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China EV News Roundup — October 18, 2026: Paris Closes on a Record Chinese Presence, Leapmotor Starts Europe-Made Output, XPeng Opens G9L Orders

· Berita

The 2026 Paris Motor Show wrapped today after a week that rewrote the Chinese-auto playbook in Europe: record brand participation, the first European-built Chinese EVs rolling off local lines, and a clear shift from "we came" to "we're staying." Here is the day's China new-energy roundup.

Li Auto i6 on display in France during the 2026 Paris Motor Show

Paris 2026 closes: a record Chinese presence — and the harder question of staying power

The 91st Paris Motor Show (October 12–18, Paris Expo Porte de Versailles) ended today with Chinese manufacturers occupying more floor space than ever. According to the Chinese Embassy in France, 16 Chinese automakers brought 25 brands to the show; other tallies put the Chinese-brand count even higher, at around 22 — more than France's 10 and Germany's 7 combined. Multiple models made their European or global debuts, including XPeng G9L, Leapmotor D19 and B03, Geely Monjaro EM-i, Lynk 07 GT, Li Auto i6, and Avatr T09.

The narrative this year was less about the number of stands and more about what sat behind them: local production, technology licensing, and service networks. A widely cited tally noted that of the Chinese brands exhibiting, only about 9 can currently take consumer orders in France — a reminder that showfloor scale still outruns retail readiness. Xinhua's on-the-ground reporting captured the mood shift: European visitors moving from curiosity to consideration, but also a clear French preference for hybrid and range-extender models that need no external plug, given France's still-patchy public-charging coverage.

Leapmotor starts Europe-made output: B10 off the line in Spain, battery plant online

Leapmotor said its first Europe-built vehicle — a B10 — rolled off the line at the Zaragoza plant in Spain on October 16, part of its Stellantis-backed manufacturing footprint. The same announcement flagged that Leapmotor's battery plant in Mallén, Spain, has also entered production. By September the brand had built out more than 1,020 sales and service outlets across 36 countries in Europe, leaning on the Stellantis Free2move Charge network for public charging access. The B10 is a compact BEV — a pragmatic, high-volume choice to anchor local assembly ahead of the larger D19 flagship SUV's European push.

Leapmotor B10, the first China-branded EV now in local European production

XPeng G9L opens European orders at Paris — €74,990 in France, built at Magna's Graz plant

XPeng used Paris to formally open European ordering for the G9L, its long-wheelbase three-row SUV, with a French starting price of €74,990 (about $86,800). The G9L is the fourth XPeng model in European production and is built at Magna's Graz, Austria plant alongside the G6, G9, and P7+; the first European owner is Bernard Charlès, co-founder of Dassault Systèmes, who placed an order on the show floor. XPeng also ran its first large-scale public-road NGP assisted-driving experience in Europe at the show. Alongside the car, the company unveiled "XPENG AI ENGINEERING," opening its vehicle platform, modular tech, and toolchain to global partners.

Li Auto closes ¥1.625B first funding for its M100 chip unit

Li Auto said its chip subsidiary, Shanghai Mache Chip Technology, signed a first funding round of ¥1.625 billion (about $227 million) on October 16, with Hangzhou Jingtao, BlueRun Ventures, and Huaye Tiancheng leading. The company holds 74.01% of the unit. The flagship M100 chip uses a 5nm automotive process and delivers 1,280 TOPS of compute, and is already deployed in Li Auto's newest production models — a notable step for a carmaker bringing silicon in-house as the intelligence race intensifies.

SAIC Volkswagen ID.ERA 5S tops 10,000 deliveries; limited-time ¥89,900

SAIC Volkswagen reported that its ID.ERA 5S has surpassed 10,000 cumulative deliveries, with another 17,053 orders in the pipeline. The model, launched in August 2026, is now offered from a limited-time preferential price of ¥89,900 (about $12,540). The ID.ERA 5X — a BEV sibling — was confirmed earlier this month for a November China launch with Horizon Robotics Journey 6H (420 TOPS) and a CATL battery.

China–Australia auto bodies meet; Chinese cars hit 35.5% of the AU market

The China Association of Automobile Manufacturers held talks with Australia's Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries and the Truck Industry Council, discussing NEV development, charging infrastructure, and international standards coordination. The meeting surfaced striking numbers: in June 2026, Chinese-made vehicles took a 35.5% share of the Australian new-car market, and by August five Chinese brands sat in Australia's top-10 best-sellers; pure-EV models alone were 24.9% of local EV sales. China's 2025整车 export to Australia totaled 297,400 units, making it a priority overseas market.

