New EVs and Concept Cars From China at the Shanghai Auto Show 2023

At a time when international motor shows have lost their glory, the Shanghai International Automobile Industry Exhibition — better known as Auto Shanghai — is back in 2023 with a bang. The show, which runs until April 27, has more than 1000+ exhibitors, 90+ global debuts, and 500+ new energy vehicles on display.

China’s carmakers have a strong presence, many showcasing EVs. Domestic giants SAIC Motor, Changan, Geely, and BYD exhibited a variety of pure EV models and battery-electric hybrid vehicles (PHEVs). These attracted the most attention from visitors, who took photos, asked for more information, or even tried sitting behind the wheel of favored vehicles with great excitement.

In the high-end EV market, Chinese start-ups NIO, XPeng, and Li Auto have fiercely competed with Tesla for premium customers in China. As a result, they all rolled out new models at the show. NIO displayed a new version of its flagship ET7 sedan that includes more than 15 upgrades and a new ES6 SUV with prices starting at 200,000 yuan ($29,500). Li Auto unveiled the L7 and L8 electric SUVs available next year. It also unveiled an upcoming battery EV to use CATL’s latest Qilin technology to reach 100% charge in just 15 minutes.

Toyota also showed off two of its ten new EVs to hit the Chinese market in the next few years, the all-electric BZ Sport Crossover and the battery-powered GS8 Traveler. The former was a highlight as it features the automaker’s innovative SPACE architecture, a powertrain that can support multiple HEV/PHEV/REEV powertrains.

GAC, another major Chinese carmaker, also showcased several new vehicles, including its 2020 U9 electric supercar, the luxury Yangwang EV-U10 sports car, and the GS8 Traveler. It also introduced the iGPMA architecture, designed to enable electrification, autonomous driving, and intelligence for vehicle systems.

Among the new EVs from smaller Chinese companies, human-horizons-owned HiPhi rolled out its ep2023. It is the brand’s first EV and uses Contemporary Amperex Technology Ltd. (CATL) lithium batteries. However, in a sign that price wars may be heating up, WM Motor and other once-promising EV start-ups emphasized their efforts to reduce the cost of the powertrain, which comprises around two-fifths of the total cost of an EV.