They’re describing the idea of shopping for a car on the internet instead of only going to a dealership. You can usually pick a car, then have it delivered or go pick it up.
AutoTrader is a website/app where you can look at cars for sale. Dealers list their cars there, and you can often contact them or set up delivery from the listing.
The Audi e-tron is an electric car made by Audi. Instead of using gasoline, it runs on a battery and an electric motor. The podcast brings it up as part of broader EV news, like sales and exports.
A facelift is when a car gets updated after it’s been on sale for a while. It’s usually small changes—like styling and tech—rather than a completely new car.
The Porsche Taycan is a well-known electric Porsche. When the host calls the SU7 a rival to it, they mean Xiaomi is trying to compete with a top EV in the same “fast and premium” category.
The Xiaomi SU7 is Xiaomi’s electric car. They’re talking about updates to how it looks, how it feels inside, and how fast it can charge and how far it can go.
These are door handles that pop out electronically when you approach or press a button, then tuck away again. The idea is better aerodynamics, but the segment notes they’ve been controversial after a crash.
Throttle response describes how quickly and smoothly the car reacts when the driver presses the accelerator. In EVs, it’s often tuned via software mapping and power delivery characteristics, and reviewers may compare it to the feel of combustion cars.
BYD is a big Chinese car company that also makes batteries. In this story, Xiaomi is buying batteries from BYD, so BYD’s production affects Xiaomi’s ability to sell cars.
CATL is a company that supplies EV batteries to many car brands. The hosts are saying CATL is still the biggest battery supplier in China by a wide margin.
Export mix is the breakdown of exported vehicles by type—here, BEVs versus plug-in hybrids. The segment argues the mix matters because it influences how quickly EV technology spreads globally and how emissions profiles change.
Car
Audi A6L e-tron
Audi is taking pre-orders for an all-electric version of the A6L in China. It’s an electric luxury sedan, and Audi is selling it in several different versions.
Pre-sales mean the company starts taking orders before the cars are actually in customers’ hands. It helps the brand plan production and lets buyers reserve a spot.
Trims are different versions of the same car. Higher trims usually add more features, while lower trims cost less.
Term
135 Air Pro or 230 Pro and Max trims
Those numbers in the trim names usually indicate different versions with different specs. They might relate to how much power you get or how the car is tuned, depending on the brand’s naming system.
Zero-gravity seats are designed to feel more relaxing and take pressure off your body. “16-way” means you can adjust the seat in lots of different ways for comfort.
TOPS is a way to describe how powerful the car’s computer is for AI tasks. More compute can help the car process sensor data faster for driving features.
Four-wheel drive (4WD) means power is delivered to all wheels, improving traction and stability, especially in low-grip conditions. The speaker ties it to the triple-motor configuration to emphasize capability.
Geely is a major Chinese automaker referenced here as moving ahead of Honda in global ranking. The mention supports the broader theme of Chinese brands gaining share internationally.
Suzuki is mentioned through its president’s comments about BYD’s entry into Japan. The context is competitive pressure in the small EV segment and the need for Suzuki to respond.
“Chat concierge” is an AI chat assistant that helps you shop for a car. It can also help with practical steps like scheduling a test drive and estimating trade-in value.
Trading value is what your current car might be worth if you trade it in. It helps figure out how much you’d pay after the trade.
LIVE
Big R's Big Deals of the Week are turning up the heat all March long.
Every single week, we're dropping a brand new jaw-dropping deal.
We're talking serious savings on Big R senior feed, black gold performance dog food,
all tough stuff, five quart buckets and more.
But here's the catch, the item changes every week and so do the savings.
Shop in store to snag the deal or skip the hustle and order online with same-day delivery
or curbside pickup.
Want first dibs?
Follow Big R on social media and be the first to see the Big Deal before everyone else.
Big R, Big Deal, Big Savings every week.
Are you really buying a car online on AutoTrader right now?
Really, I can get super specific with dealer listings and see cars based on my budget.
You can really have it delivered.
