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The European Commission welcomes the final adoption by EU Member States of the revised regulation on CO2 emission standards for new heavy-duty vehicles (HDVs) entering the EU market from 2030. These standards will aid in the decarbonization of the road transport sector and are a milestone in achieving the European Green Deal, aiming to reduce the EU's greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55% by 2030 and to reach climate neutrality by 2050. The new regulation will cover nearly all trucks, urban buses, long-distance buses, and trailers, with progressively applied CO2 emissions reduction targets: a 45% reduction for 2030-2034, 65% for 2035-2039, and 90% from 2040, compared to 2019 levels. To accelerate the transition to zero-emission public transport, new urban buses must cut emissions by 90% by 2030, and all new urban buses must be zero-emission by 2035. The new legislation will soon be published in the Official Journal of the EU and take effect.

Zeekr Malaysia GM Eddy Lu has confirmed the flagship 9X SUV will arrive by end-2026 or early 2027, pending RHD engineering and European homologation. Built on the SEA-S platform with 900V architecture, the hybrid delivers 1,400 PS and 0-100 km/h in 3.1 seconds, with 380 km CLTC EV range. Priced significantly above the current range-topping 009 (RM359,800), the CBU import will face high hybrid taxes, positioning it as Geely Group's ultra-luxury flagship for the Malaysian market.

Toyota has launched the Pixis Van BEV in Japan, offering 257km range for full-day commercial operations. Co-developed by Suzuki, Daihatsu, and Toyota, the kei commercial vehicle combines kei vehicle expertise with Toyota's electrification technology. Featuring the e-SMART ELECTRIC system, it delivers quiet, powerful performance while maintaining cargo capacity and loading convenience. With monthly production of 50 units, it supports carbon neutrality goals in last-mile logistics, where kei vehicles comprise 60% of Japan's commercial fleet.

Nissan China delivered 653,000 vehicles in 2025, marking a 6.26% year-on-year decline amid lagging electrification transition and market share loss to Toyota. The brand accelerated its "Glocal" transformation by decentralizing product authority and compressing R&D cycles to 24 months. The Tianyan architecture-based all-electric N7 sedan and PHEV N6 sedan each surpassed 10,000 orders through localized pricing strategies. Nissan's global CEO reinforced China's position as a strategic pillar during the 40th anniversary event, while the FrontierPro pickup achieved breakthrough as the first China-designed, produced and exported model.

Yipai Technology delivered 21,269 vehicles in January, achieving 145% year-over-year growth. The company will launch five all-new models in 2026, featuring 16,000-ton gigacasting technology, self-developed hybrid solid-liquid batteries with 1,000km+ range, and Huawei Qiankun intelligent driving systems. Additionally, the first model from Yijing Auto, a Dongfeng-Huawei joint venture, has completed cold-weather validation and will debut at the Beijing Auto Show in April.

China's 100,000-150,000 yuan SUV segment, capturing 33% market share, remained the most competitive battlefield in 2024. Geely Xingyue L led sales with 244,100 units, followed by BYD Song PLUS DM-i, as domestic brands dominated through intelligent connectivity and hybrid technology. Separately, BMW announced the next-generation X7 (codename G67) for 2027, introducing two-tone customization and soft-close doors, built on the CLAR-WE platform with gasoline, diesel, and all-electric iX7 variants.