The world's largest auto show, '2026 Auto China,' opened in Beijing, China on the 24th, kicking off a fierce race for the future car market with no concessions.
'2026 Auto China' showcases more than 1,000 global completed cars, including 71 electric concept cars and 1,451 new cars, with 181 models being revealed for the first time in the world.
Under the theme of 'Future of Intelligence,' '2026 Auto China' brings together eco-friendly electric vehicles and hybrids in one place, as well as strategies for implementing next-generation Artificial Intelligence Defined Vehicles (AIDV).
On the 23rd, China's largest completed car group, Geely Holding Group, held a pre-opening event called 'Geely Night,' unveiling new electric vehicles, Geely Robo taxis, and the Link and Co flagship multipurpose vehicle (MPV) to declare a leap as a global automotive leader.
Geely Holding Group Vice President Yang Shen said, "Geely and Link and Co will provide electric cars in all segments and strengthen global AI automotive capabilities with the Volvo, Polestar, and Lotus strategic vision, aiming to leap as a global automotive leader by 2030."
Geely Automobile sold 1,565,000 new energy vehicles (NEVs) last year, rising from 5th to 2nd place in the Chinese domestic market.
Global automotive companies such as Hyundai, Mercedes-Benz, Volkswagen, and BMW, as well as emerging electric vehicle makers such as BYD, Geely, and Xiaopeng, are also participating in the event.
Hyundai unveiled the dedicated electric vehicle Venus and autonomous driving vehicles developed in collaboration with Chinese technology company Momenta, declaring a shift to a new energy vehicle brand in the Chinese domestic market.
Mercedes-Benz will showcase the new S-Class with Momenta autonomous driving technology and the all-new electric GLC. Volkswagen Group will unveil 10 models under brands like Volkswagen and Audi, while BMW Group plans to introduce changes to the 7 Series and new Mini brand cars.
Volkswagen also presented the ID.Unix model jointly developed with Chinese electric car Xiaopeng. Ralph Brandstätter, CEO of Volkswagen China, said, "We plan to release a new car every two weeks from this year" and that "Volkswagen Group's largest electric vehicle strategy in China will begin."
BYD unveiled the second-generation electric car based on the Blade battery, which enhances low-temperature performance, and the Flash Charging technology that can charge the battery from 10% to 70% in 5 minutes. Xiaopeng, Xiaomi, Chery Automobile, and others plan to unveil new electric cars and global market strategies.
Professor Jeong Gumin of Kookmin University said, "Cars are becoming closer to advanced electronic products and information technology (IT) platforms," and "the boundaries between the electronics and automotive industries have been broken."