OEM Trends | OEM Trend
CLS: On July 2, a deputy director from the NDRC's Price Monitoring Center led a delegation to Xiaomi Group for a field survey. The visit focused on price trends in the new energy vehicle and smartphone markets, as well as identifying key industry challenges. Officials also solicited input on regulating automotive conduct and fostering orderly competition.
Fast Tech: On July 2, GAC Toyota rolled out its 10 millionth mass-produced vehicle — the bZ7 electric sedan — at its Nansha plant in Guangzhou, marking the joint venture as another automaker in China to surpass 10 million units in cumulative output. The bZ7 is the second mass-produced model under GAC Toyota's dedicated EV brand, bZ. Positioned as a mid-size electric sedan, it carries an official price tag between 154,800 and 214,800 yuan, offering multiple range options including 600 km and 700 km versions, along with intelligent driving configurations featuring LiDAR.
CLS: On July 2, Changan Automobile released its preliminary sales figures. First-half deliveries hit 1.1956 million units. Overseas deliveries jumped 35.1% from a year earlier to 402,000 units, while new energy vehicle deliveries totaled 456,000, up 5.2%.
Fast Tech: On July 2, SAIC released a technical breakdown explaining the Huawei "Giant Whale" battery platform used in its Z7 and Z7T models. The company clarified why it chose an upright cell architecture instead of the inverted cell design found in some market rivals: With upright cells, the terminals face upward, staying clear of high-risk undercarriage impact zones. This fundamentally mitigates risks like high-voltage arcing and thermal runaway caused by chassis scrapes. Furthermore, this architecture has been validated by the market over time, boasts a mature production system, and ensures higher consistency and stability in mass production quality. The platform also features 200 intelligent sensing nodes covering the entire battery, paired with 24/7 cloud monitoring to actively predict and screen for latent safety risks.
Fast Tech: On July 2, Chery officially unveiled the "Rhino Battery Safety Assurance Plan," covering all models equipped with Rhino batteries across its Chery, Exeed, Jetour, and iCAR brands. The policy applies uniformly across all four brands, regardless of trim level. The plan includes three key benefits: All sold and currently selling models with Rhino batteries meet the latest national battery safety standards. If a vehicle is destroyed by fire due to a quality defect in the power battery, Chery will compensate the owner with a new car of the same model. Additionally, the company offers a lifetime warranty on the core electric system for the first non-commercial owner, covering free repairs or replacements for non-human-caused faults — directly addressing consumer concerns about battery safety and the high cost of future repairs.
Gasgoo: Micron Technology and General Motors recently announced a long-term supply agreement. Under the deal, Micron will provide memory and storage chip platforms for GM's vehicle production. The agreement secures a stable supply of these components for GM, and the two companies will also collaborate on developing next-generation technologies.
Supply Chain News | Supply Chain News
Interface News: On July 2, SKF signed an agreement with Leaderdrive, a global manufacturer of precision robotic components, to establish a joint venture in China. The new entity will focus on high-precision transmission components for robotic joints and is expected to begin operations by the end of 2026. SKF will hold a 60% stake in the joint venture.
Interface News: TotalEnergies announced on July 2 that it has agreed to sell its 85% stake in Malaysia's offshore Block 2E to INPEX for $350 million. The transaction corresponds to an 8.5% net interest in the Marjoram gas field for TotalEnergies. The company stated that the sale unlocks the value of its minority stake in this non-operated gas project, allowing it to further focus on its operated portfolio and strategic growth opportunities in Malaysia.
Tenneco: Tenneco recently inaugurated an automated production line for Monroe® fully active dampers at its MRS Suzhou plant. This investment signals Tenneco's deepening commitment to the Chinese market and its ongoing efforts to boost competitiveness in the new energy vehicle and intelligent driving sectors.
Gasgoo: BASF recently announced that its coatings business transaction with global investment firm Carlyle — originally announced on Oct 10, 2025 — has secured all necessary regulatory approvals and was officially completed on June 30, 2026. This marks the successful separation of the coatings business from BASF, which will now operate independently under the name Suvinu.
Gasgoo: Toyota Boshoku Huqin (Shanghai) Automotive Electronics Co., Ltd. officially opened in Shanghai recently. Established as a joint venture between Toyota Boshoku (China) Co., Ltd. and Huaqin Technology Co., Ltd., the company is owned 51% by Toyota Boshoku and 49% by Huaqin. The launch marks a significant step into substantive operations for both parties in the field of smart cockpit control products and software, accelerating the deep integration of automotive interiors and intelligent electronics.
Industrial Economy | Industrial Economy
CLS: On July 2, Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index closed up 0.76%, while the Hang Seng Tech Index fell 0.4%. The semiconductor sector led the declines, with Biren Technology dropping over 21%, GigaDevice down more than 18%, Hua Hong Semiconductor slipping over 13%, and SMIC falling more than 10%. The "dual giants" of AI large models also retreated, with Zhipu AI down over 16% and MiniMax dropping more than 14%.
Gasgoo: Suzhou Lexiang Intelligent Technology Co., Ltd. (Lexiang Tech) recently closed a Pre-A funding round worth nearly 500 million yuan and unveiled "Zeroth," a brand focused on embodied intelligence for the home. The new funding will primarily be used to self-develop six core technologies, recruit talent, and expand into global markets, supporting Lexiang Tech's efforts to bring household embodied intelligent robots into real-world scenarios.
Policy Updates | Policy Situation
IT Home: On July 2, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the Ministry of Commerce, the General Administration of Customs, and the State Administration for Market Regulation jointly announced the 2025 corporate average fuel consumption and new energy vehicle credit scores for China's passenger car manufacturers. A total of 108 passenger car enterprises in China produced or imported 24.629 million vehicles. The industry's average curb weight was 1,719 kg, while the actual average fuel consumption was 3.38 liters per 100 km. Average carbon dioxide emissions came in at 80.22 grams per kilometer. The data shows 535.53 million positive fuel consumption credits and 94.12 million negative fuel consumption credits. For new energy vehicles, there were 219.4 million positive credits and 15.99 million negative credits.
