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Alice Ye

Senior editor with 15 years in news and financial media. Covers China's AI, electric vehicles, and robotics, with a focus on industry trends, technological innovation, and capital markets.

Plaud’s Secret: 1 Million AI Recorders Sold With Zero Venture Capital

In an AI hardware landscape defined by billion-dollar valuations and heavy cash burn, a bootstrapped startup has quietly achieved a rare feat: profitability and mass adoption. Plaud, a company that has sidestepped the venture capital circuit entirely, has sold one million units of its flagship AI-powered voice recorder,

AgiBot Completes Corporate Restructuring, Signaling Imminent IPO Push

Leading Chinese humanoid robotics firm AgiBot has completed its corporate restructuring from a limited liability company to a joint-stock company, a move typically preceding a public listing, according to company filings. The restructuring positions AgiBot as the latest domestic robotics firm accelerating toward capital markets amid intensifying competition in

Goldman Warnes of “Optimistic” Humanoid-Robot Capacity Build-Out as Supply Chain Awaits Actual Orders

Goldman Sachs’ latest supply-chain tour reveals an industry racing to scale production capacity for humanoid robots before any meaningful orders materialize—a development that underscores both bullish long-term sentiment and near-term uncertainty about when commercialization will truly arrive.Following meetings with nine Chinese suppliers between 3 and

XPeng's Robot So Human It Sparked a Hoax Theory. Here's the Tech Behind It.

Chinese electric vehicle maker XPeng Inc. is signaling a major advance in humanoid robotics, using a new material innovation to create a machine so lifelike it triggered widespread online speculation that it was a human in disguise. The public debate, and the company's subsequent reveal, has cast a

XPeng Eyes $20 Trillion Humanoid Robot Market With Late-2026 Production Target

XPeng Motors Inc. Chairman and CEO He Xiaopeng outlined ambitious plans for the humanoid-robot industry, projecting it could become a $20 trillion market supporting 200 million units or more within 10 to 20 years—dwarfing the automotive sector’s $10 trillion market with 90 million annual vehicle sales. The

BYD Battery External Supply Surpasses 20% as Automaker Pivots to Supplier Role

BYD is expanding its identity beyond automaker to major battery supplier, with external battery sales reaching over 20% of total installations in the first three quarters of 2025, a significant shift for the company as its vehicle sales growth slows. The Shenzhen-based company's battery business delivered 23.

JD.com Unveils First Electric Vehicle with Pricing Starting at RMB 45,400

JD.com Inc.announced the official pricing for the Aion UT super electric vehicle on November 9, marking its debut in the automotive market with a battery rental option starting at RMB 49,900 yuan ($6,900) and as low as RMB 45,400 yuan after subsidies for PLUS members.

XPeng Humanoid Robot's Realistic Walk Sparks "Human Inside" Speculation on Social Media

XPeng unveiled its latest humanoid robot IRON at the company's seventh Tech Day on November 5, drawing widespread attention for its remarkably lifelike movements that prompted some observers to question whether a person was controlling it from within. During the on-stage demonstration, IRON walked with a natural

XPeng Unveils New Humanoid Robot and Robotaxi Rollout Plan

XPeng Inc. unveiled its latest humanoid robot and announced plans to launch three autonomous taxi vehicles next year at its Technology Day event on November 5, marking the Chinese electric vehicle maker's expanded push into robotics and self-driving technology. The company introduced IRON, its new-generation humanoid

Yadea, the 'BYD of Scooters,' to Challenge Japan's Motorcycle Titans on Home Turf

Yadea Group Holdings, the world's largest electric two-wheeler manufacturer, is launching its first electric scooter in Japan in November, priced around 210,000 yen ($1,380), approximately 30% cheaper than comparable Honda models. The Chinese company's entry comes as Japan implements stricter emissions standards this