China EVs & More

Kicking off 2026, Tu and Lei return from CES in Las Vegas with firsthand insights into how the global auto industry’s center of gravity continues to shift toward China, AI, autonomy, and robotics.  This episode unpacks why CES is no longer about cars, but about who controls the software, silicon, sensors, and robots that will define the next decade of mobility. From Geely and Great Wall’s growing U.S. ambitions, to Hyundai’s robot-only keynote, to Ford’s quiet but meaningful autonomy reset, the hosts connect dots that most headlines missed.Tu and Lei also break down the Geely “coming to the U.S.” scoop, Rivian-style AI days spreading to legacy OEMs, and why Western automakers are increasingly borrowing from China’s playbook—from ADAS and silicon strategy to embodied AI and robotics.The episode closes with a deep dive into autonomy’s three tracks (L2++, consumer L3/L4, and robotaxis), the growing importance of LiDAR scale, and why Donut Labs’ solid-state battery and in-wheel motor reveal could become a true industry disruptor—if it scales.Fast, candid, and packed with on-the-ground context, this episode explains why CES 2026 marked a turning point—and why the race is no longer just EVs vs ICE, but ecosystems vs incumbents.___🔑 SEO-Friendly Keywords (for description / Apple Podcasts)China EVs & More, CES 2026 recap, Tu Le, Lei Xing, Sino Auto Insights, CES China EVs, Geely coming to the US, Geely CES announcement, Great Wall Motor CES, Rivian AI Day comparison, Ford autonomy announcement, Doug Field Ford, Hyundai Boston Dynamics robots, autonomous vehicles CES, robotaxis CES, Waymo CES, LiDAR scale China, RoboSense LiDAR, Hesai LiDAR, Donut Labs solid state battery, in-wheel motor EV, embodied AI cars, automotive AI, future of mobility, China auto industry 2026, EV autonomy roadmap

In this episode, Tu and Lei dive into a week dominated by autonomy, AI, and a widening gap between China’s EV ecosystem and the rest of the world.  The episode opens with a deep reaction to Rivian’s Autonomy AI Day—why it felt like déjà vu for anyone following China’s smart-EV space, and how Rivian’s announcements mirror what Chinese players like XPeng, NIO, and Li Auto have already been deploying. The hosts debate whether Rivian’s approach represents real leadership or simply entry into the top tier.From there, the conversation expands to L4 autonomy momentum: WeRide launching passenger rides with Uber in Dubai, Mercedes partnering with Momenta in Abu Dhabi, and Waymo accelerating multi-city deployments while publishing safety data others still keep opaque.Tu and Lei also tackle the LiDAR vs. vision debate, Volkswagen’s unusual dual bet on Rivian (US) and XPeng (China), and why silicon strategy—not just batteries—will decide winners. The discussion closes with affordability: why 300-mile EVs under $40K are existential for Western OEMs, and why China’s cost structure makes that challenge unavoidable heading into 2026.Candid, comparative, and forward-looking, this episode explains why autonomy and AI—not just electrification—will define the next phase of the global auto industry.___🔑 SEO-Friendly Keywords China EVs & More, Tu Le, Lei Xing, Sino Auto Insights, Rivian Autonomy AI Day, Rivian R2, Rivian silicon strategy, personal L4 autonomy, autonomous vehicles China, robotaxi expansion, WeRide Uber Dubai, Mercedes Momenta Abu Dhabi, Waymo expansion, LiDAR vs vision, RoboSense LiDAR, Hesai LiDAR, XPeng autonomous driving, NIO smart EVs, Li Auto embodied AI, Volkswagen Rivian partnership, Volkswagen XPeng partnership, affordable EVs 2026, 300 mile EVs, global EV competition, future of mobility___TagsChina EVs & More, China EVs, Tu Le, Lei Xing, Sino Auto Insights, Rivian, Rivian AI Day, Rivian R2, autonomous vehicles, robotaxi, WeRide, Uber robotaxi, Waymo, Mercedes Momenta, XPeng, NIO, Li Auto, Volkswagen Rivian, Volkswagen XPeng, LiDAR vs vision, RoboSense, Hesai, EV silicon, affordable EVs, 300 mile EV, future of mobility, EV autonomy, global auto industry, China vs US EVs

