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Category: Automotive

Retail News Asia is committed to providing both local and global retailers with the latest Auto and Car news throughout the Asian market. This on a daily base.

  • Dongfeng and Huawei Brand Epicland Weighs Battery Swapping for Second EV

    Dongfeng and Huawei Brand Epicland Weighs Battery Swapping for Second EV

    Epicland, the premium electric vehicle marque jointly developed by Dongfeng Motor and Huawei, has begun preliminary research into adding battery-swap capability to its upcoming second production model.

    The study marks the first time a brand inside Huawei’s automotive ecosystem has explored swappable battery architecture to lower retail costs and accelerate vehicle charging times.

    No final decision has been taken on whether Epicland will build its own proprietary stations or plug into a third-party public network. The brand opened pre-sales for its debut vehicle, the six-seat X9 extended-range SUV, on August 18 with prices starting from 299,800 yuan ($44,210) to 379,800 yuan. Deliveries for that model begin in the third quarter of 2026, with three additional vehicle lines scheduled to follow in 2027.

    Shared Platforms and Battery Networks

    Separating the battery pack from the vehicle purchase price allows carmakers to cut retail sticker prices while matching the refuelling speed of petrol cars. For new brands entering an aggressive price war across China, joining shared networks avoids the heavy capital expenditure of building proprietary charging points across hundreds of cities.

    Dongfeng already maintains joint battery-swap operations with CATL in central Chinese cities including Wuhan and Xiangyang. CATL operated 2,000 Choco battery-swap stations across 180 cities as of June 30, with plans to surpass 3,000 locations by the end of 2026 through partnerships with Changan Automobile, Chery, GAC Group, and Seres.

    Differentiation Beyond Huawei Software

    Hardware differentiation has become urgent for automakers partnering with Huawei. As the tech giant rolls out its Qiankun autonomous driving system and HarmonySpace cockpits across rival brands including Luxeed, Stelato, and Aito, software alone no longer guarantees a distinct competitive edge on showroom floors.

    Other emerging players are making similar calculations. Saidou Technology, backed by Seres, is in discussions to connect its upcoming Aiva brand to CATL’s network ahead of pre-orders for its ME7 model in early 2027. Epicland faces a clear trade-off: adapting its chassis to third-party standard packs requires engineering compromises, while constructing dedicated stations demands massive sales volumes to achieve operational break-even.

    Epicland will confirm the powertrain specifications and commercial launch schedule for its second model ahead of its wider three-vehicle rollout in 2027.

  • Toyota to Build Next Lexus EV in China Ahead of Japan Launch

    Toyota to Build Next Lexus EV in China Ahead of Japan Launch

    Toyota Motor plans to manufacture its next-generation Lexus electric vehicle in China ahead of Japan, deploying gigacasting technology in Shanghai to cut production costs.

    The decision breaks with the ¥36.9 trillion automaker’s established practice of debuting new Lexus platforms at domestic Japanese assembly plants before rolling them out overseas.

    Gigacasting and Supply Chain Shifts

    Toyota will base the new manufacturing operations in Shanghai to shorten production lead times and align output with local buyers. Adopting gigacasting techniques allows the factory to cast large single-piece structural components, reducing assembly steps and altering Toyota’s global cost structure for future battery-electric models.

    Targeting China first concentrates advanced manufacturing where volume demand for premium electric cars is concentrated. The rollout forms part of Toyota’s plan to use internal battery investments and tighter plant efficiency to protect profit margins as its electrified vehicle ratio rises.

    Price Pressures in Shanghai

    Lexus contends with severe retail rivalry across China from Tesla, BMW and local electric brands that continue to push aggressive discounting across the luxury segment. Building inside China removes import overheads and shortens delivery cycles, helping the brand defend showroom pricing and aftersales service value.

    The next operational milestone will be the integration of the gigacasting lines at the Shanghai facility as Toyota works to bring the platform into commercial production without straining operating cash flows.

  • BMW Motorrad Pursues Partnerships with Indian and Chinese Rivals

    BMW Motorrad Pursues Partnerships with Indian and Chinese Rivals

    BMW Motorrad is pursuing collaboration with motorcycle manufacturers in India and China as European and Japanese brands face growing pressure from lower-cost Asian rivals.

