Shanghai elaborates the way forward for vehicles

On the big present of the Shanghai auto trade this week, the chat was much less about highly effective engines and extra in regards to the newest expertise and the consolation of passengers.

A whole lot of automobile producers and gear provide stuffed the exhibition area from Wednesday, presenting fashions packaged with screens, therapeutic massage chairs and different supplements-not to say flying taxis.

Screens in all places

Within the face of fierce competitors, Chinese language automobile producers try to draw hyperconized shoppers as much as 65 centimeters width mounted in entrance of every passenger, within the doorways, within the solar visors and even on the automobile hood.

In the meantime, Huawei and Xiaomi digital giants are concentrating on youthful prospects who already join their cellphones to their vehicles.

The European automobile producers try to counteract their Chinese language rivals, with the primary mannequin from the Volkswagen, Audi, Audi Delibal, intentionally in uppercase letters-which occupies a display that occupies your entire dashboard.

When stationary, screens can be utilized to observe movies or singing karaoke.

And on the street, superior driving programs promise to convey customers from A to B with out having to succeed in the steering wheel, aside from an emergency.

“With the proliferation of clever driving, the vehicles won’t solely be considered transport devices, however will really turn into a” second dwelling area, “stated McKinsey consulting firm in a 2025 report on the tastes of Chinese language automobile shoppers.

Therapeutic massage chairs

Chinese language shoppers put extra worth on inside consolation in comparison with different markets, in accordance with European automobile producers.

Guests from Auto Shanghai queued to sit down in luxurious minibuses, with chrome radiator grilles and inclined rear seats.

Mercedes revealed a prototype of his new era luxurious electrical minivan, Imaginative and prescient V, within the hope of seducting future aluminum chairs, picket gaskets and a cinema display that folds from the ground.

In accordance with McKinsey, life -oriented options, resembling fridges, TVs and inclined chairs are extremely wanted in China, in addition to the highest and rear wheel suspension, which enhance consolation throughout driving.

“Because the car costs improve, in addition to the demand of shoppers for these options, together with an rising want to pay additional” to have them, “stated consultancy.

On Friday, the Chinese language automobile producer Nio had passengers jumped inside its autos to reveal the efficacy of the suspension.

Others resort to conventional strategies, the French gear producer Forvia providing a chair that’s shaking, pinching and stirring their occupant.

The headquarters was “impressed by conventional Chinese language and Thai massages,” stated Innovation Supervisor Zong Li on the firm stand and is predicted to be put in in a Chinese language car this 12 months.

Drone

In any other case, a collection of flying taxis fed with propellers appeared over different autos.

The expertise, often known as take -off and electrical vertical touchdown (EVTOL), continues to be within the stage of the prototype, however finally goals to transmit extra folks sooner or later.

An important battery producer on the earth, CATL, confirmed the idea of Evtol, contemporary since asserting an funding of “a whole bunch of hundreds of thousands of ” within the Chinese language startup Autoflight.

Even the standard Hongqi producer – cheated on offering China’s chief’s limousines – introduced his idea of “flying automobile” for 2 passengers, supporting an unprobed 200 -kilometer autonomy (124 miles) earlier than the checks scheduled this 12 months.

In recent times, China has made progress in Evtol expertise, the place they’re in direct competitors with American gamers, whereas Europeans try to place their mark.

The WanFeng automobile provider introduced final month that it’s going to take over the Falit Volocopter, whose plane producer was initially stipulated for a small scale through the Paris Olympic Video games, however continues to be ready for certification.

© 2025 AFP