XPeng sales target hiked up to 40% for 2026

Chinese new energy vehicle maker XPeng is targeting sales of 550,000 to 600,000 vehicles this year, Chinese tech portal 36Kr reported on Wednesday, citing a recent internal strategy meeting. That would translate into around a 28-40 percent increase from its 2025 sales, when the automaker delivered 429,445 cars, up 126 percent from 2024. The Volkswagen-backed NEV maker earlier in January touted a pivot toward "physical AI" from being purely a carmaker, as it gears up to start street trials of robotaxis and volume production of humanoid robots later this year.

Pay fees for Tesla software, says Musk

Tesla's full self-driving software, usually known as FSD for short, will only be available as a monthly subscription after Feb 14, said CEO Elon Musk. Currently, Tesla allows its electric vehicle owners to purchase the software for a one-time payment of $8,000 or a subscription of $99 per month in the United States. FSD is an assistance system that requires drivers to pay attention and intervene if needed. In 2025 the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration opened an investigation into 2.88 million Tesla vehicles equipped with its FSD system, based on more than 50 reports of traffic-safety violations and a series of crashes.

Luxury segment volatility hits Mercedes-Benz hard

Mercedes-Benz's sales saw a slump of 19.5 percent in China, its largest market in 2025, to 575,000 vehicles, including passenger cars and light commercial vehicles, down sharply from 714,000 units in 2024. The slump dragged the automaker's global sales down 9 percent year-on-year to 1.8 million vehicles, marking one of its weakest performances in recent years. Mercedes-Benz said it is facing challenges in China stemming from structural volatility in the luxury car market as well as adjustments in its own product cycles. Audi reclaimed the top spot of the German trio, which also includes BMW, in China's premium car segment. Its sales fell 5 percent to 617,000 units. BMW saw a sales fall of 12.5 percent from 2024.

European markets targeted by Zeekr

Premium Chinese NEV maker Zeekr will expand into more European markets in 2026, including France, the United Kingdom, Italy and Spain. It is also considering launching extended-range plug-in hybrids in the region, an executive said. "When we look at European consumer demand, the plug-in hybrid segment still ... has a high share," Lothar Schupet, Zeekr's acting head of European operations said at the Brussels car show. Zeekr currently sells in 12 European markets. It was launched in Germany in December and in some markets sells directly to consumers. As well as adding new major markets, Zeekr will also more than triple its European dealer network to around 100 dealers this year from 30 now, Schupet said.

EV registrations forecast to slow down

Global EV registrations grew 20 percent in 2025 but are likely to lose pace in 2026, data showed on Wednesday. In December, a slowdown in China and the easing of electrification targets worldwide produced the smallest sales increase since February 2024. Monthly registrations of electric vehicles, including battery electric and plug-in hybrids, dropped in North America after the end of an EV tax credit scheme in the United States in October, consultancy Benchmark Mineral Intelligence said. BMI expects 23.9 million EVs will be sold globally this year, a 15.7 percent increase. Growth is expected to accelerate in China to 21 percent and slow in Europe and the rest of the world to 15 percent and 26 percent, respectively. It forecasts a sharper decrease of 23 percent in North America due to a 29 percent slump there.

Global SUV built by Renault in South Korea

Renault will sell its new Filante in South Korea from March before launching sales in Latin American and Gulf countries by early 2027. The hybrid SUV crossover is based on the Compact Modular Architecture of Chinese partner Geely and will be produced at Renault's plant in the South Korean city of Busan, the automaker said on its WeChat account. Renault also developed its Grand Koleos SUV, which it has produced and sold �6�9 �6�9in South Korea since 2024, on Geely's platform. The French automaker has been increasingly partnering with carmakers from China and elsewhere to improve efficiency at its factories and enhance competitiveness. Renault signed definitive agreements in November to sell Geely 26.4 percent of its Brazilian subsidiary to jointly produce and sell cars in the Latin American market.