Latest news with #smartdriving


Zawya
5 days ago
- Automotive
- Zawya
Stellantis to debut Leapmotor's EVs in South Africa this year
Stellantis plans to sell Chinese-branded electric vehicles developed by its partner Leapmotor in South Africa, starting with the C10 from September, the company said on Tuesday, 22 July. File photo: The logo of Zhejiang Leapmotor Technology, a Chinese electric vehicle maker, sits on its C10 electric vehicle at the opening of a company showroom in Hong Kong, China, on 11 June 2025. Reuters /Tyrone Siu/File Photo The C10 is an electric SUV with a petrol engine used purely to charge the battery. More Leapmotor models are expected to be launched next year, including fully electric models, Mike Whitfield, managing director of Stellantis South Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa, said in a statement. Leapmotor created waves with its recent rollout of the all-electric B10 SUV equipped with smart-driving features and lidar sensing technology for less than $18,000. In 2023, Stellantis bought a 21% stake in Leapmotor for $1.6bn. The two automakers also formed the joint venture Leapmotor International, in which Stellantis holds a 51% stake. Leapmotor will help the world's fourth-largest automaker widen its range of affordable EVs, as it presses ahead with electrification at a time when other Chinese automakers, including BYD and Chery Auto, are aggressively expanding into Africa. "South Africa is a critical market for Stellantis, and we are fully committed to unlocking its potential through product, innovation and meaningful partnerships," Whitfield said. Stellantis, which entered the South African market four years ago, is building a new plant in the country, with a maximum capacity of 100,000 vehicles by 2030. It plans to become the number one player in the Middle East and Africa region with one million vehicles sold by 2030, with 35% expected to be electric. In 2024, it sold 500,000 cars in the Middle East and Africa. With over 60% of the South African market concentrated below the R400k ($22,755) price point, Stellantis' Citroën C3 range is gaining strong traction, with the upcoming C3 Basalt set to complete a competitive lineup in the accessible B-hatch and SUV segments early next year, Whitfield said. Stellantis will also launch the Citroën C3 Hola panel van, its entry into the growing commercial vehicle sector aimed at small business owners.
Yahoo
16-07-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
China's Xpeng revises up 2025 planned hires to 8,000, founder says
BEIJING (Reuters) -Chinese electric vehicle maker Xpeng's planned hires for this year have been revised up to 8,000 from 6,000, founder He Xiaopeng said in an internal speech. With the added openings, Xpeng's workforce will be nearing 30,000 within this year, He said, according to a transcript of the speech seen by Reuters on Wednesday. The revision highlights ramped-up hiring in smart driving with a large number of openings in fields such as large artificial intelligence models, according to the company.
Yahoo
16-07-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
China's Xpeng revises up 2025 planned hires to 8,000, founder says
BEIJING (Reuters) -Chinese electric vehicle maker Xpeng's planned hires for this year have been revised up to 8,000 from 6,000, founder He Xiaopeng said in an internal speech. With the added openings, Xpeng's workforce will be nearing 30,000 within this year, He said, according to a transcript of the speech seen by Reuters on Wednesday. The revision highlights ramped-up hiring in smart driving with a large number of openings in fields such as large artificial intelligence models, according to the company.


Reuters
10-07-2025
- Automotive
- Reuters
Renault unit launches EV industry investment fund with Chinese partners
BEIJING, July 10 (Reuters) - Renault's ( opens new tab electric vehicle business Ampere signed a deal on Thursday with Chinese partners, including CICC Capital PE, in China's eastern city of Hangzhou to launch an EV industry investment fund. The fund will focus on batteries, smart driving, smart cockpits and embodied intelligence, among other cutting-edge fields, the French automaker said in a statement. The size of the fund was not disclosed.
Yahoo
10-07-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Renault unit launches EV industry investment fund with Chinese partners
BEIJING (Reuters) -Renault's electric vehicle business Ampere signed a deal on Thursday with Chinese partners, including CICC Capital PE, in China's eastern city of Hangzhou to launch an EV industry investment fund. The fund will focus on batteries, smart driving, smart cockpits and embodied intelligence, among other cutting-edge fields, the French automaker said in a statement. The size of the fund was not disclosed. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data