China's Tech Mosaic: Smart cars take center stage at 2026 Chongqing auto show

The 2026 Chongqing International Auto Exhibition opened on June 13, featuring more than 100 global automotive brands, including BYD, Changan and Tesla. Smart mobility and intelligent vehicle technologies are among the main highlights of this year's event.

Beyond traditional automakers' showcases, this year's exhibition also includes the 2026 Auto AI Expo, a dedicated section for technologies powering the next generation of smart vehicles. Covering batteries, autonomous driving, chips and smart cockpits, it brings together industry leaders such as Bosch, CATL and Huawei to showcase innovations shaping the future automotive ecosystem.

Intelligence has become an inevitable trend in global technological development, according to Zhu Huarong, chairman of Changan Automobile. New energy vehicles have opened the prelude to a new era, while digital and intelligent vehicles will define the future, he said, adding that cars of the future will be self-evolving intelligent robotic vehicles.

Several new products made their debut at the show. AVATR's concept car, VISION XPECTRA, appeared for the first time in Chongqing, drawing crowds with its futuristic design. Volvo unveiled two new electric models, further expanding its EV lineup in the Chinese market. Changan introduced the SDA Pilot 2.0 intelligent driving system, an upgraded version set to roll out on new models this year and gradually across applicable vehicles.

In the cockpit domain, automakers are pushing toward deeper integration. The focus is on two fronts: upgrading the in-cabin experience by combining sound, lighting, and electronics for better user-vehicle interaction and cockpit-driving integration that brings different vehicle domains together for a unified intelligent experience.

Electrification remained a major focus as traditional automakers accelerate their shift toward new energy. According to the China Passenger Car Association, China's fuel car retail sales fell 39% year-on-year in May, while the retail penetration rate of new energy vehicles exceeded 60% – meaning more than six in every 10 new cars sold were NEVs.

The data sends a clear message: the center of gravity in China's auto industry has decisively shifted.

(Luo Huxin contributed to the story.)