Auto China 2026 opens to public as European carmakers face Chinese push upmarket

Beijing, 28 April. Auto China 2026 opens to the public on Tuesday with the centre of gravity in the global automotive industry shifting decisively away from Europe, as Chinese manufacturers extend their challenge from mass-market electric vehicles into the premium and sports car segments long considered defensible ground for European groups.

The biennial Beijing show, which alternates annually with Shanghai, has become the largest motor exhibition in the world, spanning a record 380,000 square metres across two venues with more than 1,450 vehicles, 181 world premieres and 71 concept cars on display over the 10-day run.

For Volkswagen, Stellantis, BMW and Mercedes-Benz, Beijing matters in two directions. China remains a critical profit pool, but competitive pressure originating at the show is increasingly migrating to home markets.

Chinese brands now account for around 8 per cent of new-car sales in Europe, a share that has more than doubled in three years and which Brussels has sought to slow with anti-subsidy duties on imported electric vehicles introduced in late 2024.

BYD used the show to present its full stable of marques, alongside the Denza Z, a high-performance electric convertible explicitly positioned for European launch. Geely-owned Lynk & Co unveiled a coupé concept dubbed Time to Shine, while XPeng debuted a flagship SUV with 750 km range and Level 4 autonomous hardware. Tesla did not attend for a third consecutive Auto China show; its share of the domestic Chinese EV market has fallen to roughly 8 per cent.

The pressure is already reaching European showrooms. Q1 2026 EU car registrations rose 4 per cent year on year, with battery-electric market share climbing to 19.4 per cent from 15.2 per cent and petrol and diesel together falling to 30.3 per cent of the market.