2025 Shanghai Auto Show: Tesla stays home, Xiaomi zooms ahead

The Shanghai Auto Show is a big deal.

Which makes sense, considering that China currently has a 30% share of the global car manufacturing market.

Xiaomi’s SU7 Ultra hyper sedan is the most exciting car to come out of Auto Shanghai 2025. This 1,548hp (1,138kW) electric vehicle can accelerate from 0 to 60 in 1.98s.

This year's edition — which wrapped up last week — brought together 70 car makers from 26 countries showing off some 1,300 vehicles.

What you see there can tell you a lot about the future of the automobile industry. Such as the fact that 70% of this year's offerings were alternative energy vehicles.

Again, not surprising: Despite reeling from tariffs as well as a brutal price war, China remains the world's largest market for EVs.

You can also learn a lot from what — or who — you don't see in Shanghai. In this case, at least 15 of the biggest players in the industry.

Here's a rundown of this year's no-shows — and what their absence could mean:

Tesla

Despite having a major factory in Shanghai, Tesla stayed home for the third year in a row. Why? The primary reason appears to be a lack of significant new vehicle releases to showcase.

Additionally, Tesla's decision may reflect a strategic shift, as it faces intense competition from Chinese EV makers like BYD, NIO, and Xiaomi, who are rapidly advancing in technology and market share. Tesla's absence from China's largest auto show suggests it may be focusing on other markets or methods to maintain its brand presence, especially as its dominance in China is challenged by local rivals offering advanced features.

Negative publicity from a 2021 incident, where a customer protested at Tesla's booth over brake issues, may also contribute to its reluctance to participate in high-profile Chinese auto shows.

Hyundai

This is the first show Hyundai (along with its affiliate Kia and luxury division Genesis) has skipped since entering the Chinese market in 2002. Struggling sales — the company's market share dropped to just 1.6% by late 2024 — and a financial squeeze in the competitive Chinese market, dominated by domestic EV and hybrid brands, likely prompted Hyundai to forego the costly event.

Instead, Beijing Hyundai held a strategic communication meeting in Shanghai days before the show, possibly to outline future plans without the expense of a full exhibition. The focus on new model unveilings elsewhere, such as the IONIQ 9 at the Los Angeles Auto Show in November 2024, suggests Hyundai has prioritized other markets for its latest offerings.

Lamborghini and other luxury brands

Lamborghini was among several ultra-luxury brands that opted out of the 2025 Shanghai Auto Show, alongside Maserati, Jaguar, and Land Rover. The main reason appears to be a significant sales decline in China’s ultra-luxury vehicle segment, which saw a 53% year-on-year drop in Q1 2025 for vehicles priced above 1 million yuan (approximately $137,000 USD).

This market contraction likely made participation in the costly auto show less viable for Lamborghini, especially as domestic Chinese brands are increasingly encroaching on the luxury segment with competitive offerings. The absence of these brands reflects broader challenges for foreign luxury automakers in adapting to China’s rapidly evolving market, where new energy vehicles (EVs and hybrids) are prioritized over traditional high-end combustion models.

The guest list may have been smaller this year, but those who did make it were determined to keep the party going.

Some of the eveals at the show included:

Xiaomi SU7 Ultra

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Xiaomi’s SU7 Ultra hyper sedan is the most exciting car to come out of Auto Shanghai 2025. This 1,548hp (1,138kW) electric vehicle can accelerate from 0 to 60 in 1.98s.

That is super fast! If you want to find a quicker car than this, maybe investigate a top-fuel dragster.

What impresses us the most about this reveal is not the straight line speed but the price tag price — $114,000. Then, when it comes time to charge the SU7 Ultra, you can plug it in and charge from 10% to 80% in 11 minutes.

You also get dual-chamber air springs with adaptive dampers, a torque-vectoring system with a 500Hz refresh rate, carbon ceramic brakes, carbon fiber roof, the list goes on and on about what makes the Xiaomi SU7 Ultra the fastest thing coming out of China right now.

The U.S. will most likely never see it on our shores.

GWM Tank 300 Hooke

The GWM Tank 300 Hooke sports a 2.0-litre turbo-gas four-cylinder under the hood. Also apparently in the works: a 4.0 liter twin-turbo V8-powered Tank. I guess China didn't get the memo that gas-powered cars are on the way out.

Huawei Maextro S800

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While every brand in China wants a piece of Rolls-Royce, some get closer than others, and the best of the bunch might be this Maextro S800.

Built by phone manufacturer Huawei in partnership with JAC, this plus-size luxury vehicle claims to be bigger than 99.99% of sedans in China.

The cabin sports multiplex-size screens, with the obligatory champagne flutes within reach of the reclining rear massage seats.

Rear seat entertainment is the aim of the game, and the flutes are joined by an aluminium folding table, hot and cold cup holders, a wireless charging area, a refrigerator, and a fingerprint-secured password box for valuable items.

Power-wise, there’s a pure EV version with a 94.364 kWh battery pack and up to 436 miles of range, or there’s an extended-range version with a 63.262 kWh battery pack offering up to 193 miles of electric range.

It’s very likely we’ll never see this car in North America, but prices start at $131,600.

Nissan Frontier Pro

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The release of the Nissan Frontier Pro PHEV is not as “crazy” as the Rolls-Royce copycats littered throughout the show. If China figures are to be adopted, expect 300kW of power, 800Nm of torque, and around 135km of EV-only range.

The Nissan Frontier Pro uses a solid axle 5-link rear suspension like a traditional dual-cab ute, and this should help it off-road. The interior tech includes massive dual screens, massage seats, and there’s Vehicle to Land (V2L) charging as well.

Zeekr 9X

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Zeekr’s Rolls-Royce Cullinan “inspired” 9X was also revealed at the 2025 Shanghai Auto Show. It’s a flagship model for the brand’s SUV lineup. It will be a hybrid SUV, is powered by a 2.0-litre internal combustion engine and backed by CATL’s Xiaoyao battery, which is said to deliver an all-electric range exceeding 236 miles.

This massive SUV, which will surely weigh nearly three tons, can complete the 0 to 60 mph sprint in three seconds. It also features an “industry-first” dual-chamber air suspension and active stabilizer bars to balance comfort and performance.

What we do know is that it will be opulent. The headlights feature 42,242 laser-engraved, diamond-cut lamp facets to create a “starry sky” effect, and they’re matched by 22-inch mirror-finish forged wheels.

AUDI E5 Sportback

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The new China-only brand AUDI (spelled in capital letters, without the four rings) was announced in China last year.

The four-door E5 Sportback is the first model unveiled by the new brand at the Shanghai Auto Show and partners with SAIC Cooperation Project, with its partial Chinese ownership. The new 800-volt AUDI E5 delivers up to 776 hp of power and a maximum range of 478 miles, which is impressive to say the least.

It will be offered in China with rear-wheel or quattro all-wheel drive, and in the sportiest setup, it can accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in 3.4 seconds. Why the company has decided to keep this a China-only vehicle remains to be seen.

For more on the 2025 Shanghai Car Show, check out the video: