Beijing auto show push
- At the Beijing auto show, Nio will display its three brands together for the first time, featuring 11 models. - BMW revealed a refreshed 7 Series with Neue Klasse technology and an electric WLTP range over 720 kilometers. - Coverage frames Chinese premium EVs as pressing legacy brands on software, autonomy, and local market strategy. (cnevpost.com)(qz.com)(scmp.com)
Chinese and foreign carmakers arrived at the Beijing auto show with the same problem: China’s premium electric-car market is now a software race, not just a hardware race. (scmp.com) Nio said it will show its three brands — Nio, Onvo and Firefly — together for the first time when the show opens on April 24 in Beijing. The company said its booth will feature 11 models and a media briefing starting at 10:00 a.m. Beijing time. (cnevpost.com) BMW used the same event to unveil a refreshed 7 Series, which Quartz reported is the first luxury sedan in the lineup to use technologies from BMW’s Neue Klasse platform. Quartz said BMW plans to start production in July 2026 and launch the car globally at the same time. (qz.com) Quartz reported that BMW put the electric 7 Series at more than 720 kilometers of range on the Worldwide Harmonized Light Vehicles Test Procedure, a lab test used in Europe. Automakers often cite that figure because it gives buyers a standardized way to compare electric models. (qz.com) The Beijing show has become the biggest stage for that comparison. South China Morning Post reported that this year’s 10-day event will display 1,451 vehicles across 380,000 square meters, including 181 premieres. (scmp.com) South China Morning Post reported that Chinese premium electric-vehicle makers are challenging BMW and Mercedes-Benz with cockpit software, assisted-driving features and faster local product cycles. The pressure is strongest in China, the world’s largest auto market and the center of global electric-vehicle demand. (scmp.com) Nio’s display is also a branding test. CnEVPost said the company will use one booth to present its main Nio marque, Onvo for the broader family market, and Firefly as its smaller-car brand, alongside a special edition of the third-generation ES8 in “Mystic Black.” (cnevpost.com) The show’s scale underlines why global brands still treat Beijing as a must-attend launch venue even as local rivals gain ground. CnEVPost reported that Auto China 2026 opens April 24 and is using a dual-venue format for the first time. (cnevpost.com) What happens next is less about concept cars than execution in dealerships and software updates. In Beijing this week, both Nio and BMW used the same floor to argue they can keep up. (cnevpost.com)
