China Auto Daily丨SAIC Volkswagen Launches ePro Hybrid Lineup Starting at USD 24,600

SAIC Volkswagen Launches ePro Hybrid Portfolio

SAIC Volkswagen officially launched its refreshed electrified portfolio at the 30th Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area Auto Show, debuting the Passat ePro and Tiguan L ePro. The plug-in hybrid models enter the market with a limited-time promotional price starting from RMB 169,900 (USD 24,600). The vehicle series is engineered around Volkswagen's next-generation PHEV platform to capture the mid-to-high-end hybrid sedan and SUV segments.

Concurrently, the joint venture disclosed additional product details for the ID. ERA 5S, the first sedan variant in its new electric vehicle sequence. The ID. ERA 5S marks the first production model in China developed by Carizon—the joint venture between Volkswagen's software unit Cariad and Horizon Robotics—to feature a standard L2++ advanced driver-assistance suite. The platform enables full-scenario automated driving coverage spanning parking to highway cruising, including point-to-point urban Navigation on Autopilot (NOA), highway NOA, automated valet parking, and narrow-path negotiation. The model is scheduled for official market release in the third quarter of 2026.

FAW Yueyi Commences Pre-Sale for Yueyi 08 Sedan

FAW Group’s independent electric branch, FAW Yueyi, officially opened national pre-sales for its flagship model, the Yueyi 08. Positioned as a B+ segment luxury family coupe-sedan), the vehicle is available in six configurations across battery electric (BEV) and extended-range electric vehicle (EREV) formats. The pre-sale guidance prices range from RMB 104,900 (USD 15,200) to RMB 144,900 (USD 21,000). The vehicle comes standard with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8295P processor featuring dual NPU hardware acceleration.

Autonomous operations are managed by Huawei's Qiankun driver-assistance computing platform paired with integrated Lidar hardware, supporting 24 safety features including highway NOA and a 120-meter automated tracking reverse program. Built on an 800V high-voltage architecture with 6C fast-charging battery chemistry, the platform can replenish its state-of-charge from 30% to 80% in 7.5 minutes. Driven by a 202 kW electric motor, the sedan completes the 0-100 km/h sprint in 5.9 seconds. Performance metrics indicate a maximum range of 650 km for the BEV versions, while the EREV variant achieves a pure electric range of 240 km and a total coordinated driving distance of 1,765 km.

BYD Sets Single-Ship Export Record via Nantong Port Logistics Hub

On May 31, 2026, the liquefied natural gas (LNG) dual-fuel ro-ro vessel "Jinan," operated under BYD’s ocean transport fleet, departed Nantong Port in Jiangsu Province carrying 7,273 BYD new energy vehicles bound for European markets including Italy and Spain. Official terminal registration data confirms that this shipment represents the first large-scale roll-on/roll-off automotive export operation completed through Nantong Port, establishing a new deep-water shipping channel for domestic automakers.

The vehicles were sourced from multiple centralized BYD manufacturing bases across China, including production plants in Hefei, Xi'an, Changzhou, and Zhenjiang. The automotive inventory was transported to the Nantong Yanglü Railway Automotive Logistics Hub via synchronized rail and highway networks before being loaded onto the vessel. According to port logistics authority statements, this multi-modal transport network significantly optimized supply chain processing speed, allowing the complete coordination process from initial localized factory order distribution to deep-sea maritime departure to be finalized via an efficient "railway collection, port loading, and maritime shipping" flow.

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