China has taken the lead in several key areas of the electric vehicle (EV) market, signaling big changes worldwide. In January, China surpassed Argentina as Brazil’s largest vehicle exporter. This confirms Chinese brands’ strong hold on the South American market, especially within Mercosur. Battery maker Contemporary Amperex Technology (CATL) unveiled the world’s first sodium-ion batteries for passenger cars. This breakthrough could shake up China’s EV market by offering a cheaper, more stable alternative to lithium-ion batteries, which face price swings. AutoFlight, a Chinese aviation start-up supported by CATL, launched the world's largest flying car. This highlights China’s ambition to lead the emerging flying car and low-altitude economy. Chinese automakers have also sped up payments to suppliers. They reduced payment cycles from nearly a year to less than 60 days. This move, backed by a government industry group, aims to control the fierce price wars in China’s auto market. China has banned carmakers from selling new vehicles below their cost price. This includes discounts and subsidies and targets the price war that hurt profits. Electric vehicle maker Nio is expanding its battery swapping stations. It plans to add 1,000 more stations this year. Nio is investing US$2.6 billion to push this technology, celebrating its 100 millionth battery swap. Tesla launched a China-focused artificial intelligence training centre to improve its self-driving car tech. This comes after Beijing eased restrictions on autonomous vehicle technology, fueling competition in the world's largest EV market.