Guangzhou Auto Show roundup: BEV debuts from XPeng, ZEEKR, Li Auto, BYD, and more
We’ve been covering several prominent Chinese automakers teasing their latest EV models in the preceding weeks, ahead of the Guangzhou Auto Show. The annual event kicked off in China earlier today and immediately delivered several model debuts. Here’s a quick recap.
Auto Guangzhou is an event held each year in the largest city of southern China by the Guangzhou Zhanlian Exhibition Service Co., Ltd, usually taking place in November or December.
As one of the more popular auto shows in China in a city that’s home to several EV automakers, Auto Guangzhou makes for a wonderful stage to introduce new vehicles and adjacent technologies.
We’ve been covering several announcement from Chinese automakers the past month leading up to today’s event, including debuts from BYD, ZEEKR, and XPeng Motors to name a few. However, we also so some launches we weren’t originally aware of, including the Cyberster roadster from MG.
Here’s the lowdown of some of the BEVs that made their official debut or launch in Guangzhou today.
Lots of fresh EVs present at the Guangzhou Auto Show
Starting with the images above, XPeng Motors showcased its new X9 multi-purpose vehicle (MPV) in its physical form for the first time at the Guangzhou Auto Show. The automaker’s latest model was originally revealed during its annual 1024 Tech Day in October, but this was the public’s first opportunity to see the minivan up close and get inside.
Starting at a price of RMB 388,000 ($53,800), the X9 is now available for pre-order in China for RMB 2,000 ($277) down. The official launch is expected next month ahead of deliveries in January. No word yet on whether this will be another model XPeng sends over to Europe, but we’d expect it to stay in China only, as that’s where the small but growing MPV market is truly relevant.
The imminent launch of the X9 could put some competitive pressure on PHEV manufacturer Li Auto, which debuted its first ever BEV – the Mega – also an MPV, during today’s Auto Show in Guangzhou. Up until today, we had only seen a camouflaged version of the EV driving near the automaker’s headquarters this past September, but attendees got to see the Mega in person today, along with a bold promise from its makers:
We are confident that the Li Mega will be the first choice for families priced above RMB 500,000 yuan. It will be the number one seller in that price range, regardless of energy form, regardless of body style.
Li Auto didn’t share much else about the Mega, other than that it will arrive priced under RMB 600,000 ($83,200). Pre-orders opened today of which Li Auto says it received over 10,000 in the first two hours, according to CnEVPost. The Mega’s official launch will be in December, followed by deliveries slotted for February 2024. Here are some images from Li Auto. Sort of looks like a huge Prius, no?
Another BEV that made its official public debut at day one of the Guangzhou Auto Show, was the ZEEKR 007 – the Chinese automaker’s first-ever sedan. This has been one we’ve been following closely the past two weeks after ZEEKR began teasing silhouetted images.
We’ve gotten glimpses of the exterior and interior since, but today’s reveal was the first full-blown look at the electric sedan inside and out. Like the EVs mentioned above, ZEEKR kicked off 007 pre-orders following the debut, claiming to receive over 5,000 suitors in the first 30-minutes (take that Li Auto).
The sedan starts at RMB 229,900 ($31,900) and will begin deliveries in China in January. As we previously mentioned, the 007 sedan is ZEEKR’s first EV model designed for mass-market appeal, so we’d expect this one to join its 001 and X siblings in the automaker’s newly entered markets of Europe.
Two more debuts that took place during today’s Auto Show in Guangzhou came from BYD and MG Motor. Electrek‘s own Peter Johnson covered the launch of the BYD Sea Lion 07 in detail today, so we recommend checking out his report here to learn more.
Last but not least however, was the Chinese launch of the Cyberster from MG Motor. This is an all-electric roadster we covered years ago when it was announced as a mere concept. Now, the Cyberster hits the Chinese market in three available trims and the capability to accelerate from 0-100 km/h (0-62 mph) in 3.2 seconds.
The three trims are called Glamour Edition, Style Edition, and Pioneer Edition, and start at prices of RMB 319,800 ($44,340), RMB 339,800 ($47,115), and RMB 359,800 ($49,900) respectively. Not bad!
That’s all for now, although there is plenty more EV news coming out of the Guangzhou Auto Show today and the rest of the weekend.
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Environment
Uber launches true driverless robotaxi operations in the Middle East with WeRide [Video]
![Uber launches true driverless robotaxi operations in the Middle East with WeRide [Video]](https://i0.wp.com/electrek.co/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/11/Uber-Middle-East-WeRide.jpg?resize=1200,628&quality=82&strip=all&ssl=1)
Just over a year after Uber announced a strategic partnership in the Middle East with autonomous vehicle specialist WeRide, the companies have officially begun offering the public robotaxi rides without a driver or safety operator present on board.
Today’s latest milestone involving robotaxi operations in the Middle East dates back to September 2024, when Uber and WeRide initially announced a strategic partnership to bring autonomous rides to the UAE.
