[Volvo Cars Will Cease Production of the EX30 in the US] Swedish automaker Volvo Cars said on March 16 that it would stop producing the small electric SUV EX30 and the EX30 crossover in the US later this year. Sales of these two car models in the US market will end after the 2026 model year, but the EX30 will continue to be sold in other markets, including Canada and Mexico.

Right now the price of gold sits around $5,100 an ounce, which is double where it sat just over one year ago. And the war in Iran could propel the price upwards even further.

【The daily average trading volume of used cars in China from February 9 to February 14 was 65,800 units. 】Data from the China Automobile Dealers Association showed that during February 9 to February 14, the domestic used car market exhibited typical pre-holiday trading characteristics, with a daily average transaction volume of 65,800 units, down 5.28% MoM from the previous week. Affected by multiple factors such as the Spring Festival travel rush, suspension of logistics, and extended consumer car purchase decision-making cycles, the used car market typically enters an off-season in the week before the holiday.

[He Xiaopeng: Large Computing Power and Large Models Will Jointly Define the Upper Limit of AI Cars] Recently, He Xiaopeng, Chairman and CEO of XPeng Motors, pointed out that large computing power and large models will jointly define the upper limit of AI cars. He Xiaopeng believes that computing power determines the size of the model that can be used, while the model determines the amount of high-quality data that can be utilized. "Computing power is the first criterion for making good AI cars in the next era," he said. "To evaluate how well intelligent driving performs, we must first look at how much computing power it has, and then the size of the model it runs." "We are already pre-training, including reinforcing a huge model with 72 billion parameters," he revealed.

[Cutting Off the Gray Interest Chain of "Zero-Kilometer Used Cars" to Maintain Market Order in Multiple Dimensions] Recently, the topic of "zero-kilometer used cars" has been pushed to the center of public opinion, sparking numerous discussions. The so-called "zero-kilometer used cars" refer to new vehicles that are circulated as used cars without ever being used after being registered. Behind this chaos lies the essence of false transactions where "the left hand passes to the right hand." Facing the risks exposed by the chaos of "zero-kilometer used cars," the author believes that it is necessary to make efforts from multiple dimensions to maintain a normal market order. First, strengthen the supervision of the registration and market entry of used cars; second, enhance industry-wide self-discipline; third, cultivate good consumption habits among consumers.

Industry insiders say that flying cars are at the tipping point of an industrial explosion, with technology, policies, and market demand forming a resonance. Transitioning from demonstration operations to large-scale adoption still requires overcoming the triple challenges of technological maturity, regulatory completeness, and user acceptance. In the future, flying cars are expected to reshape urban three-dimensional transportation systems, making "air travel" a daily occurrence.

【Auto Rally! Three Central State-Owned Enterprises Collectively Announce Share Buybacks, China's Auto Market Expected to Grow Steadily Amid "Tariff Storm"】①According to preliminary statistics by reporters, at the OEM level, JAC, Zhongtong Bus, and Seres have successively disclosed share buyback plans, with a total maximum amount of approximately 250 million yuan. ②Wang Qing, Deputy Director of the Market Economy Research Institute at the Development Research Center of the State Council, stated that, based on comprehensive judgment, China's auto sales are expected to grow by 3%-4% in 2025, barring new disruptive factors. (Cailian Press)

【SMM Steel】The first ScanLoop train arrived at Beddingen, carrying 25 wagons of steel scrap from Volvo Cars' Sweden plant to Salzgitter Flachstahl. The closed loop returns compressed stamping off-cuts to Germany for melting, using backhaul trains instead of running empty. The 700-km rail trip takes 1.5 days with 100% carbon-neutral power. Salzgitter's DEUMU and VPS manage it. It shows how circular economy boosts resource efficiency and cuts emissions.

Shanghai: Further Strengthening Support for Vehicle Replacement and Updating, Subsidy Scope Expanded to Include Out-of-Province License Plates. From January 1, 2025, to December 31, 2025, Shanghai will expand the vehicle replacement and updating subsidy scope to include out-of-province license plates. Individual consumers who purchase new energy passenger vehicles priced above 100,000 yuan and transfer their own passenger vehicles registered in other provinces and cities will receive a one-time fixed subsidy of 15,000 yuan. Those who purchase new fuel passenger vehicles meeting the China VI b emission standards will receive a one-time fixed subsidy of 13,000 yuan. (Cailian Press)

[Accelerated Implementation of Intelligent Driving Technology, Popularization of L3-Level Functions] Companies like Huawei and XPeng are promoting the adoption of L3-level autonomous driving in car models priced below 200,000 yuan. The development of the VLA model has entered the closed testing phase. Cities such as Beijing and Wuhan are accelerating the construction of intelligent road networks, and Robotaxi services are expanding to train station scenarios.