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Time of India
24-04-2025
- Automotive
- Time of India
Trade war and safety concerns take centre stage at Shanghai auto show
China's annual auto shows have become the world's premier showcase for the rise of ever-cheaper, high-tech electric vehicles from upstart domestic brands in the world's biggest car market. But the Shanghai auto show opened on Wednesday amid industry-wide uncertainty over how the U.S.-China trade war could sap demand and upend supply chains as about 70 automakers launched more than 100 new models into a crowded market with more losers than winners. Automakers also wrestled with a Chinese government crackdown, announced last week, on the marketing of smart-driving systems that many industry executives view as the next technological battleground here. "In China, electrification was the first phase" of the domestic industry's development, said Bo Yu, a China-market expert from research firm Jato Dynamics. "Now it's all about what we call 'smartification.'" Automakers were forced to pivot to a safety-first message at the show after regulators banned terms including "smart driving" and "autonomous driving." The rules followed a fatal accident of a Xiaomi SU7 EV in March involving the car's driver-assistance system. U.S. President Donald Trump's move to impose a 145% tariff on Chinese imports and Beijing's retaliatory tariffs have pushed global growth forecasts lower as automakers and suppliers to confront new risks. Chinese automakers also face tariffs in the European Union. As the Shanghai show started Wednesday, a coalition of U.S. auto-industry groups sent a letter to Trump urging a repeal of 25% tariffs on imported auto parts, warning of rising vehicle prices and falling sales. Chinese vehicle demand has held up so far this year despite the trade war. Auto sales through March were up 12.5%, with the gains led by China's top two automakers, BYD and Geely. But there are signs of trouble. Chinese cars were already essentially banned from the U.S. market before Trump's latest flurry of tariffs. But China's domestic industry could still suffer from weaker demand if the nation's economy wobbles or pressure from Washington forces other U.S. trade partners to restrict trade with China. 'SMART DRIVING' CRACKDOWN Chinese automakers, led by BYD, had been heavily marketing their assisted-driving technology before the show and offering it at lower cost - or free - to gain an edge in the competitive market. Xpeng, which touts its AI-driven assisted-driving technology, said at the Shanghai show that it would launch a "training camp" for drivers on using its systems safely. "We will emphasise the capability boundaries of the driving-assistance functions to ensure safety," Xpeng CEO He Xiaopeng told reporters. The Xpeng founder said at a Hong Kong press conference last week that it might take a decade or more for the industry to develop fully self-driving systems, which face steep regulatory and legal hurdles along with technological challenges. BYD recently upended the industry by offering its "God's Eye" assisted-driving technology across its model lineup as standard equipment. But it skipped any mention of the technology in Shanghai press conferences where it unveiled models including the low-cost Seal 06 and Sealion 06, along with luxury models. Lei Jun - the celebrity CEO of Xiaomi who stole the limelight at last year's Beijing show - was conspicously absent as this year's Shanghai show opened. The company only showcased its existing SU7 and SU7 Ultra vehicles. Many industry observers had expected Xiaomi to unveil its highly anticipated YU7 electric SUV, a challenger to Tesla's best-selling Model Y. A Xiaomi spokesperson said on Wednesday that Lei would not attend the Shanghai show, citing a scheduling clash. 'CHINA SPEED' China's hyper-competitive market remains a minefield for foreign brands. Sales for Honda and Nissan, for example, were down 34% and 28% respectively in the first quarter from a year earlier. "The alarming thing at this show is the enormous amount of technology and content that's being given to customers at such a low price," said Matt Noone, a design executive at General Motors' Buick brand. "Chinese carmakers are now offering intelligent driving on entry-level vehicles. How do you make money on that?! Are you making money on that?" Noone said Buick models had to "earn their way" into the lineup by being profitable, which has driven the brand to cut the number of models it offers in half to about 10. Volkswagen, once China's top-selling passenger car brand, saw sales drop 6% in the first quarter. Under an electronic banner with the motto "CHINA SPEED," the German automaker on Wednesday unveiled the first of five new models, including for its premium Audi brand. General Motors' Cadillac showed off an all-electric lineup of models - the Lyriq, Optiq, Vistiq and Escalade IQ. "This shows that GM sees Cadillac as its best bet to get back into China in a big way," said Tu Le, founder of consultancy Sino Auto Insights, who attended the Cadillac event. But the brand would likely have to sell the models in China at lower prices than in the United States, he said. BMW and Honda announced they would integrate artificial-intelligence technologies from Chinese startup DeepSeek into their models. Foreign brands face a stiff challenge in catching up to their Chinese competitors, said Andrew Fellows, global head of automotive and mobility at technology consultancy Star. "The Western carmakers slept their way through the pandemic while the Chinese rode the EV revolution," he said. "They're going to find it hard to dislodge the local carmakers."
