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China's Auto Takeover Hits 77% | VW, GM & Europe Feel the Pressure | CEM #258
26 Aug 2026
00:35:34
Chinese automakers just captured 77.4% of China's passenger-vehicle market—and exports have topped one million vehicles for two consecutive months.
In Episode #258 of China EVs & More, Tu and Lei unpack a dramatic shift in the world's largest auto market: Chinese brands dominating at home, NEVs approaching 70% of domestic passenger-vehicle sales, and China's automakers increasingly turning to exports as domestic demand weakens.
We discuss:
🇨🇳 Chinese brands reaching 77.4% market share
🌎 China's 1M+ monthly vehicle export run rate
🔋 PHEV exports surging into Europe
📉 BYD's slowdown and Geely Xingyuan's rise
🇩🇪 Why Volkswagen may bring China-developed EVs to Europe
🇺🇸 GM, Ford and the growing pressure on legacy automakers
⚡ Tesla's resilience in China despite brutal competition
🔄 Lei's firsthand experience with NIO Firefly and battery swapping
🚗 Why foreign automakers may still not have found the bottom in China
Is China's auto industry entering the next phase—where its biggest growth opportunity is no longer China, but the rest of the world?
Topics: China EVs, Chinese automakers, BYD, Geely, Volkswagen China, GM China, Tesla China, NIO, China auto exports, PHEV, EV sales, autonomous driving.
SEO Keywords: China EVs, Chinese EVs, China EV market, China auto market, Chinese automakers, China auto sales, China auto exports, Chinese car exports, China NEV sales, China EV sales, BYD, Geely, Geely Xingyuan, Volkswagen China, Volkswagen EV, GM China, Ford China, Tesla China, NIO, NIO Firefly, XPeng, Chery, Li Auto, Leapmotor, PHEV, EREV, Chinese EVs Europe, China EV exports, autonomous driving China, battery swapping, global EV market, China EV podcast, China EVs & More, Tu Le, Lei Xing, Sino Auto Insights
00:00 Welcome to China EVs & More #258 01:05 Lei returns from six weeks in China 02:45 BYD slows as Geely Xingyuan takes #1 03:20 Chinese automakers hit 77.4% market share 04:00 China's NEV share approaches 70% 04:15 China exports 1M+ vehicles per month 05:05 What China's export surge means for the world 06:20 Volkswagen considers bringing China-made EVs to Europe 07:35 Why speed matters more than size 08:05 China's PHEV exports surge into Europe 09:00 The EU's PHEV tariff loophole 09:55 Why EREVs could take off in America 11:10 China's domestic auto market faces a major decline 12:55 New EV launches keep coming despite the slowdown 13:35 China's slowdown hits Volkswagen, BMW & Mercedes 15:50 Is this the end of the old guard in China? 16:00 Chevrolet officially exits the China market 17:00 GM doubles down on Buick & Cadillac 18:00 Chinese automakers take the fight global 19:25 China vs. Detroit: Lei's reverse culture shock 20:30 Woodward Dream Cruise & the future of cars 21:35 Waymo's robotaxi fleet keeps growing 23:20 Lei drives the NIO Firefly 24:30 NIO Firefly pricing & battery swapping 25:55 China's brutal small-EV segment 27:30 Can a $15K Firefly work outside China? 29:20 Inside Huawei's massive HIMA store 30:35 Ford pulls Lincoln Nautilus production from China 31:25 What happened to Lincoln in China? 32:45 Final thoughts
China's Auto Market Is Shrinking—So Why Is GM Doubling Down? | Ford Takes Aim at Cheap EVs | CEM #257
25 Aug 2026
00:42:34
GM is doubling down on China for another 20 years—just as China's auto market enters one of its toughest periods in years.
In Episode #257 of China EVs & More, Tu and Lei break down General Motors' extension of the SAIC-GM joint venture, China's slowing domestic auto market, booming vehicle exports, and what it all means for global automakers competing with BYD, Geely, Chery, NIO, XPeng and other Chinese OEMs.
We also discuss:
🇨🇳 Why GM is committing to China for another 20 years
📉 China's potential auto-market contraction and coming industry shakeout
🌎 Chery's massive export growth and China's global auto expansion
🇺🇸 Ford's ~$28K Fathom and its strategy for competing with Chinese EVs
🤖 Lei's firsthand experience with NIO's latest intelligent-driving system
🔋 NIO's next-generation battery swapping strategy
🇧🇷 BYD's Brazil manufacturing and flex-fuel strategy
🇩🇪 Why Volkswagen and other legacy automakers remain under pressure in China
Is China's slowdown finally going to force consolidation—and are Western automakers moving fast enough to compete?
Whether you're an automotive executive, engineer, supplier, investor or simply following the transformation of the global auto industry, Episode #257 provides firsthand context on what is happening inside the world's largest and most competitive automotive market.
Subscribe to China EVs & More for weekly analysis of China, EVs, autonomous driving, mobility technology and the rapidly changing global automotive industry.
Search-Optimized Keywords:
China EVs, China EV, Chinese EVs, China EV market, China auto market, China automotive industry, Chinese automakers, China auto sales, China vehicle exports, Chinese car exports, China auto slowdown, China EV price war, GM China, General Motors China, SAIC-GM, GM China joint venture, Buick China, Ford EV, Ford Fathom, affordable EV, Jim Farley, BYD, Chery, Geely, NIO, XPeng, Li Auto, Leapmotor, Xiaomi EV, Tesla China, Volkswagen China, NIO battery swap, NIO autonomous driving, intelligent driving China, autonomous driving, ADAS, Level 3 autonomous driving, EV news, global automotive industry, China EV podcast, China EVs & More, Tu Le, Lei Xing, Sino Auto Insights.
Timestamps
00:00 Welcome to China EVs & More #257 00:58 Lei reports from Shenzhen 02:15 GM commits to China for another 20 years 05:25 GM's nearly 30-year history in China 08:45 Why GM is doubling down on China 10:15 GM turns China into a global export hub 12:15 Chinese automakers take over Australia's EV market 13:45 China's auto market faces a major slowdown 15:10 Could China's slowdown finally force consolidation? 16:05 Chery's exports explode: 200,000 vehicles in one month 17:00 Volkswagen's China struggles & the ADAS battle 18:25 Why legacy automakers are still moving too slowly 19:30 GM's Buick & Wuling strategy in China 22:00 Ford's ~$28K Fathom EV takes aim at affordable EVs 23:05 Can Ford finally compete with Chinese EVs? 25:15 Ford vs. GM: Two very different EV strategies 27:25 Lei tests NIO's latest intelligent driving 28:20 NIO's ADAS takes on Tesla FSD 31:00 NIO hits 4,000 battery swap stations 31:25 BYD's Brazil strategy: BEV, PHEV, gasoline & ethanol 33:05 China's latest EV launches & Huawei goes viral 34:10 Why America can't buy the electric Ford Bronco 35:05 Leapmotor joins China's 100,000-unit club 35:30 Tesla Model Y remains resilient in China 36:25 China's race toward Level 3 autonomous driving 37:15 Can NIO reach profitability without new models? 38:20 China's EV shakeout could get brutal 39:40 Final thoughts
NIO Is Back, Li Auto Stumbles & BYD Isn’t Slowing Down | China EVs & More Eps. 248
09 Jun 2026
00:43:40
The balance of power among China’s leading EV makers may be shifting.
