Beijing will be center of attention in the global auto industry later this month with the opening of China’s most important exhibition this year, Auto China. The stakes are big for domestic brands such as BYD but also for foreign entrants looking to tap into the world’s largest auto market; sales in first quarter increased by more than 10% from a year earlier. Long-time world leaders, however, face intensifying competition from cutthroat, tech-savvy domestic rivals, particularly for EVs. Among international firms looking to the future, Volkswagen last week announced plans to invest $3.7 billion in the country.
What are some of the likely trends at Auto China? To learn more, I talked on Thursday to Tu Le, founder of Sino Auto Insights, a consultancy that follows China’s auto industry. Le is a long-time China veteran who relocated to the Detroit area during the pandemic and will be back in China for the show, which opens on April 25. Edited excerpts follow.