Time of India
23-04-2025
- Automotive
- Time of India
Trade war and safety concerns take centre stage at Shanghai auto show
China's annual auto shows have become the world's premier showcase for the rise of ever-cheaper, high-tech electric vehicles from upstart domestic brands in the world's biggest car market. But the Shanghai auto show opened on Wednesday amid industry-wide uncertainty over how the U.S.-China trade war could sap demand and upend supply chains as about 70 automakers launched more than 100 new models into a crowded market with more losers than winners. Automakers also wrestled with a Chinese government crackdown, announced last week, on the marketing of smart-driving systems that many industry executives view as the next technological battleground here. "In China, electrification was the first phase" of the domestic industry's development, said Bo Yu, a China-market expert from research firm Jato Dynamics. "Now it's all about what we call 'smartification.'" Automakers were forced to pivot to a safety-first message at the show after regulators banned terms including "smart driving" and "autonomous driving." The rules followed a fatal accident of a Xiaomi SU7 EV in March involving the car's driver-assistance system. U.S. President Donald Trump's move to impose a 145% tariff on Chinese imports and Beijing's retaliatory tariffs have pushed global growth forecasts lower as automakers and suppliers to confront new risks. Chinese automakers also face tariffs in the European Union. As the Shanghai show started Wednesday, a coalition of U.S. auto-industry groups sent a letter to Trump urging a repeal of 25% tariffs on imported auto parts, warning of rising vehicle prices and falling sales. Chinese vehicle demand has held up so far this year despite the trade war. Auto sales through March were up 12.5%, with the gains led by China's top two automakers, BYD and Geely. But there are signs of trouble. Chinese cars were already essentially banned from the U.S. market before Trump's latest flurry of tariffs. But China's domestic industry could still suffer from weaker demand if the nation's economy wobbles or pressure from Washington forces other U.S. trade partners to restrict trade with China. 'SMART DRIVING' CRACKDOWN Chinese automakers, led by BYD, had been heavily marketing their assisted-driving technology before the show and offering it at lower cost - or free - to gain an edge in the competitive market. Xpeng, which touts its AI-driven assisted-driving technology, said at the Shanghai show that it would launch a "training camp" for drivers on using its systems safely. "We will emphasise the capability boundaries of the driving-assistance functions to ensure safety," Xpeng CEO He Xiaopeng told reporters. The Xpeng founder said at a Hong Kong press conference last week that it might take a decade or more for the industry to develop fully self-driving systems, which face steep regulatory and legal hurdles along with technological challenges. BYD recently upended the industry by offering its "God's Eye" assisted-driving technology across its model lineup as standard equipment. But it skipped any mention of the technology in Shanghai press conferences where it unveiled models including the low-cost Seal 06 and Sealion 06, along with luxury models. Lei Jun - the celebrity CEO of Xiaomi who stole the limelight at last year's Beijing show - was conspicously absent as this year's Shanghai show opened. The company only showcased its existing SU7 and SU7 Ultra vehicles. Many industry observers had expected Xiaomi to unveil its highly anticipated YU7 electric SUV, a challenger to Tesla's best-selling Model Y. A Xiaomi spokesperson said on Wednesday that Lei would not attend the Shanghai show, citing a scheduling clash. 'CHINA SPEED' China's hyper-competitive market remains a minefield for foreign brands. Sales for Honda and Nissan, for example, were down 34% and 28% respectively in the first quarter from a year earlier. "The alarming thing at this show is the enormous amount of technology and content that's being given to customers at such a low price," said Matt Noone, a design executive at General Motors' Buick brand. "Chinese carmakers are now offering intelligent driving on entry-level vehicles. How do you make money on that?! Are you making money on that?" Noone said Buick models had to "earn their way" into the lineup by being profitable, which has driven the brand to cut the number of models it offers in half to about 10. Volkswagen, once China's top-selling passenger car brand, saw sales drop 6% in the first quarter. Under an electronic banner with the motto "CHINA SPEED," the German automaker on Wednesday unveiled the first of five new models, including for its premium Audi brand. General Motors' Cadillac showed