OEM TrendGasGo: On May 13, Lotus officially launched its "Focus 2030" strategic plan. Centered on four pillars—brand strengthening, diversified powertrain routes, global synergy, and financial discipline—the plan aims to build a more flexible and sustainable business model, keeping the brand resilient amid market complexity. On the powertrain front, Lotus is adopting a more versatile multi-powertrain strategy, advancing ICE, hybrid, and pure electric vehicles in parallel. Its short-term goal is a production mix of roughly 60% plug-in hybrids and 40% pure EVs, charting its own course through the powertrain transition.GasGo: NIO announced on May 13 that the all-new ES8 recorded 13,020 retail sales in April. The model has now topped the large SUV segment and all vehicles priced above 400,000 yuan—regardless of powertrain—for five straight months, cementing its lead in the premium EV SUV market.Quick Tech: Huawei Terminal announced on May 13 that the HIMA "new smart SUV," the AITO M6, has been a hot seller since its launch, with deliveries topping 10,000 units in just 19 days. Released on April 22, the AITO M6 comes in four variants across EREV and pure electric powertrains, priced between 259,800 and 299,800 yuan.GasGo: Speaking on Luo Yonghao's latest talk show on May 13, Li Auto CEO Li Xiang advised companies against hasty layoffs. Talent standards in the AI era will likely differ from the past, he noted, meaning cuts based on old criteria could easily weed out top performers. Li added that Li Auto will not actively lay off staff. As the company upgrades with AI, a natural selection process will play out: those who doubt their abilities will leave on their own, as will those who doubt the company.ITHome: VOYAH filed a Hong Kong exchange notice on May 13, revealing that as of May 12, 2026, Dongfeng Hong Kong had accumulated 20.19 million H-shares in the secondary market—roughly 0.55% of total issued shares. Following the increase, the company's controlling shareholders—Dongfeng, Dongfeng Asset Management, Dongfeng Hong Kong, and Wuhan Woya Enterprise Management Consulting Partnership—collectively held 2.44 billion domestic shares and 138.38 million H-shares, representing about 70.02% of total issued shares.Quick Tech: The 100,000th MG4 recently rolled off the production line at SAIC Motor's Nanjing Jiangbei New Area base, setting a new speed record for hit pure electric hatchbacks. Launched in late August last year with prices ranging from 68,800 to 102,800 yuan—and limited-time subsidies bringing that down to 65,800-99,800 yuan—the updated model debuted at this year's Beijing Auto Show in April with unchanged pricing and specs.Supply Chain NewsGasGo: Nidec issued a statement on May 13 revealing multiple instances of suspected product quality fraud. The misconduct affects quality control for motors and other products, including unauthorized changes to materials, production processes, and designs. The company plans to form a special investigation committee of external experts to probe the issue. However, it added, "No issues that would immediately affect product functionality or safety have been identified so far." Nidec said it has proactively reached out to customers to explain the situation and will conduct a comprehensive quality audit. It plans to finalize and announce disciplinary measures and follow-up arrangements for the violations on May 13.GasGo: On May 13, Aptiv announced that its Gen 8 radar platform has won a sourcing contract from Volvo Cars. Slated for integration into Volvo's next-generation models starting in 2028, the platform will underpin a full range of safety and driver-assistance features. The two companies will also continue joint upgrades of their product matrices around software-defined vehicle architectures.GasGo: Versigent, a global automotive electrical architecture supplier, recently held a brand unveiling ceremony in Anting Town, Jiading District, Shanghai. Versigent officially spun off from Aptiv on April 1, 2026, and began trading on the New York Stock Exchange the same day.GasGo: EVE Energy recently signed an 8 GWh large-scale energy storage battery order with Indian energy firm Godawari New Energy Private Limited, with potential cooperation scaling up to 60 GWh over the next five years. Under the agreement, the focus is on EVE Energy's 628Ah large storage battery, designed for high safety, reliability, and streamlined integration to lower the lifecycle costs of energy storage systems and boost operational efficiency.Cailian Press: Lens Technology stated at a recent earnings briefing that its automotive glass is now in mass production and delivery for clients, with a robust order book. The first production line at its Xingsha factory, capable of 350,000 sets annually, is already operating and delivering. The company is engaging with over 20 domestic and foreign automakers. As three new lines come online in the second half, it will continue expanding into multi-functional window glass—including windshields, panoramic roofs, and electrochromic glass—to drive up per-vehicle value and profitability.Industrial EconomyITHome: China's auto exports are on track to top 10 million units in 2026, the executive deputy secretary-general of the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers said on May 13 at the 2026 China Auto Industry Development (TEDA) International Forum. In the first quarter, exports surged 56.7% year-on-year to 2.23 million units, with new-energy vehicles accounting for 954,000 units—a 120% jump from a year earlier.Cailian Press: Global EV demand rose for a second straight month in April, as high gasoline prices pushed consumers away from ICE vehicles—a knock-on effect of rising oil prices following the outbreak of conflict in the Middle East, according to data released by Benchmark Mineral Intelligence on May 13. Global registrations of pure EVs and plug-in hybrids climbed 6% year-on-year to 1.6 million units in April, though that figure slipped 9% from the monthly record set in March.GasGo: Ola Dimensions, a home embodied AI startup, recently closed a funding round worth hundreds of millions of yuan. Led by China Merchants Venture Capital, the round included participation from SAIF Partners, Unity Ventures, Zhuopu Investment, Baidu Ventures, and Juhe Investment. The fresh capital will accelerate the construction of its home robot data loop, prototype delivery of its Maker edition, community operations, and top-tier talent recruitment.Policy UpdateJiemian News: Indonesia's finance minister recently said the country is accelerating its energy consumption transition, planning to roll out a new round of EV subsidies starting in June 2026, as Middle East tensions drive up global oil prices and burden energy imports. Under the initial government plan, Indonesia will subsidize 100,000 electric cars and 100,000 electric motorcycles from June 2026. Electric cars will receive VAT discounts ranging from 40% to 100% depending on battery type. The policy applies only to pure EVs, excluding hybrids.
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