OEM Trends | OEM Trend
Gasgoo: Stellantis announced on May 20 that it has signed a non-binding memorandum of understanding with Dongfeng Motor Group, aiming to deepen a strategic partnership that spans 34 years. Preliminary plans call for a new joint venture in Europe to manage the sales, distribution, manufacturing, procurement, and engineering R&D of Dongfeng's new-energy vehicles in select markets.
Gasgoo: FANGCHENGBAO announced on May 20 that cumulative brand sales have surpassed 400,000 units, with the TAI 7 model alone hitting the 150,000-unit mark. That momentum is striking: just four months earlier—on January 15, 2026—the brand had celebrated 300,000-unit total deliveries and 100,000 units for the TAI 7.
Gasgoo: SAIC Motor and SAIC-GM-Wuling pledged 2 million yuan on May 20 to support Liunan District in Liuzhou, Guangxi, following recent earthquakes. The donation is designated for emergency relief, supplies, temporary resettlement, and subsequent reconstruction efforts.
CLS News: Huawei Rotating Chairman Eric Xu and Yinwang CEO Jin Yuzhi recently visited Dongfeng Motor Group. During the meeting, Dongfeng detailed its recent business performance and the phased results of their strategic collaboration. The parties exchanged views on product technology synergy and AI-driven R&D and manufacturing, reaching a broad consensus. Separately, Dongfeng's MHERO and YIJING brands launched a "Strategic Cooperation 2.0" with Yinwang Intelligent Technology. The move, which included a ceremony for Huawei Qiankun's full-stack native co-creation gold product team, signals that the Dongfeng-Huawei partnership has entered a new phase focused on joint definition, deep empowerment, and shared ecosystem success.
Supplier News | Supply Chain News
Gasgoo: Hesai Technology announced on May 20 that it has secured a designation from a new top-tier European automaker—its second major win after a recent L3 partnership with Mercedes-Benz. The order exceeds 1 million units and spans more than 10 models under the automaker's Chinese joint ventures. To date, Hesai has secured production design wins for over 160 models across 40 brands, covering all of China's top 10 best-selling automakers. It has also locked in designations for the full 2026 model lineups of its two largest ADAS customers.
Gasgoo: Spirit AI announced a strategic partnership with D-Robotics on May 20. Leveraging Spirit AI's expertise in embodied model development and deployment, alongside D-Robotics's edge-side AI computing power, the companies have completed a deep integration of Spirit AI's open-source Spirit v1.5 model with D-Robotics' RDK S600 platform. The collaboration aims to deliver a high-performance, mass-producible soft-hardware solution that accelerates the transition of embodied intelligence from the lab to real-world applications.
Gasgoo: German supplier Bosch recently inked a long-term supply deal with Mercedes-Benz to provide drive motors for the automaker's next-generation electric vehicles, extending into the 2030s. Bosch noted that the agreement is one of several strategic wins, underscoring its steady progress in electric mobility even as the industry grapples with pricing pressure and market polarization.
Gasgoo: German automotive giant ZF announced it will retain its in-house electric drive motor business but must cut hundreds of additional jobs to stay competitive. A spokesperson revealed that the layoffs will primarily impact the Schweinfurt and Auerbach production sites in southern Germany. Together, these facilities employ over a thousand people, with several hundred roles set to be eliminated.
IT Home: Reports indicate that Xiaomi EV has tapped CALB as a new battery supplier for its Kunlun model. For Xiaomi's third vehicle, Sunwoda was reportedly the primary supplier with a 60% share, while CALB was the secondary option at 40%. CALB, however, confirmed it has joined Xiaomi's supply chain and will equip the new model—likely as the primary supplier.
Industrial Focus | Industrial Economy
Jiemian: On May 20, data from the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers revealed that the top 10 SUV manufacturers sold 3.137 million units in the first four months of 2026, capturing 65.1% of the segment's total volume. Among the top ten, BYD and Changan Automobile saw year-on-year declines, while the remaining manufacturers posted varying degrees of growth.
CCTV News: The International Energy Agency's "2026 Global EV Outlook," released on May 20, highlights an accelerating shift toward electric vehicles by governments and consumers amid the energy crisis. Global EV sales are projected to hit 23 million units in 2026, accounting for nearly 30% of new car sales worldwide. The report notes that 2025 sales climbed 20% to surpass 20 million units for the first time—representing one-quarter of the global market.
Gasgoo: UISEE made its debut on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange on May 20, opening at HK$56 per share with a market capitalization of approximately HK$9.09 billion. The company specializes in developing and deploying L4 autonomous driving solutions, particularly for commercial vehicles operating in closed environments such as airports and industrial parks.
CLS News: On May 20, South Korea's auto exports totaled $6.17 billion in April, down 5.5% from a year earlier, according to data from the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. The decline was driven by a 38.7% drop in shipments to the Middle East, while exports to the European Union and Asia fell 13.1% and 31.7%, respectively.
STCN: The winds are shifting in the new-energy vehicle market this May. Over 10 mainstream automakers, including BYD and Changan NEVO, have raised prices on select models by between 2,000 and 10,000 yuan. With raw material costs climbing and industry margins under pressure, the era of cutthroat price wars appears to be ending. This wave of increases is characterized by cost-driven necessity and structural divergence. Industry insiders broadly agree that the NEV market is transitioning from a rough "price-for-volume" battle to a new stage of value competition centered on technology, product quality, and service.
