China’s cutthroat car market, Southeast Asia’s electric vehicle boom: 7 EV reads

We have put together stories from our coverage on electric and new energy vehicles from the past two weeks to help you stay informed. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing.

1. ‘Awfully bleak’: why global carmakers keep losing ground in China’s vast market

Global carmakers are searching for a way to survive in China’s cutthroat market, as they continue to lose ground to domestic competitors in a landscape that is increasingly tilting towards electric vehicles (EVs).

2. What keeps China’s top carmakers growing as smaller EV rivals face the squeeze?

China’s two largest carmakers, BYD and Geely Auto, recorded their strongest monthly sales of the year in October, bucking a downward trend in the world’s largest automotive market as smaller rivals come under increasing pressure to turn a profit.

3. How China’s EV quality drive may help foreign carmakers regain ground

International brands have become unlikely beneficiaries of Beijing’s clampdown on so-called rapidly developed vehicles as they step up efforts to convince Chinese consumers of their cars’ quality and reliability.

4. China’s EV exports surge 145% as Iran war drives up overseas demand

China’s EV exports hit an all-time high for a second straight month in October, as the country’s carmakers rode a surge in overseas demand driven by the Middle East energy shock.

5. Southeast Asia’s EV boom sidelines local car parts suppliers

Southeast Asia’s EV boom risks leaving the region’s smaller companies behind, as Chinese automotive giants bypass local part-makers in favour of imported components and locked-in supplier networks.

6. Xpeng says Chinese flying cars trump Tesla’s Roadster for practical use

Flying cars developed by Chinese companies are by design more feasible for commercial use than Tesla’s Roadster, according to an executive at Xpeng, after a recent demonstration by the US tech giant sparked discussion about tech leadership in mainland China.

7. China’s vast battery industry runs on nickel. Now, supplies are being disrupted

A severe drought in Indonesia is slowing output of a crucial material used to manufacture EV batteries, creating risks across China’s vast electric car supply chain.