A ‘million-mile battery’ unit for electric vehicles that can last up to two million kilometres and for 16 years is ready for mass production, says Chinese battery manufacturer, Contemporary Amperex Technology Limited (CATL). The battery will cost around 10% more than current EV standard power units, says CATL, one of China’s largest manufacturers of EV…
A Chinese minitruck found itself trending on the popular social media platform, WeChat, last week. The truck’s market debut under the Wuling brand coincided with the Shanghai government’s decision to lift stall and vendor bans in the city. The minitruck, a light-vehicle joint venture between SAIC-GM and Wuling Motors, is 4.5m long and costs US$7…
Internet giant, Baidu, has completed the world’s largest testing facility for autonomous motor vehicles. The Beijing-based tech company announced in late May that the massive project will be used to test autonomous driving and vehicle-to-infrastructure communication. Situated in Beijing’s Yizhuaung Economic Development Zone, Apollo Park is a 13 500 square meter area that will accommodate…
As Chinese consumers slowly return to normal buying patterns and the automotive market shows the first signs of recovery, the Shanghai Municipal Government announced it would install a further 100 000 electric vehicle (EV) charging ports and 34 500 new 5G base stations in the city. The large-scale installation of EV charging ports and 5G…
Shenzhen based automobile manufacturer, BYD, has entered the European electric passenger vehicle market. The BYD Tang EV600 will make its European debut in Norway before the year’s end, the group announced in early May. BYD, the second-largest electric vehicle producer in the world, enjoys a strong presence in the e-bus and public transport sector in…
The world’s second largest manufacturer of electric vehicles, BYD, has launched the “Blade Battery”, which it says will significantly increase driver safety. Company president and chairman, Wang Chuanfu, unveiled the battery via an online launch at the end of March. Wang said the battery design reflects BYD’s commitment to making electric vehicles safer, as well as…
Restrictions on movement, production and trade have seen the global automotive industry grind to a halt. But China, once the epicentre of the Covid-19 outbreak, is seeing its employees slowly returning to work. After car sales in China fell 80% in February during the apex of the pandemic, markets a month later are easing back…
Changan Automobiles, one of China’s top five producers of motor vehicles, this week announced the mass production of its first self-driving car. Company officials say mass production of the ‘UNI-T’ model – with “conditional” self-driving capabilities – will begin in March. The new flagship, four-door sedan, will be the first mass-produced L3 systems car in…
Chinese drone manufacturers, DJI, are moving into global markets. The company has showcased new Light Detection and Radar technology (LiDAR), an innovation that may hold the key to the company’s venture into autonomous driving technologies. Earlier this year, Livox, a subsidiary of DJI, showcased LiDAR at the annual consumer electronics show in Las Vegas. The…
The UK is looking to China to complete its long overdue and over budget HS2 high-speed railway from London to the Midlands and other northern cities. The possible call for assistance comes two weeks after the British parliament gave the go-ahead for the ambitious project. The High Speed 2 (HS2) project was budgeted for in…