    Markus Flasch, chief executive of the German automaker’s motorcycle unit, outlined the strategy in Tokyo as traditional manufacturers adjust to shifting global competition.

    Pressure from lower-cost producers

    European and Japanese motorcycle brands face a more demanding market environment as Indian and Chinese builders scale up output with lower pricing structures. Flasch said brand prestige, heritage and manufacturing quality continue to carry equal weight with consumers alongside price competitiveness.

    Cooperation across key markets

    Working directly with regional manufacturers gives established global brands access to local production scale and competitive cost bases in key Asian territories. Flasch indicated that maintaining technical standards and premium positioning remains central to the group’s response to rising competition across developing two-wheeler markets.

    BMW Motorrad is now evaluating operational alignments as domestic players in India and China accelerate their own product rollouts and international expansion.

  • China Orders Year-Long Auto Safety Review as EV Deliveries Fall 12.5 per Cent

    China Orders Year-Long Auto Safety Review as EV Deliveries Fall 12.5 per Cent

    China’s industry ministry has launched a nationwide quality inspection campaign across the auto sector. The decision follows a 12.5 per cent drop in domestic electric vehicle deliveries in the first seven months of 2026.

    Roughly 100 domestic manufacturers fall under the one-year regulatory review. Officials are targeting smart driving features, vehicle design standards and battery hardware. Vice-Minister of Industry and Information Technology Xin Guobin told a Beijing press conference that authorities will bar new auto technologies from the market if they fail stricter verification protocols.

    Stricter rules for driver assistance

    Regulators stepped in following fatal crashes and a rise in complaints over software malfunctions and battery defects. In central China’s Anhui province, three people died when a Xiaomi SU7 crashed into a barrier under driver-assistance software. The system alerted the driver only two seconds before impact. State media also reported an increase in formal battery quality complaints filed with public inspection bodies this year.

    Automakers must now redirect capital toward core manufacturing controls instead of racing to roll out experimental software. For years, domestic brands used rapid updates to autonomous driving and digital cockpits to stand out in crowded showrooms. Stricter approvals will slow product rollouts across the board. That gives established global marques breathing room while putting cash-strapped local startups under immediate strain.

    Price wars and dropping sales

    Showroom traffic is contracting sharply as the checks begin. Data from the China Passenger Car Association showed overall passenger vehicle deliveries fell 20.9 per cent year on year in July to 1.46 million units. Electric vehicle deliveries dropped 3.9 per cent to make up 65.1 per cent of that total. It was the seventh straight month of declining volume.

    Price cuts have failed to revive foot traffic as consumer subsidies taper off. Domestic manufacturers delivered 5.67 million electric vehicles between January and July, down from the same period a year earlier. RetailNews Asia will track whether the ministry’s inspection guidelines, scheduled to take effect within weeks, trigger formal product recalls or delayed model launches in the fourth quarter.

  • Hyundai Targets 9 per Cent Margin and Adds 1.27 Million Units of Capacity

    Hyundai Targets 9 per Cent Margin and Adds 1.27 Million Units of Capacity

    Hyundai Motor will add 1.27 million units of global vehicle production capacity by 2030 as it lifts its operating profit margin target above 9 per cent.

    The South Korean group plans to refresh or introduce more than 100 models over the next four years, directing more than half of those releases to North America. The product roadmap includes the Santa Fe extended-range electric vehicle (EREV), which the company will manufacture at its assembly plant in Alabama, alongside a new luxury hybrid vehicle.

    Management raised the group’s 2030 consolidated operating margin guidance from an earlier band of 8 per cent to 9 per cent. It left its 2026 operating margin forecast unchanged at 6.3 per cent to 7.3 per cent, while reaffirming an annual target of 5.55 million vehicle sales by 2030, representing roughly 6 per cent global market share. Electrified vehicles are projected to make up 60 per cent of those deliveries by the end of the decade, up from 23 per cent in 2025.

    Hybrids and US Production Footprint

    Surging fuel prices tied to geopolitical conflicts have steered American consumers back toward hybrid powertrains. Cox Automotive survey data shows 56 per cent of prospective US car buyers are more inclined to choose a hybrid due to high pump prices, while research group Omdia tracked a 19 per cent rise in overall hybrid sales across the first half of 2026. Hyundai reported its own quarterly hybrid volume surged 71 per cent in the second quarter.