Or pick it up.
Mommy, look!
I think your kid is walking up the slide.
Really?
AutoTrader, buy your car online, really.
Big R's Big Deals of the Week are turning up the heat all March long.
Every single week, we're dropping a brand new jaw-dropping deal.
We're talking serious savings on Big R senior feed,
black gold performance dog food, all tough stuff, 5 quart buckets and more.
But here's the catch.
The item changes every week and so do the savings.
Shop in store to snag the deal or skip the hustle and order online with same-day delivery
or curbside pickup.
Want first dibs?
Follow Big R on social media and be the first to see the Big Deal before everyone else.
Big R, Big Deal, Big Savings every week.
Capital One's tech team isn't just talking about multi-agentic AI.
They are already deployed one.
It's called Chat Concierge and it's simplifying car shopping.
Using self-reflection and layered reasoning with live API checks,
it doesn't just help buyers find a car they love.
It helps schedule a test drive, get pre-approved for financing,
an estimate trading value, advanced, intuitive and deployed.
That's how they stack.
That's technology at Capital One.
Welcome back to EV News, China.
Coming up today, the Xiaomi new SU7 reviews are in.
EV exports surge and the Audi A6L e-tron.
Plus, stay tuned.
Later in the show, I'll tell you how China just overtook Japan on a global stage.
Welcome to EV News, China, the podcast all about the world's biggest EV market.
Every day, I bring you the headlines, insights and analysis from the heart of China's booming
EV industry and decode house fast-moving developments in the east shape of the global EV landscape.
Xiaomi has given the SU7 its first facelift after two years on sale in China.
The electric saloon launched in 2024 as a rival to the Porsche Taycan.
The update brings small styling changes, a quieter cabin, more power and faster charging.
The exterior changes are modest.
Xiaomi's tweaked the front and rear bumpers, added new wheel and colour options.
The SU7 now uses flip-up electronic door handles, which owners can also operate manually.
They replaced the flush hidden handles previously fitted.
Those handles drew regulatory scrutiny after they partly contributed in a fatal crash.
Inside, Xiaomi's redesigned the centre console to match the Xiaomi YU7, that's the crossover.
It now gets the same screw-in dashboard accessory ports from the YU7.
Xiaomi's also fitted laminated glass throughout the car and added soft touch materials to the
dashboard and upper door panels.
Reviewers who attended four separate early drive events in Beijing have praised a much quieter interior.
For instance, inside China Autos, Mark Rainford said some rivals in the Chinese market still remain marginally quieter.
But Xiaomi's also made some big changes under the skin.
800-volt architecture standard across all SU7s.
The SU7 Max is nearly 900 volts.
That brings faster DC charging.
There's longer range.
The long-range variant is now on the China Cycle.
Optimistic.
It favours urban driving.
560 miles, 902 kilometres.
And it will add 416 miles in 15 minutes.
Early drive suggests Xiaomi's not spent the budget on trim alone.
For instance, everything electrics Elliot Richards praised a more natural, progressive throttle response.
Feeling more combustion-like.
And China-driven's Will Sundin highlighted sharper turn-in.
And improved handling.
And it's selling really well already.
Let's also stay with Xiaomi for our second story today.
They've become BYD's largest external battery customer.
The China Passenger Car Association's February numbers are in.
And they show that Xiaomi took 17.9% of BYD's batteries.
That puts Xiaomi ahead of BYD sub-brands and the likes of Denzi and Fang Cheng Bao.
Even so, BYD still kept half of its total battery output for BYD-branded vehicles.
And the shift matters because Xiaomi Auto's growth has been sharp.
Its total sales, cumulative sales, have been over 59,000 in January and February combined so far this year.
That is up 47.5% compared to the same time last year.
BYD battery supply was one of the key factors in that growth.
Xiaomi's launch timing helped the updated SU7, which launched on the 19th of March.
Lei Jun said it received more than 30,000 reservations at its delivery ceremony, the first one.
