Weekly Overview (05/04-11/04)
1. Aqara (绿米) Files for Hong Kong IPO; Overseas Revenue Accounts for Nearly 70%
2. Dongfeng Motor (东风汽车) Reports Q1 Sales of 528,000 Units, Including 96,000 Overseas
3. GAC Group (广汽集团) Q1 Sales Approach 380,000 Units; Overseas Sales of Self-Owned Brands Surge by 86%
4. Leapmotor (零跑汽车) Leads Italian EV Market, Topping March Sales Charts
5. TikTok Invests Additional EUR 1 Billion for Second Data Center in Finland
6. XPeng (小鹏汽车) Responds to Terminated Partnership with Australian Distributor: Exclusive Agency Qualification Terminated
7. Pony.ai (小马智行) Commences Robotaxi Passenger Operations in Singapore
8. BYD (比亚迪) Accelerates Global Expansion: Plans for 20 Dealerships in Canada
9. Unitree (宇树科技) and Alibaba (阿里巴巴) to Launch Strategic Global Cooperation, Potentially via AliExpress
10. Stellantis in Deep Negotiations with Leapmotor (零跑汽车) to Co-Develop Opel Electric Models
11. Pony.ai (小马智行) Partners with Verne and Uber to Launch Europe’s First Commercial Robotaxi Service in Croatia
Selected Developments
1. GAC Group (广汽集团) Q1 Sales Near 380,000 Units, Overseas Sales of Self-Owned Brands Surge 86%
[Event] Recently, GAC Group (广汽集团) released its production and sales report for March 2026. Data shows that in the first quarter of this year, GAC Group's (广汽集团) cumulative sales reached 379,900 units, a year-on-year increase of 2.38%. March sales alone hit 176,900 units, a month-on-month increase of 104.57%. The new energy vehicle sector performed exceptionally well, with March sales reaching 57,577 units, a year-on-year increase of 72.58%.
In terms of self-owned brands, GAC AION (广汽埃安) and GAC Motor (广汽传祺) saw Q1 sales growth of 57.34% and 33.06% respectively, with total self-owned brand sales rising 42% to 166,200 units. The joint venture sector also showed recovery, with GAC Toyota achieving positive growth and GAC Honda seeing a 185.07% month-on-month increase in March.
International business has become a new growth pole. In Q1 2026, GAC's (广汽集团) self-owned brands achieved cumulative overseas sales of 42,165 units, with 17,031 units exported in March alone, both representing an 86% year-on-year increase. In Hong Kong, March sales approached 2,000 units. For 2026, GAC (广汽集团) aims for an overseas sales target of 250,000 to 300,000 units for its self-owned brands. Starting in April, four NEV models including the AION UT and Hyptec HL officially entered African markets such as Ethiopia.
2. Leapmotor (零跑汽车) Q1 Registrations in Italy Exceed 11,000 Units, Ranking First in March BEV Market
[Event] Recently, Leapmotor (零跑汽车) released its latest performance data for the Italian market. In the first quarter of 2026, Leapmotor (零跑汽车) recorded 11,637 registrations in Italy. March alone saw 5,513 registrations, a year-on-year surge of 2,827%, ranking first in Italy's battery electric vehicle (BEV) market. Leapmotor's (零跑汽车) market share in Italy's BEV sector reached 33.5% for the month, and 44.6% in the retail passenger EV channel.
The Leapmotor T03 sold 5,022 units in March, remaining Italy's best-selling electric car and ranking third in the overall Italian automotive market across all categories. Additionally, the global strategic model B10 led the electric C-segment SUV category in sales. Italy's total March car market reached 185,000 units, with BEV sales rising 71.7% to 16,100 units. Leapmotor's (零跑汽车) growth is attributed to its rapid channel expansion via the Stellantis partnership and aggressive pricing, with the T03 starting at 4,900 EUR (approx. 38,000 CNY) after subsidies.
3. TikTok Invests Additional EUR 1 Billion for Second Data Center in Finland
[Event] Recently, TikTok announced a EUR 1 billion (approx. USD 1.16 billion) investment to build a new data center in Lahti, southern Finland. This is TikTok's second billion-euro data center in Finland following the Kouvola project. Located in the Kiveriö district, the facility has an initial planned capacity of 50MW, with potential expansion to 128MW, and is expected to be operational by 2027.
This investment is a key part of TikTok's EUR 12 billion "Project Clover," aimed at localizing data storage and processing for over 200 million European users. The first site in Kouvola is expected to go live by the end of 2026. TikTok has commissioned the NCC Group as an independent third party to oversee its data control mechanisms to ensure compliance with the EU's Digital Services Act (DSA) and data security regulations.
4. Pony.ai (小马智行) Launches Robotaxi Passenger Operations in Singapore
[Event] Recently, Pony.ai (小马智行) and Singapore’s largest transport operator, ComfortDelGro, officially launched Robotaxi passenger operations. The service began in the Punggol district of northeast Singapore, covering a 12km route designed to address "last-mile" commuting. Invited passengers can book rides via the Zig App. The route connects residential areas like Punggol Northshore and Waterway Sunrise to the Punggol Coast MRT station and major commercial hubs.
This launch is a vital step in Pony.ai's (小马智行) "China + Overseas" dual-engine strategy. According to its 2025 financial report, the Robotaxi business achieved unit economic (UE) profitability in Guangzhou and Shenzhen. The company plans to expand its global fleet to over 3,000 vehicles by late 2026, deploying in more than 20 cities worldwide, with roughly half located overseas. Pony.ai (小马智行) is using a "fleet-building" model with partners like Toyota and Verne to push for large-scale global implementation.
5. BYD (比亚迪) Accelerates Global Expansion: Plans for 20 Dealerships in Canada
[Event] On April 10, BYD's (比亚迪) expansion into the Canadian market accelerated. Alfredo Altavilla, a special advisor for BYD's (比亚迪) European operations, confirmed in Paris that the company plans to open approximately 20 sales outlets in Canada within 2026. This follows the January Canada-China trade agreement which slashed import tariffs on Chinese EVs from 100% to 6.1%.
BYD (比亚迪) has commissioned a retail consultancy in Ontario to accelerate site selection, with the first flagship stores planned for Toronto, followed by Vancouver, Montreal, and Calgary. Under current quotas, 49,000 Chinese-made EVs can enter Canada at preferential rates in 2026. BYD (比亚迪) Executive VP Stella Li (李柯) previously reiterated that the company is evaluating the possibility of building a wholly-owned plant or acquiring existing production capacity in Canada for deeper localization. BYD (比亚迪) aims to introduce models such as the Dolphin Mini, Seal, and the high-end Yangwang (仰望) brand to the North American market.
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