China's increasingly global automotive industry is becoming defined by a rivalry between two companies rather than dozens. 

China is preparing to enforce what may be its toughest safety regime yet for electric-vehicle batteries, shifting the industry’s obligations from giving occupants time to escape toward preventing fires from breaking out in the first place.

China’s electric-vehicle charging network has crossed another threshold, underscoring how quickly the country is building the physical backbone for its shift away from petrol cars.

China’s car market is entering a new phase, with policymakers shifting focus from new-vehicle sales to the value created after cars leave the showroom. At a June 23 State Council press briefing, Vice-Minister of Commerce Sheng Qiuping said China’s vehicle parc had reached 370 million units, while auto sales have led the world for 17 straight years.

Chinese autonomous driving company Momenta has cleared its Hong Kong Stock Exchange listing hearing and is preparing to launch its IPO as early as June 2026, targeting at least $10 billion in proceeds. The implied valuation exceeds $100 billion, according to its prospectus disclosures.

Renault has opened a new research and development office in Hangzhou, marking another sign of how China is shifting from a sales market for foreign carmakers into an engineering base for global vehicle programmes.