WORLD NEWS | Volkswagen unveils electric luxury sedan at China auto show

SHANGHAI, April 18 (AP) – Volkswagen unveiled an electric luxury sedan that promises to offer 700 kilometers (435 miles) of battery range, the global and Chinese automakers showcased Tuesday at the world’s largest auto show of their latest SUVs, sedans and muscle cars.

Auto Shanghai 2023 reflects fierce competition in China’s fast-growing electric car market after the ruling Communist Party poured billions of dollars into promoting the technology. China accounted for two-thirds of global appliance sales last year.

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Brands including General Motors, BMW and Nissan, as well as Chinese rivals BYD Auto and NIO, unveiled dozens of new electric vehicles at the huge Shanghai exhibition center.

Brands are touting faster charging, satellite navigation and entertainment, and the possibility of future self-driving technology.

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Volkswagen’s ID.7 sedan, its new flagship model for electric vehicles, was one of 28 models the German automaker showed off, half of which were electrified.

“We’re turbocharging our electric campaign,” said Thomas Schäfer, chief executive of Volkswagen’s passenger car brand, as he took to the stage in an electric minibus.

Automakers are looking to China to boost sales amid weak demand in the U.S. and Europe, but it will require them to invest in developing models that can compete in a crowded market.

Well-known global brands are under pressure from ambitious Chinese newcomers and to meet government quotas on electronics sales. Many companies are forming partnerships to share soaring development costs.

China “plays a leading role in the electrification and digital transformation of the industry,” Ford Motor Co. Chief Executive Jim Farley said in a recorded message played on a video screen.

Electric vehicles accounted for just over a quarter of the 23.6 million SUVs, sedans and minivans sold in China last year, while sales of traditional gasoline-powered vehicles fell.

BMW AG has revealed its all-electric lineup, including two new models the i7 M70L and XM Label Red. German sports luxury brand M760Le made its debut in China.

General Motors has unveiled an electric SUV, the Buick Electra E5, ahead of the auto show. Toyota Motor Corporation has launched two new models for its bZ line of zero-emission vehicles. Toyota also showed off a self-driving taxi prototype developed with Pony.ai, a leading competitor in China’s fast-growing self-driving car industry.

Executives flew to the show from the U.S., Europe and Japan for the first time since 2019, after antivirus controls that cut off most travel to and from China were lifted in December.

The entire board of directors of Volkswagen and Porsche flew over to show their commitment to the Chinese market.

Organizers said automakers would unveil 100 new models, 70 of which would be electric, according to Chinese media reports.

Last year, drivers in the world’s largest car market bought 5.4 million all-electric vehicles — about two-thirds of the world’s 8 million vehicles — plus 1.5 million gasoline-electric hybrids. That’s more than a quarter of the total 23.6 million vehicle sales. EV sales are expected to grow another 30 percent this year.

Beijing is gradually reducing government support and passing the burden on to automakers by requiring them to receive credits for electric vehicle sales. (Associated Press)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from a Syndicated News feed, the content body may not have been modified or edited by LatestLY staff)