People's Daily: China's NEVs Hold Systemic Edge as Tesla 'Flying Car' Sparks Debate

A People's Daily commentary on November 2 pushed back against a "we have fallen behind" panic after Tesla showed a flying car prototype, arguing China's new-energy-vehicle sector has built up a systemic body of strengths. It noted BYD's Yangwang U9 Xtreme topped the world's mass-produced-car speed chart at 496.22 km/h, CATL's third-generation Shenxing ultra-fast-charging battery can fully charge at room temperature in just over six minutes to set a global record, and Huawei and Li Auto have rolled out cockpit-driving fusion or end-to-end smart-driving solutions that keep iterating. Xpeng had earlier unveiled its modular "Land Aircraft Carrier" flying car. The piece highlighted that China accounts for 35.6% of globally published auto patents, meaning more than one in every three auto patents worldwide comes from China. It urged composure: flashy demos attract attention, but pragmatic, grounded execution is what sustains lead, and Chinese automakers should keep an open, level-eyed posture toward global competition.

Source: People's Daily (Renmin Ribao), Nov 2, 2026 | 2026-11-02