To help them catch up in EVs, foreign carmakers have also sought the assistance of Chinese firms. VW, which is launching 20 new models in China this year alone, has allied with XPeng, a local carmaker, and Horizon Robotics, an autonomous-driving startup. Toyota, which will make electric versions of its upmarket Lexus brand at a new factory near Shanghai starting in 2027, is working with Huawei and Tencent, two Chinese tech giants that develop software for cars, as well as Momenta, a rival to Horizon Robotics, and Xiaomi, a gadget-maker with a growing EV business of its own. BMW and…