off an all-electric lineup of models - the Lyriq, Optiq, Vistiq and Escalade IQ. "This shows that GM sees Cadillac as its best bet to get back into China in a big way," said Tu Le, founder of consultancy Sino Auto Insights, who attended the Cadillac event. But the brand would likely have to sell the models in China at lower prices than in the United States, he said. BMW and Honda announced they would integrate artificial-intelligence technologies from Chinese startup DeepSeek into their models. Foreign brands face a stiff challenge in catching up to their Chinese competitors, said Andrew Fellows, global head of automotive and mobility at technology consultancy Star. "The Western carmakers slept their way through the pandemic while the Chinese rode the EV revolution," he said. "They're going to find it hard to dislodge the local carmakers."
Time of India
22-04-2025
- Automotive
- Time of India
Get ready for a showdown: Chinese EVs set to challenge Tesla's dominance
More than 70 Chinese and international automotive brands will showcase more than 100 new or refreshed models at the Shanghai auto show this week, intensifying already cutthroat competition in the world's premier market for electric vehicles and hybrids. Top-selling Chinese brands such as BYD and Geely are expected to take centre stage at the show from April 23 to May 2, while foreign automakers such as Volkswagen , Nissan, Toyota and General Motors' Cadillac brand will also jostle for attention. As a years-long consumer price war in China drags on, next-generation automated-driving features have become the next front in the battle for vehicle sales and profits. But automakers' plans to tout next-generation driver-assistance systems in Shanghai have been upended by a government crackdown on marketing claims using terms such as "smart" or "autonomous" to describe their technology after a fatal crash of Xiaomi SU7 in March. The Chinese electric sport sedan struck a cement pole and caught fire, killing three people, shortly after the driver tried to take over from the car's assisted-driving system. The launch of the SU7 shortly before last year's Beijing auto show created a sensation, and it has since sold more than 215,000 copies, outpacing Tesla's Model 3 on a monthly basis since December. The resulting government scrutiny has Chinese automakers such as BYD and Zeekr scrambling to revise their marketing presentations, veering away from boasts about automated-driving capabilities and instead emphasising driver caution. Driver-assistance systems have become a critical tool for automakers to differentiate themselves in China's crowded EV market. BYD, the nation's leading EV-and-hybrid maker, supercharged the competition in developing such systems after announcing in February it would offer its "God's Eye" driver-assistance system as free standard equipment across its lineup, including in entry-level models costing as little as about $10,000. BYD is following the same playbook with driver-assistance technology as it took with EVs - using its vast scale to drop the cost and pressure rivals, said Bo Yu, an analyst with auto industry research firm Jato Dynamics. Many automakers "criticise BYD for the pricing war," she said. "BYD is taking a similar strategy with God's Eye - making everyone else uncomfortable." China regulators in February also prohibited carmakers from installing over-the-air software updates to driver-assistance software without government approval. That prompted Tesla to halt a limited-time free trial of its "Full Self Driving" (FSD) software in China, which despite its name is not fully autonomous. Days later, it also dropped FSD from the name, calling it "intelligent assisted driving" instead. Tech giant Huawei, which supplies automotive software and has launched eight models in partnership with Chinese carmakers, on Tuesday launched a campaign urging caution when using its assisted-driving systems. At a livestreamed event last week for Huawei and Chery's jointly developed Luxeed brand, popular Chinese American actress Liu Yifei, a celebrity endorser of the brand, said: "While the technology provides us with good assistance, we should also pay attention to driving safety." At the Shanghai auto show, Geely's Zeekr EV brand plans to launch its first model equipped with so-called Level 3 driver-assistance technology, meaning it can enable hands-off driving on highways and city streets but still requires drivers to watch the road. But its press conferences will now focus instead on showcasing hybrid models and battery technology, Zeekr said. Chinese regulators are also tightening EV-battery standards, aiming to reduce the risks of fires and explosions. TARGETING TESLA Regulatory challenges aside, China's "new energy vehicle" sector - including fully