Beijing auto show highlights CATL, Huawei

Auto China 2026 opened in Beijing on April 24 with a message that was hard to miss: batteries, chips and software now share the stage with the cars. (autoshow.org.cn) (usnews.com) The show runs through May 3 across two venues in Beijing and spans 380,000 square meters, with 1,451 vehicles, 181 global debuts and 71 concept cars. (beijingautoshow.com) (autoshow.org.cn) What stood out was how much of the buzz centered on suppliers. Reuters reported that Chinese automakers and parts groups arrived with new artificial intelligence systems, chips, batteries and charging claims, not just fresh sheet metal. (usnews.com) CATL set the pace before the doors opened. The battery giant unveiled a new Shenxing lithium-iron-phosphate pack on April 21 that it said can charge from 10% to 98% in about six-and-a-half minutes. (usnews.com) (bloomberg.com) That matters because charging time is one of the last big gaps between electric cars and gasoline cars. CATL’s pitch was simple: make recharging feel closer to a fuel stop, even with lower-cost battery chemistry. (bloomberg.com) (arstechnica.com) Huawei’s role was different but just as visible. At the show, vehicles tied to Huawei featured its Qiankun intelligent-driving system and HarmonyOS cockpit software, turning the company into a platform supplier for multiple brands. (usnews.com) Reuters also reported on April 23 that Huawei plans to invest more than $10 billion over five years in smart-driving research and development, including computing power for training. (msn.com) The backdrop is a wider race inside China’s car industry to pack more artificial intelligence into vehicles. Reuters described Beijing’s latest industrial push as “AI Plus,” a plan to embed AI across manufacturing and other sectors while reducing dependence on foreign high-end semiconductors. (usnews.com) Foreign brands still filled the halls, but the center of gravity has shifted. Analysts told the Associated Press that Chinese automakers are now setting the pace in electric vehicles, batteries, fast charging and intelligent driving. (usnews.com) In Beijing this week, the headline was no longer just which company built the flashiest sport utility vehicle. It was which company controls the battery, the operating system and the silicon inside it. (usnews.com 1) (usnews.com 2)