In Episode 229, Tu and Lei unpack the November China EV sales inflection point and what it reveals about the next phase of the global auto industry.  With subsidies set to expire in 2026, November marked the real start of China’s year-end “mad dash.” The numbers show a clear split: Xiaomi, XPeng, Leapmotor, Geely, and NIO accelerating, while BYD and Li Auto lose momentum and Tesla slips into negative growth territory in China.The hosts explain why Xiaomi’s YU7 and SU7 have proven unusually resilient, how XPeng’s AI-first strategy is paying off, and why Leapmotor and Geely are now knocking on the million-unit club—a threshold that even legacy premium brands have failed to reach in China.They also tackle the bigger strategic question facing Western automakers: Is it still worth competing in China? Tu and Lei argue that China remains irreplaceable as the world’s largest single passenger-vehicle market—and that exporting from China, leveraging local tech partners, and embracing “China-for-China” design is no longer optional.The episode closes with a deep discussion on embodied AI, smart glasses, silicon strategy, and why companies like Xiaomi, XPeng, and Li Auto are no longer just carmakers—but ecosystem builders trying to define the future of mobility.Insightful, data-driven, and grounded in real market dynamics, this episode explains why 2026 may be the most decisive year yet for both Chinese EV leaders and global legacy automakers.___🔑 SEO KeywordsChina EVs & More, China EV sales November, Tu Le, Lei Xing, Sino Auto Insights, Xiaomi EV sales, YU7 SUV, SU7 sedan, XPeng AI strategy, Leapmotor sales growth, Geely EVs, NIO sales rebound, BYD sales slowdown, Li Auto decline, Tesla China sales, China EV subsidies ending, EV price war China, Chinese EV exports, million unit EV club, China auto market outlook, global EV competition, legacy automakers China, China for China strategy, embodied AI cars, smart glasses automotive, EV silicon strategy, future of mobility China___TagsChina EVs & More, China EVs, China EV market, Chinese EVs, EV sales China,Tu Le, Lei Xing, Sino Auto Insights, Xiaomi EV, Xiaomi YU7, Xiaomi SU7,XPeng, XPeng AI, Leapmotor, Geely Auto, NIO, BYD, Li Auto, Tesla China,China EV sales November, China auto industry, EV price war, EV subsidies China,Chinese EV exports, global EV market, electric vehicles, autonomous vehicles,robotaxi China, embodied AI, automotive AI, smart vehicles, EV silicon,legacy automakers China, China for China strategy, future of mobility,EV industry analysis, automotive podcast, EV podcast, mobility podcast

Tu and Lei close out 2025 with a sweeping, on-the-ground review of the most consequential year yet for China’s EV, AV, and mobility ecosystem — and why its ripple effects are now impossible for the rest of the world to ignore.  From CES to Shanghai, Munich, and New York, the hosts reflect on firsthand experiences that defined the year: China’s EV export surge, the maturation of robotaxis, the cooling of the domestic price war, and the emergence of clear winners — and vulnerabilities — among Chinese and global automakers.They break down why BYD became a true global volume force, how XPeng, Geely, and Zeekr gained momentum, why NIO’s long game is finally paying off, and what the rise of autonomous mobility outside China (Waymo, Baidu, WeRide, Pony.ai) means heading into 2026.The episode also revisits major inflection points: • Chinese EV exports flooding Europe, Latin America, Russia, and the UK • The beginning of an exported price war • Robotaxis moving from pilots to real commercial expansion • Why average vehicle prices topping $50,000 in the U.S. is unsustainable • How geopolitics, tariffs, and supply chains reshaped strategy • Why 2026 could be the year autonomy truly breaks throughCandid, data-driven, and reflective — this episode connects the dots on how 2025 reshaped the global auto industry and sets the stage for what comes next.⸻🔑 SEO KeywordsChina EVs & More, China EV year end review 2025, Tu Le, Lei Xing, Sino Auto Insights, BYD global expansion, BYD exports 2025, XPeng growth 2025, Geely Zeekr privatization, NIO battery swapping road trip, Chinese EV exports Europe, Chinese EV exports Latin America, EV price war China, EV price war Europe, robotaxi expansion 2025, Waymo expansion, Baidu Apollo robotaxi, WeRide Uber partnership, Pony.ai autonomous driving, AV commercialization 2026, global EV market outlook, China auto industry 2025, EV tariffs and geopolitics, autonomous vehicles China vs US, CES 2025 China EVs, Shanghai Auto Show 2025, IAA Mobility Munich China EVs, World Car of the Year BYD, Stella Li World Car Person of the Year⸻TagsChina EVs & More, China auto industry, Chinese EVs, EV market 2025, Tu Le, Lei Xing, Sino Auto Insights, BYD, XPeng, NIO, Geely, Zeekr, Li Auto, Leapmotor, Xiaomi EV, Huawei HIMA, AITO, EV exports, Chinese EV exports, EV price war, global EV market, electric vehicles, autonomous vehicles, robotaxi, Waymo, Baidu Apollo, WeRide, Pony.ai, battery swapping, NIO battery swap, CATL, CES 2025, Shanghai Auto Show, IAA Mobility Munich, EV geopolitics, future of cars

