Fast Lane: Mazda 6e to launch in S'pore in 2026, Deepal S05 made in Thailand, Neo Aeronautics flying car takes off
The electric Mazda 6e is expected to be in Singapore in the second half of 2026. PHOTO: MAZDA
Fast Lane: Mazda 6e to launch in S'pore in 2026, Deepal S05 made in Thailand, Neo Aeronautics flying car takes off
Incoming: Mazda EV
The Mazda 6e electric saloon is the European version of the China-only EZ-6, and it is slated for launch in Singapore and the United Kingdom in the second half of 2026.
While the car will be built in China through a joint venture between Mazda and Chinese state-owned company Changan, it will be further tuned to suit European taste for the export market. This is in terms of the steering, suspension and pedal calibration.
On the outside, the 6e is about the same size as the Toyota Camry, though its wheelbase, at 2,895mm, is 70mm longer than the benchmark saloon. This should translate to a significantly more spacious cabin than Mazda's current contender in the segment, the 6 Sedan.
In terms of driving range, the 6e can travel up to 552km before its batteries need to be recharged.
'Sawadee' car for Singapore
Changan's new Thai factory will produce the Deepal S05 (pictured here on a production line in China) for markets such as Singapore.
PHOTO: JONATHAN NG
The first made-in-Thailand Deepal S05 rolled off the assembly line at Changan's factory in Rayong on May 16 to mark the factory's official opening.
This is the first overseas electric vehicle factory for Changan, which is a state-owned car company. Changan joins Chinese rivals including BYD, MG and GAC to have manufacturing operations in Thailand.
Besides Deepal, the plant will also produce cars under the Changan, Deepal and Avatr brands.
The factory has workshops for welding, painting, general assembly and batteries, among other functions. The annual production capacity is expected to double from 100,000 units to 200,000 units by 2027.
The S05 is a mid-sized electric sport utility vehicle competing against the likes of the BYD Atto 3. Expected to be launched in Singapore later in 2025, the S05 will likely come from the Rayong factory.
Made-in-Singapore flying car to take flight in US
The Crimson S8 'flying car' will take to the skies in 2026, albeit only in the US.
ST PHOTO: BRIAN TEO
Home-grown aeronautical company Neo Aeronautics is aiming to make its 'flying car' available for rental to tourists and adventure seekers in 2026 at clubhouses set up in scenic and tourist spots in the US.
The Crimson S8 is a compact machine that can fit into a standard parking space. Four pairs of electric propellers mounted on carbon fibre arms enable it to take off and land like a helicopter.
The S8 will undergo further development before launching in the US in 2026.
There are currently no plans to launch the Crimson S8 in Singapore.
Virtual self-driving grand prix racing in UAE
Come November, 10 research teams, including one from Singapore, will compete in the autonomous racing league at the Yas Marina Circuit in the UAE.
PHOTO: A2RL
Singapore will be among 10 countries competing at the 2025 Abu Dhabi Autonomous Racing League Car Championship on Nov 15. This will take place at the Yas Marina Circuit in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Singapore's entry is a collaboration between Nanyang Technological University and UAE-based technology group Kintsugi.
The teams will compete to develop the autonomous driving system to extract maximum performance from the Dallara Super Formula SF23 racer on track. The vehicle is similar to the one used in the 2024 event, but with upgraded sensors and systems.
New for 2025 is A2RL Sim-Sprint, a virtual racing series to speed up the refinement of autonomous vehicle algorithms. The organiser says this extends A2RL into a year-round development ecosystem.
Go to a2rl.io to learn more about the autonomous racing series.
