Exclusive: Key takeaways from Shanghai International Auto Show

Published: May 5, 2023 16:54
Source: SMM
The Shanghai International Automobile Industry Exhibition, the first auto show after the opening of the epidemic last week, was successfully concluded.

The Shanghai International Automobile Industry Exhibition, the first auto show after China lifted its Covid restrictions, was successfully concluded last week. Thousands of car and car parts companies from more than 20 countries and regions participated in this auto show. More than 90 new car models were exhibited and nearly 70 of them were new energy models. What does it mean to have so many new energy vehicle models in such a wide-ranging international exhibition? Where will the new energy vehicle market go in the future? The Shanghai Auto Show seems to be revealing the answers to all this.

1. The new energy vehicle market has occupied the mainstream position in the market, and the market has gradually shifted from a stage of rapid development to a mature and large-scale market.

In terms of the number of models exhibited at the Shanghai Auto Show, the proportion of new energy vehicles is very large. The cancellation of the subsidy policy seems to indicate that new energy vehicles have occupied the mainstream position in the market, and the market has gradually matured into a higher stage of development.

There are a total of 93 new car models unveiled at this auto show, including about 70 new energy car models, accounting for about 75%. In the past three years, the proportion of new energy vehicles in the Shanghai Auto Show and Beijing Auto Show was 38% and 43%, respectively. Such a high proportion of new energy vehicle models means that the new energy vehicle market has entered a new stage. Such a high proportion this year means that new energy vehicles have become or will soon become the main models in the market, and the new energy vehicle market is about to shift from a fast-growing market to a large but mature and stable market.

Meanwhile, players are about to face more intense competition. The major giants in the traditional automotive industry exhibited brand-new electric car platforms, including but not limited to Volkswagen's MEB platform, GM's BEV3 platform, Ford's Global Electronic platform, and Mercedes-Benz's EVA platform. Traditional car companies are focusing on electrification and accelerating transformation to EVs.

The maturity of the new energy vehicle market may continue to accelerate in the future, and the global market may quickly enter a stage of steady growth. A total of 93 new models were launched at this year's auto show, of which about 50 were domestic brands, accounting for more than 50% and most of them were pure electric vehicles. China's new energy industry chain is densely distributed. Domestic players enjoy the advantages brought by a complete supply chain, and at the same time face one of the most competitive and mature markets in the world - the domestic market. Domestic players will aggressively enter overseas markets after completing their overseas layout, and seize overseas markets with highly mature products. The global market may face the catfish effect, competition will intensify, and maturity will increase rapidly.

2. The penetration rate of new energy vehicles continues to increase, which promotes cost reduction and efficiency enhancement of power batteries

Power battery manufacturers did not miss the opportunity of the auto show, showing new power batteries and systems one after another. CATL exhibited a mix-and-match module, trying to use the respective advantages of sodium-ion batteries and lithium-ion batteries to integrate batteries of different materials into the same system, learn from each other's strengths and integrate the advantages of sodium-ion batteries and lithium-ion batteries. At the same time, the agreement signed with Chery on the use of sodium-ion batteries has greatly promoted the commercialization of sodium-ion batteries.

Data Source Statement: Except for publicly available information, all other data are processed by SMM based on publicly available information, market communication, and relying on SMM‘s internal database model. They are for reference only and do not constitute decision-making recommendations.

For any inquiries or to learn more information, please contact: lemonzhao@smm.cn
For more information on how to access our research reports, please contact:service.en@smm.cn
Related News
Shaanxi Construction No.7 Group's Hybrid ESS Project in Yuncheng Enters Trial Operation
1 hour ago
Shaanxi Construction No.7 Group's Hybrid ESS Project in Yuncheng Enters Trial Operation
Read More
Shaanxi Construction No.7 Group's Hybrid ESS Project in Yuncheng Enters Trial Operation
Shaanxi Construction No.7 Group's Hybrid ESS Project in Yuncheng Enters Trial Operation
Recently, the official account of Shaanxi Construction No. 7 Construction Group announced that Phase I of the 200 MW/301.75 MWh hybrid frequency regulation ESS power station project in the Yuncheng Economic and Technological Development Zone, Shanxi, which it undertook, was successfully connected to the grid and officially entered the trial operation stage. The project mainly includes the construction of a 50 MW flywheel independent frequency regulation ESS, a 150 MW LFP electrochemical ESS, a 220 kV substation, and supporting facilities, adopting a hybrid model of “flywheel energy storage + LFP electrochemical energy storage.”
1 hour ago
Sinoma Overseas' PV+ESS Project in Xuzhou Officially Launches on March 16, 2026
1 hour ago
Sinoma Overseas' PV+ESS Project in Xuzhou Officially Launches on March 16, 2026
Read More
Sinoma Overseas' PV+ESS Project in Xuzhou Officially Launches on March 16, 2026
Sinoma Overseas' PV+ESS Project in Xuzhou Officially Launches on March 16, 2026
Recently, the PV+ESS integration project of Xuzhou Sinoma Cement Co., Ltd., invested in and built by Sinoma Overseas, successfully achieved a breakthrough at a key period and was officially energized and put into operation on March 16, 2026, marking the formal commissioning of this regional integrated demonstration project for “hybrid energy storage + PV.” The project deeply integrated PV power generation and hybrid energy storage technologies to establish a clean energy supply system featuring “self-generation for self-use, flexible regulation, safety, and high efficiency.” The project’s total ESS installations capacity reached 10 MW/20 MWh, with total PV capacity of 11.38 MW, forming a complete green energy chain of “PV power generation + hybrid energy storage,” providing continuous and stable power support for production processes, building a closed-loop smart energy system with deep integration across the power generation side, energy storage side, and power consumption side, and realizing intelligent coordination and optimized operation throughout the entire life cycle of energy production, storage, consumption, and regulation.
1 hour ago
Gaoyi County's 300 MW/600 MWh Shared ESS Power Station Achieves Full-Capacity Delivery
1 hour ago
Gaoyi County's 300 MW/600 MWh Shared ESS Power Station Achieves Full-Capacity Delivery
Read More
Gaoyi County's 300 MW/600 MWh Shared ESS Power Station Achieves Full-Capacity Delivery
Gaoyi County's 300 MW/600 MWh Shared ESS Power Station Achieves Full-Capacity Delivery
Recently, the Shijiazhuang Gaoyi County 300 MW/600 MWh shared ESS power station, a key new-type energy storage project in Hebei province, officially completed the full-capacity delivery of its ESS, marking this regional benchmark energy storage project’s entry into the critical stage before production and operation. The successful delivery of the Gaoyi County 300 MW/600 MWh shared ESS power station represents another landmark implementation of Zhiguang Energy Storage’s core technologies in large-scale shared energy storage projects in north China, further consolidating Zhiguang Energy Storage’s industry-leading position in the field of cascaded high-voltage, large-capacity energy storage.
1 hour ago