    Trade policy remains a major operational hurdle for the Seoul-based manufacturer. The pending review of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement has introduced friction into North American parts logistics, as US trade officials resist automatic treaty extensions in favor of tighter annual oversight across cross-border automotive supply chains.

    Factory Automation and AI Compute

    Beyond vehicle assembly lines, the carmaker is pushing capital into industrial robotics and autonomous driving platforms. Commercial deliveries of IONIQ 5 electric crossovers to Alphabet’s autonomous fleet unit Waymo begin in the fourth quarter of 2026, while driverless passenger operations run by Hyundai’s Motional joint venture start in Las Vegas later this year.

    Robotics manufacturing will begin in the US in 2028 with a planned annual run rate of 30,000 units. The company will deploy Boston Dynamics’ Atlas humanoid robots at its Georgia Metaplant facility in 2028 after completing factory floor simulation testing. Supporting its software-defined vehicle pipeline, Hyundai will also bring a 100-megawatt artificial intelligence data center online in 2029 equipped with more than 50,000 graphics processing units.

    For Asian automotive majors balancing choppy electric vehicle demand, shifting output toward high-margin hybrid platforms and domestic US manufacturing has become the primary playbook to protect operating cash flow.

    Investors reacted cautiously to the capital expenditure plans, sending Hyundai Motor shares down 3.3 per cent in Seoul against a 1.3 per cent gain on the benchmark KOSPI index. The company will cancel 789 billion won ($570 million) worth of treasury shares while maintaining a minimum 35 per cent shareholder payout ratio.

  • Chinese Automakers Surge Overseas as Domestic EV Sales Slip in July

    Chinese Automakers Surge Overseas as Domestic EV Sales Slip in July

    Chinese electric vehicle exports jumped 147.8 per cent year on year in July, helping carmakers cushion a 5 per cent sales drop in their home market. Total domestic EV deliveries slipped to 980,000 units during the month, while global electrified vehicle sales rose 9 per cent to 1.85 million units.

    Total Chinese auto exports reached 923,000 vehicles in July, up 88.2 per cent. At home, overall car sales slid 21.1 per cent to 1.47 million units, extending a ten-month contraction across mainland dealerships. During the first half of the year, domestic vehicle sales fell by 2.3 million units, a 20 per cent decline.

    BYD and the European Push

    BYD illustrates the shift. The Shenzhen-based manufacturer saw domestic sales fall 35 per cent during the first seven months of the year, yet its overseas deliveries jumped 79 per cent. Brazil and Britain have become BYD’s two largest markets outside China this year.

    Mainland brands now account for nearly a quarter of all EV shipments into Europe. In July, European EV demand expanded 33 per cent to 450,000 units, supported by incentives in Spain, Germany, France and Britain. Several Chinese manufacturers are now moving beyond direct shipments to construct assembly plants across the continent.

    Tariff Headwinds and Emerging Markets

    Demand outside the major western economies expanded faster. In markets across Southeast Asia, Latin America and parts of Asia outside China, EV sales rose 96 per cent through July to 1.7 million units, according to the International Energy Agency.

    North America moved in the opposite direction. EV sales across the region dropped 27 per cent in July to 140,000 units after the United States ended federal tax credits in September 2025. In Mexico, Chinese brands captured 17 per cent of new car sales in the first half, selling 137,525 vehicles, even after Mexico imposed a 50 per cent tariff on Chinese auto imports on January 1.

    Regional manufacturers now face tighter margins as price competition at home forces them to secure port capacity and local factory sites across Europe and Southeast Asia before trade barriers rise further.

  • China Proposes Automakers Take Blame for Autonomous Driving Violations

    China Proposes Automakers Take Blame for Autonomous Driving Violations

    China wants automakers and importers to take legal blame for traffic violations committed by fully autonomous vehicles. The policy shifts legal exposure directly onto manufacturers.

    A draft revision to the Road Traffic Safety Law went before the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress for an initial review on Tuesday.

