CHINA RECAP: Beijing, Xiaomi test drive, BYD news, and a fresh home battery pilot

On today's totally true episode of Quick Charge, Fred returns from the Beijing Auto Show with a fresh look at the future of the car business, and a test drive in a 2nd generation Xiaomi SU7 does nothing to convince him that China hasn't just set the bar even higher. We've also got news about the latest from VW's Chinese AUDI and JETTA brands, a passing glance at a big Buick concept with no windshield, and news about BYD's latest new flagship sedan that promises to bring the superfast charging fight to CATL. Source Links I went to the Beijing Auto Show and it’s a glimpse at the future of the auto industry CATL says sodium batteries are mainstream-ready, signs massive 60 GWh deal Xpeng VLA 2.0 test drive: Tesla is not alone with ‘Full Self-Driving’ anymore BYD Seal 08 debuts with Blade Battery 2.0: 1,000 km range, 5-min charging, 684 hp CATL says sodium batteries are mainstream-ready, signs massive 60 GWh deal This US city is putting solar + batteries on 150 homes to cut bills Prefer listening to your podcasts? Audio-only versions of Quick Charge are now available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, TuneIn, and our RSS feed for Overcast and other podcast players. New episodes of Quick Charge are (allegedly) recorded several times per week, most weeks. We’ll be posting bonus audio content from time to time as well, so be sure to follow and subscribe so you don’t miss a minute of Electrek’s high-voltage podcast series. Got news? Let us know!Drop us a line at [email protected]. You can also rate us on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, or recommend us in Overcast to help more people discover the show. If you’re considering going solar, it’s always a good idea to get quotes from a few installers. To make sure you find a trusted, reliable solar installer near you that offers competitive pricing, check out EnergySage, a free service that makes it easy for you to go solar. It has hundreds of pre-vetted solar installers competing for your business, ensuring you get high-quality solutions and save 20-30% compared to going it alone. Plus, it’s free to use, and you won’t get sales calls until you select an installer and share your phone number with them.  Your personalized solar quotes are easy to compare online and you’ll get access to unbiased Energy Advisors to help you every step of the way. Get started here.