China’s EV players ramp up competition with Tesla using new technology

BEIJING — Hot competition in China’s electric car market is pushing local automakers to sell vehicles with fancy tech that Tesla doesn’t yet offer in the country — and sometimes at lower prices.

No longer are companies competing primarily on driving range. Instead, as they reveal new models at a rapid pace, they’re piling on a slew of features: in-car projectors, refrigerators and driver-assist, to name a few.

Tesla’s cars don’t come with those accessories, and Elon Musk’s automaker only offers a limited version of its driver-assist tech in China right now.

“Electric vehicles in China becomes a consumer electronics [product]. It’s similar to the cellphone industry,” said Li Yi, chairman and CEO of Appotronics, a Shenzhen-based laser display company that claims to work with major automakers.

“In China, I think it’s more entertain[ment], more gadgets, people really want to buy something with the most advanced tech specs,” he said, adding that in Europe, people focus more on functionality.

Appotronics claims it made the 32-inch projection screen that unfurls inside the newly launched M9 SUV from Huawei’s Aito brand. Huawei did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

As of Jan. 1, Aito said orders for the M9 surpassed 30,000 vehicles, with deliveries set to begin in late February.

The six-seater car comes with a refrigerator, collapsible front seats, and instead of a physical dashboard, tech that projects the information so it appears overlaid on the road ahead. This tech, known as AR HUD, can also display navigation instructions.

The M9 SUV sells for about 470,000 yuan to 570,000 yuan ($66,320 to $80,430).

In comparison, Tesla’s Model Y, a mid-sized SUV, starts at 258,900 yuan while the Model S sedan starts at 698,900 yuan.

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