This week on China EVs & More, Tu Le and Lei Xing break down a remarkable set of earnings results that reveal very different trajectories for China’s EV leaders.
NIO appears to be emerging from one of the most challenging periods in its history, delivering consecutive profitable quarters while building momentum behind the ES9, ONVO, and Firefly brands.
Meanwhile, Li Auto finds itself in an unfamiliar position. Margins are under pressure, earnings disappointed, and the company is increasingly relying on the success of its new BEV lineup to reignite growth.
And then there’s BYD.
While competitors focus on selling cars, BYD continues expanding deeper into batteries, semiconductors, AI, and autonomous driving technology. The company recently unveiled its own advanced automotive chips, reinforcing its position as one of the most vertically integrated technology companies in the automotive industry.
Tu and Lei also discuss:
⚡ NIO’s surprising turnaround and profitability outlook ⚡ Li Auto’s reset and what comes next for the L-Series and i-Series ⚡ BYD’s chip ambitions and technology strategy ⚡ XPeng’s robotaxi and robotics plans ⚡ Stellantis’ €60 billion strategy and deepening China partnerships ⚡ Volvo’s U.S. approval and what it means for Chinese technology in North America ⚡ Tesla FSD vs China’s rapidly evolving intelligent driving systems ⚡ Why the next automotive battle is about AI, software, autonomy, and scale
The EV race isn’t slowing down. But the leaderboard may be changing faster than most people realize.
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⏱️ YouTube Chapter Timestamps
00:00 The Auto Industry Has Flipped 02:00 Trump-Xi Summit & Global Auto Implications 05:00 NIO Earnings: Is the Turnaround Real? 09:00 Li Auto’s Challenges & Margin Pressure 13:00 XPeng’s Robotaxi & Robotics Ambitions 17:00 Why BYD Is Becoming a Chip Company 21:00 CATL, Chips & China’s Tech Arms Race 25:00 Stellantis’ €60 Billion China Strategy 30:00 Why Europe Needs Chinese Technology 34:00 Tesla FSD vs China’s Intelligent Driving Systems 38:00 Waymo’s Momentum & Autonomous Driving Reality 41:00 Volvo Approval & Future Chinese Market Access 44:00 What Happens Next for Global Automakers? 47:00 Final Thoughts
Episode #158 - Li Auto Surprises (not in a good way), The Role of Social Media on EVs in China and the EV100 & Nvidia GTC Conferences
27 Mar 2024
00:39:30
Li Auto adjusting their Q1 sales guidance downward was the first topic of discussion in this week's podcast. Of the three WeiXiaoLi triplets, Li Auto has been the darling of Wall Street but their sales have very suddenly hit a wall
Tu then gives a short lesson on master production schedules, ordering parts and lead times and how any sudden change in that schedule can complicate things and lead to issues with the supply chain and inventory levels.
Tu and Lei move back to a conversation about Xiaomi and their staying power and the power of social media in China and how it can help and hurt you in a very fast and severe way.
Lei moves the discussion over to the annual press conference from BMW and how they also would like to continue with free markets for Chinese imports into the European market.
The podcast closes out with some quick hits about some photo ops between CEOs, the EV100 and Nvidia GTC conferences, who spoke at them and what they said.
Episode #157 - Porsche Update, NIO's ONVO and BYD Abroad
18 Mar 2024
00:46:54
Lei headed over to Germany for Porsche's Annual Press Conference so much of the podcast was dedicated to what Lei learned about during his visit and led to a broader discussion about Volkswagen Group and what Tu thought about VW Group's annual press conference and how important Porsche is to Volkswagen Group's global goals.
After a detailed discussion on Germany's largest automaker and one of its most important brands, the discussion moved over to NIO and their reaching 40M swaps. Tu and Lei also talked a bit about NIO's mass market brand Onvo and how it'll be positioned alongside the NIO premium brand and the yet to be launched Firefly brand.
The podcast ends with a discussion on not counting VW Group out just yet, although the mountain they need to climb to get back into the driver's seat in China seems insurmountable at this time.
Tu also briefly discusses some of the initial quality challenges some BYD vehicles are having in the export markets, but doesn't see anything out of the ordinary or that shoud be cause for alarm just yet. BYD is new to those markets and their products will react to each of the climates differently but it's a learning process that should help them strenghthen the future quality and reliability of their global portfolio.
Episode #156 - EU leans PROTECT, Outcomes from the Two Sessions, Global Auto Heads to Brazil
11 Mar 2024
00:49:27
Tu and Lei start this podcast out with going over the latest news on the tariff situation on Chinese EVs in the US and EU with the EU now also seeming to lean towards increasing protectionism.
Lei then moves the discussion over to the R2 launch from Rivian, the follow up to their R1 and emphasizes the affordability factor with the R2. This turns into a broader discusision about Rivian and what it will take for them to ultimately be a successful automaker.
Their attention turns to the Two Sessions, the Chinese government's largest conference that sets the economic priorities for the year and has most automotive CEO's attending. Lei dives into some of the details of the policies that are being considered at the conference.
The podcast closes with Tu discussing the recent investments by legacy OEMs as well as BYD & Great Wall into Brazil and South America and how their powertrains differ from the battery electric vehicle. He believes that this is one of the next big potential growth opportunities and the investment into the sector illustrates that.
Episode #155 - Lunar New Year Hangover, 电比油滴, US Govt Investigation, HiPhi for Sale
05 Mar 2024
00:39:24
Lei begins this podcast with a brief explanation of the effects of the Lunar New Year on passenger vehicle sales traditionally.
Tu points out BYD's social media campaign about how 'electric is cheaper than gas' after they'd cut prices of their already low priced vehicles, so much so that they are cheaper than ICE vehicles from Volkswagen and some of the other foreign automakers.
Lei predicts that Li Auto may be the next EV startup that emerges from the pack in 2024 as others continue to struggle with price cuts and vehicles that aren't as popular among Chinese consumers.
Tu and Lei then spend a few minutes to share their opinions on the US goverment's connected vehicle investigation and let's just say that both seem skeptical.
The podcast ends with a discussion on potential HiPhi partners or acquirers including a look at Changan who have been rumored to be kicking the tires recently.
Episode #154 - BYD Leading the Price cuts, When tech is too tech, Thoughts on the next couple MAX episodes
28 Feb 2024
00:42:48
Tu begins the podcast talking about how the price war still has legs and will likely last through the end of this year into 2025. BYD has been leading the way with price cuts on their more popular vehicles daring their competitors to do the same.
Tu then talks about the Buick Electra E5 EV that has just gone on sale for ~$23K and wonders out loud why they can't sell that in the US for a similar price.
