Chinese brands show their vehicles can rival market leaders

Visitors, some taking photos of a Chinese auto brand Hongqi E-Jing GT electric concept car on display at the China Auto Show in Beijing, Sunday, April 29, 2018. The auto show, which opened to the public on Sunday, continues through May 4.[Photo:AP]

Chinese car manufacturers are increasing their presence at the Beijing auto show.

Domestic brands are showing their flare for electric vehicles and SUVS.

Domestic brands including Geely and Hongqi are unveiling their lineups of fuel efficient cars.

SUVs and electric cars are popular in the Chinese market.

James Chao, Asia-Pacific chief at consultancy IHS Markit, says Chinese companies have a lot to offer.

"Within the Chinese brand space or Chinese companies, there is a fairly wide variety of competencies in quality and design. But for the top tier ones, it's clear that they're nearly globally competitive today. And you could see that of course just looking at the cars but you could also see it in their plans. I mean some of these automakers have serious plans to export to the United Sates, as an example, and I think that puts the established global automakers on notice."

Journalists and visitors look at a Chinese car brand Hanteng X5 EV SUV on display at the China Auto China in Beijing, Thursday, April 26, 2018. Auto China 2018, the industry's biggest sales event this year, is overshadowed by mounting trade tensions between Beijing and U.S. President Donald Trump, who has threatened to hike tariffs on Chinese goods including automobiles in a dispute over technology policy.[Photo:AP]

Chinese automakers trail global rivals in traditional gasoline technology but industry analysts say the top Chinese brands are catching up in electrics.

BYD Auto, the biggest global electric brand by numbers sold, has debuted two hybrid SUVs and an electric concept car, the E-SEED, or Electric Sports Experience Environmental Device.

The company, which manufactures electric buses at a California factory and exports battery-powered taxis to Europe, is also displaying nine other hybrid and plug-in electric models.

Tesla has also brought its vehicles to Beijing, but Chao says the US brand faces an increasing number of Chinese competitors.

"They're mainly trying to take advantage of the regulations in China which favour battery electric vehicles. So a lot of these companies are being established in order to take advantage of those rules, as well as perhaps to try to be - quote,unquote - the next Tesla, or the China Tesla."

Visitors watch an electric-powered SUV manufactured by Chinese automaker NIO during the China Auto Show in Beijing, Sunday, April 29, 2018. The auto show, which opened to the public on Sunday, continues through May 4. [Photo:AP]

Chinese startups are making names for themselves in developing electric cars with enhanced communication and IT functions.

Auto startup NIO has unveiled its latest concept, the NIO EVE - a concept car designed with the assumption that by 2025, cars will be fully autonomous. 

The startup, founded four years ago by entrepreneur William Li, is backed by multiple Chinese internet behemoths including Baidu and Tencent. 

Company President and co-founder Qin Lihong says consumer expectations are likely to shift in the future.

"We think the redefinition of user experience will be the greatest opportunity in this industry. Of course, a smart EV, the technology, the hardware, how we manufacture a car, of course they are very, very important. But we don't think all those, those are not differentiators, are not enough. In the future I think it's more like a new game, how we change the consumers in meanings of scale, change their mindset, which will be the right experience they should have with a smart EV." 

China accounted for half of last year's electric car sales globally.

Automakers say they expect electric vehicles to account for 35 to over 50 percent of autosales in China by 2025.

The Beijing auto show runs until May 4.