Chinese carmakers outperform international peers with high-end NEVs

Chinese carmakers are outperforming their international peers in the sector of high-end smart electric vehicles, according to a survey.

A total of six Chinese automotive models appeared on the top 10 list in a survey released on Tuesday (Dec 27), which evaluated electric vehicles priced at more than 300,000 yuan in the China market.

Mercedes-Benz's AMG topped the list, followed by China's HiPhi X, Porsche's Taycan and BMW's iX. Chinese models of Nio's ES7, Avatr's MMW, Xpeng's G9, Hongqi's E-HS9 and IM Motors's L7 were rated between five to nine, and Cadillac's Lyriq was the tenth.

The car models were assessed by criteria including luxury, technology innovation, comfort and safety, and service and brand.

The survey was jointly conducted by the Institute of Industry Research at Shanghai Jiao Tong University, the Price Association of China and the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade.

"This year's report suggested that China's new energy vehicles have seized opportunities in the industrial transition from conventional gasoline vehicles to new energy ones. They are developing Chinese brands by enhancing their technological strengths, enriching product lines, as well as expanding their customers in the China market," said Li Jie, a professor at the Institute of Industry Research with Shanghai Jiao Tong University.

The annual Central Economic Work Conference which concluded on Dec 16 stressed to recover and expand consumption, with the new energy vehicle market as one of the priorities.

Despite COVID-19, China's NEV industry continued to boom this year. In the first 11 months, the country's NEV sales exceeded 6.06 million units, twice the amount of last year and increasing the market share to 25 percent, according to data from the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers.

Li said the rapid development of electric vehicle sector is creating great opportunities for Chinese carmakers to catch up with or even overtake their global counterparts.