China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology has released its 404th vehicle catalogue, a routine administrative list that increasingly doubles as a pre‑launch showcase. The latest batch revealed several headline models that together map the next phase of competition in China’s auto market: hyper‑power performance variants, multi‑powertrain strategies and heavy investment in charging and electrical architectures.
Xiaomi’s high‑performance YU7 GT emerged as the most attention‑grabbing entry. The twin‑motor powertrain is rated at a combined peak of 738 kW — roughly 1,003 metric horsepower — housed on a 5.0‑metre, three‑metre‑wheelbase platform that marginally upsizes the standard YU7. The GT uses ternary lithium cells supplied by Jiangsu Times New Energy, signalling Xiaomi’s move to chase prestige performance within a crowded EV field.
AITO’s (Wenjie) new M6 SUV appears as a deliberate exercise in product breadth: the model was filed in both range‑extender and pure electric forms, with the EV variant equipped as standard with a 100‑kWh battery pack. The range‑extender option uses a 1.5‑litre generator and offers two battery capacities (37 kWh and 53 kWh for the extended‑range variant), reflecting a hedging strategy that aims to serve customers worried about charging networks while still pushing large‑battery EVs.
Li Auto’s second‑generation L9 Livis continues the firm’s signature focus on long‑range family SUVs. The Livis grows in size and shifts to a 72.7‑kWh battery for a CLTC pure‑electric range of about 420 km, paired with a third‑generation 1.5‑litre low‑consumption range extender; Li projects WLTC fuel consumption around 6.3 L/100 km and a combined range beyond 1,500 km. The specification underscores Li’s belief that customers still prize the convenience of fuel‑backed extended range alongside sizable EV capability.
Xpeng’s GX is positioned as a technologically ambitious full‑size SUV: more than 5.2 metres long, an 800‑volt platform, a 5C fast‑charge AI battery and advanced chassis control through steer‑by‑wire plus rear‑wheel steering. The GX is being filed in both range‑extender and dual‑motor electric variants, consistent with a broader trend among Chinese OEMs to offer multiple propulsion architectures on a single model to broaden addressable demand.
Incumbents are not standing still. BYD’s new seven‑seat Datang appears as a pure EV flagship with a 300 kW motor (about 407 hp), while Great Wall Motor’s WEY V9X is listed as a large plug‑in hybrid with a 5.3‑metre stature and six seats. Together these announcements illustrate a surge of product development aimed at the lucrative premium and three‑row SUV segments — a stretch of the market that Chinese automakers now view as critical for margin recovery and brand elevation.
Why this matters beyond new badges: the catalogue exposes how Chinese manufacturers are simultaneously racing on power, range and charging tech while keeping one foot in hybrid or range‑extender solutions. Battery suppliers named in the filings — chiefly the Jiangsu and Sichuan affiliates of Times New Energy — highlight where demand will flow next, and features such as 800V systems and steer‑by‑wire point to a rapid narrowing of the technological gap with Western and Japanese rivals.
The near‑term effect will be a more crowded, feature‑rich market in China that is likely to accelerate price and capability competition. For global observers, the filings are a reminder that China is not merely a volume market for EVs: it is a laboratory for product strategies — from single‑digit minutes fast charging to family‑oriented extended‑range SUVs — that will influence pricing, supplier dynamics and export ambitions in the years ahead.