On October 18, the six-day 23rd Wuhan Motor Show 2023 concluded successfully at Wuhan International Expo Center.  

Co-hosted by the China Machinery Industry Federation and the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT) Automotive Sub-Council, and jointly organized by CCPIT Wuhan Sub-Council, Wuhan Culture & Tourism Group, Wuhan New City International Expo Center Co., Ltd., Sunac Global Convention & Exhibition Culture & Tourism Group, Hannover Milano Fairs Shanghai Ltd., and Hubei Machinery Industry Federation, with Wuhan World Trade Exhibition Service Co., Ltd. as the executive organizer,

this edition featured 140,000㎡ exhibition space, participation from hundreds of automakers, over 1,000 vehicle models on display, nearly 20 brands launching new models, coverage by nearly 2,000 media outlets, over 100 million online impressions, 30% year-on-year growth in attendance, on-site sales exceeding 5.6 billion yuan.  

As a window for the world to view Wuhan and a bridge for technological and cultural exchange, the six-day event showcased a dynamic collision of trends and innovation. Serving as both a conduit between production and consumption and a testament to automotive industry advancement, the auto exhibition vividly reflected Wuhan's consumer vitality.  

Dongfeng & Hubei-Made Autos Dominate Expo: New Energy Lineup Steals Spotlight

As Hubei's largest pillar industry, the province's new energy and smart connected vehicle sector—one of five strategic industries for global cluster development—saw remarkable growth in 2022: 19 NEV manufacturers (+98% YoY output growth to 293,000 units, outperforming the national average by 7.5 percentage points).  

Rooted in industrial prowess, the Wuhan Motor Show – Central China’s largest automotive convergence platform – serves not just as a stage for unveiling cutting-edge models and technologies, but as a strategic battleground where global brands fiercely contend through technological innovation and creative vision.

Leveraging its home advantage, Dongfeng Motor staged a commanding presence by occupying an entire hall (A1) with its complete brand portfolio. Highlights included: Citroën/Peugeot joint booth featuring 2023 C5 X Versailles, C5 Aircross, and Peugeot's new 4008/508L, major groups like SAIC, FAW, and GAC presenting bestselling models.

Cutting-edge NEV contenders including Tesla, Li Auto, NIO, XPeng, AITO, Avatr, Leapmotor, and HiPhi showcased breakthrough models: Tesla Model 3 Highland refresh, Yangwang U8 million-level off-roader, Hyper SSR million-class Chinese supercar, HiPhi Y 300,000-yuan winged-door luxury SUV, AITO New M7 with Huawei ADS 2.0.  

At the auto show venue, visitors can experience the "novel and unique innovations" and "cutting-edge technologies" developed by automakers. XPeng Motors has specially set up a dedicated exhibition area for its Voyager X2 flying car, which features one-touch takeoff, automatic return, and precision landing functions. Meanwhile, the premium electric off-road brand MENG SHI under Dongfeng Group has installed an intelligent simulation cockpit in its exhibition zone. Participants wearing VR headsets can enter this levitating mobile cabin to immerse themselves in conquering slopes and diverse terrains within a 1:1 digitally replicated Alxa Desert landscape, experiencing the formidable off-road capabilities of the MENG SHI 917 through this groundbreaking immersive simulation.

 

Attendee numbers surged by 30% with transactions exceeding 5.6 billion yuan  

Unleashing Exhibition Vitality and Igniting a New Engine for Automotive Economic Growth

 

2023 marked the "Year of Consumption Revitalization" and the 70th anniversary of China’s automotive industry. At this pivotal historical juncture, boosting automotive consumption emerged as the foremost mission of the 2023 Wuhan Motor Show.  

Coinciding with the exhibition’s opening, the 2023 Wuhan Autumn Automotive Consumption Promotion Campaign was launched, allocating a total of 10 million yuan in incentives. During the event, consumers purchasing new energy vehicles from designated dealerships received CloudFlash consumer vouchers ranging from 2,000 to 8,000 yuan via UnionPay’s QuickPass platform, scaled to their vehicle purchase prices.  

This initiative not only catalyzed a fresh wave of automotive consumption enthusiasm—offering consumers the year’s most favorable purchasing window—but also injected a powerful stimulant into Wuhan’s drive to establish itself as an international consumption hub. It succeeded in igniting the consumption vitality of this "City of Automobiles" while robustly energizing the fundamental drivers of Wuhan’s automotive market.  

Amid dual stimuli from consumption vouchers and the convergence of premium automotive brands, this edition of the Wuhan Motor Show witnessed explosive popularity. Attendee numbers rose by 30% compared to the previous edition, with transaction volumes surpassing 5.6 billion yuan during the event.  

Through its formidable empowerment of automotive brands and catalytic impact on consumption, the Wuhan International Auto Show has unleashed new economic momentum for the "City of Automobiles," solidifying its role as a dynamic force in propelling automotive market growth and redefining Wuhan’s consumption landscape.  

