China's electric-vehicle news machine barely paused for breath on August 26. The Chengdu Motor Show entered its final stretch with a fresh wave of launches led by Fangchengbao's longer-range Tai 7, BYD's volume sedan the Qin MAX, and BAIC's Huawei-assisted Taitan 700 range-extended off-roader, while Toyota refreshed the bZ5 and Audi deepened its China tech footprint. Below are the key stories from the day, with a market-context wrap on exports at the end.
1. Fangchengbao Tai 7 DM Long-Range Edition launches with a 50 kWh battery and 315 km EV range
BYD's off-road sub-brand Fangchengbao launched the Long-Range Edition of the Tai 7, adding two plug-in hybrid (PHEV) variants built around a much larger battery. The 315 km 2WD Max is priced at RMB 195,800 (approximately $27,300 USD) and the 300 km 4WD Ultra at RMB 225,800 (approximately $31,400 USD). The pack grows from 35.6 kWh to 50 kWh, lifting CLTC electric range to as much as 315 km and cutting 30–80% fast-charging time to 13.9 minutes at 158 kW. A 1.5T PHEV system delivers up to 360 kW (483 hp), good for 0–100 km/h in 4.5 seconds, with DiSus-C intelligent damping standard. July sales for the Tai 7 line reached 20,320 units, making it the brand's best-seller.
The Tai 7 is sold in China under the Fangchengbao brand; no overseas variant has been announced, so international readers should treat these specs as China-market figures.
2. BYD Qin MAX launches from RMB 99,900 across nine DM-i and EV trims
BYD launched the Qin MAX, a B-segment sedan for its Dynasty network, in both DM-i plug-in hybrid and pure-electric forms across nine variants priced from RMB 99,900 to RMB 143,900 (approximately $13,900–$20,000 USD). The DM-i uses fifth-generation DM tech — a 1.5L engine with a 175 kW motor — for up to 2,370 km of combined range and 2.59 L/100 km consumption. The EV rides on BYD's second-generation Blade Battery with flash charging (10–70% in ~5 minutes, 10–97% in ~9 minutes) and offers 530 km or 630 km CLTC. An optional "God's Eye B" LiDAR ADAS is available on selected trims. The body measures 4,866 × 1,880 × 1,495 mm with a 2,820 mm wheelbase.
The Qin MAX is a China-market Dynasty-network model with no overseas sale; it is the mechanical twin of the Ocean-network Seal 06.
3. BAIC Taitan 700 EREV off-roader launches with Huawei Qiankun ADS 5
Beijing Off-road (BAIC) launched the Taitan 700, a large range-extended electric (EREV) off-roader, with a guide price of RMB 279,800–379,800 (approximately $39,000–$52,900 USD) and a launch "renewal" price of RMB 249,800–349,800 (approximately $34,800–$48,700 USD). The 1.5T range-extender setup is paired with an 896-line LiDAR and Huawei Qiankun ADS 5.0 MAX, delivering a CLTC comprehensive range of 1,340 km. The body spans 5,040 × 1,959 × 1,926 mm with 391 kW / 625 N·m of system output, and even the base trim carries a rear differential lock. It is one of the clearest signals yet that Huawei's intelligent-driving stack is spreading across China's state-owned off-road brands.
The Taitan 700 is a China-market BAIC off-road model; no overseas launch has been announced.
4. Toyota bZ5 (2027) launches in China with Momenta ADAS from RMB 109,800
FAW Toyota launched the 2027 bZ5 under its new "IT'S TiME 4.0" technology brand, with six trims at an official guide price of RMB 129,800–199,800 (approximately $18,100–$27,800 USD) and a limited-time price of RMB 109,800–179,800 (approximately $15,300–$25,000 USD). The update adds a Momenta reinforcement-learning large model with LiDAR, and CLTC ranges of 550 km or 630 km. The bZ5 is part of Toyota's push to localize its EV intelligence stack in China.
The bZ5 is a China-built Toyota (FAW Toyota); the global bZ lineup may differ in battery size, charging port and ADAS feature set.
5. Chery Fengyun T7 opens presales from RMB 109,900 with 600 km range
Chery's Fulwin (Fengyun) T7 began domestic presales at RMB 109,900–129,900 (approximately $15,300–$18,100 USD) — the same model already on sale overseas as the Lepas L6 EV, which reached Thailand in July. The compact SUV uses a Gotion-supplied 65.05 kWh LFP battery for 600 km CLTC, a 178 kW front motor, a heat pump, nine airbags and a 15.6-inch floating screen. Dimensions are 4,570 × 1,852 × 1,694 mm with a 2,700 mm wheelbase.
Sold abroad as the Lepas L6 EV; the China presale version may differ in trim names and ADAS configuration.
6. Li Auto MEGA refreshed with four LiDARs and Thor-U, on sale September 2
Li Auto released official interior images of the refreshed MEGA Home edition ahead of its September 2 on-sale date. The update upgrades the sensor suite from a single forward LiDAR to four roof-mounted units and swaps in Nvidia's Thor-U chip (700 TOPS) with a more powerful 258 kW rear motor, keeping a 710 km CLTC range. The cabin gains a dual-pane longitudinal sunroof. The MEGA remains Li Auto's flagship battery-electric MPV.
