.ai will be permitted to charge fees for Robotaxi services provided to the public. This represents a significant milestone on the company’s path to commercialization,... Read more →

Swedish battery materials company Altris AB, which specializes in producing highly sustainable cathode materials for rechargeable sodium batteries, has officially opened its first office in China. The Guangzhou-based team will work to promote the company’s innovative cathode material, Fennac, to the Chinese market, as well as provide tailored local support... Read more →

XPeng unveiled its new G9 flagship smart SUV at the 19th Guangzhou International Automobile Exhibition. Incorporating XPENG’s latest software architecture and hardware platform, the G9 is the company’s fourth production model, and the first to have been conceived and designed from the outset for both domestic Chinese and international markets.... Read more →

Electric vehicle (EV) production is set to skyrocket to 12.76 million cars produced each year by 2026—with more than half coming from China. China also dominates the lithium-ion battery supply chain, specifically in terms of battery cells, cathode and anode production, and chemical refining. While the Biden Administration’s $1-trillion Infrastructure... Read more →

Geely Holding Group’s commercial vehicle brand, Farizon Auto, unveiled its next-generation smart new energy semi-truck, the Homtruck, with production and first deliveries planned for early 2024. The Homtruck focuses on efficiency, driver and pedestrian safety, and offers breakthroughs in sustainable powertrains. The Homtruck’s architecture can carry a number of powertrain... Read more →

BYD sold 88,898 passenger vehicles in October, increasing 90.9% year on year (YoY) and 12.5% month on month (MoM), according to the official data. In particular, the New Energy Vehicle (NEV) sales reached 80,003 units, soaring 262.9% YoY. By the end of October, the cumulative annual sales of BYD passenger... Read more →

Hyzon Motors announced a joint demonstration project with Zhangjiagang Haili Terminal Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of Fortune 500 company Sha Steel Group, the 4th largest steel company and the largest private steel enterprise in the world. Under the demonstration agreement, Hyzon Motors expects to supply 49-ton hydrogen fuel cell heavy-duty... Read more →

The first China-developed hydrogen fuel cell hybrid locomotive—from core power to main components—has started trial runs on a 627 km railway line for coal transport in north China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. Source: Xinhua The hydrogen energy locomotive project was jointly launched by the Inner Mongolia subsidiary of the State... Read more →

Roskill reports that prices for Chinese graphite continue to rise as producers contend with increasing electricity costs and supply disruption caused by limits on energy consumption. For raw material flake from China, this was the fifth month of price rises for many grades, with FastMarkets IM reporting 94% C grades... Read more →

BASF and SVOLT have entered into an agreement in which both parties will partner throughout their global operations with regards to cathode active materials (CAM) development, raw materials supply and battery recycling for SVOLT’s battery cells. The cooperation will also enhance the research and development (R&D) capabilities for both companies... Read more →

Chinese petrochemicals corporation Jiangsu Sailboat Petrochemicals Co. ltd has signed an agreement with Icelandic technology company Carbon Recycling International (CRI) to design a chemical plant based on CRI’s Emissions to Liquids (ETL) technology. (Earlier post.) The plant will recycle approximately 150,000 metric tons of CO2 and 20,000 metric tons of... Read more →

Roskill reports that China-based cathode producer XTC New Energy Materials, a unit of Xiamen Tungsten, signed a supply agreement with Jingmen GEM, a subsidiary of GEM. Under this agreement, Jingmen GEM will supply 5-15 ktpy of cobalt tetroxide and 15-35 ktpy of lithium nickel cobalt manganese oxide (NCM) precursor materials... Read more →

China-based EV maker XPeng unveiled a series of technology innovations at its annual 1024 Tech Day, including the latest and most sophisticated version of its in-house developed advanced driver assistance system XPILOT 3.5 and XPILOT 4.0; the design of a new generation road-capable flying car; high-voltage supercharging technology; and robotic... Read more →

A cross-industry group of European metals-producing and -using industries and their workers have issued a warning about the potentially catastrophic impact of the Chinese magnesium supply shortage. The group, which includes Eurofer, ACEA, Eurometaux, industriAll Europe, ECCA, ESTAL, IMA, EUWA, EuroAlliages, CLEPA and Metals Packaging Europe, issued an urgent call... Read more →

Albemarle Corporation, a leader in the global specialty chemicals industry, announced its intent for strategic investments in China in support of the expansion of its lithium conversion capacity. The company recently signed investment agreements with the Yangtze River International Chemical Industrial Park in the Zhangjiagang Free Trade Zone (Jiangsu province),... Read more →

Benchmark Minerals reports that China’s ongoing energy shortage, which has seen local governments enforce intermittent power cuts since July 2021, has begun to affect domestic anode and cathode production as several producers were forced to scale back production in late Q3. Hunan and Inner Mongolia are among the most affected... Read more →

Daimler officially started operations of its new “R&D Tech Center China” in Beijing. With an investment of 1.1 billion RMB (US$172 million), the company is further strengthening its R&D footprint and technological capabilities in the world’s biggest car market. The fully-fledged R&D center focuses on major technological trends, tailor-made innovation... Read more →

