Hard to believe just how advanced China’s automotive industry is, the foray from our hotel to Auto Shanghai in bustling city traffic gave a preview of what was to be expected from Asia’s biggest motor show.
The first and most noticeable aspect of China’s motor industry (in Shanghai at least) is the modernity of it all. Very few cars on the roads in the vast metropolis are more than several years old, nighttime traffic makes this abundantly clear with rear light bars and futuristic front LED signatures dominating the roads.
Moving towards a new future, many reading this would have already expected that these out-of-the-box vehicles boast new energy technology of some kind and that would be correct. Easily distinguished by different coloured number plates, all hybrids or EVs dominate the roads – incentives and taxes make them more appealing for prospective buyers living in the populous metropolis.
Seemingly in its own world, many of the makes and models pacing around the infinite grid iron mapwork of the 26,32 million strong city are unbeknown to motoring media from outside of China. Dozens of anonymous brands dominating the EV world locally are the lifeblood of commuters with their sleek and attractive designs blending into traffic while the occasional boldly styled models are worth a second take.
Arriving at the show, the modus operandi of the Chinese automotive industry seemed clear and would only be confirmed when walking into the doors of the Galactic size National Exhibition and Conference Centre. The future is electric. This is proven by the commuting majority of the city; despite boasting approximately 3,6 million cars, Shanghai actually has excellent air quality according to weather apps and news reports.
A rough estimate of conventionally powered vehicles on display at the show would be no more than 40%. Everything else, new energy. Despite displays from known European automakers and their impressive stables to name a few, the foreign media gawked at the locally manufactured pieces of technology instead.
The industrial might of China has been around for years and South Africa has only previewed a small snippet of it all with the likes of the growing GWM/Haval and Chery fleet. As we move into a new future of low or zero-emissions driving, China will most likely emerge at the forefront, but more on that later…
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