A wider battery market remains firmly in not BYD, but CATL's hands.
CATL kept the top spot in China's power battery market in February with more than 50% of the share.
Its installation volume in February was 3.1 times that of BYD. That was at a 17 share.
Alright, moving on. China exported 750,000 vehicles last month. That was up 79% on February last year.
That took January and February exports to 1.55 million vehicles, up 61% over the same two months last year.
Driven by EVs. China exported 320,000 EVs last month, up 120% year on year.
And of the total exports in January and February combined, it's about 2.3 to 1.3.
So 440,000 BEVs, 240,000 plug-in hybrids. And that mix matters.
In February, BEVs were about a third, just under a third, of China's total vehicle exports.
Plug-in hybrids 15%.
EVs remained the main driver of China's global automotive expansion, with combustion models still a large part of the trade.
Passenger cars 84% of China's exports overseas last month.
SUVs were driving the growth plug-in hybrid pickups, showing some growth as well.
Tesla's export volumes from China fell.
Sequentially, didn't materially change the broader rise in Chinese EV shipments though,
which says as much about the breadth of the export push as any of the league tables.
Europe and Asia remained the main destinations, if you're wondering where Chinese EVs end up.
The top five export destinations for NEVs by volume.
So this is by volume last month. Brazil, UK, Belgium, Italy, Thailand.
We'll get on to how well China's doing in a moment, as you'll be the final story of the podcast today.
Let's move on.
Audi has started pre-sales of its A6L, the e-tron in China,
adding a mid-to-large luxury electric saloon in their push in the world's biggest EV market.
It's the joint venture, FAW Audi, unveiling four variants of the A6L e-tron.
Pricing starts at 313 RMB, that's $42,000, and it rises to about $64,000.
The car sits on the Volkswagen Group platform PPE, premium platform electric,
and it comes from Audi FAW's EV plant.
That plant is Audi's first purpose-built electric vehicle facility in China.
Audi has paired the hardware with Huawei technology.
Huawei's Chiankun ADS drive-resistance system.
It includes urban, point-to-point, navigate on autopilot, NOA, and advanced parking.
And that matters because the A6L e-tron follows the Q6L e-tron,
which launched last August and uses the same Huawei technology.
On paper, the numbers are really strong.
A6L, the sedan saloon, is an 800-volt architecture vehicle.
Battery pack, that is 107 kilowatt hours.
Now, on the China Cycle, Audi claims 815 kilometers.
DC fast charging, 270 kilowatts.
Under optimal conditions, a 10-minute charge.
Adds 302 kilometers, easy for me to say.
Now, GAC Group's ION.
ION UT has entered production at the facility in Austria.
This is an overseas story now.
So that's operated by Magna and Magna's Gratz facility in Austria.
It becomes the second GAC model to be built in Austria.
The first was the ION V. That is an all-electric SUV.
The move follows the partnership.
The GAC and Magna formalized last November.
At the time, the two companies said it would localize vehicle production for Europe.
That plan sits within GAC's wider push to expand manufacturing.
Gratz in Austria now looks more like a production base for Chinese car makers entering Europe.
X-Pung chose the same plant last September to assemble two new models.
Production should begin of those vehicles soon, if not already started.
The program marked the first time the site had taken on full vehicle assembly for a Chinese OEM.
Right, let's talk about Cherry.
Opening pre-sales for the Full-Win T9L, a mid-sized plug-in hybrid SUV.
Prices start from $140,000. That's $20,000.
The range has four trims.
The Full-Win T9L comes in either the 135 Air Pro or 230 Pro and Max trims.
We first saw it in the regulatory filings last December.
It then opened blind orders in January.
Now it's a formal pre-sale.
Inside, they talk a lot about their smart cabin using chips built on three nanometer,
which is kind of the latest greatest chips that you'd find in your high-tech gadgets.
With the Full-Win UI 2.0 Cherry claims and all scenario voice assist multi-brand smartphone integration
and microphone-free KTV mode.
