AI-generated summary
The Paris Auto Show originated from the International Automobile Salon in 1898 and is the oldest auto show in the world. It has been held every autumn since 1976, and 2026 will be the 91st one.
China News Service, Paris, October 12 (Reporter Li Yang) The 2026 Paris Auto Show kicked off on the 12th local time. Multi-national automobile brands appeared on the same stage, which attracted widespread attention from industry insiders.
French President Macron attended the opening ceremony of the auto show that day and visited the booths of multiple car companies. He emphasized through social media that the French and European automobile industries are advancing the pace of innovation and accelerating the process of re-industrialization. He proposed three priorities for the automotive industry: protecting the automotive industry; accelerating electric vehicle production and revitalizing the industrial chain; and strengthening Europe's industry competitiveness.
On October 12, local time, the 2026 Paris Auto Show kicked off. France's Renault's new E‑Space concept car officially made its global debut on the same day. Photo by China News Service reporter Li Yang
French car brand Renault is one of the car companies with the largest exhibition area at the Paris Motor Show. Renault E‑Space concept car officially made its world premiere during the auto show, and a prototype was displayed at the booth. The design of this model is simple and bright. It is equipped with 3 rows of independent seats, of which the second row of seats can rotate 180 degrees. In addition, Renault also set up a joint exhibition area with firefighters to display a variety of rescue vehicles produced by Renault and demonstrate emergency rescue on site.
There will be more than 20 Chinese vehicle brands participating in the 2026 Paris Auto Show, a significant increase compared with the 2024 Paris Auto Show. BYD, GAC, Ideal, Xpeng, Changan and other Chinese brands participated in the exhibition and held press conferences to introduce various models for the European and global markets.
On October 12, local time, the 2026 Paris Auto Show kicked off. BYD launches ATTO 8 electric vehicle for the European market. Photo by China News Service reporter Li Yang
There are Chinese brands in various venues of the auto show. BYD's booth is adjacent to the French brand Renault's booth; GAC's booth is adjacent to Ideal's booth; Geely's booth is adjacent to Changan's booth. Almost every press conference of Chinese brands is packed with seats, and many exhibitors want to know the latest development level and manufacturing process of China's new energy vehicles.
On October 12, local time, the 2026 Paris Auto Show kicked off. The picture shows the American car company Tesla displaying its Cybercab driverless taxi. Photo by China News Service reporter Li Yang
The American car company Tesla participated in the 2026 Paris Auto Show. The most eye-catching one was the Cybercab driverless taxi on display. This is the first public display of this model in Europe. The Cybercab driverless taxi has no steering wheel or pedals and is only for static viewing at the auto show.
The Paris Auto Show originated from the International Automobile Salon in 1898 and is the oldest auto show in the world. It has been held every autumn since 1976. This year is the 91st. (over)
AI outlook — possibilities, not facts
The market share of Chinese new energy vehicle brands in the European market will continue to grow in the coming year
Likely · Within months
Renault will reveal production plans for the E‑Space concept car in the coming months
Possible · Within months

According to data from the China Passenger Car Market Information Joint Branch, China's domestic passenger car sales fell by 28.1% year-on-year in September, the largest decline this year, and has been declining for 12 consecutive months. Despite weak domestic demand, exports of new energy vehicles surged 73.2% to 923,000 units, easing the market pressure faced by car dealers.
According to data released by the Passenger Vehicle Market Information Joint Branch of the China Automobile Dealers Association, the national retail penetration rate of new energy passenger vehicles climbed to 67.0% in September, and the wholesale penetration rate reached 65.4%, both reaching record highs. At the same time, passenger car exports in September were 917,000 units, a year-on-year increase of 73.7%.

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China's Chery Automobile's Omoda 5 model suffered an accident in which the rear axle and both rear wheels fell off in Johor Bahru, Malaysia. The Malaysian Land Transport Authority has temporarily revoked the vehicle type approval certificate of the model and suspended new car registration. Chery Malaysia is required to inventory the affected vehicles and initiate recall and rectification procedures. This is the second time a similar failure has occurred for this model. The first occurred in April 2024. The rear axle also broke during normal driving without collision in Malaysia.
Hubei Ezhou Huahu International Airport has successfully guaranteed the export of 198 new energy vehicles this year, with direct routes to core aviation hubs such as Paris and Miami, becoming the core aviation gateway for China's new energy vehicles to go overseas efficiently.