    Spanning nine chapters and 170 articles, the legislation adds a dedicated section for autonomous vehicles. It establishes operating rules for public roads, insurance terms, and infraction processing. The rule applies strictly to fully automated mode. It does not automatically transfer liability for collision compensation to the manufacturer.

    Drawing the Line at Assisted Driving

    Standard traffic laws still apply when autonomous systems are off, and across all assisted-driving models. Drivers using Level 2 assistance remain personally responsible for any violations.

    Enforcement hinges on telematics data. Regulators have not detailed how authorities will pull telemetry or resolve disputes over whether autonomous systems were active during an incident.

    Adoption is surging across Chinese cities. Level 2 driver assistance penetration reached 70.5 per cent this year, while navigation on autopilot hit 34.2 per cent. China granted its first Level 3 passenger vehicle approvals in December 2025 to BAIC Group’s Arcfox and Changan Automobile’s Deepal brand. By targeting only fully autonomous mode, the proposal shields mass-market carmakers from immediate liability while setting rules for commercial scale.

    Safety Deadlines and Stricter Driver Rules

    Ministry of Industry and Information Technology baselines will guide the rollout. Systems must match the safety of an attentive human driver, with mandatory technical standards taking effect on July 1, 2027.

    Conventional motorists face tighter restrictions under the broader bill. Drivers cannot use handheld phones or watch video screens behind the wheel.

    Lawmakers will continue reviewing the text ahead of a final vote by the Standing Committee.

  • BYD and Bus Cap Plan Electric Commercial Vehicle Plant in Malaysia

    BYD and Bus Cap Plan Electric Commercial Vehicle Plant in Malaysia

    BYD Malaysia and local manufacturer Bus Cap signed an agreement in Shenzhen to develop a joint electric commercial vehicle platform in Perak. The deal targets local electric bus assembly and manufacturing. It also covers sales and after-sales operations.

    Under the exclusive memorandum, the partners are evaluating assembly sites and supply chains across the northwestern state. Capital commitments and operating structures depend on definitive contracts.

    Expanding Beyond Bus Fleets

    Bus Cap listed on Bursa Malaysia’s ACE Market in June 2026. Its coach-building roots date back to 1968 through subsidiary Sin Hock Leong Coach Works. BYD commercial vehicle division general manager Luo Zhongliang said the venture could broaden into electric trucks, vans, forklifts, and rail transit hardware. These would serve Malaysia and neighboring Southeast Asian markets.

    Executive director Bernard Ng Chong Yan said the alliance pairs BYD vehicle technology with local engineering. It also uses existing fleet customer relationships.

    Questions Over Passenger Plant

    The commercial venture gives BYD another production foothold in Malaysia as uncertainty surrounds its separate passenger car plans. In August 2025, BYD announced a 600,000-square-metre Tanjung Malim assembly plant scheduled for the second half of 2026. Malaysia’s Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry said earlier this month that it has received no confirmation that BYD will proceed with that project as planned.

    Negotiators must now finalize binding agreements to lock in the Perak project’s investment budget and production start date.

  • FAW Toyota Launches Updated bZ5 Electric SUV in China

    FAW Toyota Launches Updated bZ5 Electric SUV in China

    FAW Toyota will release the updated 2027 bZ5 electric coupe SUV in China on August 26, rolling out its first annual refresh for the battery-powered crossover.

    The outgoing model, which arrived in showrooms in June 2025, sells across six trim levels priced between 129,800 yuan ($19,130) and 199,800 yuan.

    Driver assist and battery specs

    Toyota kept the vehicle’s exterior proportions and styling intact. The bZ5 measures 4,780 mm in length with a 2,880 mm wheelbase, keeping the closed front grille, light bars, and 15.6-inch dashboard display from the initial release.

    Engineering changes center on software and battery management. The existing version uses front-mounted 200 kW electric motors and lithium iron phosphate Blade batteries from BYD, offering capacities of 65.28 kWh and 73.98 kWh for CLTC driving ranges of 550 km and 630 km. For intelligent driving, the crossover runs the Toyota Pilot suite, combining Momenta 5.0 software with Toyota Safety Sense hardware to handle urban navigation and automated parking.

