China

Contemporary Amperex Technology (CATL), the world’s largest EV battery maker, is going to build its own $1.83 billion offshore wind farm.

Fresh off earning the crown as the best-selling brand in China, BYD has (briefly) introduced a new compact SUV to its Yuan family of EVs – one of the larger contributors to its overall sales last year. From what we’ve seen so far, the Yuan Up looks small but mighty, touting some of BYD’s best tech – all at an expected starting price that is sure to entice consumers.

China’s behemoth BYD overtook Volkswagen as the best-selling car brand in China last year, the first time any carmaker outsold the German brand since at least 2008.

Europe and the US say that Chinese EV development is running wild and unchecked and on the verge of overwhelming the global market with, well, EVs the rest of the world can’t compete with. But now China has said it will “rein in” some of its huge EV expansion in response to criticism of “unfair” industrial and trade policies.

Less than a year after its launch in China, Geely’s sub-brand Galaxy has begun selling its first all-electric model – the E8. Starting at a price below $25,000, the Galaxy E8 sedan looks extra sleek, and it touts some more than adequate EV technology, arriving as a genuine contender in an ultra-competitive Chinese market.

The world’s largest ultra-high-altitude wind farm came online on January 1 in Tibet, or what China now refers to as the Xizang Autonomous Region.

China’s ever-growing electric vehicle industry is setting up shop in Hong Kong, but not to expand business in the minuscule Hong Kong market. Rather, they are looking to leverage the city’s financial system for global expansion, Bloomberg reports.

The Biden administration is worried about the “imminent wave” of Chinese battery factories being built in Mexico, which could further intensify the trade war between the US and China.

The International Energy Agency’s latest report forecasts a decline in global coal demand by 2026, marking a potential turning point in global energy consumption.

China’s Mingyang Smart Energy has rolled out the world’s largest offshore wind turbine in capacity and rotor diameter – and it’s seriously robust.

For years, Chinese EV maker Nio has essentially done it all, delving into high-end EV manufacturing, in-house batteries, autonomous driving, and chips, as well as innovative battery-swapping tech and even making smartphones, all while pulling in huge investments and talent to make that happen. Now, according to a new report, it’s looking to lighten the load.

Legacy German automakers and competitors in the luxury EV segment, Mercedes-Benz and BMW, announced they have teamed up for a new joint venture to implement a EV fast charging network consisting of over 1,000 stations in the next few years. Where the European companies intend to deploy these chargers however, may surprise you.

Luxeed – a young, premium EV brand developed between Chery Automobile and Chinese tech giant Huawei, has shared new details of its flagship sedan, the S7. In a matter of months since first teasing the Tesla Model S competitor, followed by an influx of pre-orders, Chery and Huawei have now shared trim variants, pricing, and of course, range – which tops out at an impressive 855 km.

Volkswagen Group China has begun producing battery systems at a new factory in Hefei, China for its MEB platform EVs in the country. The initial capacity of the plant will be 150,000-180,000 EV packs per year, and marks VW’s first wholly-owned battery manufacturing venture in the country.

A fascination with electric vehicles isn’t anything new. These days, everyone and their brother seems to have an EV. But I’m not one of the “normal” electric vehicle enthusiasts. I’m drawn to the more oddball designs. And that zeal has seen me end up in some weird places. Most recently, it had me end up on a hundred million TV screens across China.

We’ve been covering several prominent Chinese automakers teasing their latest EV models in the preceding weeks, ahead of the Guangzhou Auto Show. The annual event kicked off in China earlier today and immediately delivered several model debuts. Here’s a quick recap.

Things continue to move quickly for ZEEKR’s fourth EV model, the 007 – which is due to begin pre-orders in China before week’s end. After sharing images of its first sedan last week, ZEEKR has followed up with our first look at the 007’s interior, along with some new exterior pics. See more below.

China’s astounding solar manufacturing expansion is going to dominate the global solar supply chain – and widen the technology and cost gap.

The US is seriously lagging behind China in battery manufacturing and research, which holds a tight grip on the global battery supply chain. But two US senators are raising a red flag, saying it’s time to turn the ship around and focus on next-generation battery tech. 

Shanghai Electric Wind Power Group has unveiled what it says is the world’s first floating wind turbine, solar farm, and fish farm combination.

BYD is a name you’ll be hearing more and more as time goes on. The Chinese automotive powerhouse continues to gain momentum in Q4, with record-high EV sales for a sixth consecutive month. To ensure its sales stay hot, BYD is offering limited-time discounts on a slew of vehicles to finish the year as one of the world leaders in EVs. See the latest tallies below.