Gasgoo Daily: Deepal secures 6.12 billion yuan in Series C funding

With Gasgoo Daily, we will offer daily important automotive news in China. For those we have reported, the title of the piece will include a hyperlink, which will provide detailed information.

DEEPAL secures 6.12 billion yuan in Series C funding

Deepal, the new energy vehicle brand under Changan Automobile, has completed a Series C financing round worth 6.12 billion yuan ($860 million), marking one of the larger capital raises in China's EV sector this year.

The company announced on December 25 that the latest funding round was jointly backed by Changan Automobile, Chongqing Yufu Holding Group, and CMB Financial Asset Investment. The capital injection is expected to strengthen Deepal's balance sheet and support its next phase of expansion, including product development and market rollout.

Earlier disclosures from Changan Automobile had already signaled the fundraising plan. The automaker said its controlled subsidiary Deepal would introduce new capital through a private placement, targeting total proceeds of about 6.12 billion yuan. Changan itself is committed to contributing up to 3.12 billion yuan, partly through the injection of intangible assets valued at 1.043 billion yuan, with the remaining amount funded in cash from its own resources.

Changan noted that its final investment size would be adjusted in line with the participation of other qualified investors and the final valuation, ensuring that its ownership stake remains unchanged at 50.9959 percent after the transaction. This arrangement preserves Deepal's status as a controlled subsidiary within the Changan group.

The outcome of the financing highlights not only continued support from existing shareholders, but also growing confidence from both state-backed and market-oriented investors, underscoring Deepal's strategic positioning in China's rapidly evolving new energy vehicle landscape.

Public information shows that Deepal is Changan Automobile's new energy brand, with a technology roadmap spanning battery-electric, range-extended, and hydrogen-powered vehicles. The company has delivered more than 700,000 vehicles worldwide to date and has expanded into nearly 100 countries and regions, positioning itself as one of the most internationally active EV brands among China's centrally affiliated automakers.

Dongfeng's M-Hero M817 reaches 10,000-unit production milestone

Dongfeng Motor's premium off-road EV brand M-Hero has marked a production milestone, with the 10,000th unit of its M817 model rolling off the assembly line.

On December 26, M-Hero announced that cumulative production of the M817 had reached five digits, underscoring the brand's early manufacturing momentum. The company also said Dongfeng Motor has already achieved its full-year 2025 target of selling one million new energy vehicles, highlighting the group's broader push into electrification.

The M-Hero M817 entered the market on August 17 with two variants priced at 319,900 yuan and 349,900 yuan, targeting buyers seeking a luxury, tech-forward off-road SUV. M-Hero later expanded the lineup on September 29 with the launch of the long-range M817 Max+ edition, carrying an official guide price of 369,900 yuan, as the brand moved to broaden its appeal within the premium electric off-road segment.

UBTECH ROBOTICS rolls out its 1,000th industrial humanoid robot in Liuzhou

UBTECH has reached a new manufacturing milestone in Liuzhou, where the company has completed production of its 1,000th industrial humanoid robot.

According to local media reports, on December 26, UBTECH's 1,000th industrial humanoid robot — its Walker S2 model — has officially rolled off the production line in Liuzhou, marking a key step in the company's scale-up of humanoid robotics manufacturing.

Standing 1.76 meters tall, the Walker S2 is designed for industrial environments that demand both mobility and precision. It combines human-like walking with fine manipulation, supported by an autonomous battery-swapping system that enables continuous, around-the-clock operation. The robot can reliably handle payloads of up to 15 kilograms across a working height range of 0 to 1.8 meters, while also performing complex movements such as ground-level interaction, deep squats, long-reach grasping, and wide-angle waist rotation of up to 162 degrees. These capabilities allow humanoid robots to execute near-human, full-space operations in factory settings.

UBTECH's Liuzhou facility began producing Guangxi's first industrial humanoid robot as recently as June this year. Reaching the 1,000-unit mark in just six months underscores the rapid pace at which the company is moving to industrialize humanoid robotics, as demand grows from manufacturing and other labor-intensive sectors.