The discussion shifts to the technology companies that have entered the EV competition, in particular Huawei, Xiaomi and Baidu via Jiyue. With Jiyue's sales struggles, they openly wonder what is too much technology and whether Xiaomi can come up with the 'just right' approach to stuffing their EV with tech features.
They then point out how many legacy automakers have announced dialing back its EV ambitions and the challenges they still have to overcome. They focus on the German automakers and reveal that one of their next MAX guests is Daniel Kirchert, former BMW executive who also co-founded BYTON.
The podcast ends with Tu hoping that there's another price cut for the Model Y in the US since it may put him over the top for buying it himself.
Episode #153 - China Opinion on NEV Trade Cooperation, Tu and Autoline Ater Hours, Ford's Skunkworks team
14 Feb 2024
00:48:44
Tu and Lei start out the podcast by wishing each other 'Happy New Year' and discuss a bit about the holiday and their traditions and how it's celebrated by their families.
Lei then moves over to discuss the Chinese Opinions on NEV trade cooperation and both of them add their opinions about how the language and roll out of the opinion piece should be interpreted.
Tu then spends a few minutes discussing how the premium used passenger vehicle market has changed and is now more of a buyers market.
He then talks about being a guest on Autoline and some of the topics they discussed including Chinese brands entering Mexico.
Tu and Lei then transition to the news that Ford has a skunkworks team in SoCal working on a profitable small vehicle and unpack their thoughts on that.
The podcast closes with news that HiPhi may be about to close its doors for good and others that have likely built their last vehicles.
Episode #152 - January Sales (CNY effects), Evergrande, Didi + CATL, the Real Export Champ
05 Feb 2024
00:42:35
Tu and Lei start the podcast out with some of their family traditions for Lunar New Year.
They then move onto unpacking January sales numbers and emphasizing the MoM comparisons not that important due to Lunar New Year being in January last year.
Tu anticipates what we should see in March and beyond depending on how panicked the OEMs will be coming out of the New Year break, likely around late February. The goal of course is to keep the metal moving at a brisk pace of course.
Tu and Lei then move over to the discussion about Evergrande, the Chinese real estate development company being forced into liquidation by a Hong Kong court and how that will affect Hengchi, their EV brand.
Tu then talks about the impact that could be felt from the just announced partnership between Didi and CATL.
The podcast closes with a brief clarification on export numbers and who the actual leader in global exports for passenger vehicles was in 2023.
Episode #151 - Tesla 2023 Earnings, Porsche Macan EV & the BYD / DJI Collab
30 Jan 2024
00:39:15
Tu and Lei begin with briefly discussing their latest MAX episode with Gansha Wu, Founder & CEO of UISEE - an autonomous driving startup based in China.
Tu and Lei then transition over into a detailed discussion about Tesla’s earnings and the role that the China market plays in their earnings and operations and how most analysts miss how important the China market is to everything that Tesla does.
Lei then changes gears into a discussion about the recently unveiled Porsche Macan EV that still doesn’t have pricing for the China market announced. Tu gets into the recent challenges that Porsche had in the China market and how this could really be a catalyst for the resumption of growth in the China market for Porsche, but it’s going to have stiff competition now.
Tu and Lei close the show on the announcement that DJI will have, none other than BYD, as an investor and partner for their ADAS systems which should help make ADAS a common feature in mass market vehicles in China sooner rather later.
Episode #150 - China's BIG challenges, the Lotus Emeya and TuSimple Exits Stage Left
24 Jan 2024
00:42:10
Lei throws a curveball to begin the show and talks about some of China’s societal challenges, namely the aging population and shrinking number of babies born. Tu chimes in with his experience coming to the US at a very early age.
They broaden the discussion out a bit to bring in a few more noteworthy challenges to round out the discussion.
Tu & Lei get into some of the discounts that were announced last week and get into the forecasted export numbers and some of the surprise automakers that could be exporting out of China in 2024.
Tu points out that each year that the China market breaks sales records makes the following year even tougher to top. And the combination of a tough Chinese economy, high interest rates and the slowdown in the US & EU all point to a more challenging 2024.
Tu shifts the conversation to the Lotus Emeya and what brands and products it may be going after and whether or not they should be nervous.
The podcast closes on the news that TuSimple is exiting the US market and how EV related IPOs aren’t likely going to find many takers in 2024.
Episode #149 - Lei unpacks CES 2024, GM Sales in China 📉, FInal Numbers from 🇨🇳
16 Jan 2024
00:40:40
Tu and Lei dedicate this episode to the sights and sounds coming out of Las Vegas CES 2024. Lei spends the first half of this episode unpacking all that he saw and thought about the technology he experienced and the people he spoke to.
Tu and Lei then go onto some of the macro sales numbers that came from China for 2023 and unpack what they all mean, including GM's slide since 2017.
Tu closes out the podcast by telling Lei he's considering buying a used Tesla from Hertz now that they've put a number of them on sale.
The Next Automotive Era: EVs, Robotaxis & Why Legacy Auto Needs China Now | China EVs & More Ep. 247
09 Jun 2026
00:44:46
Back from China, Tu Le and Lei Xing unpack one of the most consequential shifts happening in the global automotive industry: the technology relationship between China and Western automakers has completely flipped.
What began decades ago as Western companies bringing technology into China has become something very different. Today, automakers including Volkswagen, Stellantis, Mercedes-Benz, Honda, Nissan and others are increasingly relying on Chinese batteries, software, ADAS systems, LiDAR suppliers, and EV platforms to remain competitive.
In this episode, Tu and Lei discuss:
Why Ford, GM, Volkswagen and Stellantis increasingly need Chinese technology
The growing influence of XPeng, BYD, CATL, Huawei, Momenta, Hesai and Horizon Robotics
Waymo’s rapid expansion and why autonomous driving is becoming impossible to ignore
The reality of FSD versus China’s rapidly improving intelligent driving systems
The implications of the Trump-Xi summit for the automotive sector
Canada’s evolving strategy toward Chinese EV imports
What the Beijing Auto Show revealed about the future of the industry
Why the next battle is no longer about EVs — it’s about software, AI and autonomy
The conversation also explores whether legacy automakers risk becoming hardware manufacturers while Chinese companies increasingly control the technology stack powering the future of mobility.
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🔑 SEO Keywords
China EVs, China EVs and More, Ford China strategy, Volkswagen China partnership, XPeng VLA, Tesla FSD, Waymo expansion, robotaxi industry, autonomous driving, BYD battery technology, CATL batteries, Huawei ADS, Momenta ADAS, Hesai LiDAR, Horizon Robotics, China EV technology, Chinese automakers global expansion, Trump Xi summit, Canada Chinese EVs, future of mobility, Tu Le, Lei Xing, Sino Auto Insights
⸻
⏱️ YouTube Chapter Timestamps
00:00 The New World Order in Auto 02:00 Trump-Xi Summit and Industry Implications 05:00 Why China Now Exports Technology 09:00 Ford, GM, Volkswagen and China’s Growing Influence 13:00 XPeng, Huawei, Momenta and China’s ADAS Race 17:00 Tesla FSD vs China’s Intelligent Driving Systems 22:00 Why Lei Thinks WeRide Is Closest to FSD 27:00 Waymo’s Expansion and Robotaxi Reality 31:00 What Tu Saw in San Francisco 35:00 Canada’s Chinese EV Strategy 38:00 Why Europe Is Embracing Chinese Technology 41:00 Beijing Auto Show Reflections 44:00 What Comes Next for Global Automakers 47:00 Final Thoughts
Each year this episode is HIGHLY anticipated and is ALWAYS one of the most downloaded epsiodes of the year. If you want to hear what they think of 2024 in China and around the world for the EV, battery and mobility space, you have to listen to this episode.
