China EV Sector Shifts as Sunwoda, Changan Move

China’s electric vehicle industry saw three important developments on October 16, spanning batteries, automaker leadership, and in-car semiconductor technology. In Shenzhen, Sunwoda founder Wang Mingwang argued that advanced batteries are entering a new growth phase as low-carbon energy, intelligent energy management, and transport electrification converge. On the same day, Changan Automobile announced a major management reshuffle, with Zhu Huarong stepping down from listed-company roles and Zhao Fei taking over as chairman. Meanwhile, domestic chip supplier Tinychip unveiled its TCAE15 automotive touch controller, underlining how China’s EV supply chain is moving beyond batteries and vehicles into higher-value automotive electronics.

Sunwoda sees a bigger role for advanced batteries

Speaking at the 2026 Advanced Battery Industry Cluster Forum in Shenzhen, Wang Mingwang said three structural trends are creating long-term demand for advanced battery technologies:

• Low-carbon energy production
• Intelligent energy management
• Electrification of energy consumption

That message aligns with Beijing’s broader industrial planning. According to Wang, China’s upcoming "15th Five-Year" energy development planning framework gives top-level support to diversified new energy storage applications, reinforcing the strategic importance of battery makers.

At the same time, he acknowledged the industry’s growing pressures:

• Dependence on overseas resources
• Tightening profitability across the battery chain
• International standards barriers
• Compliance risks for overseas expansion

His core point was notable: China’s battery sector can no longer rely on rough scale expansion alone. The next phase will require higher-quality, more sustainable growth.

Sunwoda’s battery momentum is backed by hard numbers

Recent market data suggests Sunwoda is gaining traction in power batteries, especially as Chinese automakers diversify supply chains.

Sunwoda key battery data

The company’s position in hybrids is also significant. Sunwoda said its domestic HEV battery shipments have ranked No. 1 for five consecutive years, while installed capacity in the first and second quarters of this year ranked first globally.

That matters because China’s electrification race is no longer purely a BEV story. Plug-in hybrids and HEVs are becoming a crucial volume and profit segment, especially as automakers seek more flexible product portfolios in domestic and export markets.

Just as important, Sunwoda has recently secured strategic backing from major OEMs:

• Li Auto announced a strategic investment of RMB 2.65 billion in Sunwoda Power
• Xiaomi EV named Sunwoda as a strategic battery partner

These developments suggest Sunwoda is strengthening its position not only in pure EV batteries, but also in hybrid and energy storage applications.

Changan’s leadership reset signals a new phase

While battery suppliers are scaling up, automakers themselves are adapting organizationally. Changan Automobile announced a significant executive transition that appears designed to separate listed-company execution from group-level strategic control.

Zhu Huarong resigned as Changan Automobile’s chairman, director, and legal representative, and will no longer hold positions at the listed company or its controlled subsidiaries. However, he remains Party secretary and chairman of China Changan Automobile Group, where he will oversee broader planning and long-term development across the group’s automotive businesses.

The reshuffle includes:

• Zhao Fei elected chairman and legal representative of Changan Automobile
• Ye Pei appointed president
• Yang Dayong appointed executive vice president
• Deng Chenghao appointed executive vice president

Changan said the move is intended to better leverage the group’s role in:

• Strategy setting
• Resource allocation
• Synergy creation
• Risk control
• Incentive optimization

Why Changan’s management change matters

This is more than a routine boardroom update. Zhu Huarong was closely associated with Changan’s "third entrepreneurship" push and several major strategic initiatives:

• The "Shangri-La" new energy strategy
• The "Beidou Tianshu" intelligent vehicle strategy
• The "Haina Baichuan" globalization strategy

He also helped incubate and scale brands including:

• Avatr
• Deepal
• Qiyuan

In practice, the handover suggests Changan is entering a more execution-focused phase. The company has already built much of its strategic EV and smart mobility framework; the next challenge is operational delivery, global expansion, and sharper market responsiveness.

