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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.
A Tesla owner drives hands-free in Amsterdam on April 17, days after Dutch regulators approved the use of the company’s self-driving software. Photo: Reuters
Electric & new energy vehicles

Tesla’s FSD launch in China heats up competition with domestic EV makers

The long-awaited roll-out got regulator approval a week after Tesla CEO Elon Musk visited China as part of the US president’s delegation.

Electric & new energy vehicles

Chinese firm Xpeng builds driverless cabs, challenging Tesla’s FSD software

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China manufacturing

China’s old ‘Motown’, Shanghai bets on robotaxis, better batteries to bump GDP

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Electric & new energy vehicles

Xi-Trump summit: Ford-CATL plant shows how global carmakers need China

Collaboration with Chinese suppliers ‘the only way international carmakers can compete with Chinese carmakers’, Morgan Stanley analyst says.

A view of the Ford BlueOval Battery Park under construction in Marshall, Michigan. Photo: Universal Images Group via Getty Images
Trending in China

China driver fined for doing make-up, dancing at wheel; says assisted driving more reliable

SUV-driving woman eats snacks while travelling through tunnel, posts videos online of her ‘dangerous’ driving, prompts police action.

Electric & new energy vehicles

Tech and pricing edge behind China’s SUV surge against BMW, Mercedes and Audi

Chinese SUVs storm the premium segment with fresh momentum, giving German marques their toughest test in years.

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Americas and the Caribbean

EVs surge in Bolivia amid fuel shortages, ‘junk gas’ scandal

The number of electric vehicles in Bolivia climbed from 500 to 3,352 in the last five years, and is set to triple again as broad appeal rises.

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An electrician installs a home electric vehicle charging station in La Paz, Bolivia, on April 21. Photo: AP
Electric & new energy vehicles

Tesla China posts 36% sales rise, as local rivals nip at heels

April sales rose on a year-on-year basis but dropped from the previous month, indicating fiercer competition from domestic brands.

Electric & new energy vehicles

Chinese start-up ZYT eyes semi-autonomous truck production this year

DJI spin-off is providing autopilot systems to six manufacturers, as fuel-saving abilities gain importance amid oil supply shock.

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Electric & new energy vehicles

Shifting gears: how foreign giants aim to catch up in China’s EV era

International carmakers launch tailored models and accelerate R&D as they scramble to match the speed and sophistication of domestic rivals.

Illustration: Henry Wong
Electric & new energy vehicles

Lights, camera, traction: China’s EV race rolls out film-projecting headlights

Ultra-fast charging technology and a wave of smart features are helping Chinese EVs win over overseas buyers.

A GAC Montx concept car is displayed on the opening day of Auto China in Beijing. Photo: AFP
Semiconductors

Hit from memory costs spreads from smartphones to BYD EVs in China

Carmaker explicitly cites sky-high memory costs as it raises the price of a high-end driver-assistance system by 21 per cent.

Mainland China

China taps the brakes on robotaxi licences after Wuhan incident: sources

Licensing curbs follow a Wuhan system failure that stranded passengers, as authorities shift focus from rapid roll-out to safety oversight.

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Electric & new energy vehicles

China’s EV and battery makers race to cut charging times to under 10 minutes

Fast-charging technology takes centre stage at the Beijing Auto Show as firms unveil batteries promising unprecedented speed.

Visitors look at a chamber with sub-zero temperatures that showcases battery-charging technology at the Beijing Auto Show. Photo: AP
Electric & new energy vehicles

Chinese robotaxi firms accelerate global roll-outs as cost edge drives expansion

Pony AI and WeRide harness China’s supply chain strength to cut costs, boost efficiency and scale robotaxi fleets worldwide.

A Pony AI robotaxi is displayed at the Beijing Auto Show. Photo: DPA
Robotics

AI | China’s physical AI prowess on roads, in skies and factories

Innovation and competition drive rapid advances in Chinese humanoid robots, drones, autonomous vehicles and flying cars. America is playing catch-up.

Electric & new energy vehicles

Xpeng sets August goal to overtake Tesla’s self-driving tech in China

Carmaker bets on training AI in China’s dense urban roads to build a competitive advantage for expansion into Europe and Southeast Asia.

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Electric & new energy vehicles

Huawei earmarks US$11.7b for training of autonomous-driving systems

Company claims it will outspend all rivals combined to boost computing power, which is essential to enhance advanced driving systems.

Richard Jin, CEO of Huawei’s intelligent automotive solutions business unit, introduces the company’s latest advanced driving system in Beijing on April 23, 2026. Photo: Reuters
Electric & new energy vehicles

Chinese EV makers bet on in-house chips to make cars smarter and more autonomous

Chinese EV makers are showcasing advanced in-house chips at Auto China, powering smarter vehicles and challenging global tech leaders.

Electric & new energy vehicles

China’s premium EVs mount tech-powered challenge to BMW, Mercedes-Benz at expo

10-day show in Beijing, the world’s largest, to feature 1,451 models and exhibition area of 380,000 square metres.

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Electric & new energy vehicles

China’s Hesai adds colour to lidar to help EVs level up in self-driving

Colour-capable sensors to ‘significantly enhance’ sensing, helping cars identify traffic lights, construction signs, Deutsche Bank says.

Sun Kai, Hesai Group executive director, co-founder, and chief scientist, explains the company’s 6D technology on April 17, 2026 in Shanghai. Photo: Handout
Science

Chinese trucks could go 100% electric, halving road transport oil use: industry

China’s industrial supply chains and engineering expertise provide a distinct competitive advantage, CiDi CEO Albert Hu says.

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Diesel heavy trucks are responsible for about 50 per cent of all diesel and petroleum consumed in China’s road transport sector, according to Sany Truck chairman Liang Linhe. Photo: AFP
Electric & new energy vehicles

EVs | Chinese carmakers gear up for L3 self-driving roll-out

Industry ramps up testing of vehicles with Level 3 autonomous driving capabilities as regulators publish draft safety standards set to take effect in July 2027.

Singapore

Singapore’s robotaxi drive revs up with help from Chinese AV leaders

The city state is working with Chinese companies like WeRide and Pony.ai to test and deploy shuttle taxi services on public roads.

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Electric & new energy vehicles

Volkswagen tests China’s appetite for locally developed EVs

The three models, which will be launched over the next two weeks, use technology developed by Volkswagen’s Chinese partners.

Volkswagen unveiled the ID. ERA 9X, ID. AURA T6 and ID. UNYX 08 electric vehicles in Beijing on Wednesday. Photo: Reuters
Robotics

Meter running: CaoCao backs heavy-asset play to scale robotaxis

Geely-backed firm targets 100,000 autonomous vehicles by 2030, banking on tighter control of cars, tech and operations to drive efficiency.

Chinese ride-hailing company CaoCao, backed by Geely, is betting on a heavy-asset strategy to emerge as a leading robotaxi operator. Photo: Handout
Mainland China

Baidu’s robotaxi breakdown in Wuhan strands riders, raises safety concerns

Some Apollo Go self-driving cars stopped suddenly across the central Chinese city, dealing a blow to the tech giant’s global ambitions.

Science

‘Lighthouses in space’: the Chinese jam-proof satellite network to fill GPS gaps

System places powerful light sources on satellites to send coded signals for drones, self-driving cars, space missions to navigate.

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