Tu and Lei begin the podcast out with a look back at how Tesla ignited the price war in the beginning of 2023.
They move onto a discussion about Xiaomi and CEO Lei Jun's strategy for entering the market and building up excitement for their first vehicle that's due to launch in the next year and finally making guesses on what their vehicle's price will be once announced.
They move the conversation over to how difficult it is for the legacy automakers to keep up with the constant barrage of new brands, products and endless refreshes in order to not lose pace in the China market. They acknowledge that most automakers aren't able to keep up which could lead to even more challenges in the future.
Tu and Lei briefly discuss making sure to follow the people that are out there getting it done and visiting the countries, trying out the vehicles and meeting with the executives.
They end the podcast with their review of 2023 and a discussion about which events shaped the year.
Episode #144 - NIO Earnings, Stellantis & Ample swapping collab, Tesla Wants More Capacity at ShanghaiGiga
11 Dec 2023
00:45:06
Tu and Lei begin the podcast and take quite a bit of time to share their thoughts on NIO Q3 earnings and how to look at the numbers. They back out of the earnings to briefly review the announcements that NIO has made over the last several months.
Tu moves out a few thousand feet to talk about the China market and some of the players in it and then the discussion quickly moves over to the Stellantis announcement regarding their partnership with Silicon Valley battery swapping startup Ample.
Tu and Lei push on to a discussion about the final language for the Inflation Reduction Act that was released last Friday and how it may affect the market and the strategies of all involved in the EV space.
The last two topics touched on were Tu's attendance and thoughts on the Mary Barra fireside chat and her answers relative to EVs, batteries and Cruise.
He then pushes into the rumor that Tesla is ready to double capacity at ShanghaiGiga from about 1.2M to over 2M units of capacity.
Tu and Lei start out the podcast with a quick review of the November sales and a broader discussion about the difficulty of and pressure on the EV makers to grow sales in an ultra competitive environment.
They both then spend a few minutes unpacking the announcement & implications of VW developing an EV platform called the China Main Platform (CMP) based on the MEB platform for the China market ONLY and how that's likely to do.
Lei gets Tu's thoughts on Elon mentioning that in the future the Top 10 EV makers will be Tesla with the other 9 all being Chinese.
The podcast shifts over to discussing all the latest moves by Huawei, who both agree have been very aggressively moving into the connected, EV space over the last couple years with a goal to grow revenues from this new division significantly over the next several years.
The podcast ends with both discussing NIO's expanding swap partnerships in China, now including Geely.
Episode #142 - NIO & Changan Swap, Tu and Lei Go to LA for the Show (and more), China Loves EREVs
28 Nov 2023
00:44:26
This episode starts with Tu and Lei unpacking the significance of NIO partnering with SOE Changan to expand it's swapping services.
After a significant deep-dive into the NIO swapping news, Tu then asks Lei about the announcement that Stellantis will use CATL to supply them batteries for the EU market. This in addition to the recent investment that Stellantis had made in Chinese EV company LeapMotor.
The conversation transitions over to the US and Tu and Lei's thoughts on how the final IRA language is going to shake out and how it may affect the automakers that manufacture inside the US which is just about all of the non-Chinese legacy automakers.
Tu and Lei then get into their experience in LA, both going to Faraday Future's Investor Day and then to the LA Auto show and watching the Lucid Gravity unveil.
The podcast closes out with Tu and Lei discussing the popularity of extended range electric vehicles (EREVs)
Episode #141 - Single's Day EV Promotions, Q4 Mad Dash and the Zeekr IPO
22 Nov 2023
00:42:09
Tu & Lei begin the podcast with an explanation of what Single's Day is in China and how some EV brands are participating, namely by launching promotions to help sell their vehicles.
They both then begin to talk about Q4 and the mad dash by all the automotive players in the China market to finish out the sales year on a high note. Q4 alone can sometimes make or break a brand's annual sales.
The podcast moves to a discussion on Li Auto's MEGA and XPeng's X9 MPVs and how they compare with one another and the both company's different approaches to market them.
Polestar begins the next topic of conversation and it evolves into a broader discussion about Zeekr and Geely who owns both brands, specifically what Li Shufu is trying to get out of the spate of IPOs for his companies with the Zeekr still on the way.
The podcast ends with a brief discussion about the mobile phone connection with EVs and then whether its the right time for a Chinese EV company to be IPO'ing in the US.
Episode #140 - Zeekr Track Day in the US, Lei's Chat with NIO's Ganesh Iyer, A Mad Dash to Close 2023
09 Nov 2023
00:45:16
Tu and Lei begin this podcast by discussing the layoffs announced at NIO and how this could help them and why it was potentially overdue.
Tu and Lei educate on what Single's Day in China is and how even EV brands have gotten in on promotions during the biggest digital commerce day in the world.
Tu and Lei give a quick update on BYD sales for 2023 and posit that they are really the ONLY company that's continuing to grow it's already substantial sales in China and starting to build sales momentum ex-China.
They both then take a few moments to talk about their experience at a Zeekr Track Day event they both attended just outside of New York City at the Monticello Motor Club.
In addition to the Track Day, Lei also hosted a fireside chat with Ganesh Iyer, current US Head for NIO later in the week. He discusses a few notable things Ganesh had to say.
The podcast closes out with a chat about what's expected to be a mad dash by all automakers to finish out 2023 with a sales bang.
Episode #139 - Stellantis + LeapMotor, Geely Related Events in SH / BJ, Cruise Troubles
04 Nov 2023
00:46:50
Tu and Lei start out with the big news of the week. Stellantis acquiring a stake in Chinese EV / EREV maker - LeapMotor. Tu asks Lei to give a brief history lesson of DaimlerChrysler / FCA / Stellantis.
They then both dive into the transaction, giving more background about LeapMotor and the opportunities and challenges ahead for both sides.
The conversation shifts over to the events happening in Beijing / Shanghai at the time of the live show hosted by Zeekr and Jiyue, one company a Geely brand and the other, Jiyue using Geely as a contract manufacturer.
Lei shifts gear to discuss the latest on the UAW negotiations with the US Three. Tu goes over what is an estimate of hourly costs for a typical UAW worker. This discussion evolves into why the US is having difficulty selling EVs vs. China.
The podcast closes out with the accident by a Cruise robotaxi in SF that injured a bystander.
Episode #138 - Euro Legacies Still Love China, Li Auto MEGA and Graphite Restrictions
24 Oct 2023
00:34:24
Tu starts with a brief update and discussion with Lei on Tesla in China and the overall slowdown in the EV space around the world.
