At present, China's automobile industry has entered a critical period of high-quality development, forming a unique development pattern and showing clear trends. Currently, global auto shows are generally depressed. Well-known auto shows in Europe, America, Japan and South Korea have been scaled down or even suspended. The 2026 Beijing Auto Show has become the only popular top auto show in the world. This contrast is an intuitive reflection of the century-old changes in the world's automobiles. As the world's largest automobile event with the highest technical concentration, the Beijing Auto Show accurately anchors industrial trends, displays results, amplifies dividends, promotes the leap of China's automobile industry from a "big country" to a "strong country", confirming the irreversibility of the global automobile industry's focus to China.

I. Overall characteristics of China's current automobile industry

After years of accumulation, China's automobile industry has formed the overall characteristics of "scale leadership, structural optimization, technological breakthrough, and pattern reshaping." The four major cores demonstrate comprehensive competitiveness:

1. The scale ranks first in the world, and the industrial foundation continues to be consolidated

China's automobile production and sales have ranked first in the world for 17 consecutive years. In 2025, both production and sales exceeded 34 million units, accounting for about 1/3 of the world. Automobile exports ranked first in the world; in 2025, it reached 7.098 million units, with new energy accounting for more than 60%. The industrial supporting facilities are complete, forming a layout of the entire industrial chain, and leading the world in terms of supply chain resilience. This hard power is reflected in the contrast of auto shows: auto shows such as Frankfurt and Tokyo have shrunk, while the 2026 Beijing Auto Show has a dual exhibition hall linkage and a scale of 380,000 square meters, gathering 1451 exhibition cars and 181 world first cars. International automobile companies clearly understand the core supporting role of China's industrial chain and cannot and dare not fall behind. They have taken the initiative to embrace and deepen cooperation, forming a new pattern of "China empowers, linkage and common strength."

2. The market structure is deeply optimized and the competition logic is comprehensively upgraded

The penetration rate of new energy exceeded 50%, becoming the dominant market; China's brand share was nearly 70%, reversing the "foreign-dominated" pattern. Industry competition has shifted from "price game" to "value competition", with product power, technology power, and service power becoming the core, promoting high-quality industrial transformation.

3. Technological innovation achieves breakthroughs and improves independent controllability capabilities

"Lane changing and overtaking" has been achieved in the fields of electrification and intelligence. Technologies such as 800V high-voltage platforms, megawatt flash charging, and end-side large models are leading the world, and L3 autonomous driving has entered the legal commercial stage. Supply chain companies such as Huawei and Ningde Times have achieved global export of technology, breaking the monopoly of Europe, America, Japan and South Korea.

4. Internal and external circulations work together, and the development pattern continues to expand

A two-wheel drive pattern of "domestic consumption upgrading + global expansion" has been formed, with domestic upgrading towards high-end and intelligent upgrading, and global reshaping of industrial chains and upgrading of technology and ecology to sea. The transformation difficulties of international automobile companies have become prominent. The capacity utilization rate of European vehicle factories is only 55%. The advantages of China's industrial chain are prominent. International automobile companies are accelerating their embrace of China's industrial chain, making up for shortcomings and cooperating together to strengthen have become an inevitable trend.

2. Current core development trends of China's automobile industry

Combining the current industrial situation and market demand, China's automobile industry presents six core trends, highlighting two core requirements and leading the development in the next 3-5 years:

Trend 1: The world's largest scale has officially entered the two-wheel drive stage of "domestic consumption upgrading + global expansion"

China's automobile industry has entered a high-level stage of "improving domestic quality and expanding global development." The domestic price band of 200,000 to 500,000 has become the main force of growth. Consumers focus on "real luxury"; globally, a virtuous cycle of "building a solid foundation domestically and opening up space globally." The contrast between hot and cold car shows confirms this trend: the depression of traditional car shows stems from the lag of transformation, and the popularity of the Beijing car show stems from the vitality of China's industry and the active participation of international car companies. Through car shows, international car companies connect with China's resources, deepen cooperation, and practice the concept of "cooperation for common strength."

Trend 2: Global expansion and upgrading, from "product volume" to "industrial chain reshaping, technology export, and ecological going to sea"

China has upgraded its overseas voyage from "selling products" to "industrial chain, technology, and ecology" in a coordinated overseas closed-loop layout and exporting core technologies and full ecological solutions. International automobile companies know that it is difficult to transform away from China's industrial chain, and they have taken the initiative to embrace it. Giants such as Strantiis and Volkswagen have deepened collaboration with China automobile companies to form a new global pattern of "China empowerment and two-way win-win results."

Trend 3: Electrification has entered deep water areas, from "popularization" to "upgrading", and energy replenishment and safety have become core competition points

Electrification has entered a stage of high-quality development, and policy-driven has shifted to market-driven. The core focuses on energy replenishment efficiency (800V platform, megawatt flash charging), battery life breakthrough (pure electricity 700-900km), and safety improvement (second-generation blade batteries) to gradually solve battery life anxiety and promote healthy development of the industry.

Trend 4: Intelligence has changed from "optional" to "standard". L3's first year of commercial use has begun, and system capabilities have become the core of competition.