Top trim versions add 16-way zero-gravity front seats.
Okay, that won't be on the $20,000 vehicle.
But even the top trim, anything goes out to about $25,000 equivalent.
So you get your 16-way zero-gravity seats, ventilation, heating, massage, memory, lumber support, leg rest comes out.
Second row seats also recline between 25 and 35 degrees.
Second row seats have ventilation and heating.
Rear passengers get a 17.3-inch ceiling-mounted screen.
You get ambient lighting.
You get a big panoramic sunroof, electric sunshade, and a 23-speaker audio system.
Drive resistance depends on the trim.
Base models get the Falcon 200 ADAS system.
The mid-range trims get the Falcon 500.
Top versions, Falcon 700, which adds roof-mounted LiDAR and loads of computing power.
560 tops of computing power, 27 sensors in total.
So that's highway navigation on autopilot, highway NOA, city NOA, and what they call all-scenario parking.
It also adds the smart driving blue lights, which are becoming more popular on the exterior of vehicles.
So, you know, if a car is indicating and moving towards your lane and it's got the blue lights on, it's not the driver driving it.
All versions use the 32.7 kilowatt-hour pack, so it's pretty decent for a hybrid.
So it's 32.7 kilowatt-hour CLTC, pure electric range, depending on the trims, is either 135 or 230 kilometers.
They advertise the total range of this, obviously with the fuel, and we're less interested in that.
On this podcast, but this is one of those cars that they advertise with the big number, 2,000 kilometers.
2,000 kilometers of range.
You simply don't need it, but there is a spec war going on at the moment with Chinese EVs in terms of giving the really big number.
Let's take a break and we'll come back and talk shooting breaks. That's interesting. And Japan, back in a mo.
Big deal. Big savings every week.
Big R's big deals of the week are turning up the heat all March long. Every single week, we're dropping a brand new jaw-dropping deal.
We're talking serious savings on Big R senior feed, black gold performance dog food, all tough stuff, five-port buckets and more.
But here's the catch, the item changes every week and so do the savings.
Shop in store to snag the deal or skip the hustle and order online with same-day delivery or curbside pickup.
Want first dibs? Follow Big R on social media and be the first to see the big deal before everyone else.
Big R. Big deal. Big savings every week.
Welcome back to the podcast. Now, here's a really interesting story about shooting breaks.
Long time listeners know I'm a sucker for an estate car or a wagon. I've owned one before.
And for me, I'd rather one of those than an SUV, but SUVs are the car of choice for so many.
China's shooting break segment moved really fast in just a seven-day period earlier this month.
You had Huawei's new Qian Kun brand, the Asterland brand, launching the GT7 on March 17th earlier this month.
SAIC, then I've had the Z70 pre-sale price of $33,000 and that sudden burst kept years of slow expansion of shooting breaks.
The market really started with the Zika 001 back in October 2021, establishing shooting breaks as desirable in China's EV market.
Deliveries went from $6,000 in the first three months to $72,000 by 2022. The Zika 001 using the SEA platform and going big on handling,
styling for the family, an SUV-like space but in a shooting break form factor.
Then NIO with its E-T5T launched in 2023, a proper station wagon. The car carries a sloping roofline, coupe-like stance and hatchback tailgate
becoming NIO's second-best seller, helped by a more Nordic-style interior, which was interesting, NIO's battery swap network, of course, and the leasing scheme.
SAIC's Z70 is all about a lower price, but not really lower hardware. SAIC announcing pre-sales on March 23rd three days ago.
The Z70, probably the lowest-priced model in the Huawei HIMA lineup, including that 896 line LiDAR as standard.
Others matching the formula upmarket. So take Denza, which is one of the more premium BYD brands. The Denza Z9 GT.
That thing's 5.2 meters long, that's 204 inches and a wheelbase of 3.1 meters, 122 inches.
Sales have stayed around 300 units a month. The pure electric Z9 GT is done well.
BYD will try again with a new version, which debuts their all-new megawatt fast-charging technology.