 

Industry Experts Converge in Wuhan to Share Insights

Collaborating for High-Quality Development of Central China’s Automotive Sector

As intelligence becomes the defining battleground of the automotive industry’s transformation—shifting vehicles from traditional transportation tools to software-defined smart terminals—how can automakers seize emerging opportunities? During this year’s auto show, academic and industry leaders gathered in Wuhan for two landmark events: the "9th China (Wuhan) International New Energy & Intelligent Connected Vehicle Development and Cooperation Summit 2023" and the "2023 Intelligent Vehicle New Ecosystem (Wuhan) Forum." These platforms pooled intellectual firepower to explore pathways for automotive innovation, striving to deliver a "Chinese blueprint" for the industry’s evolution in the intelligent era.  

Aligned with China’s "dual circulation" development strategy, the 9th Summit centered on the theme "Intelligent Mobility, Low-Carbon Innovation, Premium Quality, and Integrated Development." It convened heavyweight guests, including government officials from national and provincial levels, renowned automotive experts, and leaders from new energy and intelligent connected vehicle (ICV) enterprises. Discussions focused on interpreting challenges and strategies amid industry transformation, sharing cutting-edge policies, technologies, business models, and innovation breakthroughs. A consensus emerged: stakeholders must proactively seize opportunities in evolving landscapes, pioneer solutions amid new challenges, and deepen the implementation of innovation-driven development strategies.  

Wuhan has already established itself as a national pioneer in intelligent mobility, achieving multiple "firsts":  

- First city to issue commercial pilot licenses for ICVs;  

- First to publish ICV road construction standards;  

- First to expand public testing roads to central urban areas;  

- First to launch autonomous driving services at airports.  

At the "Emergence"-themed 2023 Intelligent Vehicle New Ecosystem Forum, hundreds of attendees—including regulators, scholars, automakers, and tech executives—leveraged Wuhan’s industrial strengths to map future trends in intelligent vehicles. Their dialogues aim to contribute "Chinese wisdom and solutions" to the advancement of automotive technology and society.  Here is the revised translation with all instances of "武汉国际车展" uniformly translated as "Wuhan Motor Show", while maintaining fidelity to the original content and stylistic elegance:

 

"Automobile+" Culture Breaks Boundaries Through Cross-Sector Integration

Creating a One-Stop Platform for "Car Appreciation, Entertainment, and Purchasing"

 

In recent years, China’s "camping tourism" has surged in popularity, with RV road-tripping—a niche leisure lifestyle—gaining widespread appeal. RV camping festivals now showcase vehicles for all demographics: garage-friendly pop-top campers for urban professionals’ daily commutes and holiday travels, angler-oriented mobile lodges, Type C high-roof RVs for retirees’ nomadic lifestyles, and four-wheel-drive pickup campers tailored for off-road enthusiasts.  

 

Meanwhile, automotive culture events like the Wuhan Custom Car Festival & PlayCar Week, Lejia Car Rally, "I Am The Driver" Challenge, Baluzhe Drift Challenge, and Circuit Cone Competitions thrill audiences with adrenaline-fueled spectacles—hilltop charges, razor-edge overtakes, serpentine slaloms, and high-speed drifts—delivering immersive experiences of automotive passion.  

Rooted in the "Automobile+" concept, Wuhan Motor Show drives boundary-breaking integration across industries. By curating trending cultures like camping, driving, and vehicle customization, it transcends traditional formats to establish itself as a premier one-stop platform for "appreciating, engaging with, and purchasing" vehicles.  

Since its 1995 debut, the 28-year-old Wuhan Motor Show has evolved into Central China’s most influential automotive event, serving as a catalyst for Wuhan’s high-quality development.

This year marked the inaugural involvement of Wuhan Cultural Tourism Group as organizer, ensuring the exhibition’s success through meticulous planning. The group’s subsidiary, Wuhan World Trade Exhibition Service Co., Ltd., as the sole organizer, oversaw all aspects including exhibitor recruitment, venue layout, and supporting activities.The show featured six flagship events: an Automotive Camping Culture Festival, PlayCar Week, Car Rally, Drift Challenge, Cone Circuit Competition, and test-drive experiences. A customized Yangtze River Light Show illuminated Wuhan’s skyline with the theme "Mastering the Future Through Perseverance," blending automotive innovation with urban charm.  

Wuhan Cultural Tourism Group has prioritized promoting automotive exhibitions, particularly new energy and smart-connected vehicle industries. Earlier initiatives included the "Dongfeng Vehicles, Made in Auto Valley" roadshow at Yellow Crane Tower, showcasing cutting-edge innovations, and integrating automotive elements into events like the 2023 Wuhan Digital Roaming Festival, where XPeng and Tesla demonstrated next-gen mobility visions. The group also curated trendy "car trunk markets" along Hankou Riverfront, fusing automotive culture with creative retail.  

 

Aligned with Wuhan’s high-quality cultural tourism development goals, the group will deepen integration between exhibitions and tourism. Collaborating with CCPIT Automotive Sub-Council and Wuhan CCPIT, it aims to leverage Wuhan Motor Show as a strategic platform, unlocking synergies between exhibition economies and cultural consumption to drive the city’s economic advancement.