Gasgoo Daily: Tesla China to launch Actually Smart Summon feature

With Gasgoo Daily, we will offer daily important automotive news in China. For those we have reported, the title of the piece will include a hyperlink, which will provide detailed information.

Tesla China to launch Actually Smart Summon feature

On December 13, Tesla China officially announced the release of a new in-car feature—Actually Smart Summon (ASS), which is available for the vehicles equipped with the Enhanced Autopilot (EAP) or Full Self-Driving (FSD) capabilities. This feature allows Tesla owners to summon their vehicles from a parking space via the Tesla mobile app. The vehicle can automatically drive to the owner’s location or a designated spot, provided the car remains within the owner's line of sight during the movement. This function is set to be rolled out to owners through an over-the-air (OTA) software update shortly.

TANK 500 Hi4-Z kicks off pre-sale

On December 13, Great Wall Motor's TANK brand officially commenced pre-sales for the TANK 500 Hi4-Z model, priced at 379,800 yuan. The model is positioned as a premium mid-to-large plug-in hybrid electric SUV.

NIO already deploys 2,779 battery swap stations across China by Dec. 12

As of December 12, NIO has already deployed 2,779 battery swap stations across China, 907 stations of which are located along highways, the company said on the day at a media communication event. NIO also revealed that it plans to complete a battery swapping network that covers the country's 9 north–south and 9 east–west main highways by the end of this year with over 900 battery swap stations expected to be operational.

EHang, Cyberport, KC Smart Mobility sign MoU to support Hong Kong in R&D of unmanned eVTOL aircrafts

EHang, a Chinese company specializing in urban air mobility (UAM) technology, recently signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with KC Smart Mobility, a subsidiary of Kwoon Chung Bus Holdings Limited, and Hong Kong Cyberport Management Company Limited (Cyberport), according to a press release EHang issued on December 11 via its WeChat account.

NIO Capital invests in Chinese digital energy solution provider Infypower

NIO Capital recently announced the successful completion of an investment in Shenzhen Infypower Co., Ltd. (Infypower), a Chinese digital energy solution provider, according to a press release NIO Capital released on December 13. 

The proceeds raised from the fresh round are earmarked primarily for supporting Infypower's energy transformation and sustainable development via high-quality products and professional solutions.

BYD introduces five NEV models, opens three showrooms in Oman

BYD recently put five new energy vehicle (NEV) models, including the BYD HAN, BYD ATTO 3 (named BYD Yuan Plus in China), BYD SEAL, BYD SONG PLUS DM-i, and BYD QIN PLUS DM-i, onto the Omani market, according to a post on its WeChat account.

AI tech company ModelBest closes new financing round

ModelBest, an AI-focused technology company, recently announced the completion of a new financing round, which raised for the company several hundreds of millions of yuan. The funding will expedite the company's efforts to commercialize efficient AI large models, particularly in edge computing applications. 

JAC Group introduces T9 diesel AT pickup to Brazilian market

JAC Group recently launched its T9 diesel-fueled AT (automatic transmission) pickup in Brazil, marking a significant step in its global strategy, according to the company's announcement via WeChat.

Geely-backed eVTOL aircraft developer AEROFUGIA breaks ground on global headquarters

On December 12, Chinese eVTOL (electric vertical take-off and landing) aircraft developer AEROFUGIA officially broke ground on its global headquarters in Chengdu city, the capital of China's Sichuan province, according to a post on the company's WeChat account. This marks a key milestone as the company from critical technology development to scaling production capabilities.

Sunwoda, XTC New Energy form cooperation on R&D of solid-state batteries, related materials

Sunwoda Electronic Co., Ltd. ("Sunwoda") announced on December 12 that its subsidiary, Sunwoda Electric Vehicle Battery Co., Ltd. ("SEVB"), has signed a strategic cooperation framework agreement with XTC New Energy Materials (Xiamen) Co., Ltd.  ("XTC New Energy"), aiming to jointly advance the industrialization and joint development of materials for solid-state batteries, with plans to expand into further commercial cooperation when the timing is appropriate.

Dowstone, UESTC team up on R&D of ultra-thin metallic lithium anodes for solid-state batteries

Chinese lithium battery materials developer Guangdong Dowstone Technology Co., Ltd. ("Dowstone") recently signed a Project Technology Development Contract with the University of Electronic Science and Technology of China ("UESTC") to jointly develop ultra-thin metallic lithium anodes, according to a post on Dowstone's WeChat account.

INCHTEK deploys inHSM security firmware on SemiDrive's E3 series chip

On December 13, automotive-grade chip supplier SemiDrive and automotive cybersecurity solution developer INCHTEK announced the deployment and release of INCHTEK's inHSM security firmware on SemiDrive's automotive-grade MCU products, E3119F8 and E3118F4.

This collaboration addresses critical information security needs for domain controller applications, offering seamless AUTOSAR integration to reduce development complexity and costs while enhancing efficiency and reliability.  

FAW Jiefang launches 'SPRINT2030' global strategy, aims to sell 330,000 vehicles in 2025

On December 12, FAW Jiefang (FAW Trucks), the commercial vehicle arm of FAW Group, opened its 2025 Global Partner+ Conference in Qingdao, unveiling its "SPRINT2030" global strategy.  

BAIC puts BJ30 new energy SUV onto UAE market

Chinese automaker BAIC Motor (BAIC) recently held a product launch event in Dubai, UAE, officially introducing its BJ30 SUV to the local market. With years of collaboration with local partners, BAIC has built a strong brand presence in the UAE, recognized for its high-quality off-road vehicles. This launch event marks another significant milestone for the brand in the UAE.