Looking Ahead to the 2025 Shanghai Auto Show: The Turning Point of Intelligent and Electric Transformation Has Arrived, Harmony Intelligent Mobility Alliance (HIMA) May Become the "Traffic Attraction"

The 2025 Shanghai Auto Show, set to open on April 23, is poised to become a turning point for the automotive industry as it fully transitions towards intelligent electrification. The defining characteristics of this shift are the reshaping of the market landscape due to ongoing intense competition and the accelerated arrival of the "second half" of the intelligent electrification transformation driven by rapid technological iteration. For the 2025 Shanghai Auto Show, the reshaping of the market landscape is evident in the further manifestation of the "Matthew Effect" among participating brands. According to preliminary statistics from Caijing News Agency, Chinese brands such as China FAW, Dongfeng Group, SAIC, BYD, and Geely, as well as traditional international automakers like Volkswagen, Mercedes-Benz, and Toyota, will all participate in this year's show. Among them, Xiaomi Auto, Harmony Intelligent Mobility Alliance (HIMA), NIO's ONVO and Firefly, and BYD's Fangchengbao will make their debut at the Shanghai Auto Show. Leveraging the capabilities of their parent companies and the entry of new brands from ICT giants, the 2025 Shanghai Auto Show will cover an exhibition area of approximately 100,000 m², with an increase in the number of participating enterprises compared to the previous edition. However, while new brands continue to emerge, some automakers such as Hyundai-Kia, Jaguar Land Rover, Polestar, Jiyue, and Neta will miss this year's show. Notably, Hyundai-Kia will be absent from a major Class A auto show in China for the first time since entering the Chinese market in 2002, reflecting the ongoing decline in the market share of Korean cars in China and the potentially unfavorable return on investment for participation. Jaguar Land Rover's absence is due to the need for more time for internal adjustments and strategic optimization. Trading time for space has become a common choice for some foreign brands. Unlike Hyundai-Kia and Jaguar Land Rover, which remain optimistic about the Chinese market, new forces like Jiyue and Neta, whose funds have dried up, may completely exit the Chinese automotive market. Recently, Zhang Yong, former CEO of Neta Auto, stated on his personal social media, "I am still serving as a consultant for Neta Auto, actively seeking financing for the company." Another manifestation of the reshaping landscape is the accelerated arrival of the "second half" of the intelligent electrification transformation driven by rapid technological iteration. According to data from the China Passenger Car Association, the domestic retail penetration rate of new energy vehicles increased from 41.5% to 51.1% in Q1 this year, partly driven by the widespread adoption of intelligent assisted driving. With the confirmation that Xiaomi's YU 7 will miss this year's Shanghai Auto Show, the "Huawei camp" is undoubtedly set to be the "traffic driver." The new VOYAH FREE will be equipped with Huawei's latest high-end intelligent driving system, featuring a multi-modal sensor fusion solution. The Zunjie S800, a flagship model jointly developed by Huawei and JAC, will make its official debut at the show, adopting an "L3-level intelligent driving architecture design." Prior to the show, HIMA has already launched the AITO M8 and STELATO S9 extended-range versions, as well as unveiled the Shangjie brand. Additionally, the FAW Audi A5L, the first Audi model equipped with Huawei ADS 2.0, will feature dual LiDAR + 11 cameras and support urban navigation. Under the wave of "intelligent driving equality," the pure vision technology route, after breaking through cost bottlenecks, achieves a leapfrog upgrade in intelligent assisted driving functions with lower R&D and hardware investments. Among them, the XPeng G7 will adopt the AI Eagle Eye vision solution, equipped with 11 cameras, supporting full-scenario navigation-assisted driving functions on highways and urban roads, focusing on a seamless "from parking space to parking space" experience. NIO's L90, targeting the mass market, is also based on the NT3.0 platform and adopts a pure vision intelligent driving solution. Beyond intelligent driving, empowered by AI, major automotive brands will also showcase their latest intelligent cockpit technologies. BMW, in collaboration with Alibaba's Tongyi AI model, will debut an AI engine-supported intelligent cockpit and smart mobility interaction scenarios. SAIC announced a partnership with a top-tier AI enterprise to create an "AI car that understands you," capable of planning travel routes, answering questions, customizing the cockpit environment based on user preferences, and editing travel videos. In terms of new energy technology, high-voltage platforms combined with ultra-fast charging technology have become one of the "best combinations" to address range anxiety for BEV users. Following BYD's launch of "megawatt flash charging technology" in March, Huawei Digital Energy announced the release of a new megawatt ultra-fast charging product on April 22. Zeekr will also showcase a fully liquid-cooled charging pile with a single-gun peak power of 1.2 MW at the Shanghai Auto Show. The Li i8 will come standard with a 5C ternary lithium battery, complemented by Li Auto's nationwide network of over 2,000 5C ultra-fast charging stations. BMW's new generation VDX concept car will also feature an 800V architecture. BMW previously revealed that its next-generation battery platform will achieve a driving range of over 500 miles (approximately 804.67 km) and support fast charging technology. "Based on the current understanding, we believe that this year's Shanghai Auto Show, in addition to setting a new record in scale, will further showcase the technological innovations achieved by automotive enterprises in low-carbon and intelligent development, particularly the deep integration and application of cutting-edge technologies such as big data and AI in smart cars, fully reflecting the characteristics of the second half of the intelligent era," said Fu Bingfeng, Executive Vice President and Secretary General of CAAM.