Beijing show hosts 1,451 vehicles, 181 premieres

Auto China 2026 opened in Beijing on April 24 with 1,451 vehicles on display and 181 world premieres across two exhibition venues. (beijingautoshow.com) (english.scio.gov.cn) The show runs for 10 days, with press days on April 24-25, trade days on April 26-27, and public admission from April 28 through May 3. Organizers said it spans 380,000 square meters, making it the largest edition of the Beijing exhibition so far. (beijingautoshow.com) (english.beijing.gov.cn) Organizers and state media said 71 concept cars are on the floor and more than 2,000 companies from 21 countries and regions are exhibiting. The official theme is “Lead the Era, Intelligent Future.” (english.scio.gov.cn) (autoshow.org.cn) Chinese brands account for more than 60% of the global premieres, according to China Daily. The mix on display points to a market where domestic groups are no longer competing only on price or volume. (chinadaily.com.cn) (globaltimes.cn) The exhibition floor is also giving suppliers more space than a traditional car show usually does. China Daily said the focus has shifted toward “new systems,” including artificial-intelligence driving functions, centralized computing and charging hardware. (chinadaily.com.cn) Reuters Breakingviews said companies such as CATL and Huawei are drawing attention alongside Toyota, BMW and other carmakers. Its column described the site as roughly the size of 50 soccer pitches as tech groups compete for a larger share of the industry’s profits. (sahmcapital.com) Huawei used the show to expand its high-power charging lineup, presenting equipment rated up to 1,000 kilowatts and 1,440 kilowatts, according to CarNewsChina. The report said Huawei framed the hardware as part of a broader charging system tied to solar-storage integration. (carnewschina.com) The backdrop is a Chinese auto market of about 30 million annual vehicle sales, with domestic manufacturers pushing deeper into premium electric models and software-defined features. Euronews said the Beijing event has become a showcase for how Chinese groups are also targeting Europe. (euronews.com) (msn.com)) By the time public visitors entered on April 28, the headline was not just the number of cars in Beijing. It was how much of the show had been claimed by batteries, chips, software and charging gear around them. (beijingautoshow.com) (chinadaily.com.cn)