SAIC Maxus Bets on RVs; Lan Qingsong: China's RV Market Could Surpass US Within 10 Years

China's Ministry of Commerce has selected Qingdao as a pilot city for auto market reform. The city will focus on two areas: RV camping and classic cars. For RVs, it plans to develop camping zones along coastlines, mountains, and rural areas. For classic cars, it will establish a trading and auction center covering 8 segments including collection, restoration, and insurance.

Nanjing authorities announced 53,059 free parking spaces for out-of-town self-drive tourists during the May Day holiday. The spaces cover the entire city, including 2,600 spaces at 300 locations for non-local visitors and 23,000 roadside spaces in Jiangbei New Area and other districts for all drivers. Additionally, on May 2, a Jiangsu Super League match will be held at the Olympic Sports Center, with 2,556 free parking spaces within a 3-km radius.

Lynk & Co has launched the five-seat version of its 900 model. The starting price is 254,800 yuan. A driver from Beijing plans to use the car for road trips and highlights the increased interior space and rear leg rest.

Construction of the Furong Guoli RV Hotel, part of the Xiangtan Wanlou Youth Wharf Phase 3 project in Hunan Province, has entered its final stage. Located on the west bank of the Xiangjiang River near the historic Wanlou Tower, the project covers a total land area of 105,806.96 m² and includes 120 RVs. It is designed as an “RV hotel + camping resort” targeting family and parent-child tourism. Progress has reached 90%, with over 400 workers finishing interior decoration and landscaping. The hotel is expected to open before the 6th Hunan Tourism Development Conference.

Almería is putting up physical barriers to keep motorhomers off its former fairground — while Turkey simply evicts them from the beach. Lightship is quadrupling its electric-caravan factory in Colorado, even as 50% of Italian motorhome renters turn out to be under 35. Plus 800 kg of hashish in a motorhome at the Spanish border, Anker's 800 W charger running off the alternator, and Carstay as the mobile HQ of a Tokyo festival — all in this issue.

The Zeekr 8X plug-in hybrid SUV achieves 0–100 km/h in 2.96 seconds, making it the fastest mid-to-large hybrid SUV globally. It features three electric motors, a 2.0L engine, a 70-kWh battery with 6C fast charging, and a combined range of up to 1416 km.