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Zawya
29-07-2025
- Automotive
- Zawya
NIO reaches 800,000 vehicle production milestone
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates: NIO's 800,000th mass-produced vehicle rolled off the line at NIO Factory One in Hefei. This milestone reflects the remarkable progress of China's automotive industry in technology and innovation, and underscores NIO's decade-long dedication to building full-stack capabilities. The 800,000th vehicle is an ONVO L90. Since the pre-order started in China on July 10, the L90 has received widespread interest and recognition from users and the market. Built upon NIO's ten years of investment in the charging and swapping infrastructure, as well as continuous technological innovation, the L90 redefines the family-oriented three-row electric SUV by tackling two major user pain points: charging anxiety and space anxiety. The L90 will be officially launched in China on July 31, with deliveries starting August 1. This 800,000 production milestone starts a new chapter for NIO. The company remains committed to continuous innovation, ultimate products, and beyond-expectation services. One step at a time, it is steadily advancing toward its next milestone: one million vehicles. NIO has been present in the UAE since October 2024, introducing a cutting-edge line-up that includes the flagship six-seat EL8, the dynamic EC6 coupe-SUV, and the sleek, mid-size ET5 sedan, each designed to redefine premium electric mobility for our users. About NIO MENA NIO MENA is the Middle East and North Africa subsidiary of NIO, a pioneer and global leader in premium smart electric vehicles. NIO MENA was established in partnership with CYVN Holdings, a specialist investment vehicle based in Abu Dhabi, focused on smart and advanced mobility solutions. Together, NIO and CYVN are driving technological innovation, expanding NIO's market presence, and advancing the global transition toward sustainable mobility. NIO MENA has been established in the UAE since October 2024, with its regional headquarters in Abu Dhabi. The company plans to expand its footprint across the region, bringing cutting-edge electric vehicle technology and premium services to MENA in the coming years. Founded in November 2014, NIO is listed on stock exchanges in the United States, Hong Kong, and Singapore. NIO provides premium smart electric vehicles under the NIO brand, family-oriented smart electric vehicles through the ONVO brand, and small smart high-end electric cars with the firefly brand. With a focus on developing core technologies, the brand has amassed over 9,900+ patents by July 2025 and created the NIO Full Stack, encompassing 12 technology domains. NIO has R&D and manufacturing facilities in Shanghai, Hefei, Beijing, Nanjing, Shenzhen, Hangzhou, Wuhan, San Jose, Munich, Oxford, Berlin, Budapest, and Singapore. The company has also established sales and service networks in China, Norway, Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden, and Denmark. Media Contact: Mark Shahroozi
Auto Blog
24-07-2025
- Automotive
- Auto Blog
Mazda Uses AI To Slash Development Time And Boost Efficiency
By signing up I agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge that I have read the Privacy Policy . You may unsubscribe from email communication at anytime. Mazda has confirmed that it's now using generative AI to accelerate both vehicle design and early development stages, trimming weeks — even months — off its traditional timelines. The Japanese automaker, known for doing things its own stubborn way, says the technology is being deployed for design sketches, structural modelling, and data analysis. This move comes as part of a broader pivot toward modernization, even as Mazda remains one of the few carmakers still resisting the electric bandwagon. 0:05 / 0:09 Another Chinese automaker is taking the fight to Tesla Watch More Mazda RX-VISION Concept — Source: Mazda The AI toolset isn't just a fancy gimmick. It's a practical leap forward for a company that's long prioritized lean operations and lightweight performance over flashy tech for the sake of it. Rather than outsourcing early design to external agencies or relying on slow legacy systems, Mazda's in-house teams can now feed prompts into generative tools and get hundreds of design variants in minutes — dramatically reducing turnaround times during critical planning phases. Still Selling More Without An EV In Sight While others are pushing EVs and monthly software subscriptions, Mazda is out there… selling actual cars. In fact, Mazda's gas-powered SUV lineup is smashing records, with the company expected to break its U.S. sales figures from 1986 by the end of 2025. That's over 450,000 cars — mostly crossovers — sold without a single pure EV in the catalogue. It's a gutsy move, but clearly one that's working. The company's top brass have credited this success to their strategic focus on practical, affordable vehicles. Mazda hasn't chased headlines with EV moonshots. Instead, it has honed its core offerings — compact and mid-size SUVs — into sharp, competitive packages that consumers still want. And now, by injecting AI into the workflow, Mazda's design and engineering departments are getting faster, sharper, and even more cost-efficient. Gas Isn't Dead — Just Smarter Despite all the electrification chatter, Mazda hasn't turned its back on internal combustion. Far from it. Engineers are currently developing a next-generation SKYACTIV-Z engine that promises major leaps in both efficiency and power. Instead of scrapping petrol outright, the company's aim is to burn it smarter — with leaner mixtures, lower emissions, and clever thermal efficiency gains. It's basically Mazda doing Mazda things: taking an old idea and making it quietly brilliant. That same philosophy explains why Mazda hasn't abandoned the small car market or jacked up its prices like everyone else. In fact, Mazda's strategy around affordability is becoming something of a rarity. While rivals chase margins and bloat their lineups with tech-laden behemoths, Mazda continues to offer fun, efficient, well-built cars that don't cost more than a small yacht. Radical, apparently. Autoblog Newsletter Autoblog brings you car news; expert reviews and exciting pictures and video. Research and compare vehicles, too. Sign up or sign in with Google Facebook Microsoft Apple By signing up I agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge that I have read the Privacy Policy . You may unsubscribe from email communication at anytime. Source: Mazda A Quiet Tech Revolution Mazda might not shout about its tech the way Tesla or Hyundai do, but its approach to AI is a sign of where the brand is headed — and how it plans to stay relevant. It's not abandoning what makes Mazdas great: simplicity, precision, and value. It's just building those things faster and smarter. And if that means your next MX-5 or CX-5 arrives a year sooner, built better and designed with input from an AI that's eaten 40 years of sports car geometry? Well, that doesn't sound half bad. About the Author Max Taylor View Profile
Auto Car
01-07-2025
- Automotive
- Auto Car
From Renault 5 to Panda: How François Leboine saved small cars
It's vanishingly rare that a new car is so well-received it actually shifts perceptions of the company that created it, even before anyone has sat behind the wheel. That's the sort of instant impact of which car designers dream but precious few will ever achieve. Yet two of François Leboine's recent creations have done just that, for two different firms. Which is why he's a worthy winner of our Design Hero award. In his current role as Fiat's design chief, the Frenchman led the creation of the new Grande Panda hybrid, which combined knowing nods to the 1980s Panda with a fresh design infused with intricate details. It created new possibilities for a firm overdependent on the Fiat 500, while proving affordable cars could still be stunningly stylish. 'I knew we had to make a new icon,' says Leboine. 'Fiat is a great brand, but when I arrived four years ago, too much depended on the 500; that was clear for everyone, but it's not easy to tackle. There was a question about whether all the projects should be related to the 500 [in terms of design], because that was our hero car. My answer was that we needed to create a second hero. Of course, that's not easy to do.' We will return to the Grande Panda, but Leboine's story predates his arrival at Fiat's Centro Stile in Turin. The bulk of his automotive career so far has been spent at Renault. As the French firm's concept car design boss, he was tasked with creating a fresh version of a classic model. But after two years of work, the project stalled in 2020 because 'nobody was interested'. Until, that is, new Renault Group CEO Luca de Meo walked into the design studio on his first day on the job, looked at Leboine's vision of an electric Renault 5 and said 'let's make that'.
