ELECTRIC SPECTACLE
HANGZHOU, China—As the Auto Shanghai 2025 unfolds this week, we get to witness the best of what the Chinese automotive market has to offer.
While other big car shows in other parts of the world are still hesitant about going all out for electric vehicles, Auto Shanghai is out there with guns blazing, pedal to the metal, full speed ahead charging toward an electrified realm. Moreover, they’re not just adamant with electrification, they’re also pushing for more AI-driven (artificial intelligence) modes of transportation.
China sold more than 31 million vehicles in 2024 in their own country alone, making them the undisputed biggest automotive market in the world for the nth time. A good 26 percent of this number belong to new energy vehicles (NEVs). This year, they’re likewise at pace with churning out more or less the same whopping numbers.
For the Auto Shanghai, being one of the biggest automotive spectacles in China, along with those in Beijing and Guangzhou, it has been a showcase of Chinese ingenuity and innovation since 1985. A sprawling 360,000 sqm of the National Exhibition and Convention Center in the heart of Shanghai has been home to more than 1,400 vehicle exhibits, with almost 100 world debuts every two years.
“It’s the only country that manages to get the automobile sector’s industrial giants cohabiting with the innovation of a multitude of startups— operational excellence and (production) volume with innovation and daring,” even said one analyst according to reports.
Personally, this writer was able to attend Shanghai’s automotive spectacle this year and these are some of the most notable displays.
Chery’s “3 in 1”
Chery officially debuted its “large family flagship SUV,” the Tiggo 9L. What’s special about it is that it is equipped with three electric motors and Chery’s Falcon 700 advanced driving assistance system.
It is powered by the Kunpeng Super Performance Hybrid CDM-S system, consisting of three electric motors.
Geely’s tech-focused and robust SUV
Geely’s newest concept vehicle, the Galaxy Cruiser made its global debut showcasing Geely Auto’s bold vision for the future of SUVs.
At its heart is the cutting-edge “full-domain AI” technology, making it the world’s first SUV capable of seamlessly switching between multiple energy modes—pure electric, hybrid, and extended range.
Its AI-driven four-wheel-drive system delivers exceptional performance, seamlessly transitioning to any terrain possible.
Furthermore, Geely likewise launched a new self-developed and self-produced battery brand – the Geely Golden Short Blade Battery, and the world’s largest standalone safety laboratory – the Geely Global Safety Center.
Lynk & Co’s 40,000 pre-orders at the show
The new flagship SUV, Lynk & Co 900, captured thousands prior its debut at the show.
It was unveiled early this year and started its pre-sales in March.
Powering it are advanced plug-in hybrid electric powertrain options, 1.5-liter and 2.0-liter turbocharged engines with dual or even triple electric motor setups, delivering a mammoth power, ranging from 721PS to 857PS. It also can accelerate from 0-100kph in as fast as 4.3 seconds.
Jetour’s ‘G’ power
The Jetour G700 and G900 were unveiled during the show.
These pair of off-road SUVs were also the first SUVs to debut the Gimbal Off-road Chassis (GAIA) platform.
Jetour G700 is powered by the 2.0-liter turbocharged engine paired with two electric motors — a plug-in hybrid setup that delivers 760 hp and 795 Nm of torque.
This setup uses the world’s first dual-speed hybrid DHT transmission and runs on an 800-volt electrical architecture.
They claim that charging from 20 to 80 percent takes just 10 minutes. It also offers a pure EV range of around 150 km, and total range figures are said to reach up to 1,500 km.
Meanwhile the Jetour G900 features the iEM-O Amphibious System, making the vehicle capable of handling both land and water. It also comes with a vector quad-motor drivetrain, marine-grade navigation, and thrust capabilities of up to 2,500 N-m of torque.
Tariff issue
US President Donald Trump’s new policy on tariffs has created a friction for many countries, particularly China. These two countries have been neck-and-neck in competition for the number one economy in the world.
This was one of the big elephants in the room pertaining to the current conditions in the world market, which sadly crossed paths with slated ongoing show.
Good thing, China was able to find a way to fill in the void and find a solution by steering exports to other parts of the world, such as Russia and the Middle East.