The conversation quickly moves to Bill Ford's comment about Chinese EVs 'coming to our shores' and a brief discussion on Ford's recent moves.
Tu and Lei move onto discussing European brands Citroën, Peugeot and Mini and how they continue to be built in China and in Mini's case, will be built in China and exported to the rest of the world.
Tu then asks Lei if he likes the recently unveiled Li Auto Mega MPV. They spend a few moments discussing the vehicle's merits.
The podcast ends with Tu and Lei giving an update about the Chinese government restricting graphite for export.
Episode #137 - Li Auto's Ambitious Plans, Porsche's Woes in China, Tu's Bay Area Adventure
16 Oct 2023
00:50:56
The pod starts with a brief update on the UAW & US Three situation but moves quickly over to a brief disussion about Li Auto's openly stated and ambitious goals of selling 3M vehicles in China by 2028.
Tu then pushes the chat to Porsche and the struggles they may beginning to see in the China market, a market they've only seen growth in since entering in 2001.
Tu and Lei move the discussion over to Great Wall Motor's Haomo.ai announcing a very inexpensive ADAS system that starts at less than ¥10K and how LiDAR and overall sensor pricing for ADAS systems will quickly move into commodity territory as Chinese providers continue to try to compete on price.
Tu brings up how GM has offered to unionize its US battery facilities as a carrot in the ongoing UAW negotiations and they both talk about how the LG & BYD partnership could be used to skirt the Inflation Reduction Act restrictions.
The podcast ends with Tu talking about his trip to SF and and both of them talking about WM's bankruptcy filing.
We Drove a Chinese EV 1,200km Hands-Free — And the Future Is Already Here | China EVs & More Ep. 246
07 May 2026
00:53:13
In this special on-the-road episode of China EVs & More, Tu Le and Lei Xing drive a Li Auto i6 from Beijing to Shanghai using Li Auto’s latest hands-free VLA intelligent driving system — experiencing firsthand how quickly China’s EV ecosystem is evolving.
The trip comes immediately after the massive Beijing Auto Show, where over 1,400 vehicles, 180+ debuts, and dozens of new brands highlighted how intense and competitive China’s EV market has become.
Tu and Lei break down:
Li Auto’s new VLA Driver Model and real-world NOA performance
XPeng’s latest VLA 2.0 rollout and robotaxi ambitions
BYD and CATL’s escalating battery and charging war
Why large Chinese SUVs are now targeting North America’s most profitable segments
The rise of Huawei-backed brands and the growing influence of Chinese tech suppliers
How global automakers are increasingly relying on Chinese software, batteries, and ADAS systems to stay competitive
The episode also captures the realities of driving EVs in China today — ultra-fast charging, crowded charging stations, nonstop product launches, and a level of EV infrastructure that still feels years ahead of most global markets.
From autonomous driving and battery breakthroughs to the growing divide between China and the West, this episode offers a rare, firsthand look into the future of mobility — from inside the driver’s seat.
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🔑 SEO Keywords
China EVs & More, Li Auto i6 review, Beijing Auto Show 2026, China EV road trip, hands free driving China, Li Auto VLA Driver Model, XPeng VLA 2.0, BYD flash charging, CATL battery technology, Huawei smart driving, robotaxi China, autonomous driving China, EV charging China, Chinese electric vehicles, future of mobility, Tu Le, Lei Xing, Sino Auto Insights
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⏱️ YouTube Chapter Timestamps
00:00 🔥 Hook: 800KM hands-free road trip 00:30 Intro from inside the Li Auto i6 02:00 Beijing → Shanghai EV road trip explained 04:00 Li Auto VLA Driver Model hands-free demo 07:00 Charging experience in China today 10:00 Beijing Auto Show biggest takeaways 14:00 XPeng VLA 2.0 and robotaxi future 18:00 BYD vs CATL battery war 22:00 Huawei’s massive presence at the show 26:00 Why Chinese SUVs are targeting North America 30:00 Tesla vs China EV ecosystem discussion 34:00 EV infrastructure comparison: China vs West 38:00 The future of autonomous driving 42:00 Final thoughts from the road trip
Episode #136 - Double Holiday edition, September China Sales, The Hits (and Runs) Keep Coming for Cruise
16 Oct 2023
00:31:42
Tu and Lei begin the podcast with a brief discussion about the double holiday being celebrated in China - National Day & Mid-Autumn Festival.
Lei then transitions the discussion to September sales and it wasn't very pretty for many EV companies. Tu reminds everyone that new vehicles were just launched by some brands and that those sales vehicles sales wouldn't be reflected until Q4'23.
Tu and Lei key in on XPeng and NIO to disuss their particular situations and move onto a few other surprise EV companies whose sales numbers stood out including BYD's continuous solid monthly numbers.
Tu and Lei turn their attention to the US market, the current UAW situation and the low take rate that has created more EV inventory than expected for US automakers.
Tu and Lei end the podcast with a discussion on the recent Cruise accident in SF and US EV startup INDI EV's bankruptcy that further complicates Foxconn's entry into the EV contract manufacturing space.
Episode #135 - BYD Moving Up the Charts, Foreign Legacies Chose to Enter China, Tesla Selling Online in China
03 Oct 2023
00:47:09
This week's podcast begins with BYD jumping Ford to become the 4th best-selling automotive brand in the world for the month of July which should be a wake-up call to Ford management, if they've not been woken up yet.
Tu jumps on his soapbox to explain how the narrative about the foreign legacies entering the China market is incorrect and does his best to set the record straight about the real risks & rewards for the legacies that did decide to enter decades ago.
Their chat briefly revisits the Merc NIO collaboration and why it's folly for the automakers to think that they can become really good at SW development without some help. Tu emphasizes that good is one thing, but to be able to compete with Apple, Google, Amazon and the Chinese EV & tech companies is on an entirely different level.
Tu gives his take on who to look out for in 2024 for both good and bad reasons.
The podcast ends with Tu and Lei discussing the Tesla announcement that they will begin to sell their vehicles on e-commerce platforms in China in order to expand their reach and Tu talks about who is better positioned in the US to lead the EV transition.
Episode #131 - Unpacking XPeng's Moves, BYD Adds to its Manufacturing footprint, NIO Sales Revamp
12 Sep 2023
00:42:00
Tu and Lei begin with a discussion about all the recent moves made by XPeng and whether it moves the needle for them or not.
They turn their attention to August sales, specifically the top of the leaderboard which sits Li Auto, XPeng and NIO, the three US publicly traded Chinese EV companies who also happen to get the most attention by western media.
The conversation moves over to the significance and reasoning behind BYD's acquisition of Jabil's Singaporean operations which includes two factories in China.
Lei then looks back at his visits to Li Auto and NIO retail locations to compare and contrast the atmospheres and highlights the 'no pressure' environment of the NIO Houses, which could be a reason they are revamping their sales teams and tactics.
The pod ends with a discussion about the appropriate number of NIO swapping stations in the EU and how to determine that appropriate number.
