OEM Trends | Automaker NewsCLS: On July 21, addressing market rumors about "abnormal operations at IM Motors dealerships," IM Motors responded that on July 7, Kunming Zhonghe Yuexing Automobile Sales Service Co., Ltd. (one of IM's two dealers in Kunming) suffered a broken capital chain due to private lending. This caused some users to be unable to obtain vehicle certificates of conformity from financial institutions for license plate registration, halting normal vehicle deliveries. The situation also affected the dealer's affiliated entity, Zhuhai Zhonghe Yuexing Automobile Sales Service Co., Ltd., disrupting deliveries in the Zhuhai area. "As of July 17, IM Motors has largely completed user outreach and situation assessment, and has resumed issuing certificates and delivering vehicles since July 18. We expect to complete all orders and deliveries for normal buyers by this weekend."CLS: On July 21, it was reported that Kenta Sato, who became president of Toyota Motor Corp. in April, recently stated he would push to streamline the variety of parts to enhance profitability, noting there is "significant room for improvement" in how costs are deployed. Regarding the "break-even volume," Sato said the current figure is "on the high side" and he hopes to "lower it appropriately." He also emphasized the importance of maintaining domestic production levels, stating that "Japan's manufacturing and supply chain are crucial." To sustain the supply chain, he explained, "we will continue working with suppliers to refine drawings, improve quality, and reduce costs."Fast Tech: Luxeed Auto announced that as of July 20, cumulative deliveries of the Luxeed V9 have surpassed 10,000 units, marking the fastest delivery milestone for a new energy MPV to reach that figure. Launched in mid-May with four trims priced between 389,800 and 519,800 yuan, the model racked up over 7,000 firm orders within two hours of debut, with 83% of buyers opting for the Ultra and Ultra+ versions. The V9 comes standard with a range-extending hybrid system, with trims varying in cabin features, chassis structure, autonomous driving hardware, and entertainment systems. CLTC pure electric range covers 305 km and 285 km, while combined range reaches up to 1,320 km.Gasgoo: Recently, Nio's Firefly brand announced the official launch of the first model in its halo "Seeking Light" series, named "Habitat." Designed around the annual light theme "Inner Glow," the car emphasizes an atmospheric space radiating from within. Pricing starts at 133,300 yuan. With the Battery as a Service (BaaS) option, the starting price drops to 93,300 yuan, with a monthly battery rental of 399 yuan. The model is now officially on sale.Gasgoo: Recently, Zhang Xiong, president of the Hyper Aion BU, announced at the Hyper Aion User Festival that Aion will launch a completely new independent series. The first model is positioned as a mid-to-large pure electric sedan, featuring Aion's newly optimized glowing AION logo, and is set to debut on July 28. The goal is to become the first "super electric" choice for young users.Supply Chain NewsIT Home: On July 21, autonomous driving company Momenta announced that its Robotaxi has officially obtained a road test permit for intelligent connected vehicles in Shenzhen and will begin field testing in the city shortly. With this addition, Shenzhen becomes another core city for Momenta's Robotaxi operations in China, following Shanghai, Suzhou, and Wuxi.Gasgoo: Recently, SVOLT's PACK battery factory in Daye, Hubei, reached a major milestone as the first battery pack rolled off the line, marking the project's entry into mass production. The Daye plant serves as a key support base for SVOLT in Central China and is one of the fastest module and PACK integration projects to go domestic. The project primarily builds two power battery module lines and one PACK line; once fully operational, it is expected to achieve an annualoutput valueof roughly 2 billion yuan.Gasgoo: Recently,HuaweiSupercharge officially announced its integration into the SAIC Volkswagen charging map. According to official disclosures, the initial launch covers 574 city supercharging stations and 127 highway supercharging stations, adding more than 10,000 Huawei charging piles.CLS: It is reported that Samsung Electronics recently solicited opinions from major partners on the feasibility of its mid-to-long-term semiconductor capacity investment strategy, mentioning plans to build four wafer fabs in Korea over the next five years. Samsung's roadmap for new Korean fabs includes Pyeongtaek P5 and P6, the first fab in Yongin, and the first fab in Gwangju. Samsung previously announced plans to invest approximately 400 trillion won in Gwangju to build two new semiconductor fabs, while also accelerating progress on the Yongin cluster.Industrial EconomyCLS: July 21. According to the "Import and Export Status for July 1-20" released by Korea Customs on Tuesday, exports from July 1 to 20 totaled 54.93 billion USD, surging 52.3% year-on-year and setting a record high for the period. By product, semiconductor exports jumped 180.6% to 22.11 billion USD, accounting for 40.3% of total exports, compared to 21.9% in the same period last year. Computer peripheral exports soared 231.9%, while petroleum products rose 33.4%. Meanwhile, passenger vehicle exports slipped 10.6%, and auto parts exports fell 9.6%.Policy UpdatesCLS: July 21. The MIIT's lithium battery and similar products standard working group announced that, per relevant requirements, the China Electronics Standardization Institute has been managing the drafting of solid electrolyte series industry standards. The working group's secretariat has formed a project team and completed the draft for comments. Following review, a meeting to discuss the draft for comments on 10 solid-state lithium battery industry standards is scheduled for July 27-28, 2026.Dahe Caifang: On July 21, the Henan Provincial Government Information Office held a press conference on further consolidating economic stability in the second half of 2026. Trade-in programs were the "main force" for consumption promotion in the first half, and support will only increase in the second half. Specific subsidy standards were announced: individual consumers scrapping or trading in vehicles can receive up to 20,000 yuan and 15,000 yuan, respectively; purchases of six appliance categories — refrigerators, washing machines, TVs, air conditioners, computers, and water heaters — qualify for subsidies up to 1,500 yuan; four digital categories — phones, tablets, smartwatches, and smart glasses — receive up to 500 yuan. This round of subsidies is expected to benefit over 10 million consumers.Gasgoo: The Trump administration recently announced plans to impose a new 50% tariff on certain Canadian goods, citing unfair trade practices by Canada regarding U.S. alcohol, automobiles, and dairy products. The new tariff list includes dairy, hockey equipment, beer, and plywood, but exempts core resource imports such as energy, potash, and key minerals. Industries already subject to separate tariffs, such as automobiles and steel, are also exempt. Notably, goods on this tariff list will not receive any exemptions even if exported under current USMCA rules.Personnel ChangesGasgoo: Stellantis recently announced in a filing that Branden Coté, a former executive at dealer chain AutoNation, will take the helm of its core Jeep brand on August 3, replacing Bob Broderdorf, who is taking a medical leave. Stellantis stated that Broderdorf will transition to a new management role upon his recovery and return.