At CES 2026 in Las Vegas, Geely unveiled its groundbreaking Full-Domain AI 2.0 tech stack, Tesla China rolled out ultra-long 7-year low-interest financing for Model Y and Model 3, and NIO celebrated its 1 millionth production vehicle. These developments, reported on January 6 by D1EV and others, underscore China's EV giants pushing boundaries in AI-driven autonomy, affordability, and mass production amid fierce global competition. Meanwhile, Xiaomi SU7 refresh rumors and platform announcements signal an explosive 2026 for Chinese EVs.
Geely's Leap to 'Whole Vehicle Brain' with AI 2.0 and G-ASD
Geely redefined automotive intelligence at CES 2026, transitioning from 'functional smart' to a unified 'whole vehicle brain' via Full-Domain AI 2.0. The star is the World Action Model (WAM), a layered architecture blending visual language models for macro planning with expert models for micro control, enabling human-like decisions in complex scenarios like narrow U-turns or curbside pickups.
Key highlights:
- '1+2+N' Intelligent Agent Framework: Eva central hub (evolved from voice assistant with memory and proactive service) coordinates driving, cockpit, and more.
- G-ASD Upgrade (from Qianli Haohan): Cloud-based 1T-parameter multimodal model + 100B car-end model; supports L3 highway/L4 low-speed by 2026, eyeing Robotaxi.
- Infrastructure Edge: 8.5M vehicles' data (100B km), dual Thor chips (1,400 TOPS), 5 LiDARs, satellite comms matching Tesla.
This positions Geely ahead in cross-domain synergy, with Eva already in Galaxy M9 production.
Tesla China Fuels Sales with Record 7-Year Financing
Tesla China launched 'Te You Xiang' on January 6, offering unprecedented low-interest loans until January 31:
| Model | Loan Term | Down Payment | Monthly (est.) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Model 3/Y | 7 years | ¥79,900 | ¥1,918 | Super low interest |
| Model Y LR | 5 years | ¥99,900 | ¥3,985 | First-ever 0% interest |
| Model Y LR | 7 years | - | ¥2,947 | New option |
Additional perks: Starlight Gold paint (¥8,000 referral credit), up to ¥20,000 trade-in subsidies, new 'Ocean Blue' for Model 3, and refreshed Model Y with 16-inch 2K screen (prices unchanged: RWD ¥263,500; LR RWD ¥288,500; LR AWD ¥313,500). These moves counter slowing demand and chip price hikes.
NIO Hits 1M Milestone, Eyes Q4 Profit and Sinking Markets
NIO's 1 millionth car rolled off in Hefei on January 6, with CEO Li Bin stressing humility: 'Still small in China's NEV landscape.' Highlights from Li and President Qin Lihong:
- Growth Plan: 40-50% annual sales rise; 10,000+ swap stations by 2030.
- 2025 Q4 Profit Confidence: Amid memory chip pressures; urges early buys.
- 2026 Strategy: 'Sell good cars, top service, build infra'; comprehensive stores for NIO, Onvo, Firefly brands pre-Chinese New Year.
- Partnerships: Chery/JAC for innovation; Longsys for chips.
Average 125K annual output since 2018 marks 'high-quality growth' phase.
Other Hot Chinese EV Buzz
- Xiaomi SU7 Refresh Rumors: 800V platform (11.3min 10-80% charge), LiDAR + Nvidia Thor, 820km CLTC range (Kirin Gen2 battery, 189Wh/kg), mechanical door handles, AR-HUD, fragrance system. Q2 2026 launch, possible ¥20K price hike (unconfirmed).
- Great Wall's 'Guiyuan' Platform: User-voted name (220K votes from 96K netizens); 'one car, multi-power/class/posture' for simplified, user-centric smart mobility.
- Hesai Tech: LiDAR capacity doubles to 4M units in 2026; new L3 solutions at CES.
- ByteDance Doubao AI Glasses: 100K units for loyal users (Qualcomm AR1 chip), no public sales yet.
- AMD's Lisa Su: AI users to hit 5B by 2030; global compute needs 100x boost.
Why This Matters: Global Implications for EV Market
China's EV ecosystem is accelerating: Geely/NIO lead AI/autonomy, Tesla financing battles price wars, Xiaomi/Great Wall innovate hardware. With 850M km data hauls and 1,400 TOPS chips, Chinese firms challenge Tesla/Waymo. Globally, expect cheaper L3+ ADAS, faster adoption via financing/subsidies, and export surges—UK NEV sales topped 200K in 2025. AMD's compute forecast ties directly to AV scaling.
Looking Ahead: 2026 as Tipping Point
2026 brings Geely's L3/L4 rollout, NIO profitability test, Xiaomi SU7 v2, and Hesai's mass LiDAR. Watch chip costs and trade tensions; early adopters could lock in subsidies. Chinese EVs aren't just competing—they're redefining intelligent mobility worldwide.
