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Honda plans to source around 400,000 hybrid vehicle batteries from Toyota’s North Carolina plant to circumvent tariffs imposed by US President Donald Trump. Toyota’s $14 billion factory, its first battery plant outside Japan, will begin production next month. This move is part of a broader trend among Japanese automakers to restructure supply chains in response to US tariffs. Demand for efficient hybrids is rising in the US, while President Trump plans to scrap his predecessor’s initiative to promote electric vehicles. By 2030, hybrid vehicle sales in the US are projected to double last year’s figure to 4.12 million units, accounting for a quarter of new car sales. Honda aims to sell 1.3 million hybrids globally (excluding China) by 2030, a 50% increase from last year. However, Trump’s trade policies pose challenges, with a 20% tariff on Chinese imports and plans to raise tariffs on Japanese car imports from 2.5% to 25%. Japan exports 1.3 million cars to the US annually, and the tariff hike is expected to cost Japan’s six major automakers approximately $20 billion.

Tesla has launched the refreshed Model Y with two configurations: the Rear-Wheel Drive Launch Edition priced at 263,500 RMB and the Long Range All-Wheel-Drive Launch Edition at 303,500 RMB. The refreshed Model Y features significant updates in design, interior, rear seating, range, and suspension. The exterior includes a new front end with split headlights and a full-width taillight bar, reducing the drag coefficient to 0.22 for improved range. The interior offers two color options with increased Alcantara coverage and a 15-inch central touchscreen powered by an AMD Ryzen chip. The vehicle also introduces a new Glacier Blue color option.

Geely Galaxy A7 is set to launch on August 8th, with a pre-sale price range of 97,800-133,800 yuan. Positioned as a mid-size sedan with a wheelbase of 2,845 mm, it offers two electric ranges: 70 km and 150 km. The Galaxy A7 aims to challenge BYD Qin L DM-i, which is priced between 99,800 and 153,800 yuan. The Galaxy A7's official price is expected to be lower than the pre-sale price, with an estimated range of 86,800-122,800 yuan, and an early bird price potentially starting at 81,800 yuan.

The new generation Xiaopeng P7 was unveiled and pre-sales began on August 6th. The vehicle features minimalist exterior design with the Xiaopeng family X element and a low-slung sporty style. The body dimensions are 5017/1970/1427mm with a wheelbase of 3008mm. The interior includes a sport steering wheel, sport instrument screen, panoramic HUD, and integrated sport seats. Powered by an 800V platform, the P7 offers rear-wheel drive and all-wheel drive options with a maximum range of 820 km. The rear-drive model has a maximum power of 270 kW, while the AWD model has a maximum power of 437 kW. It also features battery packs of 74.9kWh and 92.2kWh.

SAIC Audi will open pre-sales for the E5 Sportback on August 18. The all-electric fastback, 4881 mm long with a 2950 mm wheelbase, debuts the “Stellar Flow” design and liftback tailgate. Inside, Snapdragon 8295 powers AUDI OS and Momenta EBM AD; dual-motor quattro delivers 579 kW.

Wuling has released official teasers of its new electric compact SUV, Bingsuo S. The vehicle features a sleek design with wing-like LED headlights and a pulsar ring tail light. It measures 4265/1785/1600mm in length, width and height with a 2610mm wheelbase. Equipped with a single motor of 75kW power and a phosphate iron lithium battery pack, the Bingsuo S is set to hit the market in Q3.