China EVs & More is back with a special Thanksgiving episode — and the China auto world did not take the week off. 🚗⚡🦃Tu & Lei break down Li Auto’s shocking Q3 collapse, CEO Li Xiang’s pivot to “embodied AI,” and why the brand is losing momentum to Xiaomi, XPeng, NIO, and Huawei-backed models.  We analyze XPeng’s aggressive 2025–26 EREV + BEV rollout, including seven new models and its “super range extender” strategy, plus the deepening Turing chip adoption and XPeng’s personal L4 + RoboTaxi ambitions.Then we dive into the Guangzhou Auto Show, Huawei’s expanding HIMA ecosystem, the launch of new Yijin and Qijin brands, and how Huawei QianKun ADAS is quickly spreading across Nissan, Audi, GAC, Toyota, and more.We close with NIO’s Q4 breakeven challenge, Firefly’s global potential, Stellantis–Leapmotor tensions in Latin America, and updates on Waymo, Zeekr RT, Aito M5, robotaxis, and physical AI’s impact on factory jobs.Insightful, energetic, and brutally candid — your weekly download on the global EV and mobility power shift.🕒 Timestamps / Chapters00:00 – Intro & Thanksgiving kickoff01:30 – Li Auto’s disastrous Q3: losses, Mega fire fallout & EREV reset03:30 – Li Xiang goes “embodied AI” + M100 chip vision05:30 – Li Auto’s 2026 L-Series refresh & Russian Doll design rethink07:50 – “Who’s hot, who’s not” — Xiaomi, XPeng, Leapmotor surge08:30 – XPeng’s 7-model onslaught: BEV + EREV + L4 plans10:10 – XPeng Turing chip, humanoid robot & L4 Robo versions12:00 – Physical AI: robots, automation & factory disruption15:10 – NIO earnings: Q4 breakeven, SG&A burn & ES8/Onvo push16:50 – Firefly’s growing overseas role & NIO’s three-brand prioritization19:30 – Leapmotor–Stellantis expansion and emerging market friction21:00 – Xiaomi’s immunity to PR crises & massive user base advantage23:00 – “Five to ten years to know the winners” — William Li’s marathon analogy24:00 – New brands at GZ Auto Show: Yijin, Qijin & Huawei’s expanding influence28:00 – Huawei QianKun ADAS spreads to Nissan, Audi, Toyota30:00 – AV/ADAS wars: Momenta, Horizon, DeepRoute rising32:00 – LiDAR drama: Hesai vs RoboSense & chaos in the lidar space35:00 – Robotaxis: WeRide–Uber launch, Pony & LA/SD growth37:00 – Tu drives the Aito M5 in California38:00 – Waymo coverage expands: airports + 2026 Detroit launch42:00 – Zeekr RT issues & Tesla vs Waymo RoboTaxi paths47:00 – AV startups struggle: Haomo AI collapse & Great Wall pivot50:00 – GM “Game of Thrones”: executive shakeups & culture reset53:00 – Volkswagen speeds up China dev cycles & exports back out55:00 – Audience Q&A & Thanksgiving wrap🔑 SEO KeywordsLi Auto Q3 earnings, Li Auto M100 chip, Li Auto embodied AI, XPeng EREV, XPeng super range extender, XPeng Turing chip, XPeng humanoid robot, XPeng RoboTaxi, NIO Q4 breakeven, Firefly EV brand, Leapmotor Stellantis partnership, Huawei HIMA, Huawei QianKun ADAS, Yijin brand, Qijin brand, GAC, Dongfeng, Guangzhou Auto Show 2025, Momenta ADAS, Horizon Robotics, DeepRoute, Hesai lidar, RoboSense lidar, WeRide Uber robotaxi, Pony.ai, Waymo San Jose airport, Zeekr RT6, Aito M5 US, Tesla FSD vs L4 China, Great Wall Haomo AI, BYD PHEV sales, China EVs & More, Sino Auto Insights, Tu Le, Lei Xing, China EV news 2025