China's Xiaomi to release YU7 electric SUV at end of June
SHANGHAI, June 18 (Reuters) - Chinese technology company Xiaomi (1810.HK), opens new tab plans to start taking orders for its new YU7 electric sports utility vehicle at the end of June, its CEO Lei Jun said on Wednesday on his Weibo account.
The company earlier said it would start taking orders in July.
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Ocado, Bon Preu to build new fulfilment centre in Catalonia
June 18 (Reuters) - British online supermarket and technology firm Ocado (OCDO.L), opens new tab said on Wednesday it has expanded its partnership with retailer Bon Preu in Catalonia to build a new customer fulfilment centre for its offerings in the region.
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Some Chinese cities pause car-buying subsidies as funds run out
SHANGHAI, June 18 (Reuters) - At least six cities and municipalities across China have suspended trade-in subsidies for car buyers in June, according to Reuters' review of government announcements, which could slow new car sales in the world's second-biggest economy. Notices from governments in Zhengzhou and Luoyang blamed the subsidy pause on the first round of funding allocated by Beijing for the programme running out, while Shenyang and Chongqing said the suspension was due to adjustments to improve capital efficiency. The northwestern region of Xinjiang issued a similar suspension. China's government has leaned on subsidies for big-ticket items, including cars, home appliances and some electronics to get people spending as consumer sentiment in the country remains sluggish amid a prolonged property slump and concerns over wage growth and unemployment. The programmes have been embraced with some enthusiasm. As of May 31, there were more than 4 million applications submitted this year for car-specific trade-in subsidies, according to the country's Ministry of Commerce. Chinese retail sales data for May released earlier this week surprised on the upside with subsidies cited as one reason for the higher-than-expected 6.4% growth. While there has been no official announcement about when more funds from the central government will be released for programmes, China's National Development and Reform Commission and Ministry of Finance have said the subsidies would continue throughout 2025, leading analysts to expect new funds for the third quarter to be made available from July. The subsidy programme has also met with controversy, however, particularly in the auto sector. China's auto industry, the world's largest, has attracted criticism from regulators over a deepening price war that has sapped the sector's profitability. Official media in China's Henan province, where Zhengzhou is the capital, last week reported, citing unnamed sources, that China's central government had taken note of some loopholes in the subsidy schemes and would look to make adjustments. One of the major issues identified by Chinese media and regulators is so-called 'zero-mileage used cars', which refers to the practice of selling brand new cars as heavily discounted second-hand vehicles to get rid of inventory. The report in Henan government-owned newspaper Dahe Daily added that sales of 'zero-mileage used cars' were one of the key factors leading to subsidies being used up ahead of expectations, necessitating the suspensions. Some businesses were disguising new or nearly new cars as used cars that they could trade in to obtain the subsidies, the newspaper said. The People's Daily, a national newspaper that often signals the positions of China's top leaders on a variety of issues, also called for a crackdown on the zero-mileage used cars, weeks after Great Wall Motor's ( opens new tab Chairman Wei Jianjun publicly condemned the practice. China's industry ministry in early June summoned automakers to a meeting where it called for the sector to halt its price wars, Reuters reported last week.
