The 2025 Beijing Auto Show opened this week at the China International Exhibition Centre, with organizers reporting over 1,400 vehicles and 181 global debuts. The show covers 380,000 square meters, and its themes center on AI and robotics. The scale of the event, however, has led to some confusion.
While most outlets state the show is held at a single venue, a detailed report from Euronews indicates that for the first time it spans two sites: the China International Exhibition Centre and the Capital International Convention and Exhibition Center. The total area of 380,000 square meters – equivalent to about 53 football pitches – was echoed by multiple sources, though one publication cited square feet, likely a unit error. Organizers have not yet disclosed attendance figures.
When you come here to China and you just spend time, this is a different market. It’s a market that has grown a lot, where young consumers get access to a lot of new technologies, then connect with the entire world, with a lot of the different ecosystems.
According to Euronews, the show's official theme is 'Lead the Era, Intelligent Future,' while its broader themes center on AI and robotics. The show runs until May 3. A key battleground at the show is battery technology.
BYD unveiled a new generation of its fast-charging blade battery, which can reach near full charge in nine minutes. 5 minutes. These advancements promise to ease range anxiety and accelerate EV adoption.
Then there are technologies that are here that are not in other markets and behaviours that are here that are different than in other markets. Then you can develop autonomous driving systems that are very suitable for those markets – let’s call it US or Europe. Now you come to China and there are more people with different priorities, with different objectives in that particular day. Then you just walk around and you see people walking differently, and then you face people who are running, other people who are on bicycles, other people are in cars, and it’s way more complex.
According to Euronews, the Land Rover Freelander name has been revived as a standalone brand under a joint venture between Jaguar Land Rover and Chinese automaker Chery, with plans to launch six models by the end of the decade, including a new car every six months for three years. Whether the Freelander brand will be sold outside China, including in its ancestral UK market, remains unknown. According to Euronews, the first model, the Freelander 8, is a large SUV with seven seats, larger than the Land Rover Defender 110.
It employs Chery-supplied electrified drivetrains, including a range extender setup, and features what is claimed to be the world's first intelligent all-terrain system with nine driving modes. XPeng showcased its GX model, a six-seater SUV with third-row seats that lie completely flat. According to Euronews, the company expects to introduce humanoid robots this year and flying cars by 2027.
No doubt, when you have an autonomous driving system that operates successfully here, that system is productively easy to adapt to other markets, but not the other way around. This is very, very unique.
Hyundai's President and CEO, Jose Munoz, announced a significant push to regain the company's position in China. According to Euronews, Zeekr introduced the 8X, a large plug-in hybrid SUV priced around £40,000, directly targeting German premium competitors. A unique feature allows the vehicle to drive itself out of a tight parking space when the owner waves, while its suspension system can tilt the body upwards by 80mm ahead of a side collision to protect passengers.
The 8X represents Zeekr's ambition to combine practicality with cutting-edge automated safety. According to Euronews, BYD's premium brand Denza unveiled the Z, an electric supercar GT boasting over 1,000 bhp and a 0-62 mph time of under two seconds. The brand said the Denza Z will debut in Europe before China, signaling high confidence in its global appeal.
Also, the Chinese consumer is very demanding on software and technology because what other people do in other countries in their homes, in this country a lot of people do in their cars.
Performance specifications place it in direct competition with established luxury electric sports cars. The Z marks a strategic expansion into high-performance EVs, with a European launch underscoring BYD's global aspirations. According to Euronews, BYD has overtaken Tesla as the world's largest seller of electric vehicles, a milestone achieved last year.
Executive Vice President Stella Li told the BBC that the company can survive and succeed without the US market, citing strong demand in regions like Brazil, the UK, and Europe. According to Euronews, BYD is struggling to meet increased demand in regions such as Brazil, the UK, and Europe, and is betting on flash-charging technology that can add hundreds of kilometers of range in minutes. SAIC and Huawei subsidiary HIMA launched the Z7 electric sedan, starting at 219,800 yuan, which many observers have labeled a copy of the Porsche Taycan.
Cars are a space where people spend time and work, and where they want to have a good quality of video or, let’s say, online series or music, or relax or whatever. So then it makes that space so special – it’s not just a commuting space, it’s a living space.
Peugeot presented its Concept 6 and Concept 8 electric concepts, designed specifically for the Chinese market, though detailed specifications and production timelines have not been announced. The Z7's resemblance to the Taycan has drawn criticism but also highlights the growing sophistication of Chinese design and manufacturing. European consumers are increasingly open to Chinese brands, with half willing to consider a Chinese car as their next purchase, according to Georg Mrusek, an automotive expert at Horváth, speaking to Euronews.
According to Euronews, Chinese passenger cars already account for over 10% of the market in parts of Europe, and Chinese battery electric vehicles hold roughly a 14% share of the European BEV market. Mrusek projects that Chinese brands could reach a 15–25% share within the next four to five years. Tariff threats and geopolitical tensions, however, cloud the outlook, with specifics on future regulatory barriers still unknown.