Episode #130 - PHEVs Galore, WeRide US IPO and What to Expect from IAA Mobility Munich
12 Sep 2023
00:50:42
Tu and Lei start this podcast out with a brief discussion about the Chengdu Motor show. Both comment on the trend towards plug-in hybrids and MPVs which includes the Li Auto MEGA that was announced that week.
Tu and Lei then have a broader discussion about how hybrids weren't being focused on until Li Auto's success and now there are EREVs being launched by BYD's Yangwang, JAC, GAC, Geely and others.
Tu briefly talks about WeRide's ambitions to IPO in the US and the current status of their application and then moeves onto the announcement that BYD is looking to partner with a Korean company to build battery cells in South Korea.
This week's pod ends with Tu talking about the potential for EVs in the Indian market and a discussion about what they are looking forward to when they both head to Munich for IAA Mobility.
Episode 129 - XPeng earnings, Lei's trip to NEO Park, Our Next Energy Tech update
30 Aug 2023
00:43:16
The podcast starts with Lei being a bit nostalgic about leaving Beijing after visiting for the last 2 months.
It quickly moves to a discussion about XPeng earnings with Lei summarizing the earnings call and Tu giving his readout on what it all means.
This discussion evolves into a broader discussion about the price war and overalll economy that continues to struggle in China with both Tu and Lei having spoken recently with friends living in China and how they feel everything that’s going on there.
Lei starts his discussion about his trip to NEO Park with a brief history lesson of how it came about and what all the acronyms and codenames mean when talking about the park. Lei also talks about the largest NIO House being open inside NEO Park.
Tu and Lei then move onto a story about how BYD had shared a supply of chips to NIO during the chip crisis to keep them from shutting down their factory. Tu summarizes that in the tech sector things like that happening aren’t that unusual.
Tu and Lei pivot to a brief conversation about the Fang Cheng Bao brand from BYD and who its likely competitors are.
Tu closes out the pod with details about his visit to Our Next Energy for a technology update.
CEM MAX #18 - Philipp Sayler von Amende, CEO & Co-Founder carwow Germany
21 Aug 2023
01:17:04
Tu & Lei had such a great response from their MAX episode with Founder of carwow James Hind it ONLY made sense to sit down and chat with Philipp who's running the show for carwow in Germany.
carwow is an online marketplace for buying and selling new and used cars and started in the UK but have since launched in Germany in 2016 and Spain in 2018.
For those of you outside of Europe that aren’t yet familiar with carwow - in 2022, there were over 109 million visits to carwow sites with over £5B worth of cars bought and sold on the carwow platform.
But not only does carwow make it easier for buyers and sellers to transact, it has the largest automotive YouTube channel in the world providing some of the most compelling and entertaining automotive content on the interwebs.
The carwow YouTube channel which was launched in 2014 has over 2.6 billion views from it’s more than 8.2 million subscribers and growing.
Philip takes us through his career progression, how carwow works in Germany, tells us how Germans shop for cars, and most importantly he gives 🇨🇳 EV Inc some advice for entering the ultra-competitive German market.
With IAA Mobility Munich being held this week, there wasn't a more appropriate time post this conversation Tu & Lei have with Philipp - Enjoy!
Lei sits down with autonomous vehicle pioneer, Gansha Wu who's autonomous driving startup is competing against heavyweights in the robotaxi space.
But it's not just robotaxis, Gansha's team is also working on last mile delivery, cleaning and logistics vehicles that are being used at shipping ports. That's why we've differentiated the autonomous vehicle and autonomous driving. Because they're building a stack that can be used in multiple use cases, with some having the potential to generate immediate revenues.
For those in the autonomous vehicle / driving space this is a MUST LISTEN. Gansha goes in depth on his decision to focus not just on robotaxis and the differences between each of the use cases UISEE.
Beijing Auto Show Preview: China’s SUV War Is Breaking the Industry | CEM #245
04 May 2026
00:45:37
Episode #245 of China EVs & More dives into a turning point moment for the global auto industry as China’s EV market enters a new phase ahead of the Beijing Auto Show.
Tu Le and Lei Xing break down an explosion of flagship SUV launches across Chinese brands — from NIO, XPeng, Zeekr, and LeapMotor — all competing in the same $40K–$60K range with similar tech, features, and performance. The result? A hyper-competitive market where price has become the ultimate differentiator.
But that’s just one side of the story.
The episode also explores:
Why Chinese EVs are converging on identical feature sets (800V, ADAS, AI chassis)
How foreign automakers (VW, Nissan, Audi) are attempting a comeback in China
Why marketing costs and partnerships may determine survival for legacy OEMs
And how China’s EV ecosystem is shifting from price wars → brand differentiation
This is not just about China anymore — it’s about who wins the global auto reset.
🔍 SEO KEYWORDS
China EV market Beijing Auto Show 2026 Chinese electric vehicles NIO ES9 XPeng G series SUV Zeekr 9X Leapmotor D19 China EV price war global EV competition Volkswagen China strategy Nissan China EV plans EV SUV comparison Chinese EV exports EV technology trends ADAS China AI in cars China legacy automakers vs China electric vehicle future premium EV market China smart driving China
⏱️ YOUTUBE TIMESTAMPS
00:00 Intro + Beijing Auto Show setup 01:30 Explosion of new EV launches in China 03:00 Flagship SUV battle ($40K–$60K segment) 05:30 Why Chinese EVs are becoming “the same” 07:30 Feature parity: 800V, ADAS, AI chassis 09:00 The real differentiator: PRICE 11:00 Why quality is no longer the issue 12:30 Rapid refresh cycles (12–14 months) 14:00 Consumer choice overload in China 15:30 Foreign automakers strike back (VW, Nissan, Audi) 18:00 Why partnerships are the only path forward 20:00 Final thoughts: global EV reset underway
Episode 128 - Bumping in to Frank Wu, BYD gets to 5 Million, Doubling Down on Hydrogen
16 Aug 2023
00:45:30
Lei kicks off the podcast with how he randomly bumped into Frank Wu at the Jidu, now JiYue Experience Center in Beijing.
Tu believes that after seeing the features on their first vehicle, that if executed properly - could push the entire sector into the smartification phase of the EV transition.
Tu moves the conversation over to Zeekr’s price cut while Lei then talks about their recent subscription service.
Tu stops the podcast to congratulate BYD on building their 5 millionth NEV. Both Tu and Lei marvel at the speed at which they got to the last from 1 million to 5 million units.
Lei broadens out the discussion to talk about China recently hitting 20 million NEVs built in China and what a massive accomplishment that was.
Tu addresses the BYD haters by pointing to the fact that Toyota, widely considered one of the best in the biz, is using BYD tech for the China market. They wouldn’t be doing that if they thought BYD product were inferior.
Lei updates about some recent news about Huawei and Tu talks about a recent announcement by the Chinese govt effectively doubling down on hydrogen technology as a viable powertrain option and how till now, very few OEMs besides one or two Japanese OEMs seem to be committed to it.
Tu and Lei close out the podcast with an announcement about their latest MAX episode with Philipp Sayler von Amende, Co-founder & CEO of carwow Germany which will drop the week of IAA Mobility Munich.
