September 16 is shaping up to be a busy day for China's electric-vehicle industry, with several automakers scheduling new-model launches. Li Auto will unveil its new Li i9 at 19:30 Beijing time, with test drives available at its stores immediately after the event, according to a company statement. BAIC's Arcfox brand will launch the Alpha T7 at 19:00, Mercedes-Benz will present the long-wheelbase GLE SUV at 19:30, and Fangchengbao, a BYD sub-brand, will hold a launch event for its S and SGT models at 19:00. Leapmotor will also host a technology briefing at 19:00, featuring a test drive of its self-developed 'world model' assisted-driving system.
CATL-Geely battery deal clarified
China's market regulator has approved CATL's acquisition of a stake in Chongqing Yaoning New Energy, a battery plant linked to Geely. The deal, cleared on September 3, involves CATL and Zeekr Automotive (Shanghai), according to a list published by the State Administration for Market Regulation. Geely responded on September 16, saying the transaction is part of its broader battery strategy and does not signal a retreat from self-developed batteries. 'This is just a small move in Geely's overall battery strategy,' a Geely representative said, adding that reports of an 8.5 billion yuan (about $1.2 billion) investment are incorrect. Geely emphasized it will continue to prioritize in-house battery development while using joint ventures and external sourcing to secure its supply chain.
Honda China's general manager, Iwayama Masayuki, said on September 16 that the recent entry of FAW Group as a major shareholder of GAC Group will not affect Honda's joint venture with GAC, known as GAC Honda. He also dismissed speculation about a merger between the 'northern' and 'southern' Honda ventures in China, noting that the Dongfeng Honda joint venture's term has not expired and GAC Honda has just renewed its contract. 'There is no plan to merge the two Honday joint ventures,' he said, according to Cailianshe.
Other industry developments
In other news, Chery's Luxeed brand, in partnership with Huawei, has obtained a license for L3 autonomous driving road tests for its RX model, according to IThome. Xiaomi's CEO Lei Jun, speaking at a quality conference on September 16, disclosed that the company has deployed 2,696 test vehicles and logged over 40 million kilometres of road testing for its EV program, covering extreme conditions such as high altitude, heat, and cold.
Panasonic Energy has started operations at a new lithium-ion battery R&D facility in Kadoma, Osaka, which will serve as its global battery development and production hub, according to Cailianshe. Hesai, a lidar maker, has launched its MT series of high-resolution lidar at the InterGEO 2026 trade fair in Munich, the company said.
In policy news, Hong Kong's chief executive announced a five-year economic plan that includes deploying megawatt-level flash charging technology, which can charge a passenger car in nine minutes, and battery-swap systems that can complete a swap in about 100 seconds. The city also plans to build its first ChaoJi charging demonstration station by 2027, in cooperation with China's National Energy Administration, according to the government announcement.
These developments were reported by Chinese outlets including Cailianshe, IThome, and Jiemian News, as aggregated by Gasgoo.