    Japanese brands lean on local tech

    Foreign automakers in China increasingly rely on domestic tech suppliers to defend market share against aggressive local pure-play EV brands. Toyota split its approach across its Chinese joint ventures, equipping this FAW-built bZ5 with Momenta software and BYD batteries while turning to Huawei systems for the larger GAC Toyota bZ7 sedan that launched in March 2026 at 147,800 yuan.

    FAW Toyota has not yet released final trim pricing or updated range ratings, which will be confirmed when order books open on August 26.

  • SAIC Volkswagen Cuts Starting Price on ID. ERA 5S Sedan to 89,900 Yuan

    SAIC Volkswagen Cuts Starting Price on ID. ERA 5S Sedan to 89,900 Yuan

    SAIC Volkswagen launched its ID. ERA 5S plug-in hybrid sedan at the Chengdu Auto Show on Friday. Introductory incentives lower the base price to 89,900 yuan ($13,260).

    A 30,000-yuan discount brings the car below its 115,900-yuan pre-sale baseline and undercuts the official 119,900-yuan sticker price. Five variants run up to an official 149,900 yuan. Initial trade-in subsidies and deposit promotions reduce that top price to 119,900 yuan.

    Powertrain and Localized Driver Assistance

    This sedan is the second entry in the ID. ERA series following the ID. ERA 9X SUV. Power comes from a 1.5-litre plug-in hybrid setup pairing an 80 kW engine with a 130 kW drive motor. The configuration yields 160 kilometres of electric range under CLTC testing and more than 2,000 kilometres of total range. Depleted-battery fuel consumption is rated at 2.82 litres per 100 kilometres.

    Volkswagen fitted the model with its Xingyun assisted-driving software, built on Horizon Robotics’ HSD algorithm. The system supports urban navigation on autopilot, highway cruising, automated valet parking and multi-level memory parking. Inside, the cabin carries an 8.8-inch digital cluster and a 15.6-inch central touchscreen. Voice software was developed alongside iFlytek.

    Foreign Carmakers Defend Mass Market Share

    Joint ventures across China continue shifting product pipelines toward hybrid powertrains and domestic tech suppliers to defend market share against local price leaders. SAIC Volkswagen delivered more than 10,000 units of the ID. ERA 9X within two months of its April launch. That performance validated an extended-range strategy tailored to Chinese buyer preferences.

    At the show, the carmaker displayed the ID. ERA 8X and the ID. ERA 5X, an upcoming pure electric model engineered on the China Main Platform. SAIC Volkswagen plans to introduce seven new energy vehicle models before the end of the year.

  • China August NEV Retail Sales Hit 1.04 Million as Market Share Reaches 65.8%

    China August NEV Retail Sales Hit 1.04 Million as Market Share Reaches 65.8%

    China’s passenger new energy vehicle retail sales will reach approximately 1.04 million units in August, rising 9.4 per cent from July, the China Passenger Car Association said on Friday.

    The projected rebound lifts new energy vehicle retail penetration to a record 65.8 per cent, up from 65.1 per cent the previous month. Total passenger vehicle retail deliveries are expected to reach 1.58 million units for the month, an 8.1 per cent month-on-month rise that still represents a 21.7 per cent drop compared with August 2025.

    Chengdu Auto Show Drives Volume

    Extreme weather and planned summer plant maintenance slowed showroom traffic in early August, pulling average daily retail volume down to 35,000 units during the first week. Deliveries recovered as typhoons cleared coastal provinces and carmakers rolled out new product campaigns ahead of the Chengdu Auto Show. Daily transactions are projected to reach 77,000 units in the final week of August.

    The divergent performance between powertrains widened through the summer. Retail sales of petrol-powered passenger vehicles fell 40.5 per cent year on year in July to 510,000 units, while electrified models fell 3.9 per cent to 951,000 units over the same period.

    Big-Ticket Spending Faces Drag

    Automotive retail remains the heaviest drag on Chinese consumer spending. Total retail sales of consumer goods across China rose 2.6 per cent year on year during the first seven months of 2026, yet automotive retail revenue shrank 13.2 per cent over the same period.

    For retailers and dealership groups across the region, these numbers confirm that volume growth is now entirely hostage to electrification and replacement subsidies. Pure internal combustion inventory has become a liability on dealer balance sheets, forcing legacy showroom networks into aggressive discounting or outright closure as floor space pivots toward plug-in hybrids and battery-electric models.