electric models and a wide variety of gasoline-electric hybrids - continues its historic sales surge. Electrified vehicles now account for more than half of all new-car sales in China, a far higher share than in the United States, Europe and almost all other global markets, and marking the achievement of a goal Beijing originally set for 2030. About a dozen new models to debut in Shanghai this week are electric crossovers priced to compete directly with Tesla's Model Y, potentially adding to the U.S. EV maker's mounting challenges in China and globally. Tesla did not respond to a request for comment. Tesla has steadily lost market share in China, from a peak of 15% in 2020 of the country's battery-electric vehicle market to 9% in the first quarter and its annual sales declined globally for the first time last year. Those declines accelerated in Europe and the United States in the first quarter amid widespread public backlash over CEO Elon Musk's polarising politics as a top adviser to U.S. President Donald Trump. Tesla has skipped China auto shows since 2021 after a protest by an unhappy customer at the site. The U.S. EV pioneer releases new models or redesigned models at a much slower pace than its Chinese competitors. Many of the Model Y competitors to debut this week offer more advanced battery-charging, assisted driving and in-car entertainment for a lower sticker price, such as Xpeng's G6 and Zeekr's E6. Xiaomi had been expected by some analysts to unveil its hotly anticipated YU7 crossover, deemed the biggest potential threat to the Model Y but it will instead only show its current SU7 and SU7 Ultra models at the show and has no plans to hold a press conference. It did not give a reason and did not respond to a request for comment. Independent automotive analyst Lei Xing, who has followed the rise of China's auto industry for two decades, called those and other formidable new Chinese electric crossovers "Model Y killers." "It's a tsunami of pressure" on Tesla's best-selling model, he said. "It's not going to be just one vehicle that beats the Model Y - it's 12 or 13."
NDTV
21-04-2025
- Automotive
- NDTV
Over 70 Carmakers Will Unveil Their Tesla Killers At China Auto Show: Report
SHANGHAI: More than 70 Chinese and international automotive brands will showcase more than 100 new or refreshed models at the Shanghai auto show this week, intensifying already cutthroat competition in the world's premier market for electric vehicles and hybrids. Top-selling Chinese brands such as BYD and Geely are expected to take centre stage at the show from April 23 to May 2, while foreign automakers such as Volkswagen, Nissan, Toyota and General Motors' Cadillac brand will also jostle for attention. As a years-long consumer price war in China drags on, next-generation automated-driving features have become the next front in the battle for vehicle sales and profits. But automakers' plans to tout next-generation driver-assistance systems in Shanghai have been upended by a government crackdown on marketing claims using terms such as "smart" or "autonomous" to describe their technology after a fatal crash of Xiaomi SU7 in March. The Chinese electric sport sedan struck a cement pole and caught fire, killing three people, shortly after the driver tried to take over from the car's assisted-driving system. The launch of the SU7 shortly before last year's Beijing auto show created a sensation, and it has since sold more than 215,000 copies, outpacing Tesla's Model 3 on a monthly basis since December. The resulting government scrutiny has Chinese automakers such as BYD and Zeekr scrambling to revise their marketing presentations, veering away from boasts about automated-driving capabilities and instead emphasising driver caution. Driver-assistance systems have become a critical tool for automakers to differentiate themselves in China's crowded EV market. BYD, the nation's leading EV-and-hybrid maker, supercharged the competition in developing such systems after announcing in February it would offer its "God's Eye" driver-assistance system as free standard equipment across its lineup, including in entry-level models costing as little as about $10,000. BYD is following the same playbook with driver-assistance technology as it took with EVs - using its vast scale to drop the cost and pressure rivals, said Bo Yu, an analyst with auto industry research firm Jato Dynamics. Many automakers "criticise BYD for the pricing war," she said. "BYD is taking a similar strategy with God's Eye - making everyone else uncomfortable." China regulators in February also prohibited carmakers from installing over-the-air software updates to driver-assistance software without government approval. That prompted Tesla to halt a limited-time free trial of its "Full Self