The Chinese car market is the biggest passenger car market in the world. It became the largest in 2009, and has remained the largest ever since. Despite the effects of the pandemic, China's 2021 motor vehicle sales recovered and increased by 3.9 percent. Experts anticipate a moderate increase in motor vehicle sales in 2022 of around 5.4 percent. Despite falling market shares, Volkswagen remained in the lead ahead of Toyota.
Electromobility is the engine for China’s automotive sector, and the future of mobility in China belongs to electric vehicles. According to the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers (CAAM), the NEV market share exceeded the 10 percent mark for the first time, at 13.4 percent. Plug-in hybrids account for around one fifth of all NEVs.
The major international automakers have massively entered the local NEV production. BMW announced in its January 2022 press conference that it would soon produce its second all-battery electric model in Shenyang. Daimler is considering producing a new battery-powered electric model exclusively for China in 2024.
The field of autonomous driving vehicles is also attracting more and more companies in China. While the industry portal AutoUpdate identified just over 40 companies in 2020, their number had risen to over 100 by the end of 2021.
New Energy Vehicle (NEV) market share in 2021
new companies for automous driving in just one year
motor vehicle sales growth expected in 2022
Foreign automakers and automotive suppliers also continue to invest in China. In January 2022, BMW announced plans to complete the modernization of its plants in Shenyang (Shandong Province) in 2022, as well as to open the new plant of Spotlight, its joint venture with Great Wall to produce electric mini vehicles, in Zhangjiagang (Jiangsu Province).
The luxury segment is dominated by German manufacturers BMW, Mercedes, Porsche and Audi. BMW, for example, achieved its best ever result in China with 846,000 vehicles sold in 2021, an increase of 9 percent on the previous year.
China's financial capital, Shanghai leads the way of the development of the country and is a superlative city. With its 18 million habitants, it is one of the biggest cities in the wolrd and the most important industrial city in China. It was its location at the delta of the Yangzi, the longest and most important river in China, which caused this fantastic rise. Today Shanghai shelters one of the biggest harbours worldwide, is the most important stock-market in the country and runs the only Transrapid connection between the international airport and the city district Pudong.
Auto Shanghai combines all benefts of a large-scale comprehensive trade fair which serves as an international platform for exhibitors and visitors.
On the basis of the success of the past editions and its innovative concept, Auto Shanghai brings together all automotive giants every two years to discuss the future of the automotive industry. As one of the two leading trade fairs for the automotive industry in China, Auto Shanghai has received large numbers of exhibitors, visitors and media from all over the world ever since 1985.
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