Episode #226 - Halloween Horror for EU Legacy Auto: BYD’s Profit Drop, Porsche’s Collapse, and China’s EV Power Shift

This week on China EVs & More, Tu and Lei unpack a scary set of Q3 results for global automakers. Porsche’s operating profit nearly vanishes, Mercedes-Benz and Volkswagen Group struggle, and BYD reports its first major profit decline in years. Meanwhile, Li Auto faces a costly Mega recall after a battery-coolant fire, raising new questions about safety and supply-chain quality.

Tu shares insights from the Reuters Automotive Summit, including what executives from Rivian, Lucid, and Mercedes-Benz USA had to say about current challenging environment — plus takeaways from Ganesh Iyer of NIO USA. 

The hosts also discuss how Chinese tech players like Xiaomi and Geely are resetting global expectations, why CATL’s battery dominance will continue for the next decade, and what the West must learn from China’s hyper-competitive EV market.

Chapters
02:16 Halloween Reflections and Market Concerns
05:04 Li Auto's Recall and Safety Issues
08:00 Financial Performance of Major Automakers
11:03 Competitive Landscape in the EV Market
13:49 Restructuring of German Automakers
16:46 Insights from the Reuters Conference
19:59 Level 4 Autonomy and Future Trends
30:03 The Evolution of Autonomy
34:50 Mapping the Future of Autonomous Vehicles
39:51 Marketing Strategies in a Multicultural Landscape
44:31 Consumer Data Privacy and Trust
54:08 The Future of Battery Technology

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Stay tuned for sharp analysis on involution, layoffs at GM, brand marketing shifts, and how the next generation of EVs from Mercedes, Hyundai, and NIO will shape 2026.

Companies & Topics Discussed:

BYD | Li Auto | CATL | Porsche | Mercedes-Benz | Volkswagen Group | Audi | BMW Group | Beijing Hyundai | NIO | Xiaomi | Geely | Luxeed | DJI | Momenta | FinDreams | Rivian | Lucid | Stellantis | Uber | Nvidia | GM | Honda | Apple | AESC | Gotion | Calb