2026 will become the first year of commercial use of L3 autonomous driving, and intelligence will become the "admission ticket". Competition has shifted from "stacking hardware" to system capabilities. 200,000 - 300,000 models come standard with lidar and high-computing power chips, and are fully loaded with multi-modal interactions, promoting the transformation of cars into mobile intelligent terminals.

Trend 5: The market structure continues to be reshaped, with independent promotion, localization of luxury, and differentiation of new forces becoming the norm

Self-owned brands impact the 400,000 - 600,000 high-end market, benchmarking against luxury brands; traditional luxury brands are accelerating their localization and electrification transformation, which is essentially a reflection that international car companies dare not fall behind and embrace China's industrial chain. The new forces are divided, with the head consolidating their position and the tail clearing out, and cooperation and common strength have become an irreversible trend.

Trend 6: Coordinated competition across the industry chain is intensifying, and cross-border integration has become a new driving force for industrial development

Competition has escalated into full industrial chain + ecological competition, cross-border integration has intensified, and automobiles have become multiple carriers. Supply chains and vehicle companies have worked together, and global supply chains such as Ambofu have accelerated their localization. International automobile companies generally embrace China's industrial chain, use China's technological and cost advantages to achieve transformation, and promote coordinated upgrading of global industries.

3. The 2026 Beijing Auto Show accurately conforms to and amplifies industrial development trends

The 2026 Beijing Auto Show has a scale of 380,000 square meters, 1451 exhibition cars, and 181 world first cars. It accurately anchors six major trends. With the contrast of "global depression and China's sole popularity", it has become the "wind vane" of a century of great changes. China has seized the opportunity of transformation to take the lead, making the Beijing Auto Show a must-attend event for global auto companies, and adopting multiple measures to adapt and amplify the trend:

1. Comply with the trend of "world's largest scale, domestic consumption upgrading + global expansion" and create a two-way display window

Based on the domestic market, we will focus on displaying 400,000 - 600,000 - 600,000 - 350,000-level high-end models, and explore million-level configurations to meet consumer upgrade needs; facing the world, we will showcase the achievements of China's globalization and become the core platform for international automobile companies to connect with China's industrial chain. Giants such as Strantiis and Volkswagen negotiate and cooperate on site to achieve "complementary advantages and common strength."

2. Comply with the trend of "global expansion and upgrading" and focus on displaying the results of industrial chains, technologies, and ecological going to sea.

Focus on displaying China's high-level achievements in globalization, demonstrating the advantages of "complete vehicle + parts" in collaborative sailing, publicizing the core technology authorization model, and demonstrating the global energy replenishment and intelligent ecological layout. International automobile companies use platforms to actively embrace China's industrial chain, make up for the shortcomings of transformation, and promote the coordinated development of global industries.

3. Comply with the trend of "electrified deep water areas" and promote the popularization and expansion of energy replenishment and safety technologies

Focus on displaying 800V high-voltage platforms, megawatt flash charging, solid-state batteries and other technologies. The pure electric battery life is generally 700-900 kilometers, strengthen battery safety awareness, combine policies to guide market consumption, and amplify the dividends of electrification trends.

4. Comply with the trend of "intelligent standard, the first year of L3 commercial use" and promote the implementation and expansion of mass production of smart driving technology

The L3 smart driving solution was intensively displayed and demonstrated on-site, and the intelligent standard configuration of 200,000 - 300,000-class models was demonstrated. Huawei Gankun smart driving and other solutions were unveiled, demonstrating China's leadership in intelligence and promoting the transformation of automobiles into mobile smart terminals.

5. Comply with the trend of "reshaping the market structure" and build a platform for Chinese and foreign automobile companies to compete on the same stage

Provide a stage for independent brands to rush high and attract luxury brands such as BBA to display China's special models, reflecting the practice of international car companies embracing China's industrial chain; giants such as Strantiis negotiate and cooperate on site, presenting a market differentiation pattern and helping to open up incremental markets.

6. Comply with the trend of "full industry chain collaboration and cross-border integration" and create a full ecological display scene

Promote complete vehicles and supply chains and technology companies to participate in the exhibition on the same stage, showcase full-chain technical achievements and cross-border integration results, hold technical forums and cooperation signing contracts, promote the upgrading of the entire industrial chain, and amplify the momentum of industrial development.

IV. Summary

China's automobile industry has the characteristics of being the world's largest in scale, independent and controllable technology, and coordinated internal and external circulation, and is steadily moving towards the core trend. The contrast between hot and cold at the auto show highlights the inevitable shift of the industrial focus to China under the century-old changes. International automobile companies recognize the value of China's industrial chain and accelerate embrace and cooperation to strengthen each other. The 2026 Beijing Auto Show accurately anchors trends, builds a display and cooperation platform, internally leads consumption upgrades, improves quality and efficiency, and externally exports China's technology and ecology, helps China's automobile industry leap from a "big country" to a "strong country", and leads the global automobile industry into a new era of "China leadership, coordinated and common strength."

Source: Cui Dongshu

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