Li Auto is China-focused and the MEGA is not sold overseas; treat specs as China-market.
7. BYD Sealion 08 flagship SUV set for September 2 launch, up to 900 km
BYD confirmed the Sealion 08, the Ocean network's flagship mid-to-large SUV, will launch on September 2 with presale prices of RMB 230,000–280,000 (approximately $32,000–$39,000 USD). It comes in both PHEV and BEV forms, packing second-generation Blade Battery, flash charging, God's Eye 5.0, rear-wheel steering and DiSus-A dual-chamber air suspension. The BEV tops out with a 115 kWh pack and 900 km CLTC; the PHEV offers 275–400 km CLTC electric range. The body measures 5,115 × 1,999 × 1,800 mm with a 3,030 mm wheelbase, in five- or six-seat layouts.
China-market launch; overseas markets (Southeast Asia, Europe) may receive different battery and ADAS specs.
8. Audi and SAIC open Shanghai innovation tech center — first overseas EV hub
Image: Audi Q6 e-tron, a representative Audi EV — via Wikimedia Commons.
Audi and SAIC inaugurated an innovation technology center in Shanghai — Audi's first intelligent-EV technology center established outside Germany. The move underlines China's role as the group's EV "source of technology." The capital-letter AUDI brand (SAIC joint venture) already shows the formula works: its E7X crossed 10,000 sales within 100 days at an average transaction price above RMB 300,000 (approximately $41,800), validating the legacy-premium-meets-China-smartness path.
9. Earnings roundup: Great Wall, XPeng and Leapmotor report
Three makers filed results that sketch out the shape of China's EV earnings season:
- Great Wall Motor (H1 2026): revenue RMB 102.10 billion (up 10.58% YoY); net profit RMB 2.465 billion (down 61.11%); non-recurring net profit RMB 1.610 billion (down 55.04%) — pressured by price competition and mix.
- XPeng (Q2 2026): 103,000 deliveries and revenue of RMB 19.74 billion, as the MONA and G6 lines scaled.
- Leapmotor (H1 2026): revenue RMB 38.11 billion (up 57.2%); net profit RMB 210 million with 356,000 global deliveries and exports up 372.6%; full-year profit guidance was trimmed to about RMB 3.0 billion on raw-material cost pressure.
Market context: exports top 1 million for a second straight month, PHEVs lead the growth
Industry data (CPCA / CAAM) show July auto exports of 1.043 million units (up 81.3% YoY), taking January–July to 6.14 million. NEV exports exceeded 50% of the total in both June and July, hitting 53% in July, with plug-in hybrids the fastest-growing slice: narrow PHEV share of NEV exports rose to 35.9% from 32.4% a year earlier, while EREV climbed to 4.6% from 2.5%. The UK overtook other markets as China's top NEV export destination in July. BYD led July NEV exports with 173,721 units, ahead of Chery (82,768) and Tesla China (66,330).
Show-floor follow-ups
- BYD Da Han EV: pre-sales continue at RMB 249,900–299,900; no new pricing change today. Covered in detail in our Aug 25 edition.
- BYD Tang III (3rd-gen): no new development; global debut covered Aug 25.
- Fangchengbao Tai 9: no new development; six-seat PHEV flagship covered Aug 25.
- Volkswagen ID.AURA T6: pre-sale confirmed to open August 28; previewed Aug 25.
- Xiaomi Pengcheng N70/N90: no new development; Chengdu debut covered Aug 22.
- MG 07: no new development; launched at Chengdu, noted in our Aug 25 follow-up.
Image credits
- Fangchengbao Tai 7, BYD Qin MAX, BYD Sealion 08, Chery Fengyun T7: official brand press photos via CarNewsChina (vehicle images supplied by the respective brands).
- Toyota bZ5, Li Auto MEGA, Audi Q6 e-tron, XPeng G9: images via Wikimedia Commons (CC licenses; see respective file pages).
- BAIC Taitan 700: BAIC official / show-floor photo via PCauto / QQ News.
Sources
- CarNewsChina — Fangchengbao Tai 7 DM Long-Range: https://carnewschina.com/?p=264940
- CarNewsChina — BYD Qin Max launch: https://carnewschina.com/2026/08/14/byd-launches-qin-max-in-china-to-compete-with-its-own-seal-06/
- CarNewsChina — BYD Sealion 08: https://carnewschina.com/2026/08/25/byd-to-launch-sealion-08-flagship-suv-on-september-2-with-up-to-115-072-kwh-battery-and-900-km-range
- CarNewsChina — Chery Fulwin T7 presales: https://carnewschina.com/2026/08/13/chery-fulwin-t7-begins-domestic-presales-after-the-global-launch
- QQ News / Yiche — Toyota bZ5 2027, Li Auto MEGA, Audi Shanghai center, BAIC Taitan 700, earnings: https://new.qq.com/rain/a/20260826A080EJ00
- CPCA / CAAM export & NEV data via QQ News: https://new.qq.com/rain/a/20260826A04UET00
- Great Wall / XPeng / Leapmotor financial releases (Aug 24–26, 2026)
