Thailand’s new vehicle market rebounded by almost 54% to 73,936 units in January 2026 from weak year-earlier sales of 48,092 units, according to the latest data released by the Federation of Thai Industries (FTI). January was the tenth consecutive month of growth for the country’s vehicle market, following two years of sharp declines as the country’s highly indebted consumers and small businesses struggled to access financing after banks tightened lending rules. Economic growth in the country accelerated ...

Li Auto Inc. (NASDAQ:LI) is one of the best emerging market stocks to buy right now. On February 10, Li Auto Inc. (NASDAQ:LI) hit a significant milestone with the 4,000th supercharging station going live. The new 5C station in Linghai Service Area comes with 20 chargers, 12 offering 5C speeds and 8 capable of 4C charging. Li Auto Inc. (LI) Expands EV Reach with Supercharging Milestone The launch of the new station affirmed Li Auto Inc.’s status as the owner of the industry’s largest self-built fast-charg ...

Market Overview - Vietnam's new vehicle market rebounded by 90% to 29,774 units in January 2026 from 15,676 units in January 2025, according to VAMA data [1] - Compared to peak volumes of 42,701 units in December 2025, the market was down by 30% in January 2026 [2] Economic Context - The vehicle market growth is supported by strong economic growth, with GDP accelerating to 8.5% year-on-year in Q4 2025, marking the fastest quarterly growth in 15 years [2] - The overall economy expanded by 8% in 2025, driven by robust domestic consumption, fixed investment, and exports [2] Sales Performance - Light passenger vehicle sales surged by 103% to 22,440 units, while commercial vehicle deliveries increased by 59% to 7,334 units in January 2026 [3] - Truong Hai (Thaco) Group reported an 82% sales increase to 9,458 units, including a 98% jump in commercial vehicle sales to 2,001 units [3] - Major brands like Toyota, Ford, Mitsubishi, and Hyundai also reported significant sales increases, with Ford's sales surging by 109% to 5,121 units and Mitsubishi's by 194% to 5,039 units [4] Future Projections - GlobalData forecasts that sales of light vehicles in Vietnam will grow by over 4% to 587,000 units in 2026, up from 564,000 units in 2025, driven by continued economic growth and rising consumer demand [5] - The Vietnamese government will continue to exempt battery electric vehicles (BEVs) from vehicle registration tax until the end of February 2027, further supporting market growth [5]

Market Overview - The UK new car market grew by 3.4% in January, reaching 144,127 units, with growth across all buyer types [1] - Private retail buyers saw a 4.5% increase in registrations, while fleet registrations increased by 1.6%, and the low-volume business segment rose significantly by 46.5% [1] Electric Vehicle (EV) Performance - Battery electric vehicle (BEV) uptake rose by only 0.1% to 29,654 units, resulting in a 20.6% market share, the lowest since April 2025 [2] - The decline in BEV market share follows a strong performance in January 2025, influenced by buyers' attempts to avoid new tax rates on BEVs [2] - BEV sales are falling short of mandated targets under the UK government's Zero Emission Vehicle Mandate, with a target of 33% market share for 2026, compared to last year's target of 28% which was missed at 23.4% [3] Growth in Electrified Vehicles - Plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) recorded the largest growth, increasing by 47.3% to account for 12.9% of registrations [4] - Hybrid electric vehicles also saw a 4.8% increase, making up 13.4% of the market [4] Industry Insights - The SMMT Chief Executive noted that the UK car market is regaining momentum after a challenging start to the decade and is decarbonizing rapidly [5] - Despite a dip in EV market share in January, there are indications of growth by the end of the year, although the pace of transition may be slowing and is behind mandated targets [5] - A comprehensive review of the transition is necessary to align ambition with reality, especially with plans to end sales of new petrol and diesel cars in less than four years [5]

Financial Performance - Hyundai Motor Company reported a 22% drop in net profits to KRW 10.365 trillion (US$7.2 billion) in 2025, primarily due to the impact of US import tariffs introduced in April 2025 [1] - Operating profits decreased by 19.5% to KRW 11.458 trillion (US$8.0 billion) as the company absorbed an additional KRW 4.1 trillion in costs related to the US tariffs [3] - The fourth quarter of 2025 was particularly challenging, with net profits plunging by 52% to KRW 1.18 trillion (US$821 million) [1] Revenue and Sales - Revenues increased by 6.3% to KRW 186.254 trillion (US$130 billion) in 2025, despite a 0.1% decline in global vehicle sales to 4,138,389 units [2] - The rise in revenues was supported by an improved product mix, including a 27% increase in eco-friendly vehicles to 961,812 units [2] Market Outlook - Hyundai forecasts a slight increase in global vehicle sales to 4.158 million units in 2026, with revenues expected to rise by 1% to 2% to KRW 190 trillion [5] - Sales projections for key markets in 2026 include North America at 1,231,000 units, Europe at 601,000 units, India at 592,000 units (+3%), South Korea at 700,000 units (-2%), and South America at 328,000 units (+0.1%) [5] Challenges - A Hyundai official described 2025 as a challenging year due to weakening global demand, increased competition from Chinese automakers, and uncertainties surrounding import tariffs [4]