Auto Blog
26-06-2025
- Automotive
- Auto Blog
Toyota, VW, And GM Slam The Feds Over Outdated Safety Rules
Safety agency is slow to adopt to rapidly changing safety technologies The National Highway Safety Administration (NHTSA) is a federal agency tasked with maintaining and enforcing vehicle safety standards in the United States. This is a critical function to ensure the safest possible levels of transportation for commuters, so when a group of the industry's largest automakers accuses the NHTSA of outdated regulations that are a barrier to progress, it's worrying. This is exactly what's been communicated by a major trade group representing brands like Toyota, Volkswagen, GM, and Hyundai. NHTSA Criticized On Multiple Fronts Source: Philip Shoots/Unsplash A statement from Alliance for Automotive, a trade group representing these major automakers, is a scathing assessment of the NHTSA. 'Its fractured relationship with the industry, decades-old safety regulations, and lack of a clear strategic roadmap for emerging technologies are stifling innovation and threatening U.S. global leadership,' said the trade group about the NHTSA, as per Reuters. John Bozella, CEO of Innovation, listed dozens of NHTSA regulations that should be updated, repealed, or revised. He specifically pointed to the NHTSA's stance on automatic emergency braking and the red tape around autonomous vehicles. Zoox Fully Autonomous, All-electric Robotaxi — Source: Zoox 'Unfortunately, federal inaction is holding us back. Despite years of dialogue, there is still no comprehensive federal framework for AVs,' Bozzella said, also calling for NHTSA to ease fuel economy requirements starting in 2027, saying they are 'misaligned with consumer demand and current technology adoption rates.' Almost 40,000 people died on American roads in 2024, which remains much higher than pre-COVID levels. Therefore, anything getting in the way of road safety standards is an issue. IIHS Not Happy With NHTSA, Either Source: IIHS/YouTube The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety is an industry-funded group that also encourages the building of safer cars. Its tests are considered by many to be more comprehensive than those of the NHTSA, as cars are assessed in more crash scenarios and crash-avoidance technologies are also given a score. Autoblog Newsletter Autoblog brings you car news; expert reviews and exciting pictures and video. Research and compare vehicles, too. Sign up or sign in with Google Facebook Microsoft Apple By signing up I agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge that I have read the Privacy Policy . You may unsubscribe from email communication at anytime. 'NHTSA is failing to meet the moment. In recent years, it has approached its job with a lack of urgency, using flawed methodologies that underestimate the safety benefits of obviously beneficial interventions,' said IIHS President David Harkey, adding that the NHTSA 'requires stronger leadership, a sense of urgency, and a greater willingness to act.' As an example of the NHTSA's slow rate of modernization, the IIHS has called for motorcycles to require anti-lock brakes since 2013 as crash rates are 22% lower for such motorcycles. Despite this, it's still not a requirement that has been enforced by the NHTSA. A few years back, the latest headlight technology also hadn't been approved for use in the United States, due to outdated local regulations. Considering the rapid advances being made in safety technologies each year, a significant overhaul of the NHTSA's procedures is surely due soon. About the Author Karl Furlong View Profile
Motor Trend
25-06-2025
- Automotive
- Motor Trend
China Is Way, Way Ahead in the Car Business—Can the West Catch Up?
It's tricky for Americans to appreciate the magnitude of the technology gap that has formed and continues growing between new Chinese cars and those being produced elsewhere in the developed world. That's because our market has effectively been walled off, at least from China's homegrown brands and global nameplate electric cars. MotorTrend has attempted to lead on American press coverage of this vital market, by producing a documentary on China's inroads to Mexico (and, therefore, North America), attending Chinese auto shows, and by testing more domestic-market Chinese cars than our peer publications. The West lags behind China's rapid car development due to slower innovation cycles and differing market priorities. To catch up, Western automakers must prioritize speed, adaptability, and cost-efficiency, targeting China as the main competitor, not traditional rivals. This summary was generated by AI using content from this MotorTrend article Read Next So we listened, nodded, and took lots of notes as Terry Woychowski—CEO of vehicle benchmarking firm Caresoft Global, addressed the Society of Automotive Analysts and the Automotive Press Association, shared his thoughts on what it might take for The West to begin closing the gap with the Chinese. The question to ask yourselves is, do we have the resolve to implement his suggestions? Speed is a Key Differentiator China seems to better appreciate that the one thing there's simply no getting any more of, whether by hard work, cunning, guile, or force: time. Once a minute's gone, there's no getting it back. Terry recounted many examples of the huge differences in vehicle development time, noting that China typically spends one and a half to two years developing a new platform, versus legacy OEMs' four to five years. That's how Xpeng developed five platforms in nine years, launching one in 2018, another in 2020, and the next three in 2024. Volkswagen, by contrast, launched its MEB architecture in 2019; announced PPE in 