VisitorswatchthedemonstrationofabatteryswapstationofChinesebrandNIOatthe2024BeijingInternationalAutomotiveExhibitioninShunyiDistrict,Beijing,capitalofChina,April25,2024.(Xinhua/JuHuanzong)BEIJING,April28(Xinhua)--AttendingChina'slargestautoshow,itisimpossibletoignorethepopularityofnewenergyvehicles(NEVs),whicharechangingtheworld'slargestautomarketatanintensepace.Organizersrevealedthat117newmodelswillbemakingtheirdebutsattheongoing18thBeijingInternationalAutomotiveExhibition(AutoChina2024),whichrunsthroughMay4.Overall,278NEVsaresettogoondisplay,withChineseNEVsbeingthesuperstarsoftheshow.Theircutting-edgetechnologies,customer-friendlynoveltiesandaffordabilityhavewowedvisitorsattheshowandunderlinedhowtheChineseNEVsectorhassucceededinzoomingaheadoverthepastdecade.CHINASPEED"Whatarewefocusedon?Speed.Chinaspeed,"saidDavidSlump,PresidentandCEOofMarelli,aleadingglobalautomotivesupplierbettingonChina'sthrivingnewenergyandsmartvehiclesector.DuringaninterviewwithXinhuaattheautoshowinBeijing,Slumphighlightedthespeedoftechnology,speedofdelivery,speedofproductionandspeedofthemarket'sdevelopment,ablisteringpacewhichhebelievedwasimportantforthecompanyandthesector.TheshowopenedsoonaftergreenvehiclesreachedamilestoneinChina,accountingformorethanhalfofthecountry'spassengercarsalesinthefirsttwoweeksofApril.Thismilestonehasbeenreachedmuchearlierthanthecountry'sinitialtargetof2035.China'sNEVsalessurged37.9percentyearonyeartoabout9.5millionlastyear,comparedwithjust75,000adecadeago,accordingtotheChinaAssociationofAutomobilesManufacturers.RobotsweldbodyshellsofcarsataworkshopofChineseelectricvehicle(EV)makerLiAutoInc.inChangzhou,eastChina'sJiangsuProvince,Jan.10,2024.(Xinhua/JiChunpeng)COMPETITIVEMARKETCompetitioninChina'sNEVindustryhasintensified,withbothdomesticandinternationalbrandsrushingtoannouncepricecutsandreleasenewmodelsinabidtosecuremarketshare.Lastweek,ChineseEVbrandLiAutoannouncedthatitwouldcutthepricesofseveralofitsmodelsbyupto30,000yuan(about4,225U.S.dollars),andvowedtorefundthedifferencetoownerswhoboughtthesemodelsearlierthisyear.Pricecutsinthefirstquarterof2024,mainlyinvolvingNEVmodels,areequivalentto60percentofthecutsseenintheentire2023andequaltothepricereductionsimplementedinthewholeof2022,saidCuiDongshu,secretarygeneraloftheChinaPassengerCarAssociation.IndustryanalystsindicatedthatthisfiercecompetitionisaresultofthetransitionofChina'sNEVsectorfromaperiodofmassiveinvestmenttoamaturemarket--amarketthatislikelytobereducedtoafewleadingfirms."It'shardtoseethecompetitioneasingintheshortterm,"saidGuHuinan,generalmanagerofGACAION,whichunveileditsnewNEVmodelAIONVattheongoingshowinBeijing.GuviewedtheincreasingNEVcompetitionasaboostfortheindustryinthatitcatalyzestechnologicalinnovationandfostersanindustrialecosystem."Itforcesautomakerstoprogress,andonlythosewithacompleteindustrialchain,advancedmanufacturingcapacitytominimizecosts,fasttechnologicalinnovation,andaflexiblemechanismtoadapttomarketchanges,areexpectedtosurvive,"saidGu.FiercemarketcompetitionwillacceleratechangesinthesectorandhelptransformChinaintoaglobalauto-makingpowerhouse,Gusaid.OPENINNOVATIONContinuousinnovationandinputinresearchanddevelopmenthavepushedChina'sNEVsfromalso-ranstochampions.Sucheffortsarenotonlydrivingdomesticgrowth,butalsoturbo-charginginnovationacrosstheglobalautomotivelandscape.CATL,aleadingChinesebatterymanufacturer,launchedanewbatteryattheautoshowinBeijing,featuringaworld-firstinnovationthatoffersa1,000-kmrangeandsupportsultra-fastcharging.Thisbreakthroughallowsfora600-kmrangetobeachievedbyjust10minutesofcharging,representingarechargerateof"1kilometerpersecond.""Innovationisthekeydriverofourcontinuousdevelopment,"aCATLspokespersontoldXinhua,addingthatthecompanyisinvestingheavilyinresearchanddevelopment,whichtotaled18.4billionyuanlastyear.Whiletheworldisturningclimateconsensusintoaction,manyobstaclesremain.Technologicalinequalitypersists,andsomecountriesareslowingthepaceofthegreenenergytransition,whichcreateschallengesinadvancingasustainablefuturefortheworld."Today,weneedtouniteasneverbeforetotacklethesepressingchallenges,andIbelieveanopenapproachtoinnovationisthesolution,"thespokespersonsaid.CATLissharingitsbatterytechnologywithitspartnersthroughaninnovativemodeloflicensing,royaltiesandservice."Bysharingbatterytechnologyandservicingtheconstructionandoperationofbatteryplants,wesupportourpartnersastheybuildtheirownplantsandultimatelymanufacturetheirownbatteries."WIN-WINCOOPERATIONAtthecurrentautoshowinBeijing,theexhibitionstandsofVolkswagenandChineseEVmakerXPENGarelocatedsidebyside,signalingtheclosecooperationbetweenthetwocompanies.InFebruary,VolkswagenagreedtocarryoutstrategictechnicalcollaborationwithXPENGtodeveloptwointelligentconnectedvehiclemodelsfortheChinesemarket.ThiscameaftertheGermanautomakerannouncedasubstantial700-million-dollarinvestmentinXPENGlastyear,acquiringanearly5-percentstakeinthecompanytocollaborativelydevelopandmanufactureelectricvehicles.NEVindustryplayersareseekingclosercooperationtotapintotheexpandingmarket.AsChina'sNEVmarketfurtherthrives,thetailwindsareblowingbeyondChina,providingmoreopportunitiesfortheglobalsector."We'renotjustproducingqualityvehicles,butworkingwithourpartnersaroundtheworldtobuildanewecosystemthatisopenandinnovative,andexpandingthegroupoffriendsforwin-wincooperation,"saidYinTongyue,chairmanofChineseautomakerCheryAutomobilesCo.,Ltd.■Editor:DisclaimerTheviewsandopinionsexpressedinthisarticlearethoseoftheauthor's,GMW.cnmakesnorepresentationsastoaccuracy,suitability,orvalidityofanyinformationonthissiteandwillnotbeliableforanyerrors,omissions,ordelaysinthisinformation.