Driving" (FSD) software in China, which despite its name is not fully autonomous. Days later, it also dropped FSD from the name, calling it "intelligent assisted driving" instead. Tech giant Huawei, which supplies automotive software and has launched eight models in partnership with Chinese carmakers, on Tuesday launched a campaign urging caution when using its assisted-driving systems. At a livestreamed event last week for Huawei and Chery's jointly developed Luxeed brand, popular Chinese American actress Liu Yifei, a celebrity endorser of the brand, said: "While the technology provides us with good assistance, we should also pay attention to driving safety." At the Shanghai auto show, Geely's Zeekr EV brand plans to launch its first model equipped with so-called Level 3 driver-assistance technology, meaning it can enable hands-off driving on highways and city streets but still requires drivers to watch the road. But its press conferences will now focus instead on showcasing hybrid models and battery technology, Zeekr said. Chinese regulators are also tightening EV-battery standards, aiming to reduce the risks of fires and explosions. TARGETING TESLA Regulatory challenges aside, China's "new energy vehicle" sector - including fully electric models and a wide variety of gasoline-electric hybrids - continues its historic sales surge. Electrified vehicles now account for more than half of all new-car sales in China, a far higher share than in the United States, Europe and almost all other global markets, and marking the achievement of a goal Beijing originally set for 2030. About a dozen new models to debut in Shanghai this week are electric crossovers priced to compete directly with Tesla's Model Y, potentially adding to the U.S. EV maker's mounting challenges in China and globally. Tesla did not respond to a request for comment. Tesla has steadily lost market share in China, from a peak of 15% in 2020 of the country's battery-electric vehicle market to 9% in the first quarter and its annual sales declined globally for the first time last year. Those declines accelerated in Europe and the United States in the first quarter amid widespread public backlash over CEO Elon Musk's polarising politics as a top adviser to U.S. President Donald Trump. Tesla has skipped China auto shows since 2021 after a protest by an unhappy customer at the site. The U.S. EV pioneer releases new models or redesigned models at a much slower pace than its Chinese competitors. Many of the Model Y competitors to debut this week offer more advanced battery-charging, assisted driving and in-car entertainment for a lower sticker price, such as Xpeng's G6 and Zeekr's E6. Xiaomi had been expected by some analysts to unveil its hotly anticipated YU7 crossover, deemed the biggest potential threat to the Model Y but it will instead only show its current SU7 and SU7 Ultra models at the show and has no plans to hold a press conference. It did not give a reason and did not respond to a request for comment. Independent automotive analyst Lei Xing, who has followed the rise of China's auto industry for two decades, called those and other formidable new Chinese electric crossovers "Model Y killers." "It's a tsunami of pressure" on Tesla's best-selling model, he said. "It's not going to be just one vehicle that beats the Model Y - it's 12 or 13." (Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
Business Times
21-04-2025
- Automotive
- Business Times
At Shanghai auto show, EV makers to grapple with autonomous-tech crackdown, launch Tesla ‘killers'
[SHANGHAI] More than 70 Chinese and international automotive brands will showcase more than 100 new or refreshed models at the Shanghai auto show this week, intensifying already cutthroat competition in the world's premier market for electric vehicles (EVs) and hybrids. Top-selling Chinese brands such as BYD and Geely are expected to take centrestage at the show from Wednesday (Apr 23) to May 2, while foreign automakers such as Volkswagen, Nissan, Toyota and General Motors' Cadillac brand will also jostle for attention. As a years-long consumer price war in China drags on, next-generation automated-driving features have become the next front in the battle for vehicle sales and profits. But automakers' plans to tout next-generation driver-assistance systems in Shanghai have been upended by a government crackdown on marketing claims using terms such as 'smart' or 'autonomous' to describe their technology after a fatal crash of Xiaomi SU7 in March. The Chinese electric sport sedan struck a cement pole and caught fire, killing three people, shortly after the driver tried to take over from the car's assisted-driving system. The launch of the SU7 shortly before last year's Beijing auto show created a sensation, and it