Automotive players empowered by the green development of the industry at CAPAS 2023

The Chengdu International Trade Fair for Automotive Parts and Aftermarket Services (CAPAS) concluded on 20 May 2023 at the Chengdu Century City New International Exhibition and Convention Center. With new energy vehicles (NEVs), connected mobility, electrification and green repair as key focuses, the three-day show saw an array of innovative product showcases. In addition, a collection of insightful fringe events drew attention to the dynamic development of Southwest China’s automotive industry.

Key figures from CAPAS 2023:

• Visitors: 17,093
• Exhibitors: 620
• Exhibition space: 48,000 sqm
• Concurrent events: 18

Mr James Yu, General Manager of Messe Frankfurt (Shanghai) Co Ltd, said: “As key sectors listed in the ‘Made in China 2025’ national strategic plan, NEVs and connected mobility are heavily influencing the technological development of the country. CAPAS actively supports this national goal by reflecting key industry trends in product showcases, pavilions and fringe events, all receiving much positive feedback as a result.”

During the 2023 edition, exhibitors displayed their latest products, technologies and services across themed zones such as Parts & Components, Accessories & Customising, and Repair / Supply Chain & Chain Stores, to name a few. Upgrades delivered maximum benefits to exhibitors from inside and outside the Sichuan province, including Balance, Botny, Carzone, CATL, CiDi, CRC, Dayun, DPCA, FAW-VOLKSWAGEN, GEELY, Goodyear, Guangtong Automobile, Honeywell, Hyundai Truck & Bus, KAIYI AUTO, Phoenix, Ruiming, SEVC, Shudu, SINOTRUK, SORL, TUNAP, Tuopu, VOLTRONIC, ZEV, Zhongche Tietou and Zhongding.

One such exhibitor was Shenzhen Intra Brands Co Ltd, whose Channel Sales Manager, Mr Alan Hu said: “We are participating for the first time to capitalise on the comprehensive dealer networks provided by CAPAS to showcase our lubricants, batteries for NEVs, and accessories for hybrid cars. Many visitors showed a great interest in our products with dealers and end-users keen on placing orders.”

New energy and connectivity take centre stage

Co-organised by the Chengdu Green Intelligent Connected Automobile Industry Ecosystem Alliance (CDAIA), the New Energy & Connected Mobility Zone brought forward a range of NEVs and product displays, which placed a heavy focus on future mobility.

An exhibitor in the zone was Zhong Zhi First Bus Chengdu Co Ltd. The company’s research institute director, Mr Zhang Zejun, noted: “The industry is transitioning towards low-emission solutions, where new energy and connectivity are rapidly increasing in popularity. CAPAS is a premier platform to promote our portfolio of hybrid cars with electric and hydrogen drives. At the same time, professional representatives from OEMs, 4S stores, associations and workshops were here, helping us to gain more business partners.”

Local pavilions converged to showcase capabilities

The Chengdu-Chongqing Dual-city Economic Rim Zone hosted regional pavilions from Chongqing, Guangan, Mianyang, Nanchong and Yibin. They shined a light on the robust capabilities of automotive manufacturing, parts manufacturing, air conditioning systems, new energy, intelligent and connected vehicles, and more in these cities’ supply chains.

Mr Hu Mengrui, Vice Marketing Director of Yibing Powertrain Technology Co Ltd, said: “With supportive government policies, vehicles are gradually shifting to new energy, smart technologies and connectivity. Therefore, we are focusing on the transmissions of electric vehicles to improve efficiency in motors. The show was very crowded, and so we were successful at identifying several high-quality gear suppliers and contacting customers for heavy trucks.”

The fair also attracted companies in pavilions from other national cities and provinces like Anhui, Guangxi, Guangzhou, Jilin, Quanzhou and Tianjin.

For example, the Jilin pavilion housed the likes of Chaowei Group, Huifeng Plastic, SANYOU I&M and more. The organiser of this pavilion, Mr Sheng Chong, Vice Director of Foreign Trade Division at the Department of Commerce Jilin Province, explained: “We aim to assist local companies to expand in both imports and exports in the global automotive supply chain. For instance, Chaowei Group brought batteries and products for heat insulation and noise reduction; SANYOU I&M displayed non-metallic protective crossbeam and fenders made from lightweight materials.”

Value-added events drive industry development and trends

Meanwhile, 18 events explored diverse industry topics. As an important supporting event for the NEV field, the returning China New Energy Vehicle International Cooperation Conference 2023 received a lot of praise. During the conference, Mr Li Weili, Deputy Director of the State Information Center Business Consulting Center, delivered the keynotes on revitalising car consumption under the Dual Circulation Policy. Mr Huang Yonghe, Deputy Director and Chief Engineer Office Senior Expert of the China Automotive Technology and Research Center Co Ltd, also shared insights around enhancing manufacturing capabilities in the new economy.

The ‘Electric Sichuan’ New Energy Vehicle Demand and Supply Matchmaking Programme promoted the regional NEV sector by bringing government agencies, industry associations, vehicle companies and parts manufacturers together to present products and share NEV related policies. Successfully gathering these players from across the entire NEV supply chain helped bridge supply and demand, allowing participants to explore partnerships.

 Speakers included a representative from AVATR Technology. He commented: “With the rapid development of NEV technologies, cars are becoming more environmentally-friendly and energy saving. I believe that all NEV brands, including us, are driving this progress. Thanks to CAPAS, we can not only increase our exposure, but we can also interact with other key players and establish connections with each other.”

Elsewhere, the Southwest Automotive Aftermarket Summit 2023 embraced the upgrade and transformation of the aftermarket by delving into services for NEVs. Other concurrent events also included Commercial Vehicle (Southwest) Promotion for Spare Part Brands and New Energy Vehicles from OE to Aftermarket – Factory Tours.

Ms Xu Junde, President of the Sichuan Auto Industrial Institution, shared after speaking during an event: “Intelligent vehicles are now the future of the automotive industry. It is creating more demand for software engineers, so I am very glad to see many technology-based companies participating at the show. I believe this speaks to its position of guiding and gathering industry players.”

Visitor services connect supply and demand from home and abroad

Apart from the seven specialised zones, visitor services also received much positive feedback from both exhibitors and buyers. Many commented on the business matching service enhancing their exhibiting and sourcing efficiency.

Ms Edna Gnomblerou, Marketing Manager of  Afrikey Corporation, an overseas buyer from Cote d’Ivoire, said: “Through the business matching programme, I managed to connect two suppliers who can meet my sourcing needs for car washing and car care products. On display I saw a fully automatic car wash system and electric cars, which were both new to me. It was a pleasure to re-join CAPAS and I would recommend others to visit since it is the best place to source regionally-made products.”

A Chinese buyer, Mr Wang Hongbin, General Manager of Sichuan Kelas Environmental Protection Technology Co Ltd, also commented: “Our company is a high-tech manufacturer focusing on green automotive products such as emission treatment fluid. After participating at the business matching activities, I found that CAPAS offered very comprehensive coverage. I have identified a number of potential cooperation opportunities relating to consumables such as lubricants, filters and after-treatment maintenance.”

The next edition of CAPAS will take place from 16 to 18 May 2024. The latest show updates and high-resolution photos for press use are available from the “Press” page at www.capas-chengdu.com.

CAPAS is jointly organised by CCPIT-Auto, Messe Frankfurt (Shanghai) Co Ltd and CCPIT-Sichuan. For more information, please visit www.capas-chengdu.com or email [email protected].com.