Major Japanese automakers unveiled their latest electric vehicle models at the Shanghai motor show on Wednesday, hoping to bounce back in the Chinese market that has seen cutthroat competition with local carmakers amid a rapid shift toward new energy vehicles.
About 1,000 companies including auto parts makers are participating in the biennial show through May 2, one of the world's biggest auto exhibitions, at a time when a tit-for-tat tariff war between the United States and China has cast a shadow over the car industry.
Japanese manufacturers stressed their policy of accelerating localization in China, the world's largest auto market, through collaboration with Chinese partners and the adoption of locally developed technologies to better meet customer needs.
Toyota Motor Corp.'s new bZ7 EV model (front) is displayed for the first time, at the Shanghai motor show in Shanghai on April 23, 2025. (Kyodo)
Toyota Motor Corp. is displaying its new bZ7 EV model for the first time, while Honda Motor Co. is exhibiting the latest version of its Ye EV series exclusively launched for the Chinese market.
Li Hui, general manager of Toyota China, told a press conference the new battery EV sedan, which the company aims to commercialize within a year, will be equipped for the first time with an operating system developed by China's telecom giant Huawei Technologies Co.
"We have realized usefulness in cars similar to that of smartphones" through the adoption of the Huawei technology for the driving seat, Li said.
Toyota also unveiled a new EV model for the upscale Lexus brand. In February, the manufacturer said it will build a new factory in Shanghai to produce Lexus EVs and batteries from 2027 or later.
Masayuki Igarashi, chief of Honda's China operations, said in presenting the new GT model of the Ye series that the company will adopt artificial intelligence technologies of Chinese startup DeepSeek for all future Ye vehicles.
Referring to cutting-edge technologies in the areas of electrification and intelligence in the Chinese auto market, he added Honda will "incorporate the strength of local companies" and further develop its own products.
Nissan Motor Co. revealed its new plug-in hybrid pickup truck Frontier Pro, which the company plans to put on sale in China later this year and export to some other markets within a year.
China's BYD Co. and some other local automakers are exhibiting cars equipped with technologies such as AI-powered driver-assistance systems in a heated race to develop smart and intelligent vehicles.
In 2024, new energy vehicles including EVs and plug-in hybrids accounted for around 45 percent of new car sales in China.
China slapped additional tariffs of 125 percent on all American imports in retaliation for 145 percent extra duties imposed on all U.S. imports of Chinese goods.
Following the escalation of the trade war, Ford Motor Co. has halted shipments to China of cars made in the United States, while Tesla Inc. has stopped accepting new orders in China for vehicles made in America, according to media reports.
The Shanghai motor show opens in Shanghai on April 23, 2025. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo
The Shanghai motor show opens in Shanghai on April 23, 2025. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo
The Shanghai motor show opens in Shanghai on April 23, 2025. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo
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