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The Audi RS6 will keep its booming V8 – in addition to 670bhp EV
Both hybrid and electric performance A6s are being readied for 2026 Open gallery Close The next Audi RS6 will be completely electrified for its fifth generation in 2026, when it will arrive with both a plug-in hybrid V8 powertrain and a fully electric one – a first for Audi Sport. Set to rival both the electric BMW i5 M60 and the PHEV BMW M5, the new RS6 will be the most powerful version yet, producing as much as 730bhp in combustion-engined form. And for the first time since 2010, the RS6 will offer a choice of estate and saloon bodystyles. The decision to continue offering a combustion-engined RS6 comes two years after Audi Sport confirmed its intention to take the RS6 fully electric. Slower than anticipated EV sales in important markets prompted a revision of that plan, with Audi now instead seeking to extend the life cycles of key ICE models well into the next decade. The dual-powertrain approach is underpinned by a dual-platform strategy. The electric RS6 E-tron sits on the Volkswagen Group's Premium Platform Electric (PPE). Meanwhile, the combustion-engined RS6 adopts the Premium Platform Combustion (PPC) – an evolution of the MLB architecture used by the current RS6, which was introduced in 2019. Details remain scarce, but the combustion-engined RS6 is understood to continue with an updated version of the Porsche-developed twin-turbocharged 4.0-litre V8 petrol engine used by its predecessor. But in order to meet stricter Euro 7 emissions legislation, it is expected to be combined with a plug-in hybrid system that incorporates a gearbox-mounted electric motor and a lithium ion battery – a set-up already deployed in various Porsche and Bentley models. Recent sightings of test vehicles appear to confirm this development, with mules spotted wearing smaller, more inboard tailpipes closely resembling those fitted to the Porsche Cayenne Turbo E-Hybrid. A 'high voltage' sticker has also been seen on these prototypes. Using this set-up also means a bump in power over the existing RS6's 621bhp and 627lb ft. For example, in the most potent Cayenne, the PHEV arrangement delivers a combined 730bhp and 701lb ft of torque. An even more powerful version of this PHEV powertrain is used in the facelifted Porsche Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid, where it develops 771bhp and 738lb ft. That provides the four-wheel-drive luxury liftback with an official 0–62mph time of 2.9sec and a 202mph top speed – figures that Audi Sport will be aiming to emulate with the new RS6. The move to develop the V8 for the RS6 is reinforced by fellow Volkswagen Group brand Porsche, which announced last year that the next-generation Cayenne and other models will retain combustion engines into the future, with investment aimed at 'improving the efficiency of the V8 developed by Porsche and built at the Zuffenhausen engine plant'. The electric RS6 E-tron, meanwhile, is confirmed to run a sophisticated dual-motor, four-wheel-drive powertrain that builds on the one already in the S6 E-tron. In that model (launched alongside the standard A6 E-tron earlier this year), the system develops 543bhp and 631lb ft. Insiders at Audi Sport have suggested to Autocar that power will be ramped up to somewhere closer to 670bhp and 701lb ft. One source said: 'It's unlikely to reach as far as the RS E-tron GT [Audi Sport's most powerful model, at 912bhp], but there will be a solid increase over and above the S6 E-tron as part of the differentiation measures.' Like some other performance EVs, such as the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N, Audi will also give the RS6 E-tron a trick gearbox and pump sound into the cabin to increase driver engagement. Audi Sport engineers are also claimed to be developing a progressive torque curve. The EV will use the same 94.8kWh (usable) battery as the A6 E-tron but, given its performance positioning, it isn't expected to achieve the same range as the standard saloon (463 miles) or Avant estate (437 miles). Both the electric and combustion-engined RS6s will be visually more aggressive than their standard stablemates, with a more angular design, wider arches and, at the rear, a deep diffuser and larger roof-mounted spoiler. For the PHEV, notably larger air intakes and centrally positioned oval tailpipes will be added. Meanwhile, the EV will grow to 4900mm in length, to match its PHEV V8 sibling. Despite the adoption of lightweight materials such as aluminium and composites, the extra hybrid hardware will add mass, tipping the new PHEV RS6 beyond the 2090kg of its predecessor. The electric RS6 E-tron, meanwhile, is set to exceed the 2500kg mark. To preserve handling agility and improve comfort, Audi Sport is expected to introduce a new active suspension system similar to that of the Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid. Sightings of prototypes also suggest braking will be handled by large carbon-ceramic discs and 10-piston front calipers. As with previous iterations, the new RS6 is expected to maintain a significant premium above the rest of the A6 range. For the EV, it will rise beyond its £99,300 S6 sibling, while prices for the petrol-powered car are expected to extend in the direction today's £176,975 RS6 Avant GT. Join our WhatsApp community and be the first to read about the latest news and reviews wowing the car world. Our community is the best, easiest and most direct place to tap into the minds of Autocar, and if you join you'll also be treated to unique WhatsApp content. You can leave at any time after joining - check our full privacy policy here. Next Prev In partnership with