Core Insights - China's vehicle sales and production reached record highs in 2025, with production at 34.5 million units (up 10.4% year over year) and sales at 34.4 million units (up 9.4% year over year), driven by strong demand for new energy vehicles (NEVs) [2][4] Group 1: Market Performance - In 2025, China's passenger vehicle market also crossed the 30-million-unit mark, with production at 30.27 million units (up 10.2% year over year) and sales at 30.10 million units (up 9.2% year over year) [3] - The commercial vehicle segment saw production and sales rise to 4.26 million and 4.30 million units, both achieving double-digit growth [3] - China maintained its position as the world's largest auto market for the 17th consecutive year [4] Group 2: NEVs and Export Growth - China remained the largest NEV market globally for the 11th consecutive year in 2025, with NEV production and sales surpassing 16 million units [5] - NEV sales increased by 28% year over year to 16.5 million units, with battery electric vehicles (BEVs) leading the growth at 10.6 million units (up 37.6%) and plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHEVs) reaching 5.8 million units (up 14%) [6] - Vehicle exports reached a record 7.1 million units, up 21% year over year, driven by improved product quality and competitive pricing [7] Group 3: Key Players - BYD led in volume with approximately 4.6 million vehicles delivered in 2025, marking a 7.7% year-over-year increase [9] - NIO delivered 326,028 vehicles, up nearly 47% year over year, while XPeng recorded the fastest growth with deliveries jumping 126% to 429,445 units [10] - Li Auto delivered 406,343 vehicles, reflecting a 19% year-over-year decrease, despite expanding its international presence [11] Group 4: Future Outlook - Growth in China's auto market is expected to moderate in 2026, with total vehicle sales forecasted to increase by just 1% to 34.8 million units, compared to a 9% rise in 2025 [17] - Passenger vehicle sales are projected to rise 0.5% to 30.3 million units, while commercial vehicle sales are expected to increase by 5% to 4.5 million units [18] - NEVs are anticipated to remain the main growth driver, with sales forecasted to rise 15% to 19 million units, albeit at a slower pace than in recent years [18]

Industry Overview - Sales of Chinese-made vehicles, including exports, declined by over 6% to 3.272 million units in December 2025, after a 10% increase to 3.489 million units a year earlier [1] - Domestic sales fell by almost 16% to 2.519 million units last month, compared to a 12% growth to 2.985 million units a year earlier, while exports surged by over 49% to 753,000 units [1] - In 2025, total sales of China-made vehicles increased by over 9% to 34.402 million units from 31.436 million units in 2024, with domestic sales rising by almost 7% to 27.304 million units and exports increasing by 21% to 7.098 million units [2] New Energy Vehicles (NEVs) - Sales of new energy vehicles rose by 28% to 16.490 million units in 2025, accounting for 48% of total industry volumes, driven by a 38% surge in battery electric vehicle (BEV) sales to 10.622 million units [3] - Domestic NEV sales increased by 20% to 13.875 million units last year, while exports doubled to 2.615 million units [3] Market Dynamics - The domestic vehicle market was supported by government stimulus measures, including vehicle trade-in incentives and cuts in vehicle purchase taxes, alongside strong price competition and new model launches [4] - However, the domestic market has lost significant momentum recently due to weakening consumer and business sentiment, as well as strong year-earlier volumes [4] Future Outlook - The Chinese government confirmed the continuation of the vehicle trade-in subsidy program in 2026 to boost domestic consumption [5] - GlobalData forecasts a 3% increase in light vehicle sales to 27.63 million units in 2026, up from 26.9 million units in 2025 [5] Manufacturer Performances - BYD's global sales increased by 7.7% to 4,602,436 units in 2025, despite an over 18% decline in December, marking the fourth consecutive month of decline due to weakening domestic demand [6] - Overseas sales for BYD surged by 151% to 1,046,083 units last year [6] - SAIC Motor reported a 12% increase in global sales to 4,507,518 units in 2025, driven by a 33% rise in NEV sales to 1,642,785 units [7] - SAIC-GM-Wuling reported a 21% rise in global deliveries to 1,615,066 units, while SAIC-VW's sales fell by 11% to 1,024,000 units [7]