Episode 127 - Behind the Wheel: XPeng G6, Pony & Toyota Get More Serious, Jetta to use LeapMotor's Tech
15 Aug 2023
00:56:10
Lei starts this pod out with a brief history lesson about Vitesco which was spun off from Continental’s powertrain business that had some roots at Siemens.
Lei pivots to talking in detail about his time behind the wheel of the new-ish XPeng G6 including letting the City NGP function take over for parts of his journey.
Tu then points out that as the price war has heated up, more and more complaints have arisen from customers who are purchasing these EVs. Tu takes a moment to differentiate between fails vs. (too) complicated design and how the latter can still be categorized as a fail.
Lei moves on to a discussion about Xinzhou Wu, XPeng’s head of Autonomous, leaving XPeng to join Nvidia in the US. Lei outlined the numerous reasons this could be and they all could’ve contributed to his leaving XPeng.
The pod then shifts over to a discussion of Pony and Toyota co-investing $140M in autonomous vehicles. Toyota had already made an investment in Pony and this just deepens their partnership with Toyota hoping that Pony can be their ADAS / AV solution for China.
Tu and Lei close out the podcast with a discussion of the rumor that Jetta was looking at LeapMotor to advance its EV situation by licensing their EV platform, similar to Audi’s partnership with SAIC. If we are keeping score, that’s three major deals for the VW Group with a Chinese partner if we include the VW + XPeng investment as well.
Episode 126 - VW's Blockbuster Investment, Indian govt says 'Not Interested' to BYD
31 Jul 2023
00:52:40
Tu and Lei take the bulk of the pod talking about Volkswagen Group's investment in XPeng. They go over the why's, how's and what's and whether it ultimately makes sense for Volkswagen and what it should say about their situation in China. Lei believes it will go down in Chinese Automotive history as one of the most notable ever.
They also give a brief history on XPeng and how they got to where they are including a brief discussion about their newest product, the G6 which XPeng hopes will pull it back into high sales growth.
The pod ends with Tu asking for Lei's reaction on BYD getting the Heisman from the Indian govt about a $1B investment to build a factory in India. It seems to be BYD's first real hiccup over the last several months.
Episode 125 - Bigger Stimulus for EV purchase on the way, BYD wants to build in India, Unpacking NIO Power Day
26 Jul 2023
00:58:44
Lei gets right to it with his update that 13 ministries have combined to initiate measures to boost auto consumption as the economic growth is China has still gotten past its Zero COVID funk. Tu and Lei then take a few minutes to go over some economic data over the last few months.
Tu and Lei then move the discussion over to whether Audi can turn it around even after the announced partnership with SAIC for its EV platform. Tu then broadens out his discussion to all of ABB (Audi, BMW, Benz) and their chances to turn it around in China.
The discussion moves over to BYD and their ambitions in India and the challenges that still lie ahead of them as they make are looking to manufacture locally there. Tu spends a few minutes to give a history lesson the automotive sector's previous inroads into India.
Lei closes the podcast with a summary of NIO's Power Day. Tu and Lei share their thoughts on the statistics and accomplishments that were communicated for both the NIO charging infrastructure and swapping stations.
Episode 124 - 25K Downloads for CEM, Li Bin Wants an Open US market, Lei's Trip so far to Beijing
18 Jul 2023
00:59:31
The pod begins with the announcement that China EVs & More (CEM) had gotten it's 25K download - Congratulations to us!
Tu moves the discussion over to the rumors about Audi kicking the tires on an SAIC EV platform in order to try and catch up with Tesla and the other China EV Inc. and a broader discussion about how Audi got here.
Tu points back to when he said every automaker is going through a 'Make vs. Buy' decision on every strategic (large) software / hardware move they make due to the lack of a tech culture at their companies but in a broader sense, in Europe in general. The discussion also focuses on the lack of speed at each of the European Legacy automakers and how that contributes to their inability to catch up.
Tu pushes the conversation over to Li Bin being quoted in an FT article that the US should open their market to companies like NIO rather than put up protectionist measures that make US entry more difficult.
Lei then takes a moment to discuss what he's been up to while he's been in Beijing including a visit to Baidu Apollo, trying out the WeRide autonomous vehicle. and trying out the ADAS system on the Avatr 11.
The podcast closes out with charging in China and how that experience differs from the US.
Episode 123 - June sales, Fairplay Pledge, China NEV manufacturing credits get recalc'd
15 Jul 2023
00:36:23
The pod starts with a review of June sales with Tesla and BYD dominating the market while many other brands breaking sales records including Tesla and BYD.
Tu points out for the EV purists that BYD beat Tesla for sales of BEVs in China for June. He also points out that breaking sales records are fine but the real test is whether monthly & quarterly sales are growing faster than the market.
Lei moves the discussion over to the pledge by 16 automakers that they would play fairly and vow to not continue the price war. Both Tu and Lei think it’s nothing more than lip service.
Tu and Lei jump to VW and their complaints to the Chinese govt about the ongoing price war and the current competitive environment. Lei goes further by summarizing some of Volkswagen Group China CEO - Ralf Brandstätter’s comments at the China Auto Forum going on this week.
The pod moves over to Tu’s trip out west and his update on what he sees while visiting Vancouver, BC and Seattle, WA.
The pod ends with Tu giving an update on China’s credit system for ICE and NEV manufacturing. It is a system China uses that was largely based on California’s years before.
Episode 122 - Delicate Chinese economy, XPeng G6 Importance, So much news to cover
04 Jul 2023
00:43:48
Lei kicks off this episode with his experience going to a Beijing Guoan game - Beijing’s professional soccer team.
Tu then talks about the pollution blanketing MI with the smog coming from Canada and how it reminds him of his time living in China.
Onto a detailed discussion about the XPeng G6 which just began delivery this week. Tu and Lei agree about how important this vehicle is for XPeng and the high expectations for the vehicle.
Tu emphasizes that the Chinese economy has not fully recovered from Zero COVID and that it will be important to keep a close eye on what the Chinese govt is doing to try to jumpstart it and that vehicle purchase is one of the levers to try to do that.
Tu and Lei compare and contrast XPeng’s strategy and results so far against Li Auto and their success over the last few quarters with new vehicle launches and debate whether Li Auto can achieve 1.6M sales by 2025 that Li Xiang outlined as a goal for the company.
Tu moves on to give a brief history lesson about how automotive companies used to acquire and develop brand portfolios in order to follow a person’s journey through life with a brand / products for your first job and then having a luxury brand for when you are older and an executive. It looks like some of the EV companies that are launching multiple brands want to also try to use that strategy as well.
Lei talks about how he’s still getting used to seeing brands and products that he’s not yet seen or heard of while Tu reassures him that he had trouble keeping up with all the news, brands and products that were consistently coming out each week.
Tu closes out the pod with a summary of some of the news he highlighted in this week’s SAI Newsletter.