    Automakers now face the September-October peak buying season with fresh order books opened at Chengdu, where full-month delivery tallies will show whether state trade-in incentives can offset persistent consumer caution.

  • China Recalls Seven Million Electric Vehicles over Door Handle Safety Flaws

    China Recalls Seven Million Electric Vehicles over Door Handle Safety Flaws

    Chinese market regulators ordered the recall of more than seven million vehicles on Friday across automakers including Tesla, Xiaomi, Xpeng and Geely over emergency door release hazards. The joint filing stands as the single largest automotive recall round in the country’s history.

    State Administration for Market Regulation officials identified interior emergency mechanical door releases designed in colors matching adjacent trim, leaving occupants unable to locate or operate the latches quickly during severe collisions that disable vehicle low-voltage electronics.

    Tesla Accounts for Majority of Notices

    Tesla represents the largest share of the campaign, filing two separate notices covering 5,716,552 vehicles. The company is recalling 2,975,910 cars for the door release defect starting September 25, 2026, comprising 973,156 locally built Model 3 sedans, 1,956,713 Shanghai-made Model Y crossovers, and 46,041 imported Model 3, Model S and Model X units. Tesla will apply warning labels at no cost and push over-the-air software updates to lower windows automatically after an impact.

    A parallel Tesla recall covers 2,740,642 domestic Model 3 and Model Y units to fix driver attention monitoring systems. The regulator determined existing steering torque sensors failed to catch drivers looking away from the road, prompting Tesla to activate in-cabin camera monitoring immediately through software.

    Domestic manufacturers submitted simultaneous plans for their electric lineups. Xiaomi is recalling 390,435 units of its SU7 sedan to add labels and update central console unlocking code, while Leapmotor called back 371,200 vehicles across its C11 and C01 ranges. Xpeng recalled 264,842 units, Geely’s Zeekr brand listed 92,658 models, Chery recalled 68,488 vehicles, Dongfeng took in 53,452, and BAIC BluePark Magna recalled 46,850 Arcfox Koala cars.

    New Door Hardware Standards Loom

    The regulatory action follows repeated consumer complaints and crash investigations where electronic flush handles failed to deploy after battery failure. China’s auto sector previously prioritized flush exterior handles and hidden interior buttons to improve aerodynamics and interior styling, but safety authorities have pushed back firmly against purely electronic latches.

    Automakers in China must now prepare for mandatory national standard GB 48001-2026, issued in February. The rule requires physical, mechanical releases on all passenger doors for newly certified models starting January 1, 2027, with previously approved models required to comply by January 2029.

  • Chinese EV Makers Face Rising Component Costs as AI Drains Supply

    Chinese EV Makers Face Rising Component Costs as AI Drains Supply

    Chinese smart electric vehicle manufacturers are battling component deficits of up to 30 per cent, driving steep price surges across circuit boards and basic electronic parts.

    Prices for printed circuit boards and multilayer ceramic capacitors have more than tripled over the past twelve months as global semiconductor makers reallocate production capacity to artificial intelligence data centres.

    Surging Hardware Prices

    Printed circuit boards now cost roughly 330 yuan ($49) per sheet, up threefold in a year according to data from the India Printed Circuit Association. Multilayer ceramic capacitors, essential for regulating electrical currents across vehicle power systems, jumped from 10 yuan per 1,000 units to 40 yuan in early 2026.

    Memory chips needed for autonomous driving features are delivering the heaviest financial blow. Nio chief executive William Li reported that rising raw material expenses, led by memory chips, added 20,000 yuan to the build cost of every single vehicle.

    Carmakers cost pressure mainly comes from memory chips. But a lack of PCBs and MLCCs disrupts production and prevents assemblies from running smoothly.

    Supply Chain Squeeze

    Component makers in manufacturing hubs like Zhejiang province are giving order priority to AI data centre operators over automotive assemblers because computing chips yield higher margins. Carmakers must now pay hefty premiums to keep assembly lines running.

    Geely Auto, China’s second-largest automaker, confirmed that while small passive components represent a modest fraction of total expenditure, physical shortages threaten assembly continuity. The bottleneck across global component production lines will take at least twelve months to resolve.

