Beijing Auto Show Is a Home Run, but Mostly for Domestic Brands

A proper EV for under $7500 in U.S. money? No problem; there are stacks of those in China. An electric Smart (remember that three-cylinder microcar?) with a nuclear 646-hp drivetrain under its belt? Check out the rugged #5 (below). Plug-in hybrids with a range of 1250 miles? BYD, Chery, and Geely would be proud to oblige. The world's first production-ready long-range solid state energy pack? Developed and made in China, these are due to come onstream next year at the latest. A luxury SUV that can swim across a lake, or a battery-powered flying car? Piece of cake—the megabucks YangWang U8 floats like a duck, while the super-light XPeng Aeroht takes off like a kite. Look elsewhere for fake news; these and other dream objects are for real at the Beijing auto show, which opened to the public today. Read the full article...