Independent electric transport news covering aviation, maritime, buses, trucks, rail and working machinery.
Mercedes-Benz Group said it sold 78,100 electric vehicles in the third quarter, equal to 16% of all Mercedes cars and vans sold worldwide. The company said China remains an extremely challenging market.
DeepDrive says it has secured a high-volume nomination from an unnamed global vehicle manufacturer, with series production planned to start in 2028. The development matters because it points to future industrial-scale supply for electric drive systems and comes as the Munich-based company also builds a presence in China.
The source says the British government is apparently drawing up a regulation on special tariffs for Chinese electric cars. It also mentions, in speculative terms, the EU’s upcoming “Made in Europe” initiative.
Xiaomi has launched the Sky Nomad SUV series in China, marking its first automotive lineup expansion beyond battery-electric models. The series uses a range extender and is offered with five or seven seats, with up to 505 km of electric CLTC range.
Volkswagen has opened pre-sales in China for the ID. UNYX 09, a new electric sedan built by Volkswagen Anhui and jointly developed with Xpeng. The launch expands VW’s China-only EV lineup; the model is not expected to come to Europe.
Quantron says it plans to establish a platform with two Chinese partners for zero-emission and autonomous heavy-duty commercial vehicles. The move signals a possible return to the market through China.
Hyundai has officially launched the electric Ioniq V in China with a limited-time starting price under $15,000. The source says the China rollout comes ahead of a planned global launch.
Volkswagen has started pre-sales for the ID. UNYX 09 in China. The model is reported to offer up to 755 km of CLTC range and use Xpeng technology, which may be relevant for the Chinese electric SUV market.
Brussels is said to be pushing London to align its trade policy on China more closely with the EU, which could mean higher import tariffs on Chinese electric cars. The British government has left open the possibility of changes.
A British media report says Dacia plans to offer an electric microcar called Hipster in Europe from 2027. The reported launch would extend a concept shown about a year earlier into a production vehicle.
Mazda says the CX-6e has received a new LiDAR suite in China, enabling advanced L2 autonomy, navigation on autopilot and automated parking. The update raises the model’s driver-assistance capability, but the source does not provide technical details beyond the claimed features.