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Self-driving cars and autonomous vehicles

Self-driving cars and autonomous vehicles
The latest news, analysis and opinion on Self-driving cars and autonomous vehicles. In-depth analysis, industry insights and expert opinion.
Workers stand by a car being delivered to the National Exhibition and Convention Center ahead of the Shanghai Auto Show in Shanghai on April 22, 2025. Photo: AFP
Electric & new energy vehicles

Chinese EV makers take spotlight as Tesla skips Shanghai Auto Show

Firms including BYD, Nio, Geely, Xiaomi and Leapmotor will showcase new and existing models at the two-week event starting on Wednesday.

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Donald Trump

Elon Musk to cut back work with Trump and Doge after Tesla sales skid

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Electric & new energy vehicles

EV makers urged to boost safety in self-driving systems after Xiaomi SU7 crash

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Electric & new energy vehicles

EVs | China to crack down on EV self-driving technology, ‘autonomous driving’ claims

Beijing warns EV makers and technology providers to adhere to development rules and take care not to overstate capabilities.

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An accident in China involving a Xiaomi EV claimed three lives in March. Photo: Weibo/ 章博
Electric & new energy vehicles

SAIC Motor to join Huawei in new smart EV project to stem multi-year sales slump

SAIC, which assembles petrol cars with GM and VW, has been left trailing as Chinese consumers switch to EVs sold by Tesla, Xpeng, Nio and Li Auto.

Electric & new energy vehicles

EVs | Xpeng eyes Toyota’s Alphard, Europe sales with its X9 electric MPV

More Chinese EV brands will enter the global market in the future, notwithstanding the current tariff turmoil, CEO He Xiaopeng says.

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Electric & new energy vehicles

Exclusive | Xpeng to use own Turing AI chip to power its self-driving cars this quarter

Xpeng’s Turing AI chip is three times more powerful in computing power than the Nvidia chip installed in its existing EVs.

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CEO He Xiaopeng will unveil Xpeng’s 2025 X9 at the Kai Tak Cruise Terminal in Hong Kong on Tuesday. Photo: Sun Yeung
Electric & new energy vehicles

Letters | Autonomous vehicles are just not safe, whatever the claims

Readers discuss the lessons to take from a fatal crash, a plan to reduce workload at Hong Kong hospitals, and the benefits of cultural big data.

Electric & new energy vehicles

China’s lidar sensor firms Hesai, RoboSense stand to gain after fatal EV crash

Adoption of the laser-based sensors will increase as consumers demand safe self-driving systems, analysts say.

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Electric & new energy vehicles

BYD to double sales network in South Korea in challenge to Hyundai and Kia

Hyundai and Kia sold 1.2 million cars in South Korea last year, cornering 75 per cent of the local market.

Visitors look at the BYD Seal electric car during a preview of the Seoul Mobility Show 2025 on April 3, 2025. Photo: AFP
Electric & new energy vehicles

‘Millions of drivers need to be educated’ after fatal Xiaomi crash: analysts

Autonomous-driving features carry high safety risks amid a lack knowledge about how the systems work, leader of industry body says.

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Xiaomi will cooperate with the police after an accident involving the autonomous driving feature of its SU7 electric vehicle (EV) claimed three lives. Photo: Weibo/ 南京金刀客
Electric & new energy vehicles

Xiaomi car crash involving self-driving feature sparks concerns in China

Company says it submitted the driving data and relevant operational information to the police and deeply regrets the tragedy.

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Electric & new energy vehicles

Xpeng CEO says flying car market will be bigger than EVs over next 2 decades

CEO He Xiaopeng believes the global flying car market could reach US$2 trillion in the next two decades, double the size of land vehicles.

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Electric & new energy vehicles

Self navigating to the top: why China leads the global autonomous-driving race

After stamping their authority on EV technology, Chinese firms make strides in adding self-driving features.

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Illustration by Lau Ka-kuen
Science

EV expert Xu Fuguo returns to China after leaving US$30 million project in Japan

Engineer returns as professor at Dalian university as Japan’s auto industry struggles to keep up with Chinese innovation and market momentum.

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Xu Fuguo, whose research has focused on EV control engineering, started as a professor in the mechanical engineering school at Dalian University of Technology after spending years researching in the Japanese auto sector. Photo: Xinhua
Banking & finance

Cathie Wood sees AI driving US$10 trillion global robotaxi revolution

The CEO of Ark Investment says the market will help propel a near 10-fold jump in Tesla’s share price to US$2,600 in five years.

China technology

Opinion | China’s true talent in AI lies in making it safe to use

While the US remains caught in a computational race, China’s competitive advantage lies not in any LLM model but in AI-embedded ecosystems.

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Electric & new energy vehicles

BYD launches a ‘Model 3 killer’ at half the price of Tesla’s top seller

The Qin L and Xpeng’s Mona M03, which are priced around US$16,500, arrive as the US company’s mainland sales are dropping.

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BYD Qin L EV starts at 119,800 yuan (US$16,526). Photo: Handout
Electric & new energy vehicles

BYD’s Denza unveils N9 SUV to challenge Mercedes, BMW in premium EV segment

The N9 starts from 389,800 (US$60,860), equipped with BYD’s autonomous driving systems and can support on-vehicle drone systems.

Electric & new energy vehicles

Xpeng sets up first self-branded EV supercharging station in Hong Kong

Fierce competition among auto manufacturers is extending to charging technologies.

Artificial intelligence

Chinese AI firms turn to Hong Kong as gateway to global markets

Executives from several companies expressed confidence in Hong Kong’s growing role in supporting China’s AI development.

Hong Kong is an attractive regional hub for Chinese AI companies looking to expand internationally, according to business executives. Photo: Getty Images
Electric & new energy vehicles

Xpeng says robotics industry will get bigger than automotive sector

Xpeng plans to mass produce humanoid robots and flying cars for the consumer market by the end of next year.

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Workers at an Xpeng factory in Guangdong province. Photo: Xinhua
Technology

Opinion | Forget Doge, it’s Musk’s Tesla that looks in need of a rescue

Once an audacious pioneer in electric cars, Tesla is being out-competed by cheaper, more innovative rivals and suffering by association with Musk.

China technology

My Take | Will AI and robots drive China’s next consumer spending spree?

China is seeking the next ‘big items’ to encourage consumers to open their wallets. Technology looks to be a key.

Electric & new energy vehicles

Tesla plans cheaper model to put brakes on China sales slide

The US company’s share of the world’s largest EV market has dropped to 4.3 per cent from more than 16 per cent in 2022.

People check out a Tesla electric car at the company’s delivery centre in Beijing on February 27, 2025. Photo: AFP
Electric & new energy vehicles

Tesla pins hope on refreshed Model Y to revive faltering sales in China

Orders for the revamped model, which starts from US$36,292 have crossed 200,000 units, according to Chinese tech site 36kr.

Customers check a Tesla Model Y at a delivery centre in Beijing on February 27, 2025. Photo: AFP
Electric & new energy vehicles

Exclusive | Hesai eyes Europe’s smart EVs for lidar sales after Mercedes-Benz deal

Hesai’s 2025 profit may jump to between 200 million yuan and 350 million yuan, from 14 million yuan last year, said its chief financial officer Andrew Fan.

Electric & new energy vehicles

1.2 million EVs were sold worldwide last month, mostly in China

About three-quarters of the 1.2 million EVs and hybrids sold worldwide in February were delivered in China, according to Rho Motion.

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