Why is the 2025 Shanghai Auto Show Important For The Auto Industry?
By Lauren Fix
The 2025 Shanghai Auto Show has at least 70 car makers from 26 countries showing all their latest achievements. 1300 vehicles are on display this year. 70% of the vehicles are new energy vehicles. At least 15 of the markets most active companies did not show up this year. No-shows include Hyundai, Tesla and Lamborghini. The competitive Chinese EV market is struggling with a brutal price war. In addition, Chinese car makers have also faced extra tariffs from the European Union since 2024. China is the world‘s largest EV market. China currently has a 30% share of the global car manufacturing market.
The 2025 Shanghai Auto Show, held from April 23 to May 2, saw notable absences from Tesla, Hyundai, and Lamborghini, among others. Here's why these brands did not attend or display vehicles, based on available information:
Tesla: Tesla skipped the 2025 Shanghai Auto Show, continuing its absence from the event since 2023. The primary reason appears to be a lack of significant new vehicle releases to showcase. Additionally, Tesla's decision may reflect a strategic shift, as it faces intense competition from Chinese EV makers like BYD, NIO, and Xiaomi, who are rapidly advancing in technology and market share. Tesla's absence from China's largest auto show, despite having a major factory in Shanghai, suggests it may be focusing on other markets or methods to maintain its brand presence, especially as its dominance in China is challenged by local rivals offering advanced features. Negative publicity from a 2021 incident, where a customer protested at Tesla's booth over brake issues, may also contribute to its reluctance to participate in high-profile Chinese auto shows.
Hyundai: Hyundai, along with its affiliate Kia and luxury division Genesis, did not participate in the 2025 Shanghai Auto Show, marking their first absence since entering the Chinese market in 2002. This decision is largely attributed to their declining market share in China, which dropped to just 1.6% by late 2024. Struggling sales and a financial squeeze in the competitive Chinese market, dominated by domestic EV and hybrid brands, likely prompted Hyundai to forego the costly event. Instead, Beijing Hyundai held a strategic communication meeting in Shanghai days before the show, possibly to outline future plans without the expense of a full exhibition. The focus on new model unveilings elsewhere, such as the IONIQ 9 at the Los Angeles Auto Show in November 2024, suggests Hyundai prioritized other markets for its latest offerings.
Lamborghini and other brands: Lamborghini was among several ultra-luxury brands that opted out of the 2025 Shanghai Auto Show, alongside Maserati, Jaguar, and Land Rover. The main reason appears to be a significant sales decline in China’s ultra-luxury vehicle segment, which saw a 53% year-on-year drop in Q1 2025 for vehicles priced above 1 million yuan (approximately $137,000 USD). This market contraction likely made participation in the costly auto show less viable for Lamborghini, especially as domestic Chinese brands are increasingly encroaching on the luxury segment with competitive offerings. The absence of these brands reflects broader challenges for foreign luxury automakers in adapting to China’s rapidly evolving market, where new energy vehicles (EVs and hybrids) are prioritized over traditional high-end combustion models.
In summary, Tesla’s absence is tied to a lack of new models and strategic withdrawal amid fierce local competition, Hyundai’s non-participation reflects its shrinking market share and focus on other regions, and Lamborghini’s absence is driven by a collapsing ultra-luxury market in China. These decisions highlight the intense pressure foreign automakers face in China’s EV-dominated, highly competitive landscape.
Some of the reveals at the show included:
1. Xiaomi SU7 Ultra
Xiaomi’s SU7 Ultra hyper sedan is the most exciting car to come out of Auto Shanghai 2025. This 1,548hp (1,138kW) electric vehicle can accelerate from 0–60 in 1.98s. That is super fast! If you want to find a quicker car than this, maybe investigate a top-fuel dragster. What impresses us the most about this reveal is not the straight line speed and the price tag price - $114,000. Then, when it comes time to charge the SU7 Ultra, you can plug it in and charge a 10–80% charge in 11 mins. You also get dual-chamber air springs with adaptive dampers, a torque-vectoring system with a 500Hz refresh rate, carbon ceramic brakes, carbon fiber roof, the list goes on and on about what makes the Xiaomi SU7 Ultra the fastest thing coming out of China right now. The US will most likely never see it on our shores.
2. GWM Tank 300 Hooke and 4.0L Twin-Turbo V8 Engine
The GWM Tank 300 Hooke has an engine under the hood of this model, a 2.0-litre turbo-gas four-cylinder, rumors of a V8-powered Tank is surprising as China is pushing EVs.
3. Huawei Maextro S800 - ultra luxury
While every brand in China wants a piece of Rolls-Royce, some get closer than others, and the best of the bunch might be this Maextro S800 built by phone manufacturer Huawei and their partnership with JAC. Promised to be bigger than 99.99% of sedans in China, we can see the cabin is filled with yacht-size screens and the compulsory Champagne flutes are included next to reclining rear massage seats. Rear seat entertainment is the aim of the game, and the flutes are joined by an aluminum folding table, hot and cold cup holders, a wireless charging area, a refrigerator, and a fingerprint-secured password box for valuable items. Power-wise, there’s a pure EV version with a 94.364 kWh battery pack and up to 436 miles of range, or there’s an extended-range version with a 63.262 kWh battery pack offering up to 193 miles of electric range. It’s very likely we’ll never see this car in the North America, but prices start at USD$131,600.
4. Nissan Frontier Pro
The release of the Nissan Frontier Pro PHEV is not as “crazy” as the Rolls-Royce copycats littered throughout the show. If China figures are to be adopted, expect 300kW of power, 800Nm of torque, and around 135km of EV-only range. The Nissan Frontier Pro uses a solid axle 5-link rear suspension like a traditional dual-cab ute, and this should help it off-road. The interior tech includes massive dual screens, massage seats, and there’s Vehicle to Land (V2L) charging as well.
5. Zeekr 9X
Zeekr’s Rolls-Royce Cullinan “inspired” 9X was also revealed at the 2025 Shanghai Auto Show. It’s a flagship model for the brand’s SUV line-up. It will be a hybrid SUV, is powered by a 2.0-litre internal combustion engine and backed by CATL’s Xiaoyao battery, which is said to deliver an all-electric range exceeding 236 miles. This massive SUV, which will surely weigh nearly 3-tons, can complete the 0-60 MPH sprint in 3 seconds. It also features an “industry-first” dual-chamber air suspension and active stabilizer bars to balance comfort and performance. What we do know is that it will be opulent. The headlights feature 42,242 laser-engraved, diamond-cut lamp facets to create a “starry sky” effect, and they’re matched by 22-inch mirror-finish forged wheels.
6. AUDI E5 - 4 Door sportback
The new China-only brand AUDI, announcing the new “AUDI” brand (spelled in capital letters, without the four rings) in China last year. The E5 Sportback is the first model unveiled by the new brand at the Shanghai Auto Show and partners with SAIC Cooperation Project, with its partial Chinese ownership. The new 800-volt Audi E5 delivers up to 776 hp of power and a maximum range of 478 miles, which is impressive to say the least. It will be offered in China with rear-wheel or quattro all-wheel drive, and in the sportiest set-up, it can accelerate from 0-60 MPH in 3.4 seconds. Why Audi has decided to keep this a China-only vehicle remains to be seen.
Auto shows around the world are still a great place to seeing the newest technology and vehicles of all types. This still remain the best choice for customers to find the right vehicle for their lifestyle.
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