Dreame Technology, known for its smart home appliances, is expected to enter the power bank market with a product powered by solid-state battery technology, according to sources within the power bank supply chain. Currently in the testing phase, the device will move into mass production after passing quality checks, sources said on Thursday. By replacing liquid electrolytes with solid-state alternatives, the new battery design is said to eliminate the risk of leakage, short circuits, and thermal...

Closeup of phone screen with logo lettering of battery manufacturer CATL. Credit: 123RF A subsidiary of China’s CATL has signed a deal with Chinese ride-hailing platform T3 Chuxing to develop autonomous ride-hailing vehicles featuring CATL’s skateboard chassis for electric vehicles, as the world’s largest battery maker continues to ramp up spending in the highly promising robotaxi market. The companies will jointly design, develop and test robotaxis that will be built upon CATL’s so-call...

Chinese drone maker DJI on Monday unveiled the FC100, its new flagship civilian delivery drone, priced from RMB 89,999 ($12,500). Capable of carrying up to 80kg, the FC100 offers a flight range of 6km with a single battery and up to 12km with dual batteries. The drone features LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging), millimeter-wave radar, and a five-lens fisheye vision system for real-time terrain and obstacle detection, according to the company. It also includes AR-assisted safety and intelligent...

NIO’s Firefly Credit: NIO’s Official WeChat Account NIO said Tuesday its small electric vehicle model, the firefly, now starts at RMB 79,800 ($11,128) for customers who subscribe to a battery-leasing service with a monthly fee of RMB 399. The price is RMB 119,800 for customers who purchase the battery pack outright. New firefly buyers who place orders by the end of the month will also receive one free month of the Battery-as-a-Service (BaaS) program, provided they pay their bills eve...

CATL opened its first-ever bricks-and-mortar experience center, the NING Space, in the southwestern Chinese city of Chengdu on Saturday, August 10, 2024. Credit: CATL Chinese battery giant CATL has partnered with Alibaba’s fintech arm Ant Group, as well as bike-sharing platform Hellobike, to make autonomous ride-hailing vehicles, according to an announcement published on Monday, placing them in direct competition with early movers such as Waymo and Baidu. Hellobike, which counts Ant as its lar...

China’s EHang, a Nasdaq-listed company that makes autonomous aerial vehicles, will use high-performance lithium-ion battery cells from Gotion High-Tech for its EH216 series air taxis in a move it hopes will improve the flight range of its products in preparation for commercial operation. Gotion, one of the biggest Chinese battery makers – and one that counts Volkswagen as its largest shareholder – will provide EHang with its 46-series cylindrical battery, according to a statement published...

Mercedes-Benz has begun early research for a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) featuring a large battery that can deliver a long electric driving range tailored to Chinese consumers’ needs, people familiar with the matter told 36Kr on June 13, without giving further details. The news comes after the German automaker reported a 10% decline in China car sales year-on-year to 152,775 units for the first three months of this year, following a 6.7% annual fall last year. Mercedes-Benz has five...

Credit: The Paper CATL is planning to build 10 battery swap stations for electric vehicles across Hong Kong by the end of 2026, in a move the battery giant expects to significantly reduce the time it takes to charge an EV in the city and to improve working efficiency for local taxi drivers. The company said on June 13 it will collaborate with Chinese state-owned automaker FAW and Dragon Rise New Energy Holdings Ltd, a Hong Kong-listed energy infrastructure provider, to push the adoption of the t...