1. Low-cost models dominate China EV sales, surpassing Tesla and BYD Amid intensifying competition among Chinese electric-vehicle (EV) makers last year, relatively inexpensive models from Geely Auto and Wuling Motor Holdings topped the sales chart, surpassing cars from BYD and Tesla. 2. Speed bump ahead: rising battery costs nudge Chinese drivers towards hybrids Rising battery costs and a cooling car market are likely to tilt China’s electric-vehicle race in favour of hybrids this year, as budget-conscious consumers turn away from fully electric models, analysts say. 3. China should skip a step in self-driving cars, Xpeng CEO says The Next P7, an electric vehicle from Xpeng, appears at the Indonesian International Motor Show in Jakarta on February 5, 2026. Photo: AP Photo The head of Chinese electric vehicle (EV) maker Xpeng said the country should accelerate the development of autonomous driving technology amid slowing sales growth in the sector. 4. Has Trump ceded EV market to China with latest string of policy shifts? US President Donald Trump’s administration announced on Wednesday that it would rescind a rule rewarding electric vehicle production – eliminating the so-called “fuel content factor” – the latest in a series of actions rolling back federal support for EVs that analysts say could leave the US further behind in a global race increasingly shifting in China’s favour. 5. China’s Geely bets on longer-range, faster-charging tech over fresh EV price war Technicians are seen working at the assembly line of Geely Auto’s Changxing plant in Huzhou, eastern Zhejiang province. Photo: VCG via Getty Images Geely Auto – assembler of mainland China’s bestselling pure electric vehicle (EV), the Galaxy Xingyuan – said it is betting on longer-range and faster-charging technologies, rather than price cuts, to consolidate its leading position in the world’s largest car market. 6. China’s EV insurers move towards profitability on higher premiums, AI adoption Chinese insurers underwriting electric vehicle (EV) policies have a better chance of turning a profit this year, supported by higher premiums, intelligent pricing mechanisms and improved claims-handling efficiency. 7. China bets on electric ships in push to decarbonise waterways, expand EV success Having electrified its highways, China is mobilising its shipbuilding prowess and battery giants such as CATL to overhaul some shipping fleets, betting that the revolution in green transport can float as well as it drives.