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

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

China technology

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

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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.

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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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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.

A humanoid robot seen at an expo in China’s northern city of Tianjin. Photo: Xinhua
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.

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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New vehicles awaiting transportation by a so-called ro-ro (roll on/roll off) ship in Yantai in eastern China’s Shandong province on August 6, 2024. Phot: Chinatopix via AP.
Electric & new energy vehicles

Xpeng to test autonomous driving software in Hong Kong to support go-global push

He Xiaopeng says tests of company’s Xpeng Navigation Guided Pilot would be conducted in Hong Kong soon.

Xpeng’s He Xiaopeng in Guangzhou. Photo: Coco Feng
United States

Maserati sets new self-driving car speed record as technology advances

A driverless Maserati MC20 clocked 318km/h in Florida recently. The record comes as self-drive technology looks to be on the cusp of a leap.

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Electric & new energy vehicles

Geely to make its AI-powered pilot system available across all brands

Geely says AI-powered pilot system would be added to all of its brands, including Galaxy, Zeekr and Lynk.

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Jeep

Leading carmaker unveils hands-free driving, good for emailing and more

Maker of Jeep, Fiat, Dodge, Peugeot and other marques builds autonomous driving technology to let drivers watch movies, email, take a break.

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Carmaker Stellantis, whose marques include Jeep, Fiat, Alfa Romeo, Dodge and Maserati, has unveiled STLA AutoDrive 1.0, the company’s first in-house-developed automated driving system. Activated by a dashboard button, it is intended for short-term use. Photo: Stellantis
Xpeng

Xpeng to double global presence to 60 markets in 2025, CEO says

The expansion in Thailand, where only one Xpeng model, the G6, is currently available, is part of its ‘go-global 2.0 strategy’.

Electric & new energy vehicles

JPMorgan boosts BYD share price target by 60% on strong growth projections

The US investment bank sees BYD’s Hong Kong and Shenzhen share prices at HK$600 and 560 yuan, respectively, by June 2026.

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Electric & new energy vehicles

Why foreign carmakers have little room to manoeuvre in China

The share of foreign carmakers on the mainland could shrink to as low as 32 per cent this year from 35 per cent in 2024, Natixis says.

Only the fittest will survive in China’s highly competitive car industry, according to analysts. Photo: AFP
China technology

Opinion | In tech war, China is gunning for mass adoption over premium innovation

From artificial intelligence and biotech to autonomous driving, China is disrupting the traditional high-cost model of proprietary innovation.

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Illustration: Craig Stephens
Video gaming

CreateAI, once a self-driving star known as TuSimple, cuts 100 people

Lay-offs come just two months after the troubled company renamed itself CreateAI and pivoted to producing video games and films.

China Conference: Southeast Asia

Are fragmented regulations holding back Southeast Asia’s EV ambitions?

The head of Chinese EV maker Xpeng says a lack of unified legal frameworks around tech like autonomous driving could discourage investment.

Electric & new energy vehicles

How DeepSeek’s AI has become a must-have feature in Chinese smart EVs

Some two dozen carmakers, including BYD and Leapmotor, have unveiled plans to equip their models with AI developed by DeepSeek.

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Car industry insiders say DeepSeek has become a new source of national pride and it will help Chinese carmakers boost sales. Photo: Reuters
Electric & new energy vehicles

Zeekr joins China’s autonomous-driving race, to unveil tech at Shanghai car show

New York-listed Zeekr, which finalised a merger with Lynk on Friday, will reveal its L3 self-driving system in April.

Zeekr is eyeing a 44 per cent jump in deliveries to 320,000 units this year. Photo: Reuters
Electric & new energy vehicles

BYD’s free tech will spur sales, popularise smart driving: analysts

BYD founder and Chairman Wang Chuanfu says the move marks ‘a new era when all customers can access smart driving’.

Electric & new energy vehicles

BYD to add autopilot system to lure buyers amid China’s EV price war

At least 21 EV models will be fitted with the system, bringing down the entry cost for EVs with autonomous driving capabilities.

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