Beijing Auto Show: China’s Push

China’s biggest auto show opens in Beijing on April 24 with local carmakers setting the pace on electric vehicles, driver-assistance software and high-end cabins. (beijingautoshow.com) Auto China 2026 runs through May 3 across two venues in Beijing and covers 380,000 square metres, according to organizers. The show lists 1,451 vehicles, including 181 world premieres and 71 concept cars. (beijingautoshow.com) (autoshow.org.cn) The center of gravity is Chinese. Reuters reported this week that brands such as Geely and Nio are using the show to target buyers of BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Porsche with lower-priced electric models packed with software features and upscale interiors. (msn.com) Foreign brands are still there in force, but the pitch has changed from exporting global templates to building faster for China. Automotive News reported that Ford, BMW and other global groups are now pushing an “in China for the world” strategy and leaning more heavily on local joint-venture technology. (autonews.com) That shift follows several years of market-share losses for foreign manufacturers in China, where domestic brands have moved quickly on batteries, screens, voice control and over-the-air software updates. Automobility estimated Chinese brands controlled nearly 70% of China’s passenger-vehicle market in 2025 after foreign groups lost ground steadily since 2020. (automobility.io) China’s new-energy vehicle market is also concentrating around a few big domestic players. Data compiled from the China Passenger Car Association showed BYD held a 27.2% share of passenger new-energy vehicle retail sales in 2025, while Tesla ranked fifth. (cnevpost.com) The show’s scale reflects how central China has become to the global car business. Organizers say more than 200 press conferences are scheduled, and exhibitors are coming from 21 countries and regions. (cnevpost.com) (motorspec.net) The pressure is not only on foreign brands. Reuters reported on April 23 that China’s global electric-vehicle push is colliding with harsher economics at home, where oversupply and intense competition have squeezed margins even as companies expand overseas. (usnews.com) So when the doors open in Beijing on Friday, the exhibition is not just a product launch stage. It is a live market map of an industry where Chinese brands now set the tempo and global rivals are trying to catch it. (france24.com)