Core Insights - BYD's sales growth slowed to 7.7% in 2025, marking the slowest growth rate in five years due to increased domestic competition in China's saturated car market [1] - Despite the slowdown, BYD is expected to surpass Tesla in annual battery electric vehicle (BEV) sales for the first time, selling 2.3 million BEVs in 2025, a 27.9% increase from the previous year [2] Sales Performance - BYD sold 4.6 million vehicles in 2025, up from 4.3 million in 2024, but December sales dropped by 18.3% year-on-year to approximately 420,000 cars [1] - Tesla's sales faced challenges, with estimates predicting 1.6 million BEVs sold in 2025, and projected sales of 1.8 million in 2026, 2 million in 2027, and 3 million in 2029 [3][4] Market Dynamics - The Chinese EV market is highly competitive, with manufacturers reducing prices to gain market share, leading to an oversupply of vehicles [6] - UBS forecasts that the growth rate of EV sales in China will halve in 2026 due to these competitive pressures [6] International Expansion - Domestic competition is prompting Chinese car manufacturers, including BYD, to explore overseas markets, making China the world's largest car exporter [7] - BYD has become the leading EV brand in Southeast Asia, surpassing Toyota in Singapore as the top-selling car brand of 2025 [7] - The company is also expanding into the European market with a new factory in Hungary set to produce 150,000 all-electric sedans annually starting in 2026, alongside plans for facilities in Thailand, Indonesia, and Brazil [8]

Vehicle Market Performance - New vehicle sales in the Philippines fell by almost 9% to 37,352 units in November 2025 from 40,898 units a year earlier, indicating a slowdown after three years of growth from pandemic lows [1][6] - In the first eleven months of 2025, the vehicle market declined by 1% to 420,776 units compared to 425,208 units in the same period last year, driven by a 7% rise in commercial vehicle sales to 335,859 units, while passenger vehicle sales dropped by 23% to 84,917 units [3] Economic Context - Economic growth in the Philippines slowed to 4.4% year-on-year in the third quarter of 2025, down from 5.5% in the second quarter, marking the slowest growth since 2021 [2] - Household spending growth also decelerated to 4.1% from 5.3%, despite a 200 basis points cut in the central bank's benchmark interest rate to 4.50% [2] Manufacturer Performance - Toyota reported a 4% sales increase to 205,552 units in the eleven-month period, benefiting from strong demand for its Hilux and Avanza/Veloz models; Mitsubishi Motors followed with 79,252 units (-3%); Ford saw a decline to 20,007 units (-22%); Suzuki increased sales to 19,982 units (+8%); and Nissan reported 19,225 units (-22%) [4] Electrified Vehicle Sales - Year-to-date sales of electrified vehicles reached 28,102 units, comprising 22,027 hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs), 4,261 battery electric vehicles (BEVs), and 1,814 plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) [5]

Core Insights - VinFast Auto has signed agreements with five local companies in Indonesia to enhance its aftermarket operations, aiming to create a comprehensive after-sales service ecosystem for battery electric vehicles (BEVs) in the region [1][7] Group 1: Partnerships and Collaborations - Goodyear Indonesia will supply tyres for VinFast vehicles and implement maintenance programs through its Autocare centres, expanding VinFast's aftersales coverage [2] - VinFast will collaborate with Dunlop to establish multi-functional service centres, certifying selected Dunlop Shops as Authorized VinFast Service Workshops, providing a range of services including EV maintenance and software updates [3] - Denso Sales Indonesia will have its workshops certified as Authorized VinFast Service Workshops, providing repair and maintenance services while receiving technician training and technology transfers from VinFast [4] - CARfix will offer a comprehensive suite of aftersales services, including maintenance and repairs, performed by trained technicians adhering to VinFast's quality standards [5] - Scuto Paint will serve as VinFast's official body and paint partner, managing body repair and painting services across major cities in Indonesia [6] Group 2: Strategic Vision - The partnerships with leading companies are part of VinFast's strategy to enhance after-sales service quality and establish a modern, sustainable service ecosystem, contributing to the company's vision of becoming a global EV brand and supporting Indonesia's green transition [7]