Here is a summary of major events in the automotive industry on March 18, 2026.
Event 1: NIO Brand and Tuhu Forge Strategic Partnership On March 17, NIO Inc. and Tuhu Car Maintenance officially signed a strategic cooperation agreement. Moving forward, the two parties will focus on user operations, integrating resources to provide users with more personalized, high-quality services throughout the entire vehicle lifecycle. This collaboration represents an exploration of synergistic innovation between a premium smart electric vehicle brand and an automotive aftermarket service platform. They will jointly promote a new model that integrates the "car life service ecosystem" with the "automotive brand user ecosystem." NIO Inc. and Tuhu will leverage their respective strengths to achieve deep coordination of extensive online and offline resources and service networks, offering users exclusive value-added benefits.
Event 2: Audi Reports €34 Billion Operating Profit for 2025 On March 17, the Audi Group released its 2025 financial report. The company's sales revenue increased to €655 billion, with an operating profit reaching €34 billion. The operating sales margin stood at 5.1%, and net cash flow was €34 billion. The company progressed as planned with the renewal of its product lineup and structural adjustments. Deliveries of Audi's pure electric models reached a record high. Concurrently, the first model from its sister brand, AUDI—the Audi E5 Sportback—was officially launched in China.
Event 3: Hesai and NVIDIA Deepen Collaboration Hesai Technology recently announced that it has joined the NVIDIA Halos AI System Testing Laboratory. This is the first global program accredited by the ANSI National Accreditation Board (ANAB). As a member, Hesai will conduct evaluations and validations for functional safety, cybersecurity, and AI compliance of its lidar platform within this unified framework.
Event 4: Audi CEO Denies Merger Speculation On March 17, following the release of Audi Group's 2025 financial report, Audi CEO Gernot Döllner addressed rumors about a potential merger between FAW-Audi and SAIC Audi in an interview. Döllner stated that Audi will continue to adhere to its existing dual-partner strategy, emphasizing that the current cooperative model with its two major Chinese partners, FAW and SAIC, is "highly beneficial" for the brand's development. Döllner revealed that discussions with SAIC on deepening cooperation have seen positive progress, with smooth dialogue ongoing, and further updates will be communicated at an appropriate time. It is understood that Audi and SAIC formally established SAIC Audi in 2023, launching the new letter-brand "AUDI." According to Döllner, the current primary focus of the cooperation with SAIC is to accelerate the rapid development of the "AUDI" brand.