Automaker News
XPENG officially launched the 2026 X9 pure electric version on March 2, rolling out five variants priced between 309,800 and 369,800 yuan. Range tops out at 750 km, starting from 650 km. The automaker also unveiled a 2026 X9 Super Range Extender Ultra SE edition at the event, priced at 321,800 yuan.
Leapmotor kicked off an anti-defamation campaign on March 2, opening a public channel to report "black PR" attacks. The company is offering rewards ranging from 50,000 to 5 million yuan for tips verified by judicial or law enforcement bodies, with strict confidentiality guaranteed for the first informant in each case. The initiative targets four specific violations: fabricating facts to damage reputation; spreading misinformation for extortion or hype; impersonating authorities to mislead the public; and other serious infringements on brand rights. Leapmotor's legal team warned it will pursue all defamation cases to the fullest extent of the law.
The Maextro S800 and AITO M9 will be the first vehicles equipped with a next-generation LiDAR system, according to an announcement from Harmony Intelligent Mobility Alliance on March 2. Described as the mass-production LiDAR with the highest line speed globally, the system promises ultra-high definition, precision, and long-range detection capabilities. It is set to be unveiled at the alliance's technology refresh conference on March 4.
Xiaomi EV addressed fan questions in its 212th "Ask Xiaomi" session on March 2, focusing on its Vision Gran Turismo (VGT) project and the accompanying concept car. The company confirmed that the Xiaomi Vision Gran Turismo will not enter mass production, putting to rest speculation about a potential road-going version.
SAIC Group reported a strong start to the year, with sales climbing 6.8% to 597,000 units in the first two months. February alone saw 269,000 vehicles sold, keeping the automaker in a leading position after a solid January performance. Growth was driven largely by proprietary brands: SAIC Motor Passenger Vehicle sales jumped 44.8%, while IM Motors surged 69.4% year-on-year. Joint ventures are also showing signs of recovery, with SAIC-GM posting a 9.4% increase over the same period.
Supply Chain News
Gotion High-Tech announced on March 2 that design work for its 2 GWh all-solid-state battery production line is essentially complete.
Joyson Electronics has scored a major breakthrough in advanced autonomous driving. The company plans to launch its first Level 3 driving domain controller in mid-2027, integrating it into models for a top-tier automaker. Separately, Joyson's Level 4 domain controller is set to debut in low-speed autonomous logistics vehicles, potentially marking the first mass-produced L4 controller built on a domestic chip platform.
DiDi Autonomous Driving has established the Deep Dome Voyager Labs, marking a deep research partnership with Professor Li Shengbo's team at Tsinghua University's School of Vehicle and Mobility. The collaboration will focus on frontier technologies including multi-modal large models, world models, and reinforcement learning, aiming to accelerate breakthroughs and commercialization in multi-modal end-to-end autonomous driving.
CALB Technology (Fujian) has increased its registered capital by roughly 23% to 4.8 billion yuan, up from 3.9 billion. Established in February 2022 and led by legal representative Wang Jiankun, the company's operations span battery manufacturing, sales, and the recycling of new energy vehicle power batteries. Shareholder records show the entity is jointly owned by CALB (03931.HK) and Xiamen Industrial Investment.
Industrial Focus
Citigroup upgraded its price targets on major energy stocks on March 2, lifting Exxon Mobil to $150 from $118, Shell to 2,950 pence from 2,700 pence, and TotalEnergies to €75 from €71.
Galaxy General Robot has secured 2.5 billion yuan in a fresh funding round, backed by investors including the National Big Fund, Sinopec, CITIC Group Investment Holdings, SAIC Financial Holdings, Bank of China Assets, and E-Town Capital. Several existing shareholders also increased their stakes.
Autonomous trucking firm Karl Power has closed a Series B round exceeding $100 million. The funding was co-led by Horizon Robotics and Gaorong Capital, with participation from Hongqi Investment, Fengshang Capital, and Orient Jiafu. Several existing investors also oversubscribed the round.
Policy Dynamics
XPENG Chairman He Xiaopeng announced on March 2 that he will propose a roadmap to accelerate the transition from Level 2 to Level 4 autonomous driving at this year's "Two Sessions." He argues that Level 3 is merely an "intermediate state," and that a leapfrog to Level 4 requires updated regulations and management frameworks to pave the way for the autonomous era.
Personnel Changes | Management
Renesas Electronics announced two executive appointments effective March 1. Malini Narayanamoorthi, formerly India country manager and vice president of engineering, has been promoted to president and vice president of Renesas Electronics India. Concurrently, Yvonne Liu was named president and vice president of Renesas Electronics China. Both executives will report directly to CEO Hidetoshi Shibata.
Schaeffler Group's supervisory board has appointed Dr. Jochen Schröder, 54, as chief operating officer and a member of the management board, effective April 1, 2026. He succeeds Andreas Schick, 55, who is stepping down on March 31, 2026, for personal reasons, as previously announced. In a move to streamline operations, the board also decided to merge the CTO role with the COO position.
