Chinese cars are both leaders and pioneers.

　　Everyone knows that they can't sell many cars at the CIIE, why do these car companies still go

　　Indeed, for some car companies, it is no longer just about attending car shows of all sizes. From CES to the China International Import Expo, these stages that were not originally owned by car brands always have the presence of many car companies. To many people, this is just an addition to these exhibitions.

　　Essentially, this is an important measure for car companies to actively expand their display space, seek more cooperation opportunities, and showcase their innovative strength and brand charm to the public. This may seem like a reasonable reason, but considering the current Chinese automotive consumption environment, such an explanation has become much paler.

　　In recent years, the current situation of China's automobile market is evident to all. The opposition between domestic and foreign automobiles has become increasingly apparent, and in many public opinion environments, foreign automobile brands have been losing ground and are vulnerable. Whether it is foreign oil vehicles or new energy vehicle products, they cannot stir up any waves in the current car market.

　　According to information from various channels, this year's CIIE was promoted as follows: 15 major global car brands competed on the same stage, with new energy vehicle models and intelligence as the highlights. Not only does it bring multiple new cars, but it also showcases cutting-edge technologies for future travel.

　　In fact, these days everyone has been discussing Xiaomi SU7 Ultra, Xiaopeng P7+, Galaxy Starship 7... The big news in the automotive industry tends to focus more on showcasing new car orders. Even the most significant release of AUDI's new brand on November 7th did not make it to the hot search. So, is it still meaningful for these foreign car brands to showcase themselves at the CIIE?

　　Scale and Cycle

　　If someone has been to this year's CIIE, they will find that something very different is that the display of "new energy vehicle models and intelligence" in the promotion actually does not account for much proportion. The reason is actually very simple. For foreign car companies, showcasing "fresh" things is their purpose of participating in the CIIE, but the familiar "new energy vehicle models and intelligence" are their latest "things.

　　So, indeed, some car companies have showcased new energy vehicle models that have never been publicly unveiled before. For example, Nissan showcased the Epic and Era concept cars, but these two concept cars were only available for "watching" at the exhibition booth. Honda showcased the Ye S7, Ye P7, and Ye GT Concept, which are all practical cars that can be experienced by sitting on them.

　　Other car companies such as Toyota, Mercedes Benz, BMW, Volvo, Volkswagen, Audi, Porsche, Hyundai, etc., have only a few of their latest electric vehicles. These foreign car companies cannot launch electric vehicles at the same speed as Chinese car brands, which can take at least three months from debut to market.

　　So, many foreign car companies' new energy vehicles are not considered "fresh" things, let alone brands like Ford, Jaguar Land Rover, etc., which do not have electrified products themselves, or only have a meager number of electrified products. So such a brand does not fit deeply with the theme of this year's CIIE.

　　In fact, to summarize the foreign car companies participating in the CIIE in a general way, there are two obvious characteristics. One is brands with large-scale sales worldwide, such as Toyota, Volkswagen, Honda, Ford, and Hyundai. But it is a brand with a long history of car manufacturing, in addition to the above brands such as Mercedes Benz, BMW, Jaguar Land Rover, Nissan, etc.

　　So many brands tend to showcase their automotive ecosystem in this long history of car manufacturing. The most typical ones are Toyota, Hyundai, and Mercedes Benz, and these three companies also have the largest exhibition areas.

　　For example, Toyota not only showcased the first model exported to China in 1964 and the Crown sedan that has entered the collection of the Toyota Museum, but also showcased the bZ series new energy vehicles that are now driving on the streets. More importantly, it showcased its latest achievements in hydrogen energy technology, green transportation, and HP welfare.

　　As a car brand with a long history and consistently ranked first in global sales, the latter is actually what Toyota wants to express. The three hydrogen fuel cell systems, battery recycling and reuse, energy storage systems, welfare version models, rehabilitation support robots, GR sports brand, Robotaxi, and more that have already been installed are truly dazzling.

　　For example, modern technology has brought exhibits in various fields such as hydrogen energy industry, hydrogen energy products, high performance, and electrification. Including NEXO China version, hydrogen fuel cell light truck MIGHTY Fuel Cell, hydrogen fuel cell bus, hydrogen fuel cell system, IONIQ 5 N, all-new Elantra N, and all-new Elantra N1 race car.

　　For example, Mercedes Benz exhibited products covering oil and electricity, with a variety of models including sedans, SUVs, high-performance cars, and more. For example, Mercedes Maybach EQS pure electric SUV, Mercedes AMG C63 S E PERFORMING F1 special edition, Mercedes Maybach S-Class sedan extreme night edition, Mercedes Benz standard wheelbase E-Class sports edition, Mercedes Benz CLE coupe, etc.

　　It is not difficult to see that the appearance and attitude displayed by these three car companies represent their actions and layout in the long history of car manufacturing, ultimately making them the top global car brands. This is very worth learning for all car brands, including Chinese cars, on how to become a world-class car brand. This is the most typical sample case.

　　Leading and pioneering

　　To be frank, the hardworking Chinese people, with their own wisdom, have made themselves participate in the century old automobile industry process very efficiently in a very short time. If we were in the era of gasoline powered cars, we would still be followers in the automotive industry. So in the era of electrification, Chinese cars, as leaders, must demonstrate a leading posture.

　　Even as a leader in the new era of automobiles, fundamentally speaking, we are actually in the starting stage of the new era of automobiles. So now Chinese cars have a clear characteristic of the initial stage: wild growth. This barbaric growth has both positive and undeniable negative effects.

　　The positive aspect is that wild growth means speed and passion. Chinese automobile companies are rapidly rising like mushrooms after rain in the wave of electrification. They dare to take risks, have the courage to try, constantly innovate, and break traditional boundaries. This rapid development not only brings more choices and possibilities, but also drives progress and innovation in the entire industry.

　　However, wild growth also brings a negative side. In the pursuit of speed and scale, some companies may overlook high-quality development. They are eager for success, which leads to excessive competition in the market and waste of resources. Some companies are willing to adopt short-sighted behaviors such as low price competition in order to compete for market share, which damages the overall interests of the industry.

　　But if viewed from a longer-term perspective, the so-called negative side is an acceptable margin of error in the initial stage. Only through the process of survival of the fittest can truly powerful car companies be selected. This fault-tolerant mechanism may bring some market fluctuations and uncertainties in the short term, but in the long run, it is an important force driving the healthy and sustainable development of the entire automotive industry.

　　It encourages car companies to continuously innovate and actively embrace new technologies and models, thereby promoting technological progress and industrial upgrading in the entire industry. In this process, those enterprises that can adhere to their original intentions, continue to innovate, and constantly improve product quality and services will gradually stand out and become industry leaders.

　　Now when we look back at car companies like Toyota, Hyundai, and Mercedes Benz that have gone through a complete cycle, we also need to ask ourselves: Where is our end? Or, in other words, where will the automotive era led by Chinese cars go? What kind of outlook will the future automotive industry present? What role should car companies play?

　　Taking history as a mirror, there are only a few things that can be thought of now: providing momentum for the industry, promoting freedom of movement for all, creating a better life, and working for the welfare of society. These are all great principles, but they are also profound knowledge. Chinese car companies may not need to consider such a long-term perspective yet, but finally one day, they need to find their own positioning in this new era.