Car brands unveil new models at China show

(18 Apr 2023) FOR CLEAN VERSION SEE STORY NUMBER: 4430043 ASSOCIATED PRESS Shanghai, China - 18 April 2023 1. BMW EV unveiling HEADLINE TEXT: Car brands unveil new models at China show 2. BYD EV unveiling ANNOTATION: Brands including BMW and Nissan and Chinese rivals BYD Auto unveiled dozens of new electric vehicles at Auto Shanghai 2023. 3. Close of BMW i7 4. Mid of BMW EV model ANNOTATION: With China accounting for two-thirds of global electric sales in 2022, international and domestic brands face intense competition. 5. SOUNDBITE (English) Frank Weber, Director of Research and Development, BMW ++ AUDIO AS INCOMING ++ “China is the place to be. What superpower means to a great developer? It’s the ability to look around the corner." 6. Unveiling of Nissan Arizon concept car 7. SOUNDBITE (English) Ashwani Gupta, COO Nissan: ++AUDIO AS INCOMING, STARTS ON SHOT 6, ENDS ON SHOT 8++ “China is one of the most sophisticated technological markets in the world. Market and customer needs are rapidly changing, making China a global driver of electrification as well as a leader in connected car services.” 8. Various of car show 9. Various of model by a Chinese electric concept car ANNOTATION: Established global brands also face pressure from ambitious Chinese newcomers. 10. Various of BYD unveiling ANNOTATION: BYD, China’s leading electric car maker, also unveiled new models across different price ranges. 11. SOUNDBITE (Mandarin) Zhang Zhuo, General Manager, Sales of Electric Vehicles, BYD: “By the end of March, BYD has delivered more than 3.9 million new energy vehicles. Such huge production and sales amount have promoted the fast and high-quality growth of China’s new energy automobile business.” 12. Wide of BYD news conference 13. Wide of new Honda electric SUV ANNOTATION: However auto sales in China have yet to return to the pre-pandemic level. STORYLINE: Auto Shanghai 2023 reflects the intense competition in China’s fast-growing electric vehicle market after the ruling Communist Party poured billions of dollars into promoting the technology. China accounted for two-thirds of global electrics sales last year. Brands including BMW and Nissan and Chinese rivals BYD Auto unveiled dozens of new EVs in the cavernous Shanghai National Exhibition Centre. Brands touted faster charging, satellite-linked navigation and entertainment, and the future possibility of self-driving technology. BMW AG showed an all-electric line-up including two new models, the i7 M70L and XM Label Red. The German sport luxury brand’s M760Le had its China debut. Global brands including BMW all have design centres in China and increasingly are drawing on Chinese talent for engineering, software and other development. “China is the place to be,” said Frank Weber, BMW’s Director of Research and Development. The show is the auto industry’s first full-scale sales event in its biggest market since 2019 following the end of anti-virus controls in December that blocked most travel into and out of China. Automakers are looking to China to drive sales growth at a time of slack American and European demand. But that requires then to pour money into creating competitive models that can appeal to Chinese buyers in a crowded market. Established global brands face pressure from ambitious Chinese newcomers and to meet government sales quotas for electrics. Many are forming partnerships to split soaring development costs. “China is one of the most technologically sophisticated markets in the world,” said Ashwani Gupta, Nissan COO. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter:   / ap_archive   Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​ Instagram:   / apnews   You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...