Quick, sharp and bite-sized, Radar distills the trending business-meets-culture stories from APAC to the Middle East to global markets into what you need to know. If it’s on our radar, it should be on yours.
BMW and Mercedes-Benz are stepping up with luxury EVs engineered to challenge Tesla’s Model Y head-on. BMW’s new iX3 boasts an estimated range of about 497 miles and starts around $60,000 in the US Meanwhile, Mercedes’ electric GLC delivers approximately 457 miles per charge, stepping confidently into the upper-$70,000s to $80,000+ break. Both vehicles leverage faster charging, advanced AI-driven features, and alliances with tech partners, signaling a shift where software takes the wheel, not just hardware.
This bold move follows regional shifts: Tesla’s sales in Europe are lagging, while its US EV market share has dipped to its lowest since 2017. Riding this out, Chinese challengers are accelerating; BYD has overtaken Tesla in global EV sales, and domestic brands like Aito—which integrates Huawei tech—are outselling BMW and Mercedes in China’s premium segment.
BMW and Mercedes are doubling down with strategic investments, with Bloomberg reporting that BMW’s €10 billion Neue Klasse initiative (roughly USD$11.7 billion) is its pivot toward software-defined vehicles, while Mercedes is realigning from its standalone “EQ” EV branding back under the flagship name to reinforce legacy and adaptability.
BTB So What?
This isn’t really about BMW and Mercedes catching Tesla, it’s about the West realising the centre of gravity may have already shifted to China. Tesla may have sold 1.8 million cars last year, but China built almost 13 million EVs, and companies like BYD and Aito are moving faster than either Stuttgart or Silicon Valley. German luxury can throw $11.7 billion at new platforms, but the real battle isn’t in design studios, it’s in who controls supply chains, software ecosystems, and cultural preference in Asia. Musk’s politics make Tesla look vulnerable, but the deeper truth is that no brand can coast on myth when the market itself has moved. The lesson: the future of mobility won’t be decided in California boardrooms or European showrooms, it’s already being written in Asia.