And what about Avatar? Now wanting a piece of the same fight, the Avatar 060 will be their first shooting break and the first model under their renewed partnership with Huawei Qian Kun.
The pure electric four-wheel drive version, triple motor, 712 kilowatts, 90 kilowatt hour, Shenzhen super fast-charging battery, delivering more than 460 miles or 740 kilometers CLTC.
It's fascinating. None of these are massive sellers. None of these are market leaders in their segment, but at least they're on offer.
And I think many people listening around the world would at least like to have the option of either the saloon sedan or the shooting break or a state version of a car.
Very popular in Europe. Germany or a German's auto barn, tons of them flying around. And like I say, they're practical.
But I like driving them because it's not a big SUV. My wife would be of a different opinion. She likes to set a little bit higher.
Finally, let's talk about this story that I found to do with Chinese automakers selling more than Japan now. It's a fascinating stat.
Chinese automakers. This is not just a pure EV story, but we do get into EVs in it.
Chinese automakers sold 27 million vehicles last year worldwide, up 10%.
Japanese automakers, the behemoth that is the Japanese auto industry, sold 25 million.
So Chinese car makers, we know ahead of Japan globally, but that's the first time in over 25 years, at least since the year 2000.
Now, obviously, you've got the big beast in Toyota leading the world with 11.3 million units sold of their vehicles.
But wider, it's really interesting looking at the shift. BYD moved ahead of Ford. So BYD is now 6th globally, moving ahead of Ford.
I've previously reported that. But Geely moved ahead of Honda to take 8th.
And now what's interesting is six Chinese brands are in the global top 20. Now all the 2025 data is in.
Who are those Chinese brands in the top 20? BYD and Geely, I've mentioned, but also Cherry, Chang'an, SAIC and Great Wall Motor.
In the top 20, Japan has 5. China has 6. The first time Chinese brands outnumbered Japanese brands ever in the global top 20.
Total vehicle sales in China last year. I have reported on this 34.4 million. All vehicles.
Whereas the Japanese inside China, Toyota, Honda, Nissan, all together added together with 3 million vehicle sales there.
Their combined market share used to be 20% of the Chinese market. Now Japanese makers have 9% of the China market.
The pressure now reaches Japan's home market too because the Chinese brands are going into Japan.
Suzuki president, Toshihiro Suzuki said that BYD's little seagull entering Japan will be good for the small EV segment.
But it's definitely competition that Suzuki needs to step up to.
China's industry body expects the gap to widen as well with the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers
forecasting total Chinese sales this year of almost 35 million, forecasting EV sales in China exceeding 19 million.
That's up 15%. Further strengthening China's role in the global EV transition.
And that is your podcast for today. Thanks for listening. See you on the next one.
Capital One's tech team isn't just talking about multi-agentic AI. They are already deployed one.
It's called chat concierge and it's simplifying car shopping using self-reflection and layered reasoning with live API checks.
It doesn't just help buyers find a car they love. It helps schedule a test drive, get pre-approved for financing and estimate trading value.
Advanced, intuitive and deployed. That's how they stack. That's technology at Capital One.
Big deal, big savings every week.
Capital One's tech team isn't just talking about self-reflection and layered reasoning with live API checks.
It doesn't just help buyers find a car they love. It helps schedule a test drive, get pre-approved for financing and estimate trading value.
Advanced, intuitive and deployed. That's how they stack. That's technology at Capital One.
About this episode
Xiaomi’s SU7 gets its first major facelift, with a quieter cabin, modest exterior tweaks, laminated glass, and meaningful under-the-skin upgrades like standard 800-volt charging (nearly 900V on the Max) plus revised throttle and handling feedback from early drives. Xiaomi also lands a bigger share of BYD’s battery supply, fueling sharp early-year sales. China’s exports surge—especially EVs—while Audi pre-sales begin for the A6L e-tron with Huawei tech. The show also tracks China’s growing global sales edge over Japan and the fast-moving rise of EV shooting brakes.
