More than 100 new cars are making their debut at the ongoing 21st Shanghai International Automobile Industry Exhibition, which kicked off on Wednesday in east China's Shanghai.
Themed "Embracing Innovation, Empowering the Future", the exhibition, also known as Auto Shanghai 2025, has attracted nearly 1,000 enterprises from 26 countries and regions, making it the largest in the event's history.
Traditional automotive giants such as Volkswagen, BMW, and Audi have premiered their latest models at the auto show, alongside the latest Chinese NEVs from brands like BYD, Huawei's Harmony Intelligent Mobility Alliance, Nio's sub-brand ONVO, and Firefly.
AI and assisted driving are also taking center stage. Chinese smart electric vehicle maker Xpeng has brought its latest humanoid robot, IRON, alongside its AI-powered batteries for cars.
Meanwhile, industry insiders in attendance emphasized the timeliness of the event as global automakers seek to build closer relationships with China. "The Chinese OEMs are playing a very important role in the Brazilian market. So outside of China and the U.S., Brazil is the 4th largest market for cars in the world. And the revolution we're seeing with the quality of products being put out by Chinese OEMs with very reasonable price points is creating a revolution in the market. And the main dealership groups are all racing each other to see who will be the first one to bring these novel products into the markets and win the race," said Rui Cavendish, managing partner at FCGI, a Brazilian consulting firm.
"The good thing is I think the in the past maybe we were a bit too European, too German. So, 'they have to like it because we like it.' I think now we changed our mind. We are more open to listen to our customers when we do a [focus group]. This is where we decide on colors, materials, features. We have more Chinese in these groups than Germans or Europeans. I think we have a very balanced approach because the DNA and the hub, the heart of the company was founded in in Germany and the headquarters still is in Germany. So I think we, we bring from both sides the best of two worlds into the Chinese market," said Stefan Timmermann, CEO of ID. UNYX, a Volkswagen sub-brand targeting the Chinese market.
In 2024, China's automobile production and sales both exceeded 31 million units, setting a new record high. Despite policy challenges from the EU last year regarding Chinese-made EVs, China's NEV exports for the year still reached 2.01 million units, with a 16 percent year-on-year growth.
Chinese NEVs have evolved from once being labeled as 'cheap knockoffs' to becoming major competitors in the global automotive industry. According to the CAAM, China's auto sales are projected to reach around 32.9 million units in 2025, marking a 4.7 percent year-on-year increase.
More than 100 new cars debut at Shanghai Auto Show