    The margin squeeze arrives just as Chinese carmakers rely on software and autonomous driving capabilities to win buyers in an increasingly crowded domestic auto market. Nio and Geely are renegotiating vendor contracts to lock in deliveries for the second half of 2026.

  • BYD Unveils Third-Gen Tang SUV with 850-Km Range Ahead of Q4 Release

    BYD Unveils Third-Gen Tang SUV with 850-Km Range Ahead of Q4 Release

    BYD unveiled its third-generation Tang electric sport utility vehicle at the Chengdu Auto Show on Friday, targeting a commercial release in the fourth quarter. The redesigned five-seat model offers an all-electric range of up to 850 kilometres and charges from 10 to 70 per cent in five minutes.

    Dynasty sales chief Lu Tian presented the vehicle on the opening day of the exhibition. The launch forms the second half of BYD’s dual-flagship Dynasty SUV strategy alongside the larger Da Tang, which reached showrooms in June.

    Battery specs and charging speeds

    The new Tang measures 5,045 mm in length, 1,980 mm in width, and 1,760 mm in height, with a 2,950 mm wheelbase. Power comes from BYD’s second-generation Blade Battery pack, supplied in capacities of 88.682 kWh and 105.792 kWh. These packs deliver CLTC ranges of 730 km, 830 km, and 850 km depending on trim.

    Under normal temperatures, the vehicle reaches a 97 per cent charge within nine minutes. Cold-weather conditions add roughly three minutes to that benchmark. Regulatory filings show a single electric motor variant producing 300 kW, equivalent to 402 horsepower, with a top speed capped at 250 km/h.

    Every variant includes the God’s Eye B driver-assistance suite, which relies on a single LiDAR unit to manage highway and urban navigation alongside automated parking. The chassis rides on the DiSus-A dual-chamber air suspension system, incorporating an active road-preview function that scans surface conditions ahead.

    Rebuilding Dynasty flagship sales

    The overhaul arrives after an extended sales slump for the Tang nameplate. Volume fell sharply through the first half of 2026 in the absence of major product updates, lingering below 7,200 units monthly from March through May before rebounding to 13,535 deliveries in July.

    BYD tested this premium positioning when it launched the full-size Da Tang EV in June at 239,900 yuan ($35,370). That larger 9-series model logged more than 10,000 customer deliveries in its first month. Alongside the Tang debut, BYD opened pre-sales in Chengdu for its Da Han flagship sedan at roughly $36,800, claiming an electric range of 1,008 kilometres.

    Pricing for the third-generation Tang remains unannounced ahead of official showroom deliveries scheduled before the end of the year.

  • Nissan Streamlines Vehicle Engineering to Match Fast Chinese Product Cycles

    Nissan Streamlines Vehicle Engineering to Match Fast Chinese Product Cycles

    Nissan Motor is overhauling its engineering process in Yokohama to match Chinese rivals that now bring new vehicles to market in around two years.

    The Japanese carmaker plans to standardize powertrains, basic frameworks and software technologies across multiple vehicle models to lift operating profitability.

    Shared architecture and software

    Under the revised development approach, engineers will apply common modular components across different model segments rather than engineering separate platforms from scratch. Shared software architecture and unified powertrain systems are designed to strip out duplicate spending across regional model lines.

    Speed has become the decisive operating metric across Asia’s car industry. Chinese automakers have compressed product development schedules to roughly 24 months, forcing legacy manufacturers in Japan to abandon four-to-five-year vehicle gestation cycles or risk losing showroom share to quicker model refreshes.

    Pressure from two-year cycles

    The strategy shifts Nissan toward a shared development structure similar to emerging electric vehicle manufacturing playbooks. Faster design iteration lets automakers respond directly to price shifts, updating cabin software and battery configurations as supplier costs fall.

    For retailers and dealership networks across the Asia-Pacific region, shorter vehicle development timetables mean quicker inventory turnover and more frequent product updates. Managing standardized software stacks also lowers warranty servicing complexity across multi-market distribution networks.

    Nissan held to its full-year earnings forecast after reporting a first-quarter net profit, leaving investors watching how quickly the unified development platform translates into production-ready showroom models.