‘Look, no hands’: China chases the driverless dream at Beijing car show
TL;DR
At the Beijing Auto Show, China's car manufacturers are betting heavily on autonomous driving as the next frontier. With domestic EV sales slowing, companies are pivoting to AI-powered self-driving technology and overseas expansion. The show featured hundreds of brands and thousands of vehicles — with notably few drivers behind the wheel.
Nauti's Take
China's auto show reveals genuine industrial momentum behind autonomous driving — the scale of the pivot signals a real strategic bet, not just a marketing push. The risk: slowing domestic EV sales means manufacturers are funding this expensive autonomous push from a weakening revenue base.
For European and US automakers, the takeaway is clear: China's autonomous vehicle competition may arrive in global markets faster than most forecasts assume.
Sources