Electric vehicles in spotlight at 26th Chengdu Motor Show

International brands are also showing their latest electric models. South Korean brand Kia started pre-sales of its EV5 SUV on Friday at the event.

On the same day, German premium carmaker BMW launched five NEVs. It said it will have up to 11 electric models by the end of this year in China.

Besides sedans and SUVs, electric MPVs are gaining traction as well.

A highlight of the Maxus booth, a brand under SAIC, is the Mifa 7 MPV, available in two variants. The marque said the segment will be popular because of the growing number of bigger families in China.

Statistics from the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers show that MPV sales in the country totaled 524,000 units in the first half of the year, up 21.6 percent year-on-year.

Denza and Zeekr, both of which are Chinese marques, are showing their electric MPVs as well.

Swedish carmaker Volvo said on Thursday that it will unveil its first electric MPV, the EM90, in November.

Liu Guoliang, president of Hannover Milano Fairs Shanghai, said the motor show will help boost vehicle sales in Sichuan province and Southwest China as a whole.

Chengdu is now home to more than 6 million vehicles, making it one of the cities with the largest number of vehicles in the country.

Lin Tao, a Mercedes executive in charge of its business in western China, said the region has become an important engine of its growth in the country.

Mercedes launched three new models on Friday at the motor show, where it is showcasing 27 models.

Experts and analysts are optimistic about the growth potential of the Chinese market in the second half.

Paul Gong, an auto analyst at UBS, said sales in July, despite their dip year-on-year, were the second-highest in the month over the past decade, suggesting "strong momentum".

Chen Shihua, deputy secretary-general of the CAAM, said total deliveries this year are expected to grow further compared with 2022.

Statistics from the CAAM show that 15.62 million vehicles were sold in the first seven months, up 7.9 percent from the same period last year.

He said demand for NEVs, boosted by favorable policies, will continue its high-speed growth.

Total NEV sales are expected to reach 9 million units this year, up from 6.89 million in 2022, he said.

From January to July, NEV sales totaled 4.53 million units, up 41.7 percent year-on-year, accounting for 29 percent of total vehicle sales in the same period.