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China targets Russia's war secrets and scientists Soon after Russian troops pushed across the border into Ukraine, officials from Chinese defence firms and institutes tied to Chinese intelligence began flooding into Russia. Their goal, according to the FSB document, was to better understand the war. China has world-class scientists, but its military has not fought a war since a month-long conflict with Vietnam in 1979. The result is anxiety in China about how its military would perform against Western weapons in a conflict over Taiwan or the South China Sea. Chinese intelligence officials are eager to understand Russia's fight against an army backed by the West. 'Of particular interest to Beijing is information about combat methods using drones, modernisation of their software and methods for countering new types of Western weapons,' the FSB document says, adding that Beijing believes the war in Ukraine will become drawn-out. The conflict has revolutionised warfare technology and tactics. China has long lagged behind Russia in its aviation expertise, and the document says that Beijing has made that a priority target. China is targeting military pilots and researchers in aerohydrodynamics, control systems and aeroelasticity. Also being sought out, according to the document, are Russian specialists who worked on the discontinued ekranoplan, a hovercraft-type warship first deployed by the Soviet Union. 'Priority recruitment is given to former employees of aircraft factories and research institutes, as well as current employees who are dissatisfied with the closure of the ekranoplan development programme by the Russian Ministry of Defense or who are experiencing financial difficulties,' the report says. It is not clear from the document whether those recruitment efforts are limited to hiring Russian specialists for Chinese ventures or also extend to recruiting them as spies. The document also shows that Russia is very concerned about how China views the war in Ukraine and is trying to feed Beijing's spies with positive information about Russian operations. And it commands Russian counterintelligence operatives to prepare a report for the Kremlin about any possible changes in Beijing's policy. Western leaders have accused China of providing Russia with essential weapons components and working to conceal it. The FSB document lends support to that claim, stating that Beijing had proposed establishing supply chains to Moscow that circumvent Western sanctions and had offered to participate in the production of drones and other unspecified high-tech military equipment. The document does not say whether those proposals were carried out, though China has supplied Russia with drones. The FSB memo also hints at Chinese interest in the Wagner mercenary group, a Russia-backed paramilitary group that propped up governments in Africa for years and fought alongside Russian troops in Ukraine. 'The Chinese plan to use the experience of Wagner fighters in their own armed forces and private military companies operating in the countries of South-east Asia, Africa and Latin America,' the directive says. The wording of the report does not indicate whether the FSB believes that China wants to recruit former Wagner fighters for its own formations or simply wants to learn from their experience. Moscow worries Beijing is trying to encroach on its territory Russia has long feared encroachment by China along their shared 4,200km border. And Chinese nationalists for years have taken issue with 19th-century treaties in which Russia annexed large portions of land, including modern-day Vladivostok. That issue is now of key concern, with Russia weakened by the war and economic sanctions and less able than ever to push back against Beijing. The FSB report raises concerns that some academics in China have been promoting territorial claims against Russia. China is searching for traces of 'ancient Chinese peoples' in the Russian Far East, possibly to influence local opinion that is favourable to Chinese claims, the document says. In 2023, China published an official map that included historical Chinese names for cities and areas within Russia. The FSB ordered officers to expose such 'revanchist' activities, as well as attempts by China to use Russian scientists and archival funds for research aimed at attaching a historical affiliation to borderlands. 'Conduct preventative work with respect to Russian citizens involved in the said activities,' the memo orders. 'Restrict entry into our country for foreigners as a measure of influence.' China is unnerving Russia in Central Asia and the Arctic The concerns about China expanding its reach are not limited to Russia's Far East borderlands. Central Asian countries answered to Moscow during the Soviet era. Today, the FSB reports, Beijing has developed a 'new strategy' to promote Chinese soft power in the region. China began rolling out that strategy in Uzbekistan, according to the document. The details of the strategy are not included in the document other than to say it involves humanitarian exchange. Uzbekistan and neighbouring countries are important to Mr Putin, who sees restoring the Soviet sphere of influence as part of his legacy. The report also highlights China's interest in Russia's vast territory in the Arctic and the Northern Sea Route, which hugs Russia's northern coast. Historically, those waters have been too icy for reliable shipping, but they are expected become increasingly busy because of climate change. The route slashes shipping time between Asia and Europe. Developing that route would make it easier for China to sell its goods. Russia historically tried to maintain strict control over Chinese activity in the Arctic. But Beijing believes that Western sanctions will force Russia to turn to China to maintain its 'aging Arctic infrastructure', according to the FSB document. Already, Russian gas giant Novatek has relied on China to salvage its Arctic liquefied natural gas project, after previously using the American oil services firm Baker Hughes. The FSB asserts that Chinese spies are active in the Arctic, as well. The report says Chinese intelligence is trying to obtain information about Russia's development of the Arctic, using institutions of higher education and mining companies in particular. But despite all of these vulnerabilities, the FSB report makes clear that jeopardising the support of China would be worse. The document squarely warns officers that they must receive approval from the highest echelons of the Russian security establishment before taking any sensitive action at all. NYTIMES Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
