The number of Chinese companies at the expo has more than doubled, and about 41% of the exhibitors are from Asia, including producers of batteries and electric vehicles like BYD, CATL, and XPeng.
In light of China’s dominance over the entire battery supply chain, Renault’s (RENA.PA) technical head Gilles Le Borgne told journalists on Sunday that, “Europe needs to stop being naive from a macroeconomic point of view in the face of China.”
LeapMotors and Horizon Robotics from China, as well as prominent German automakers and suppliers, will also present at a Chinese EV conference taking place as part of the IAA on Wednesday and Thursday for the first time outside of China.
The conference’s primary subject will be price competition, with Tesla (TSLA.O) exhibiting its improved Model 3, which will go on sale in Europe in October for 42,990 euros ($46,400).
Both Mercedes-Benz’s (MBGn.DE) CLA compact class and BMW’s (BMWG.DE) Neue Klasse, which aim for greater range and economy while halving production costs, will be on display.
On Sunday, Volkswagen (VOWG_p.DE) introduced a show car for the CUPRA brand and described a new design-focused strategy for the business, with chief designers collaborating more closely with the CEOs of its 10 brand names for deeper distinctiveness.
According to Fabian Brandt of the consulting firm Oliver Wyman, “What used to be a performance for the German car industry to demonstrate its extremely strong position is now a meeting of equals between progressive players from around the world, especially China.”