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On April 18, Stellantis Group and Leapmotor announced a partnership to initiate a local assembly project at Stellantis' Gurun factory in Kedah, Malaysia. The initial investment for the project is approximately 5 million euros, with plans to commence production of the Leapmotor C10 by the end of 2025. Future plans include the local production of additional models such as the Leapmotor B10 and C10 REEV. This collaboration aims to meet the growing demand for electric vehicles in Malaysia and Southeast Asia, while accelerating Leapmotor's global market expansion.

Horse Powertrain, a joint venture between Geely and Renault, unveiled the Future Hybrid Concept at the 2025 Shanghai Auto Show. This modular hybrid powertrain concept is designed to transform battery-electric vehicle (BEV) platforms into internal-combustion hybrid powertrains with minimal modifications. The concept integrates an internal combustion engine, electric motor, and transmission into a compact unit that can be directly installed in place of the front-mounted drive unit of a BEV, with only minor adjustments needed to work with the existing electrical architecture. Additionally, the system supports a variety of fuel types, including gasoline, E85 ethanol, pure methanol, and synthetic fuels. Horse Powertrain plans to bring the first vehicles equipped with this concept to market as early as 2028.

Honda Motor Co. has announced that it will move production of the Civic Hybrid hatchback from Japan to its plant in Indiana, US, in response to the 25% tariffs on imported cars imposed by the Trump administration. The production relocation is expected to be completed by June or July 2025. The Civic is a popular model in the US, with 58,976 units sold in Q1 2025, including 20,192 hybrid variants. Honda has a total of 12 production facilities in the US, and currently more than 70% of Honda and Acura models sold in the country are produced domestically.

Proton recorded a significant sales increase in March 2025, delivering 13,918 vehicles, a 23.9% increase from February and a 9.6% increase from the same month last year. The Proton e.MAS 7 delivered 797 units in March, becoming Malaysia's best-selling electric vehicle. Proton's estimated market share for March is 19.4%, based on a forecasted Total Industry Volume (TIV) of 71,596 units. For the first quarter of 2025, Proton's total sales reached 35,068 units, capturing a market share of 18.9% based on a TIV of 184,652 units. Proton's export volume surged by 211% in March to 417 units, 11.4% higher than the same period last year, with the Proton Saga leading overseas sales.

CATL expects its revenue in 2024 to be between 356 billion and 366 billion yuan, representing a year - on - year decrease of 11.2% to 8.71%; net profit is expected to be about 49 billion to 53 billion yuan, a year - on - year increase of 11.1% to 20.1%. The company has announced a special dividend plan for 2024, with a cash dividend of 12.3 yuan per 10 shares, totaling 5.397 billion yuan. Co - chairman Pan Jian revealed at the Davos Forum that CATL announced the establishment of a joint power battery factory with Stellantis in Spain last December, and more joint factory projects in Europe are expected to be announced this year. At present, CATL has laid out three battery factories in Europe, located in Germany, Hungary and Spain respectively.

Nio's new electric vehicle sub-brand Firefly is set to launch its right-hand drive version in October 2025, targeting the UK and Southeast Asia as its initial markets. Two models under the Firefly brand have already been introduced in China this month, priced at 119,800 and 125,800 yuan respectively. The Firefly focuses on practicality and safety, with highlights including a swappable battery system, small turning radius, large storage capacity, five-star safety rating, and advanced driving assistance features. Its exterior design is minimalist, and the interior follows a clean and simple style, targeting young urban users and first-time car buyers.