Curated by Ziyong (Robert) Liu | March 22, 2026
Editor’s Pick
China’s Car Market Readies March Rebound as 30+ New Models Launch
China’s passenger car market is poised for a sharp recovery in March following a steep February contraction caused by the extended Spring Festival holiday. Automakers are launching an aggressive product offensive with more than 30 new and refreshed models debuting this month, setting the stage for the upcoming Beijing International Automotive Exhibition in late April.
February’s sales slump was the steepest since the Covid-19 pandemic, with market leaders BYD and SAIC both reporting year-over-year and month-over-month declines. However, the market’s underlying resilience was evident in exports: Geely’s overseas sales surged 138% year-over-year, while BYD achieved a historic milestone as its export volume exceeded domestic sales for the first time.
The product wave is building toward the Beijing Auto Show (April 24–May 3), where NIO will debut its flagship ES9 SUV, XPeng will showcase its GX extended-range flagship, and three new Huawei-backed brands—Yijing, Qijing, and Huajing—will make their public debuts.
Source: Electric Vehicles
Today’s Intelligence
1. NIO Achieves First-Ever Quarterly Profit as Premium EV Market Heats Up
NIO has reported its first-ever quarterly profit, marking a watershed moment for the Chinese EV startup. The achievement comes as the company prepares to launch its largest vehicle to date, the ES9 SUV, on April 9. The five-meter-plus flagship features dual Shenji NX 9031 intelligent driving chips and SkyRide active chassis, with Morgan Stanley estimating an average selling price above RMB 500,000.
Source: CnEVPost
2. Huawei Deepens Auto Partnerships as Harmony Alliance Unifies Standards
Huawei’s Harmony Intelligent Mobility Alliance, comprising five car brands built with Chinese automakers (Seres, Chery, BAIC, JAC, and SAIC), announced plans to unify standards and pool resources. The alliance has collectively produced over 1 million vehicles, with Aito accounting for approximately a quarter of that total. Three new Huawei-backed brands—Yijing, Qijing, and Huajing—are scheduled to debut at the Beijing Auto Show.
Source: China Daily
3. Xiaomi Unveils Updated SU7 with XLA AI Driving System
Xiaomi launched the updated SU7 electric sedan on March 19, featuring its most advanced assisted driving system to date. The new XLA (Xiaomi Large Language Model for Autonomous Driving) integrates multi-modal information input and bridges assisted driving with embodied robotics technology for the first time. The updated model comes standard with LiDAR and a 700 TOPS computing platform, representing a significant hardware upgrade over its predecessor.
Source: CnEVPost
4. XPeng Launches Third-Generation X9 MPV with Lower Entry Price
XPeng has debuted the third generation of its X9 MPV, cutting the entry-level price by RMB 50,000 (approximately $7,300) compared to previous iterations. The company is offering aggressive launch incentives including three-year 0% interest financing, trade-in subsidies up to RMB 15,000, and lifetime battery warranties. The BEV version is scheduled to arrive in Europe later this year, with a UK launch planned for mid-2026.
Source: Electric Vehicles
Industry Signal
The Chinese auto market is transitioning from price-driven competition to product-driven differentiation, with automakers betting heavily on new model launches and advanced intelligent driving capabilities to capture market share in what is expected to be a pivotal year for the industry.
China Automotive Intelligence — Daily Signals from the World’s Largest EV Industry
