Auto shows are a constant in the automotive world. They present the perfect opportunity for car companies to showcase their new cars and hint concepts to gauge the reactions of the general public. In December last year, it was the Los Angeles Auto Show and in January of this year it was the Consumer Electronic Show (CES) 2025. As of now, yet another auto show, called Auto Shanghai, is taking place in China. The 2025 Auto Shanghai is the 21st of its kind. The ten-day auto show kicked off on 23 April and is meant to conclude on 2 May. You can follow the event via their official page.
The event is being held at the National Center for Exhibition and Convention, a massive auditorium which has served as its venue since 2015. A possible reason for the choice of venue is its close proximity to the Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport. According to a leading Chinese news outlet, there are over 1,000 exhibitors from 26 countries and regions participating at the Auto Shanghai 2025, setting a new attendance record. There are over 70 domestic and international automakers displaying their newest vehicle models at the show, with more than 100 new vehicle models projected to debut. A lot is going on and will go on in the ten-day show. For now, here is a brief summary of what has happened so far.
Meet and Greets
On the first day, it was more of a welcoming ceremony, especially for the foreign car companies. The leader of the Shanghai municipal government, Gong Zheng visited the event centre to meet with the executives of foreign companies attending the event. Additionally, Chen Jining, the secretary of the Shanghai Municipal Committee of the Communist Party, had a tour of foreign automaker booths at the event, including Mercedes-Benz, Toyota and Volkswagen.
During his visit, Chen held talks with executives of overseas carmakers on how to optimise China’s growing auto market and improve its industrial ecosystem. Shanghai’s Mayor, Gong Zheng also met with executives of global automotive parts suppliers on the first day of the event.
Internal Debuts (BYD)
One of the eye-catching and mouthwatering debuts so far is from China’s very own electric vehicle giant, BYD. BYD has hacked the electric vehicle market for everyday sedans and SUVs. They now rival the likes of big automakers before them like Tesla. They recently teased a superfast charging system that is said to give 250 miles of range in only five minutes of charge. BYD is simply coming hard for the electric vehicle market. For Auto Shanghai, they are dipping their fingers into the supercar cookie jar. They unveiled their new luxury supercar called the Denza Z.
It is an eye-catching deep-blue model that aims to rival the likes of Porsche engineering and Mercedes-Benz luxury. There is not much known about the specs and mechanics of the electric two-door coupe, but I guess BYD will release more information on their concept in the coming months.
External Debuts (Toyota/Lexus)
Toyota unveiled a new sedan, their all-new electric bZ7 at Auto Shanghai. The executive sedan was made as a joint venture between Guangzhou Toyota Motor Company and the Intelligent ElectroMobility R&D. The bZ7 is made from combining the strengths of each company, including Toyota’s safety, reliability and high-quality manufacturing, with China’s advanced technologies.
Toyota’s luxury division, Lexus also debuted the eighth generation ES. It will be available with battery-powered (BEV) and hybrid-electric vehicle (HEV) models. The ES is the bigger executive counterpart to the IS and it promises a spacious rear seat package, as well as the latest technologies for the ultimate luxury experience.
For now, these are the noteworthy unveils at Auto Shanghai. In the coming days, more automakers will introduce new vehicles and technologies. All we have to do is sit back and enjoy the auto show. What are your thoughts on the debut so far? For me, the BYD luxury supercar concept is really mouthwatering and I can’t wait for it to go into production.
