A team of Chinese geologists has uncovered a deposit of rare metal ore that could revolutionise the country’s steel, aviation, energy and medical industries. The substance has been dubbed niobabaotite by its discoverers, researchers from the Beijing Research Institute of Uranium Geology of the Chinese National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC). The metal, which consists of several…
Chinese artificial intelligence start-up, Haomo.ai, has announced it has created an affordable autonomous driving assistance system that it claims is cheaper and better than the products offered by its competitors. The Beijing-based company revealed three new ‘L2’ autonomous systems, which it has made available to motor vehicle companies starting from $411 per unit. Each ‘Hpilot’…
After three years of industry speculation, luxury car maker Mercedes-Benz confirmed it will power its new range of electric vehicles (EVs) with the Chinese-developed BYD Blade lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery. The announcement came when the Stuttgart-based automotive giant revealed its CLA sedan EV concept car at the International Mobility Show in Munich. Mercedes is…
Automotive giant, Volkswagen, has tapped Chinese start-up, Xpeng, to jointly develop new energy vehicles. The Wolfsburg-based car manufacturer would invest $700 million to purchase a 4.99 per cent stake in the company and an observer’s seat on the board, according to a LinkedIn post by Volkswagen China chief executive, Ralf Brandsatter. Both companies have outlined…
Chinese engineers have created “supersized” cast parts that have the potential to cut production costs and assembly times in lightweight electric vehicles (EVs) significantly. Much like Tesla’s “gigacasting” technology, the process involves casting two roughly 2.2-square-metre magnesium alloy parts from a single mould – the car’s chassis and the battery box housing cover. Magnesium alloys…
A group of researchers from China claims to have set a new energy density record when they developed a battery pack with a reported capacity of 711 watt-hours per kilogram – roughly three times more than the Tesla Model 3 ‘4680’ cell. Concerns about battery capacity in electric vehicles (EVs) have been one of the…
Chinese battery giant, Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. (CATL), has developed a battery so powerful it has the potential to power aircraft. The company unveiled the 500 watt-hours per kilogram semi-solid state battery at the annual Shanghai International Automobile Industry Exhibition – colloquially referred to as Auto Shanghai – on the 19th of April. Research into…
Chinese electric vehicle battery technology firm, NaaS Technology, has unveiled its new self-driving battery-charging robot. The diminutive orange and white machine sports several unique design features, including active vehicle locator technology, smart charging and a convenient automatic payment function designed to cater to the increasing demand for mobile, fast-charging solutions. The Zheijing-based company is one…
Chinese telecommunications firm, Xiaomi, will make its debut in the country’s electric vehicle (EV) market in the first half of 2024. Xiaomi is one of several smartphone manufacturers that have expressed interest in the fast-growing industry, amid stiff competition from a plethora of domestic players in the field. Company CEO and one-half of the founding…
Chinese electric vehicle (EV) unicorn and Tesla rival, Xpeng, unveiled its new flagship models to several northern European countries, as it makes a pronounced international push in 2023. The Guangzhou-based startup launched its luxury P7 sedan and G9 sports utility vehicle (SUV) in Denmark, Sweden, Norway and the Netherlands in early February, according to the…