OEM Trend
IT Home: On March 25, according to Zhipu AI's official account, Mercedes-Benz China announced the latest results of its local industry-academia collaboration: a multimodal large model developed with Tsinghua University and Zhipu AI will be deployed in the new Mercedes-Maybach S-Class sedan. Leveraging this technology, the high-end rear entertainment system of the next-gen S-Class will deeply integrate natural language processing with visual and audio comprehension. Combined with in-car cameras and other sensing hardware, the system aims to deliver a smarter, more human-centric, and emotionally immersive interaction experience for passengers.
Jiemian News: The Hunan provincial government recently held a working meeting with BYD Co., Ltd. in Changsha. The province's governor urged BYD to leverage its leadership by expanding high-end manufacturing and R&D operations locally. He called on the automaker to capitalize on Hunan's industrial and academic strengths to scale up capacity, optimize the supply chain, and attract more partners—aiming to forge a globally competitive NEV cluster. Wang Chuanfu responded by pledging deeper investment in Hunan, promising to prioritize the rollout of innovations like the second-generation Blade Battery and flash charging tech there, as they work together to build a 'Flash Charging City' and drive high-quality industry growth.
IT Home: Qijing Auto CEO Liu Jiaming announced that the company has aligned its corporate name with its brand identity. He revealed that Qijing's debut model—the Huawei Qiankun | Qijing GT7 intelligent shooting brake—will hit the market in June.
Jiemian News: Data from Tianyancha shows Xiaomi EV Technology Co., Ltd. recently published a patent for a 'vehicle collision detection method, device, vehicle, server, and system.' The abstract outlines a system that uses a hierarchical identification strategy—based on historical collision data—to monitor vehicle status in real time. Upon detecting a crash, the system generates collision data and triggers an immediate response, such as alerting rescue services or contacting the owner. The technology aims to mitigate accident damage, safeguard occupants, and boost emergency handling capabilities.
Kuai Technology: Reports suggest the Tesla Model 3 Standard Range is poised to enter the Chinese market, with the Shanghai Gigafactory already establishing the necessary production lines. Unveiled globally last October, the vehicle has gone on sale in numerous regions; it launched in South Korea in late January with a sticker price around 198,000 yuan, dropping below 180,000 yuan with subsidies. To manage costs, the Standard Range trim has been selectively streamlined, cutting roughly 20 non-core features.
Supply Chain News
Gasgoo: Shuanglin Co., Ltd. released its 2025 annual report on March 25. The company posted revenue of 5.484 billion yuan last year, up 11.67%, while net profit attributable to shareholders came in at 503 million yuan, a modest 1.25% increase.
Gasgoo: SenseTime recently released its 2025 earnings, reporting full-year revenue of 5.01 billion yuan. That marks a 33% year-over-year increase—the fastest clip in three years—and a record high. The AI giant signaled it has moved past the heavy investment phase into a period of sustainable, explosive growth, citing multiple operational breakthroughs.
IT Home: Speaking at the Siemens RXD conference, CATL Chief Manufacturing Officer Ni Jun revealed the company's roadmap for next-gen power: sodium-ion, condensed-state, all-solid-state, and even lithium-air batteries are all in the pipeline. The 'Sodium New' sodium-ion battery, unveiled last year, will enter mass production this year. 'We have a surprise in store for the Beijing Auto Show in a few weeks,' Ni added.
Jiemian News: In a recent investor survey, Hengshang Co., Ltd. said it plans to ramp up R&D to expand the range and use cases for its motor products. Beyond the automotive sector, the company is moving into industrial automation and robotics to drive long-term growth. However, the firm cautioned that while these new frontiers offer opportunity, they also come with significant challenges and uncertainty, warning investors to weigh the risks.
Gasgoo: French supplier Valeo plans to build a $225 million plant in Texas to produce central computing units for General Motors' next-generation vehicle architecture. Jeffrey Shay, president of Valeo North America, said the facility in McAllen—near the U.S.-Mexico border—will be constructed over five years, with production slated to begin by late 2027.
Industrial Economy
Kuai Technology: Surging AI demand is tightening global memory chip supplies, sending prices for automotive-grade DRAM and NAND flash skyrocketing. 'It’s not just about rising prices anymore; it’s about availability—you can’t get them even if you have the money,' one auto executive remarked. Caught between supply shortages and robust demand, memory chips have shifted from a standard cost line item to a critical production bottleneck. NIO Chairman William Li estimates the memory price spike will add 3,000 to 5,000 yuan in costs for high-end smart EVs; factoring in other raw material increases, the total per-vehicle cost impact is approaching 10,000 yuan.
Kuai Technology: The CPCA has released power battery market share data for the first quarter of 2026. CATL has reclaimed the 50% threshold with a 50.1% share, marking its return to dominance not seen since 2021. BYD, the runner-up, slipped to 17.5% in the first quarter—down from 21.8% last year—extending a decline from its 2023 peak of 26.9%.
Gasgoo: Elite Robots announced on March 25 that it closed a 600 million yuan D+ funding round. Backers included CVC funds from the AIDC supply chain, Lavender Hill Capital Partners, Fortune Capital, Yuanhe Holdings, Yuanfeng Capital, and the Zhengzhou Embodied Intelligence Industry Fund. The capital will fuel a 'one brain, multiple forms' strategy, using unified intelligence to power collaborative robots, compound robots, and humanoids alike.
Gasgoo: Faro (Suzhou) Robot Technology Co., Ltd. recently closed a Series C round worth nearly $100 million. The China Life Double Carbon Fund—managed by China Life Capital—led the investment, with participation from Boyuan Capital and continued support from existing backers like Shunwei and Source Code Capital. Faro has also completed its joint-stock restructuring. The proceeds will bolster its capital base and strengthen global operations and collaboration.
Policy Situation
Jiemian News: Peru's anti-dumping authority has officially launched an investigation into automotive tires imported from China. The Commission on Dumping, Subsidies, and Non-Tariff Trade Barriers published the notice in the official daily El Peruano, acting on a complaint from domestic manufacturers to probe imports of Chinese tires. The investigation covers the period from January to December 2025 for dumping, and January 2022 to December 2025 for injury analysis. The probe targets both bias and radial tires, and the order is effective immediately.