2019 and launched it in 2025; while SSP was announced in 2021 and is scheduled for the 2028–2029 timeframe. He presented the chart below illustrating the phases of a model development program, each of which established automakers spend three to four times as long completing. Development Cycle Times (in months) Longer Hours Terry claims his contacts in China report a 9-9-6 paradigm that, frankly, seems utterly anathema to Western sensibilities. Engineers work from 9 in the morning to 9 at night six days per week. It is a pace they become inured to growing up in China, where admission slots to the coveted engineering colleges are extremely competitive. So they reportedly study way harder and party way less throughout their secondary and higher educations. Terry serves on the College of Engineering Advisory Board at Michigan Technological University, so he took time to visit ShanghaiTech University on a weekend day while in town for the auto show. He reported the library being jammed full. Speed of Innovation The days of Chinese R&D being jokingly referred to as 'receive and duplicate' instead of "research and development" are long gone. Terry reports BYD has filed as many as 45 patents per day . To date the Chinese giant holds 15 times as many patents as Tesla. Speed of Implementation Even when they don't think up a great idea on their own, the Chinese are way faster at implementing that idea once they see it. And they put up far less resistance to outside ideas. Some examples Woychowski provided: Tesla implemented its innovative integrated heat pump and EV thermal management 'Octovalve' on the Model Y in March 2020 and Huawei developed a similar 'super-manifold' with heat-pump capability for its AVATR models by mid-2022. Tesla switched from flexible copper onboard power cables used in Model S/Y to a lighter, cheaper, easier-to-install rigid aluminum setup on the Model 3/Y. The Chinese new-energy vehicle startups adopted this practice from their inception, while the legacy EV manufacturers still mainly use copper. Tesla proposed using the Transformer AI network (large language model) in Full Self Driving in 2021. Great Wall Motor followed suit launching its Highway Pilot in mass production the same year; Nio and Xpeng in 2022; and Li-Auto in 2023. DeepSeek was developed in China by Hangzhou DeepSeek AI Basic Technology Research Co. to make it easier to implement the Transformer AI LLM into automotive platforms. According to Terry, no traditional OEM has deployed it yet. Tesla introduced Gigacastings, and already Xpeng's are lighter and stronger than Tesla's. Tesla uses 9,000-ton presses; the Chinese are developing 16,000-ton presses that may be able to make an entire half of a car. The Chinese car buyer's top-five purchase considerations are technology (digital cockpits, smart features, ADAS, etc.), connectivity (embedded cellular connection with smartphone integration and AI assistants), relational priorities (brand status and reputation, OEM-customer ownership experience, riding comfort), non-traditional values (buying smarter, with less regard for traditional brand loyalties, focus on affordability, youthfulness), and environmental priorities (electrification, willingness to pay more for greener tech). By contrast, Terry says the main North American, European, Korean, and Japanese manufacturers ' top-five priorities are acceleration, power/torque, chassis grip and handling, NVH, and fit/finish. He contends the priority gap between Chinese and global buyers may be narrowing, suggesting a realignment of priorities might be overdue in Western automakers. Good question. And maybe not. But then again, those cars sell for vastly less money when new, and the march of technological progress may render them unsalable after six or eight years anyway. In that case, maybe they just need to be highly recyclable (or perhaps the third world will soon be able to tap into a huge cache of obsolete but still drivable cars). Structural Cost Advantages The playing field is not level and may not be level-able. There's no way to put a number on the cost savings of a government regulatory framework that is established and never gets altered by changes in the political winds. But some factors that have been quantified include the general cost to acquire land, raise capital, and borrow money, which is estimated to be 7–9 percent lower for Chinese OEMs. Chinese OEMs and suppliers are each said to be about 7 percent less profitable. One practice that might suggest potential savings for the establishment is a Chinese auto industry willingness to make common certain products and specifications, sharing some parts across manufacturers and suppliers to lower the cost for all (Caresoft attributes a 7–15 percent savings to this practice). What Must American Companies Do? Change everything. Bust paradigms. Stop prioritizing features and attributes that customers aren't willing to pay for nor care about. Establish a moon-landing mission mindset and target China as the competition, as opposed to cross-town or trans-Atlantic rivals. Lobby governments in lockstep to reduce structural costs. Most of all, take full advantage of any temporary relief tariffs may afford to lower costs and accelerate development. China faces some internal headwinds, including gross overcapacity, which is driving both the national impetus to export and an expected consolidation or culling of brands in the next few years. Some suppliers are in tenuous financial shape, which the government is looking to shore up by forcing OEMs to pay suppliers more quickly. But western automakers will only catch up by accelerating their own efforts; not by waiting and hoping for internal troubles to slow China down.