Three months later, the partner officially launched autonomous rides in Abu Dhabi, but with a safety operator present in the vehicle. At the time, Uber and WeRide said the supervised rides were “laying the groundwork” for a true driverless commercial operations planned for 2025.
That day has come.
WeRide and Uber have confirmed that commercial robotaxi operations are officially underway in Abu Dhabi without any safety operators on board – a first for the Middle East.
Uber rolls out Middle East robotaxi operations in Abu Dhabi
Uber shared details of its latest milestone late this evening or in the afternoon in the Middle East, depending on where you are.
Beginning today (Wednesday) customers in Abu Dhabi can select an UberX or Uber Comfort ride that enables them to be matched with a fully autonomous WeRide robotaxi without a driver inside. Riders in the Middle East can also increase their chances of hailing one of these driverless rides by select the “Autonomous” option in the Uber app.
In order to qualify, the prosepctive rider’s route must be part of WeRide’s operating territory in Abu Dhabi and a dedicated WeRide GXR Robotaxi vehicle (seen in the featured image above) must be available.
Similar to Uber’s partnership with Waymo in Austin and Atlanta, the global rideshare network will oversee fleet operations for WeRide vehicles, handling end-to end rider support. It has tapped Tawasul Transport to facilitate vehicle cleaning, maintenance, inspections, charging, and depot management. WeRide will remain responsible for vehicle testing.
As you may recall last spring, Uber and WeRide announced an expansion to their strategic partnership beyond the Middle East (although Dubai will be the city for its next robotaxi rollout). Over the next five years, Uber and WeRide intend to deploy true driverless public rides in 15 additional cities, some of which will be in Europe.
As promised, here’s some b-roll footage from Uber showing how riders in Abu Dhabi can order a WeRide robotaxi:
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Metro Detroit is about to get a big boost of fast EV chargers, with more than 40 new ChargePoint ports set to come online across multiple sites owned by the Dabaja Brothers Development Group.
The first ultra-fast charging site just opened in Canton, Michigan. It’s owned and operated by Dabaja Brothers, who plan to follow it with additional ChargePoint-equipped locations in Dearborn and Livonia.
“We started this project because we saw a gap in our community – there was almost nowhere to charge an EV in Canton, and a similar lack of charging across metro Detroit,” said Yousef Dabaja, owner/operator at Dabaja Brothers.
Each metro Detroit site will feature ChargePoint Express Plus fast charging stations, which can deliver up to 500 kW to a single port, can fast-charge two vehicles at the same time, and are compatible with all EVs. The stations feature a proprietary cooling system to deliver peak charging speeds for sustained periods, ensuring that charging speed remains consistent.
The stations operate on the new ChargePoint Platform, which enables operators to monitor performance, adjust pricing, troubleshoot issues, and gain real-time insights to keep chargers running smoothly.
Rick Wilmer, CEO at ChargePoint, said, “This initiative will rapidly infill the ‘fast charging deserts’ across the Detroit area, allowing drivers to quickly recharge their vehicles when and where they need to.”
Read more: ChargePoint just gave its EV charging software a major AI upgrade
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Mercedes-Benz High-Power Charging and Starbucks have officially opened their first DC fast charging hub together, off the I-5 in Red Bluff, California.
The 400 kW Mercedes-Benz chargers are capable of adding up to 300 miles in 10 minutes, depending on the EV, and every stall has both NACS and CCS cables – they’re fully open DC fast chargers.
Mercedes-Benz HPC North America, a joint venture between subsidiaries of Mercedes-Benz Group and renewable energy producer MN8 Energy, first announced in July 2024 that it would install DC fast chargers at Starbucks stores along Interstate 5, the main 1,400-mile north-south interstate highway on the US West Coast from Canada to Mexico. Ultimately, Mercedes plans to install fast chargers at 100 Starbucks stores across the US.
Mercedes-Benz HPC opened its first North American charging site at Mercedes-Benz USA’s headquarters in Sandy Springs, Georgia, in November 2023 as part of an initial $1 billion charging network investment. As of the end of 2024, Mercedes had deployed over 150 operational fast chargers in the US, but it hasn’t disclosed an official number of how many chargers are currently online.
Andrew Cornelia, CEO of Mercedes-Benz HPC North America, is leaving the company at the end of the month to become global head of electrification & sustainability at Uber.
Read more: Mercedes-Benz is deploying 400 kW US-made EV fast chargers with CCS and NACS cables
If you’re looking to replace your old HVAC equipment, it’s always a good idea to get quotes from a few installers. To make sure you’re finding a trusted, reliable HVAC installer near you that offers competitive pricing on heat pumps, check out EnergySage. EnergySage is a free service that makes it easy for you to get a heat pump. They have pre-vetted heat pump installers competing for your business, ensuring you get high quality solutions. Plus, it’s free to use!
Your personalized heat pump quotes are easy to compare online and you’ll get access to unbiased Energy Advisors to help you every step of the way. Get started here. – *ad
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.
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