PHOTOS | See some impressive and unknown new cars at Auto Shanghai 2023: The future of electric vehicles is now

The 2023 Shanghai Auto Show was always bound to be booming with technology and things we’ve probably never seen before. News24 Motoring Contributor Tyrone Paulsen is in Shanghai, attending one of the most important auto shows of the year. He says the technology in some of the cars rivals the good stuff in sci-fi movies.

With eight exhibition halls that could easily swallow the Nasrec Center, the Shanghai National Convention Center hosted Auto Shanghai 2023 after a three-year hiatus.

Manufacturers from all over the world were present; Audi, Volkswagen, Porsche, Lamborghini, BMW, Mercedes, Hyundai, Kia and Ford had massive booths displaying their fantastic new cars. But Chinese manufacturers took center stage here; The brands we South Africans know, such as Chery, Haval, Geely and JAC Motors, were present. Then there were others we know but have never seen in the metal like Roewe, BYD, JNC, Aiways, GAIC, HiPhi, Xpeng and Jetta, a model we knew was part of the VW stable here, but a completely different brand. own in China.

Click the arrows below to scroll through the gallery of some amazing new cars at the 2023 Shanghai Motor Show:

From this show and from the Auto Expo India I attended earlier this year, it’s pretty clear that electrification is the talk of the day, as many manufacturers showcased some very impressive electric vehicles with figures close to 500 km on charge and even able to fast charge in 5 minutes which will give you up to 100 km.

The technology featured in most of these cars is so futuristic it rivals sci-fi movies: one of Chery’s future concepts uses eye tracking and a 3D display that doesn’t require physical touch.

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Some cars use fully or semi-autonomous driving, which for a petrol engine is a bit worrying as it can take away from that real driving experience, but the drive is still engaging. Some cars will change the way they drive based on their surroundings and will even change the ambient lighting, suspension tune, air quality and noises they make based on your mood.

Many start-ups or newer brands are pushing the envelope when it comes to future technologies. The question is: are they pushing it because they have nothing to lose and today’s tech-hungry generation loves innovative quick change, or are the more established brands a bit more careful with what they offer or allow in their vehicles? What is the correct approach? We won’t know until we, as motorists, interact and interact more with these vehicles.

Think about how negative people were about touch screen cell phones; now, everyone from 5 years old to 90 years old has it. This motor show has made it clear to me that electrification and technology go hand in hand in what cars will be; I dare say, it’s here now and it’s not going away.

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It will make some of our lives a little stranger but a lot easier. We know these cars can be fun, Tesla and RIMMIK are proof of that, and they can be more innovative, more stylish and, better looking, safer, cheaper to drive and ultimately still be a lot of fun.

Cars are changing; times are changing, and the future is here, even though no one has a working flying car yet.