Episode 121 - China extends NEV purchase tax exemption, Unpacking VW Capital Markets Day, NIO recruits another investor
03 Jul 2023
00:37:36
In this episode, Lei broadcasts for the first time in Beijing and Lei talks about his immediate thoughts about being back while Tu reflects on some of his experiences driving in Beijing and China.
Tu and Lei then shift the discussion over to the China NEV purchase tax exemptions and the announcement that they’d be extended but capped while also being reduced over time. Both Tu and Lei expected this announcement while Lei throws out how much the exemptions have totaled to date. Tu expects that we should know by the beginning of Q4’23 whether the exemption extension helps boost sales.
Tu shifts topics to Volkswagen’s Capital Markets day and Tu and Lei spend a few minutes unpacking their thoughts and interpretations about what was announced.
Tu then asks for Lei’s thoughts on the $700M investment from the investment arm of the Abu Dhabi government totaling ~7% of the company.
The podcast ends with Tu discussing some of the things that he thought were interesting this week that he wrote about in the SAI Newsletter.
Episode #120 - Revisiting the NIO price cuts, Li Auto wants to outsell ABB, NIO Q & A
22 Jun 2023
01:03:50
Lei starts the podcast a deeper dive into the NIO price cuts and a bit of commentary on the quick after effects.
Tu poses a few questions to Lei about whether the ¥30K cut was enough to build positive momentum. Tu thinks that the price cut will offer a temporary positive push but that NIO still needs to reconcile its product and business strategy to ensure that the gains are longer term.
Tu moves the chat over to Li Auto's bullishness and whether Li Auto will be able to outsell ABB.
Lei doubles down on his thoughts that the China market will reach 9 million units including exports.
Tu jumps on his soapbox about what he believes to be the misperception of German engineering being best-in-class after Dieselgate & their current challenges with EV products.
Tu and Lei spend the last few minutes answering questions from listeners about NIO.
Episode #119 - China Policy Updates, NIO's ET5 Touring Launch and Ford's Situation in China
19 Jun 2023
00:43:55
Tu and Lei discuss the recent policy announcements in China to encourage the purchase of an NEV in the lower tier cities. This includes forecasts for higher numbers of PHEVs sold in the coming months.
Tu moves the conversation onto the NIO ET5 Touring that’s aimed squarely at the Zeekr 001 customers. Lei and Tu agree that folks should be looking out for Zeekr sales numbers getting a boost in the coming months now that the Zeekr X Job #1 has rolled off the line. Tu anticipates that the Zeekr X could do some damage in Europe as well.
Topic of discussion moves to Ford in China. Tu heard that layoffs started happening but this starts a discussion about what Ford products will still be sold in China including the Bronco and Ranger.
Lei & Tu touch on the Volvo X30 being recently unveiled and share their thoughts on it.
Tu closes the show with a few of the articles he highlighted in his newsletter this week.
China EVs Are Now Targeting America’s Most Profitable Vehicles | Auto Industry Warning | CEM #244
13 Apr 2026
00:34:35
In Episode 244, Tu Le and Lei Xing break down a major escalation in the global EV race: Chinese automakers are now targeting the most profitable segment in North America — large SUVs and trucks.
NIO’s new ES9 flagship SUV delivers Tahoe-level size and luxury at a fraction of the price in China, signaling a direct challenge to the profit engines of GM, Ford, and Stellantis.
The episode also explores:
The continued collapse of premium brands in China, including Porsche and Mercedes
Rising export dependence as domestic competition intensifies
The next wave of product launches ahead of the Beijing Auto Show
How global macro forces — including the Iran war — are impacting EV demand and costs
Tu and Lei highlight a critical shift:
👉 The EV race is no longer about entry-level cars — it’s about owning the most profitable segments globally.
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China EV SUVs, NIO ES9, Chinese EV competition USA, EV truck competition, Tesla China competition, BYD EV strategy, global EV market trends, electric SUV comparison, EV industry disruption, Beijing Auto Show 2026, EV exports China, Tu Le Sino Auto Insights, Lei Xing China Auto Review
MAX Episode #17 - James Hind, Founder & CEO carwow
12 Jun 2023
01:20:26
Tu & Lei have a chat with James Hind, Founder and CEO of carwow.
carwow is an online marketplace for buying and selling new and used cars and started in the UK but have since launched in Germany in 2016 and Spain in 2018.
For those of you outside of Europe that aren’t yet familiar with carwow - in 2022, there were over 109 million visits to carwow sites with over £5B worth of cars bought and sold on the carwow platform.
But not only does carwow make it easier for buyers and sellers to transact, it has the largest automotive YouTube channel in the world providing some of the most compelling and entertaining automotive content on the interwebs.
The carwow YouTube channel which was launched in 2014 has over 2.6 billion views from it’s more than 8.2 million subscribers and growing.
James talked us through his background and how he founded the carwow platform. I learned a lot about how his platform works and how they’ve developed their stickiness.
James also talks to us about the trends he’s seeing the UK and German markets and how aspiring companies that are new to the automotive space can build their awareness and make a big splash.
James has built carwow into a key resource for new brands and a key tool for directly engaging potential car buyers. Don't miss this terrific conversation!
Episode #118 - May Sales, Elon in China and Lei in California for VW
06 Jun 2023
00:48:38
Tu and Lei talk May EV sales and Lei calls the top group BATL BYD, GAC AION, Tesla, Li Auto are clearly the front runners consistently outperforming the rest of their competitors, specifically NIO.
Tu and Lei also anticipate Li Auto to continue their strong sales with Tu spotlighting Zeekr to be potentially a future sales leader once the Zeekr X ramps.
Elon, Tesla and China - The discussion moves over to Elon’s recent visit to China and Tu briefly reads an excerpt from this week’s newsletter that summarizes his take on Elon’s visit. Lei sees Elon and Tesla as an example of the better parts of the challenging US & China diplomatic relationship.
Tu then compares and contrasts Nvidia’s need for the China market vs. Tesla’s need for the China market and how they differ quite substantially.
The topic moves to BYD and its brand strategy as Yangwang and the F brand establish themselves in the next several years. They discuss whether it makes sense to launch a new brand and who it might work.
Lei discusses why he’s in Cali and that’s to cover the ID.Buzz event.
The pod closes with Tu and Lei discussing which EV startups are on life support and which should actually be able to weather the storm.
Episode #115 - More Cariad Drama, Li Auto spotlight and Geely & Changan talk collaboration
26 May 2023
00:53:20
Tu starts this podcast off with his thoughts on the latest reorg of Volkwagen Group's Cariad software group wondering why they installed another 'car' guy to run Cariad when Blume had a real opportunity to catalyze real change at the division.
He then compares and contrasts that with the recent hire of Mike Abbot by GM to run their software team. After Tu's take, Lei spends a few minutes giving his counterpoint on Tu's thoughts.
Lei transitions the conversation over to two product launches, one by BYD and the other by Wuling that caught his attention due to the price reductions both launched with.
Lei briefly talks about Li Auto's product portfolio over the next few years and how its different then their competitors.
The podcast closes out the podcast with Lei giving a brief history lesson on the Geely & Changan relationship and a bit of speculation on how they've moved past their differences and may work more closely together to help each other.