The 29th Chengdu Motor Show is preparing to open with a conspicuous gap in its exhibitor line-up: more than 20 automotive brands have confirmed they will stay away.

China’s car market produced an apparent contradiction in the first half of 2026: fewer vehicles were sold at home, yet the government collected substantially more in vehicle purchase tax.

America’s trade barriers have kept Chinese electric vehicles out of showrooms. They have done less to stop Alphabet’s Waymo from importing them for one of the country’s ambitious autonomous-driving fleets.

China’s auto market slipped into its traditional summer slowdown in July, but exports and new-energy vehicles continued to move in the opposite direction, underscoring how overseas demand and electrification are reshaping the industry’s growth profile.

Chery Group exported 202,533 vehicles in July 2026, marking the first time its monthly overseas shipments have surpassed the 200,000-unit threshold.

A public dispute between executives from Lynk & Co and XPeng has reignited a debate across China’s electric vehicle industry: is the next stage of EV competition about charging voltage, or about how automakers define the future of their products?