MIIT's 412th batch clears Voyah as a new manufacturer

China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology published the 412th batch of the Road Motor Vehicle Manufacturers and Products announcement, with Voyah Automobile Technology listed among newly admitted manufacturers, noted as a Dongfeng group affiliate. The clearance streamlines Voyah's standing as an independent premium EV brand under Dongfeng as it scales the Dreamer MPV, Free, and Courage lineups.

XPeng's robotaxi unit lands >$900M first round at >$6.3B post-money

Also in XPeng's orbit: its robotaxi business (XPENG YOYO) closed a first funding round above $900 million at a post-money valuation over $6.3 billion, reportedly led by IDG Capital with participation from Tencent and Alibaba — a record single-round private raise for China's embodied-AI sector. XPeng said it retains control and will accelerate mass production and global commercialization of humanoid robots alongside the robotaxi push.

Launch calendar: models due this week and beyond

A busy late-October pipeline is taking shape:

  • Leapmotor A10s — launched October 18 as a new "black-warrior" top trim; BEV with a 53 kWh pack and 505 km CLTC range, 90 kW motor.
  • Changan Qiyuan Q07 天枢领航版 — launches October 20 with a roof-mounted lidar and Tianshu Pilot Pro (city + highway NOA); existing lidar-equipped owners get city NOA via OTA.
  • BYD 2nd-gen Seagull — goes on sale October 20 after blind-order opening; rear-wheel drive, 95 kW, 320 / 420 km ranges.
  • Roewe Jiayue 07 — launches October 23; EREV, presale ¥137,800–152,800 (about $19,200–21,300), with CATL 32.6 kWh or Jiangsu Zhengli 44.2 kWh packs.
  • Hongqi G919 — launches end of October; presale ¥359,800–439,800 (about $50,200–61,300), a body-on-frame EREV hardcore off-roader with an EVE 62.9 kWh pack, 280 km electric range, 620 kW and 0–100 km/h in 4.5 s.
  • Li Auto i6 — China launch October 28; the refreshed iteration carries the in-house M100 chip and a 29-inch integrated screen.
  • Mengshi X700 — launches end of October; presale ¥249,800–289,800 (about $34,800–40,400), an EREV "boxy" SUV.

中文简报

2026 巴黎车展今日（10 月 12–18 日）落幕，中国车企参展规模创新高：据中国驻法使馆，16 家中国车企携 25 个品牌参展，其他统计称中国品牌约 22 家（超过法国 10 家、德国 7 家之和）；有统计指其中仅约 9 家可在法国正式下单。本届主线从"亮相"转向"本地扎根"——零跑 10 月 16 日西班牙萨拉戈萨工厂首台欧洲制造 B10 下线、马连电池厂投产，欧洲网点已超 1020 家（36 国）；小鹏 G9L 在巴黎开启欧洲订购，法国起售 74,990 欧元，由麦格纳奥地利格拉茨工厂生产，达索联合创始人 Bernard Charlès 成为首位欧洲车主，并首度在欧洲公开道路演示 NGP。理想汽车芯片子公司马赫心科技 10 月 16 日完成 16.25 亿元首轮融资，自研 M100 芯片为 5nm、1280 TOPS，已搭载于新车型；上汽大众 ID.ERA 5S 累计交付破万，限时 8.99 万元。中汽协与澳大利亚汽车商会会谈，数据显示 2026 年 6 月中国品牌占澳新车市场 35.5%，8 月五大中国品牌进澳销量前十。工信部第 412 批公告将岚图列为新准入整车企业（东风系）。小鹏 robotaxi（小鹏悠游）完成超 9 亿美元首轮融资，投后估值超 63 亿美元。月底新车密集：零跑 A10s（10/18 上市）、长安启源 Q07 天枢领航版（10/20）、二代海鸥（10/20）、荣威家越 07（10/23）、红旗 G919（月底）、理想 i6（10/28）、猛士 X700（月底）。

Sources

Image credits

  • Li Auto i6 with French plate — Wikimedia Commons (photographer-contributed, CC license).
  • Leapmotor B10 — Wikimedia Commons (photographer-contributed, CC license).

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