Changan leadership changes at a glance

For international observers, this mirrors a wider trend among Chinese EV players: after rapid brand launches and electrification investment, the focus is shifting toward governance efficiency, export execution, and capital discipline.

Tinychip’s TCAE15 shows how China is localizing EV electronics

Beyond vehicles and batteries, China’s EV race increasingly depends on domestically developed automotive semiconductors. Tinychip’s new TCAE15 series is a good example of that trend.

The chip is a mixed-signal automotive touch sensing controller designed for smart surface applications such as:

• Cabin touch panels
• Touch switches
• Seat pressure detection
• Power anti-pinch systems
• Overhead roof control modules

Its value proposition is clear: integrate multiple functions into a single automotive-grade SoC, reducing board space, BOM count, and system development complexity.

TCAE15 headline specifications

Tinychip says the TCAE15 addresses pain points in traditional discrete architectures, which often combine a touch MCU, external LIN transceiver, and separate LDO. Those older designs can lead to:

• Larger PCB footprint
• Higher component counts
• Harder EMC tuning
• More difficult waterproofing validation

By integrating touch sensing, LIN communication, power management, ADC, PGA, PWM, and hardware water-resistance functions, the company is targeting a more compact and cost-effective solution for smart cockpit interfaces.

Why automotive chips are becoming a bigger EV story

Battery technology still dominates EV headlines, but software-defined vehicles and smart cockpits are pulling more value into semiconductors and electronic control systems. Tinychip’s launch reflects several larger trends in the Chinese EV market:

• Greater localization of automotive-grade chips
• Demand for lower-cost integrated electronic architectures
• More touch-based and software-updatable cabin interfaces
• Stronger focus on functional safety, EMC, and OTA support

Of particular note, the TCAE15’s 128KB version supports A/B backup OTA upgrades, an increasingly important feature as even small cabin controllers are expected to receive secure firmware updates over a vehicle’s life cycle.

Why This Matters

Taken together, these three developments show the Chinese EV industry maturing on multiple fronts at once.

First, the battery market is evolving from pure capacity expansion to a contest over technology mix, customer relationships, and profitable growth. Sunwoda’s gains in power batteries and HEV systems highlight how second-tier battery makers can still carve out meaningful share in a market often dominated by the biggest names.

Second, automaker competitiveness is becoming as much about organizational design as product launches. Changan’s executive reshuffle suggests legacy Chinese carmakers are refining governance structures to compete more effectively in the EV era.

Third, domestic supply-chain depth is broadening. China is no longer just building EVs at scale; it is also building more of the critical electronics that define the user experience inside the vehicle.

Global implications for the EV market

For overseas markets, these moves matter for several reasons:

• Battery competition will intensify: Sunwoda’s expansion could give automakers outside China another credible battery partner, especially in hybrid and energy storage segments.
• Chinese OEMs are becoming more structured: Changan’s leadership reset points to a more disciplined globalization push, which could support stronger export execution.
• Supply-chain localization is accelerating: Automotive chips like the TCAE15 could help reduce reliance on imported components in non-powertrain systems.
• The EV battlefield is widening: Success is no longer determined only by vehicle launches. Batteries, software, semiconductors, and corporate execution are all becoming decisive.

What to watch next

Several follow-on questions are now worth tracking:

• Can Sunwoda convert strategic ties with Li Auto and Xiaomi EV into sustained market share gains?
• Will Changan’s new management structure improve execution across Avatr, Deepal, and Qiyuan?
• Can domestic chip firms like Tinychip win large-scale adoption in production vehicles, not just pilot programs?
• How will China’s upcoming policy direction under the 15th Five-Year planning cycle shape batteries, storage, and automotive electronics?

The bigger picture is clear: China’s EV sector is entering a more sophisticated stage, where leadership will depend less on headline growth alone and more on ecosystem control, technical integration, and management discipline.