China's EV Execs Bullish On Western Pressure At Beijing Car Show

Beijing, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 26th Apr, 2024) Electric vehicle executives at a top car show in China were bullish on prospects for growth, despite a gruelling price war and mounting Western pressure on the industry.

Thousands of car lovers and company representatives descended on Beijing this week for the Auto China show -- a chance for industry giants to show off new designs and cutting edge technologies aimed at getting ahead in the fiercely competitive sector.

And even as firms face down a cut-throat price war at home and mounting regulatory pressure overseas, executives and attendees were upbeat.

"I've never seen anything like this before," one company representative who declined to be named told AFP.

"There's a lot of expectation about what new models, new technologies Chinese carmakers will unveil."

One of the stars of the show was Lei Jun, CEO of consumer electronics giant xiaomi, fresh from declaring he had staked his "reputation" on the success of his firm's first-ever EV, the SU7.

Lei was mobbed by scores of people, some shouting his memetic slogan "are you OK?" -- a joke referring to the CEO's broken English which fans have reclaimed as proof of his likeability.

All were keen to get a snap of the latest player in the hotly contested EV sector.

Lei has said his SU7 is the most "Apple-friendly" EV on the market -- tapping into a prominent theme at the Auto Show: the emphasis on smart technology.

With everything from high-tech navigation systems to built-in karaoke machines, Chinese EVs can sometimes feel equipped with more gadgets than James bond.

"Chinese customers are now more attuned to fast-evolving digitalization, internet-stage and smart technology inside their vehicles," Brian Gu, President and Vice Chairman of EV giant XPeng, told AFP.

"Using voice, using large screens and relying on more smart-driving technologies -- that's also already becoming a hallmark of Chinese products," he said.

European customers, he said, aren't yet ready for that technology.

"It will take time, but I think ultimately, technology will converge," Gu explained.