China Yuchai International, a leading manufacturer and distributor of engines for on- and off-road applications in China through its main operating subsidiary, Guangxi Yuchai Machinery Company Limited (GYMCL), announced that its subsidiary Yuchai Xin-Lan New Energy Power Technology Co., Ltd. (Yuchai Xin-Lan) has entered into a cooperation agreement to further... Read more →

Allison Transmission will participate in the initial public offering (IPO) of Jing-Jin Electric (JJE), a leader in electric motor, inverter, and integrated electrified propulsion systems within China—the largest electric vehicle market in the world. As part of JJE’s upcoming IPO at The Science and Technology Innovation (STAR) Board on the... Read more →

HT Aero (Huitian), an urban air mobility (UAM) company and an affiliate of XPeng (earlier post), entered into a definitive agreement with a consortium of investors to raise more than US$500 million for its Series A capital funding. The funding round is led by IDG Capital, 5Y Capital and XPeng... Read more →

Honda last week held a virtual press conference on its electrification strategy in China. During the conference, the company announced its new environmental and safety initiatives and also held the world premiere of two planned production models and three concept models of Honda-brand electric vehicles. All new models Honda will... Read more →

Silicon Valley-based autonomous driving company Pony.ai has been authorized to conduct driverless tests on public roads in Beijing. The company is one of the two autonomous software companies (along with Baidu) to receive this important Beijing permit. Prior to receiving this driverless test permit in Beijing, Pony.ai received a permit... Read more →

Plus (formerly Plus.ai), a global provider of self-driving truck technology, has delivered the initial production batch of PlusDrive autonomous driving units to China-based FAW in order for FAW to integrate the units and launch China’s first driver-in autonomous trucks. The delivery is part of an agreement with FAW in which... Read more →

ABB and PERIC, China’s leading manufacturer of hydrogen electrolyzers, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to accelerate the widespread adoption of hydrogen as an energy source. Both companies will explore how the integration of ABB’s automation, electrification and digital solutions with PERIC’s electrolyzers can help reduce hydrogen generation costs in... Read more →

A new report from RMI (Rocky Mountain Institute) finds that it is technically and economically feasible for China’s steel industry to decarbonize by 2050 through demand reduction, steel recycling and switching to green routes. China produces and consumes more than half of the world’s steel, accounting for about 17% of... Read more →

Albemarle Corporation’s subsidiary, Albemarle Lithium UK Limited, has signed a definitive agreement to acquire all of the outstanding equity of Guangxi Tianyuan New Energy Materials Co., Ltd. ("Tianyuan"), a lithium converter located in Guangxi, China. Under the terms of the agreement, Albemarle will acquire all outstanding equity from Tianyuan’s shareholders... Read more →

Allison Transmission and SAIC Hongyan Automotive Co., Ltd (formerly known as SIH Truck), a premium Chinese brand in the manufacturing, service and support of heavy-duty vehicles, signed a strategic Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) under which the two companies will integrate the Allison eGen Power 130D e-Axle into SAIC Hongyan’s regional... Read more →

Nissan unveiled the e-POWER Sylphy, the first model equipped with the e-POWER series hybrid technology (earlier post) for customers in China. e-POWER features a 100% electric motor-driven system that provides responsive acceleration, smooth deceleration and cabin quietness similar to an EV, while removing the need for external charging due to... Read more →

General Motors will invest $300 million in China-based Momenta to accelerate the development of next-generation self-driving technologies for future GM vehicles in China. Momenta has pioneered a scalable path toward full autonomous driving by combining a data-driven approach with iterating algorithms—referred to as its “flywheel approach”—as well as a “two-leg”... Read more →

Volkswagen Group China is commencing construction of a battery system production factory in Hefei (Anhui province). VW Anhui Components Company is the first battery system plant to be wholly owned by the Group in China. The initial annual capacity will be 150,000 to 180,000 high-voltage battery systems for Volkswagen Anhui’s... Read more →

Allison Transmission, a leading designer and manufacturer of conventional, electric hybrid and fully electric vehicle propulsion solutions, and Jing-Jin Electric (JJE), a China-based electrified propulsion leader in components, assemblies and systems for global automotive and commercial vehicle customers, have signed a broad, global strategic collaboration partnership agreement to accelerate the... Read more →

DeepRoute.ai has closed a Series B funding round with the investment totaling to more than US$300 million. The funding will further research and development, help scale automaker collaboration and fleet operation, and support the expansion of the team. DeepRoute.ai’s long-term strategy includes developing medium-duty trucks for urban logistics, improving transit... Read more →

China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) recently put its first hydrogen station in Beijing into operation. Jointly built by CNPC and Beiqi Foton Motor Co., Ltd. (Foton), the hydrogen station covers an area of about 1,700 square meters in Changping District. With a daily refueling capacity of 600 kg, it can... Read more →