BAIC’s Electric Vehicle Unit Raises $1.6B In Series B Round

Chinese car maker Beijing Automotive Group’s (BAIC Group) electric vehicle business unit, BAIC BJEV, has raised a RMB11.1 billion (US$1.6 billion) series B round from 14 investors, including state-owned enterprises China Cinda Asset Management Co., Ltd. and Zhongji Investment, a firm co-founded by the Hebei provincial government. The round values BJEV at RMB28 billion (US$4.2… Continue reading BAIC’s Electric Vehicle Unit Raises $1.6B In Series B Round

China’s Tencent Reported To Lead $1B Round In Chinese EV Firm NIO

Chinese Internet giant Tencent Holdings Ltd. has led a new funding round worth over US$1 billion in NIO, a Shanghai-based electric vehicle company founded by a top Chinese automobile executive. A number of investors including U.K.-based Baillie Gifford, American Lone Pine Capital, China’s CITIC Capital and China Asset Management Ltd. also participated in the round,… Continue reading China’s Tencent Reported To Lead $1B Round In Chinese EV Firm NIO

China’s Baidu Rumored To Lead $140M Round In Electric Vehicle Start-up WM Motor

Chinese Internet company Baidu Inc. is reportedly leading a new funding round of roughly RMB1 billion (US$140 million) in WM Motor, an electric vehicle start-up founded by Freeman Shen, the former chairman of Volvo Car Group China. Tencent Holdings Ltd., which also backs WM Motor’s rival NIO, is reportedly aiming to co-lead the round, according… Continue reading China’s Baidu Rumored To Lead $140M Round In Electric Vehicle Start-up WM Motor

Volkswagen To Invest $12B To Launch 40 EV Models In China By 2025

Automotive manufacturer Volkswagen AG has said it will invest over US$12 billion by 2020 with its Chinese partners to launch as many as 40 new electric and hybrid vehicle models in China by 2025. The first of the new models could enter the Chinese market as early as next year, Jochem Heizmann, the head of… Continue reading Volkswagen To Invest $12B To Launch 40 EV Models In China By 2025

Ford, Zotye Automobile To Establish China Electric Vehicle Joint Venture

Ford Motor Co has signed a memorandum of understanding with China’s Anhui Zotye Automobile Co., Ltd. to jointly manufacturing all-electric vehicles in China. Under the agreement, a 50-50 joint venture will develop, produce, market and service a new line of all-electric passenger vehicles. The vehicles will be marketed under an indigenous brand name owned by… Continue reading Ford, Zotye Automobile To Establish China Electric Vehicle Joint Venture

China’s Online Food Ordering Market Matures With 75% Penetration Rate

Over 75% of China’s netizens have ordered food online or via mobile apps, up from 35% two years ago, says a new research report by Tencent Holdings Ltd. In comparison, the penetration rate for online food delivery in the U.S. is at around 5%, according to a recent Morgan Stanley research report. The convenience of… Continue reading China’s Online Food Ordering Market Matures With 75% Penetration Rate

LeEco’s EV Unit Le Supercar Names New CEO As Co-Founder Ding Lei Steps Down

Ding Lei, co-founder and chief executive officer of China of LeEco’s electric car affiliate Le Supercar, has left the company due to personal health issues, the executive disclosed on his Weibo account today. LeEco has appointed Zhang Hailiang, previously president and chief operating officer at Le Supercar, as the unit’s new head. It also hired… Continue reading LeEco’s EV Unit Le Supercar Names New CEO As Co-Founder Ding Lei Steps Down

China Plans Ambitious Expansion Of EV Charging Pole Network

Forty-eight major Chinese cities are planning ambitious expansion plans to increase the total number of electric vehicle charging stations to 1,549, and the number of charging poles to 238,559 by 2015. That compare with a total of 307 charging stations and 16,947 charging poles in these 48 cities as of October 2013, according to Chinese… Continue reading China Plans Ambitious Expansion Of EV Charging Pole Network

Go Scale Capital Joins $70M New Funding Round In Protean Electric

Go Scale Capital, Zhejiang VIE Science & Technology and Tianjin THSG Corporation have led a US$70 million new financing round in Protean Electric, an in-wheel electric drive system developer, according to a company announcement. Existing investors Oak Investment Partners and GSR Ventures also participated in the round. The new funding will be used to ramp… Continue reading Go Scale Capital Joins $70M New Funding Round In Protean Electric

Tencent, Baidu Lead $600M Round In Chinese Electric Vehicle Maker NIO

Tencent Holdings Ltd. and Baidu Inc. have led a US$600 million funding round in Shanghai-based electric car maker NIO, formerly known as NextEV, according to Chinese media reports citing insiders. IDG Capital, American investment firm TPG, Hillhouse Capital, Lenovo Group Ltd., Singapore-based GIC Private Ltd., and a number of investors also participated in the round,… Continue reading Tencent, Baidu Lead $600M Round In Chinese Electric Vehicle Maker NIO