Times change.

On the busy third day of the Paris Motor Show, I’d like to share my insights from the show.

Besides back-to-back press conferences during media days, I was fortunate to visit Renault’s technical centre at its Paris headquarters. I test drove the Renault Twingo and Deepal S7 across urban and suburban Paris, and experienced Xpeng’s intelligent driving as well as several Chery models. The strong presence of numerous Chinese brands has pushed European OEMs including Stellantis and Renault Group to ramp up their exhibition efforts, unveiling a host of new vehicles and cutting-edge technologies. This year’s Paris Motor Show has truly captured global attention with huge crowds.

Yet the buzz of the show stems from more than just new cars on stands, heavy footfall or the record number of Chinese exhibitors. It reflects profound shifts reshaping Europe’s automotive industry. I sum up my observations in three keywords: Change, Roots, Competition.

First, Change. We are changing — and so are they.

In my interview with Philippe, CTO of Renault Group, he told me what impressed him most about China is its capacity to adapt: the willingness and courage to transform, and the ability to identify new directions amid disruption. I could not agree more. The so-called “China speed” rests on an ecosystem capable of continuous iteration: agile organisational decision-making, seamless collaboration between engineers and suppliers, and an organisation’s readiness to adjust rapidly.

The development of the Renault Twingo E-Tech electric model is a prime example of such transformation. Leveraging China’s industrial ecosystem via ACDC, the vehicle was developed in just 22 months — nearly 50% shorter than traditional timelines and a new record for Renault Group. Developed in China, manufactured in Slovenia and sold across Europe, it is priced below €20,000, precisely targeting Europe’s affordable small electric vehicle segment and marking a milestone in Renault’s electrification strategy.

This transformation belongs to Renault itself, while also demonstrating how Chinese automotive industrial capabilities are reshaping global product definition, R&D models and organisational frameworks.

Second, Roots. Around 20 Chinese auto brands are participating in the 2026 Paris Motor Show, hitting an all-time high.

Parallel to the show, Seres announced its plan to enter the European market in autumn 2027. Li Auto intends to launch its i6 model in Norway and the Netherlands in Q1 2027, integrating Spotify and Apple CarPlay to cater to local user habits. Leapmotor now operates over 1,000 sales and service outlets across Europe. The Xpeng G9L completed its first trial production at Magna’s plant in Austria and made its high-profile debut at the show. Geely Group attended for the first time as a full group, with Geely, Lynk & Co and Zeekr showcasing multiple new energy models covering mainstream, premium and luxury segments. Changan brought three digital intelligent new energy brands — Changan Qiyuan, Deepal and Avatr — alongside a full lineup of vehicles. It displayed in-house technologies including power batteries, hybrid systems and smart cockpits, and announced a series of ecosystem service initiatives.

Chinese automakers’ European expansion is evolving from brand appearances and vehicle exports toward localised services, product adaptation and local manufacturing.

Walking around the stands of European brands in Halls 4 and 5, however, Renault and Stellantis also presented compelling new models and concept cars. Their designs balance aesthetics and practicality, tailored specifically for European usage scenarios. European concept cars feature distinct design languages responding to local urban roads, space constraints and consumer tastes. Citroën unveiled its 2CV concept, preserving the brand’s ethos of practicality, compact size and affordability. Its future production models are planned to be built in Europe with a targeted starting price of roughly €15,000. The Renault Twingo similarly targets affordable urban electric mobility. European OEMs’ strengths lie not only in their heritage but also in their deep understanding of local lifestyles and consumer demands.

This brings an important reminder: we cannot equate product competitiveness proven in the Chinese market directly with competitiveness in Europe. Many Chinese brands expanding overseas only carry out minor localisation tweaks on existing products. Vehicles originally designed and engineered specifically for the European market remain rare. The vehicles built exclusively for Europe displayed on the LEAP Motors booth in Hall 7 were a refreshing sight.

Going global is never simply shipping products validated in China to Europe. Sustainable success comes from understanding local users first, and embedding road conditions, living habits, price expectations and brand perceptions into product definition from the outset.

Third, Competition. The active entry of Chinese brands has pushed Renault, Stellantis and other European automakers to pursue innovation and transformation proactively. Healthy competition inevitably drives operational efficiency and product refinement, fosters mutual learning and accelerates industrial progress.

Beyond competition lies collaboration. When Seres presented its European strategy, it highlighted global partners including Valeo and Omnivision. In conversations with Valeo, TomTom and other international suppliers, I heard many stories about how they empower Chinese partners. Chinese companies bring new products and rapid development capabilities, while international partners contribute global expertise, local networks and industrial collaboration. The capability boundaries of the automotive industry are being reconfigured across borders and regions.

Over these days in Paris, I have watched Chinese enterprises striving to understand Europe, and European companies adjusting themselves proactively, learning from Chinese experience and preparing for a tech-driven future.

Competition sparks change. Understanding and partnership determine how far that change can go.