has since sold more than 215,000 copies, outpacing Tesla's Model 3 on a monthly basis since December. BT in your inbox Start and end each day with the latest news stories and analyses delivered straight to your inbox. Sign Up Sign Up The resulting government scrutiny has Chinese automakers such as BYD and Zeekr scrambling to revise their marketing presentations, veering away from boasts about automated-driving capabilities and instead emphasising driver caution. Driver-assistance systems have become a critical tool for automakers to differentiate themselves in China's crowded EV market. BYD, the nation's leading EV-and-hybrid maker, supercharged the competition in developing such systems after announcing in February that it would offer its 'God's Eye' driver-assistance system as free standard equipment across its lineup, including in entry-level models costing as little as about US$10,000. BYD is following the same playbook with driver-assistance technology as it took with EVs – using its vast scale to drop the cost and pressure rivals, said Bo Yu, an analyst with auto industry research firm Jato Dynamics. Many automakers 'criticise BYD for the pricing war,' she noted. 'BYD is taking a similar strategy with God's Eye – making everyone else uncomfortable.' China regulators in February also prohibited carmakers from installing over-the-air software updates to driver-assistance software without government approval. That prompted Tesla to halt a limited-time free trial of its 'Full Self Driving' (FSD) software in China, which despite its name is not fully autonomous. Days later, it also dropped FSD from the name, calling it 'intelligent assisted driving' instead. Tech giant Huawei, which supplies automotive software and has launched eight models in partnership with Chinese carmakers, on Tuesday launched a campaign urging caution when using its assisted-driving systems. At a livestreamed event last week for Huawei and Chery's jointly developed Luxeed brand, popular Chinese American actress Liu Yifei, a celebrity endorser of the brand, said: 'While the technology provides us with good assistance, we should also pay attention to driving safety.' At the Shanghai auto show, Geely's Zeekr EV brand plans to launch its first model equipped with so-called Level three driver-assistance technology, meaning it can enable hands-off driving on highways and city streets but still requires drivers to watch the road. But its press conferences will now focus instead on showcasing hybrid models and battery technology, Zeekr said. Chinese regulators are also tightening EV-battery standards, aiming to reduce the risks of fires and explosions. Targeting Tesla Regulatory challenges aside, China's 'new energy vehicle' sector – including fully electric models and a wide variety of petrol-electric hybrids – continues its historic sales surge. Electrified vehicles now account for more than half of all new-car sales in China, a far higher share than in the US, Europe and almost all other global markets, and marking the achievement of a goal Beijing originally set for 2030. About a dozen new models to debut in Shanghai this week are electric crossovers priced to compete directly with Tesla's Model Y, potentially adding to the US EV maker's mounting challenges in China and globally. Tesla did not respond to a request for comment. Tesla has steadily lost market share in China, from a peak of 15 per cent in 2020 of the country's battery-electric vehicle market to 9 per cent in the first quarter and its annual sales declined globally for the first time last year. Those declines accelerated in Europe and the US in Q1 amid widespread public backlash over CEO Elon Musk's polarising politics as a top adviser to US President Donald Trump. Tesla has skipped China auto shows since 2021 after a protest by an unhappy customer at the site. The US EV pioneer releases new models or redesigned models at a much-slower pace than its Chinese competitors. Many of the Model Y competitors to debut this week offer more advanced battery-charging, assisted driving and in-car entertainment for a lower sticker price, such as Xpeng's G6 and Zeekr's E6. Xiaomi had been expected by some analysts to unveil its hotly anticipated YU7 crossover, deemed the biggest potential threat to the Model Y but it will instead only show its current SU7 and SU7 Ultra models at the show and has no plans to hold a press conference. It did not give a reason. Independent automotive analyst Lei Xing, who has followed the rise of China's auto industry for two decades, called those and other formidable new Chinese electric crossovers 'Model Y killers'. 'It's a tsunami of pressure' on Tesla's best-selling model, he said. 'It's not going to be just one vehicle that beats the Model Y – it's 12 or 13.' REUTERS
