LEAPMOTOR CHARGES MORE FOR COMFORT IN A10S
Leapmotor has launched the $13,900 A10s in China, charging 6,000 yuan more for upgraded seats and styling while retaining the A10's 505 km CLTC range, 16-minute fast charging and LiDAR-based driver assistance. The new variant follows a 24% monthly decline in A10 deliveries, despite record September sales for Leapmotor, which must now exceed its monthly delivery record throughout the fourth quarter to reach its one-million-vehicle annual target.
GEELY PLANS GEMINI ROLLOUT OUTSIDE CHINA AND US
Geely Holding has partnered with Google to integrate Gemini AI, Google Maps and Google Play directly into overseas vehicles from brands including Geely, Lynk & Co, Proton, Riddara and smart, beginning in the second half of 2027. The rollout excludes China and the US, with participating models and specific features still unconfirmed, but supports Geely's ambition for overseas markets to account for more than a third of global sales by 2030.
XPENG ADDS GOOGLE PLAY BUT KEEPS ITS OWN VOICE
XPeng will integrate Google Play directly into its vehicles from early 2027 while retaining its proprietary multilingual voice assistant, giving drivers access to navigation, charging, parking and entertainment apps without a smartphone. Models and markets remain unconfirmed, but the integration builds on XPeng's Google Maps partnership as overseas quarterly deliveries exceed 20,000 vehicles, up 81% year on year.
DEEPAL RENTAL CARS RECORDED MILITARY ACCESS CODES
Norwegian soldiers discovered rental-car camera recordings containing military access codes, travel routes and personnel during a September exercise, with at least two vehicles identified as Changan Deepal models. Whether footage reached any third party remains unknown, and Norway's military favours site-specific restrictions on camera-equipped vehicles rather than a blanket ban on Chinese cars, highlighting wider concerns about vehicle data security.
HUAWEI AND SAIC FILE SIX-SEAT SHANGJIE Z9
Regulatory filings reveal the Huawei–SAIC Shangjie Z9, a 5.14-metre electric SUV offering five or six seats, with a 280 kW rear-wheel-drive version or a 455 kW dual-motor configuration required for six seats. CATL batteries, Huawei-supplied rear motors and roof-mounted LiDAR underline the partnership's technical integration, although battery capacity, range, charging performance and launch timing remain undisclosed.
BYD TANG EV LISTED AT 515 KW WITH FIVE SEATS
BYD's next-generation Tang EV has appeared in Chinese regulatory filings with up to 515 kW of combined motor output, battery options of 88.7 and 105.8 kWh, and CLTC ranges reaching 850 km across the range, although the highest-powered version's range remains unconfirmed. Expected in the fourth quarter, the larger five-seat SUV introduces Flash Charging capable of replenishing the battery from 10 to 70% in approximately five minutes, alongside a redesigned interior featuring 35.4-inch and 30-inch displays.
BYD ENLARGES QIN PLUS AS SALES SLIP
BYD has previewed a larger third-generation Qin Plus DM-i plug-in hybrid, offering 107 or 160 km of CLTC electric range, after September sales fell to 10,652 vehicles compared with last year's monthly average above 30,000. The replacement gains substantially more interior space and optional LiDAR, as BYD attempts to revive one of China's former bestselling saloons amid weakening domestic demand and growing reliance on overseas markets.
CATL-BACKED AIVA FILES ITS FIRST CAR
New Chinese EV brand Aiva, backed by investment businesses linked to Seres and CATL, has filed its first model, the five-metre ME7, offering 270 kW rear-wheel-drive or 420 kW dual-motor configurations with CATL batteries. Seres provides engineering and manufacturing expertise while Volcano Engine supplies AI cockpit technology, giving the independent newcomer established technical partners as it enters China's competitive EV market.
VOLKSWAGEN PUTS ELECTRIC SEDAN BELOW 100,000 YUAN
Volkswagen Anhui has reduced the ID. UNYX 07 Lite electric saloon to a promotional 99,900 yuan, approximately $15,000, marking its first battery-electric offering below 100,000 yuan in China, while also cutting regular starting prices for the ID. UNYX 07 and 06 by 20,000 yuan. The discounts follow a 42.5% decline in Volkswagen Group's Chinese EV deliveries over nine months, with XPeng-developed electronics and expanded driver assistance forming part of its efforts to improve competitiveness.
CHERY OPENS SITE THAT LETS CARS SELL POWER
Chery and State Grid have opened a vehicle-to-grid facility in Wuhu, China, allowing compatible electric cars to sell electricity back to the grid during periods of high demand, with Chery estimating potential annual earnings above 3,000 yuan, approximately $400. The AC-based system manages charging around electricity prices and travel requirements while maintaining battery charge between 30 and 80%, although actual earnings depend on owners connecting their vehicles when grid demand is high.
ANALYST WARNS US EV BARRIERS COULD HURT DETROIT
Trivium China analyst David Zhang warns that US restrictions on Chinese electric vehicles, combined with the withdrawal of federal EV purchase incentives and regulatory uncertainty, could discourage long-term investment and ultimately undermine American manufacturers. BYD says it has no plans to sell passenger cars in the US under current conditions, even as Ford works with CATL technology to develop American-made LFP batteries for an affordable electric truck.
