The 22nd Shanghai International Automobile Industry Exhibition, commonly known as Auto Shanghai, is scheduled to take place from April 23 to May 2, 2027, officials announced at a press conference Tuesday. The biennial event will showcase the latest advancements in intelligent vehicle technologies, evolving industrial ecosystems, and strengthened international cooperation amid a shifting global automotive landscape.
The 2027 exhibition is expected to span 400,000 square meters, expanding upon the previous event in April 2025, which covered 360,000 square meters and featured nearly 1,000 domestic and international automotive companies. A notable addition to this edition will be the introduction of a dedicated embodied intelligent exhibition area and a physical testing ground focused on artificial intelligence and high-end automotive chips, according to Gu Chunting, deputy director of the Council for the Promotion of International Trade Shanghai.
The year 2027 is poised to be a pivotal moment for China’s autonomous driving sector, marking the first implementation of the country’s mandatory national safety standards governing Level 3 and Level 4 autonomous driving systems, said Tu Bingfeng, deputy head and secretary-general of the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers. As a result, demonstrations of autonomous driving technology are expected to be a major highlight.
In addition to autonomous vehicles, breakthroughs in power battery technology and the integration of artificial intelligence with automotive systems are anticipated to draw significant attention. Fu, a spokesperson at the event, emphasized that competitiveness in the automotive industry increasingly depends on a supportive ecosystem that includes batteries, chips, AI models, algorithms, safety systems, and data services. He noted that Auto Shanghai aims to evolve beyond a showcase event to become a platform that nurtures innovation across this ecosystem.
The exhibition also reflects changing dynamics in global collaboration. Chinese automakers and their international counterparts are entering a new phase characterized by local research and development, co-creation of technology, shared outcomes, and differentiated competition within a common framework, Fu added.
Li Dong, director of the Council for the Promotion of International Trade Shanghai, highlighted the event’s role as a venue for companies to explore diversified development opportunities, particularly those expanding into global markets. The focus of the automotive sector is shifting from pure manufacturing to the integration of smart manufacturing processes and services.
The Shanghai municipal government plans to align the exhibition with the Labor Day holiday to maximize its impact on tourism and consumption, Gu said.
Data from the China Automotive Engineering Research Institute showed that Shanghai sold 259,500 vehicles in the first half of this year, a slight year-on-year decline of 0.98 percent but the mildest contraction among China’s top 20 cities for vehicle sales. Meanwhile, the China Passenger Car Association reported that passenger car sales in China reached more than 1.62 million units in August, representing a 19 percent increase year-over-year and an 11 percent rise compared with July, signaling ongoing recovery in the market.