Shanghai Auto Show: Chinese EV makers Nio, Xpeng and Li Auto steal the limelight as Tesla skips flagship event

Hundreds of visitors throng the booths of domestic EV makers Nio, Xpeng and Li Auto while Tesla skips this year’s show

Xpeng launches the G6 midsize SUV fitted with the carmaker’s proprietary X NGP autonomous driving system

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Cars displayed by Chinese EV makers Xpeng, Nio and Li Auto attracted a sizeable crowd on the first day of the Shanghai Auto Show on Tuesday. Photo: AFP

Daniel Renin Shanghai,Ann Caoin ShanghaiandLilian Zhang

Published: 7:00am, 19 Apr 2023

Tesla’s Chinese rivals stole the limelight on the first day of the Shanghai Auto Show on Tuesday, drawing the biggest crowds as the US carmaker gave it a miss.

Nio, Xpeng and Li Auto, the home-grown makers of premium electric vehicles (EV), took advantage of the event to convince visitors that their cars were superior to Tesla’s even as a price war casts a shadow over the outlook for the nation’s automotive industry.

At Xpeng’s booth, sales managers talked about the quality of the company’s products, saying that they have a competitive edge over rivals in autonomous driving technology, without elaborating.

The Guangzhou-based carmaker launched the G6, a midsize sport-utility vehicle, which its president Brian Gu said was competitive in design, pricing and performance.

The XPeng G6 SUV made its global debut at the Shanghai Auto Show on Tuesday. Photo: Bloomberg

The G6 will take on Tesla’s Model Y, which starts from 261,900 yuan (US$38,088) and has a driving range of 545 kilometres.