Shanghai auto show ignites consumer passion for car purchases

The 21st Shanghai International Automobile Industry Exhibition, also known as Auto Shanghai 2025, has sparked a wave of excitement among car buyers, with crowds flocking to auto dealerships to purchase new vehicles.

The exhibition, which opened to the general public Sunday through May 2, saw a bustling scene at the booths of popular car brands and models.

"We have nearly 100 salespersons at our booth, and each of them is expected to secure dozens of orders a day," said an exhibitor.

Livestreaming has emerged as a powerful sales tool, with many exhibitors using the platform to directly sell vehicles to online viewers. Some visitors even traveled hundreds of kilometers just to see the latest models on display.

"I'm from Linyi City in Shandong Province. I particularly drove here just to see this car model," said a visitor.

For some, the excitement of the auto show led directly to purchases. A local resident surnamed Ge visited the offline showroom after attending the exhibition and quickly signed a car purchase contract.

"I'm trading in my old car, and with the subsidies from both the government and the carmaker, plus the various discounts at the auto show and shopping mall benefits like parking vouchers, it made my decision much easier," Ge explained.

Some foreign buyers even flew here to attend the show and purchase vehicles.

"I attend the Shanghai auto show for personal purchase of cars," said Fias, a customer from Oman.

The purchasing process for international buyers is streamlined as well.

"As an export company, we will handle the export process and paperwork, load the car onto an international shipping vessel, and deliver it to them," said Ji Pengfei, international business manager at a vehicle export company.

Many of the orders placed at the event are expected to translate into actual sales.

"Currently, about 50 percent of our orders are placed from the auto show," said Hua Peng, a sales manager of Chinese automaker XPENG.

Liu Qiushi, general manager of Shanghai Chuangpeng Automobile Sales and Service Company, said, "After the auto show, we usually complete a quarter of our annual sales within the first month."

In addition to the auto show excitement, malls are also offering a range of incentives to boost car sales. Vouchers for parking, dining, travel and even gold bars are being offered as part of promotional giveaways.

"We're offering up to 8,000 yuan (about 1,097 U.S. dollars) in subsidy for each new car purchase. From April to May, we expect to sell around 3,000 new energy vehicles across 21 brands, a 70-percent increase compared to the same period of last year," said Ding Zhongyun, general manager of the Shanghai Longemont Shopping Mall.

As Shanghai's May 5 Shopping Festival approaches, a wide variety of activities and promotional events are awaiting consumers, expected to further fuel the enthusiasm for car purchases.

Shanghai auto show ignites consumer passion for car purchases

The Iranian government is focusing on public concerns and maintaining stable supplies of essential goods amid recent protests, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said in a televised interview on Sunday.

In the city of Karaj, northwest of the capital Tehran, daily life has largely continued as normal. A video filmed by a local resident on Sunday shows food stores open and grocery shelves fully stocked.

"This is the block near my home, and there are some food stores here. Daily life continues here. Last night we did not see many protests in Karaj. Right now the city is very safe. This is a grocery store close to my home. All the food is available; nothing is in shortage. Here are noodles and different types of beans. Here are dairy products, cheese, and yogurt. I also checked other grocery stores and didn't see any shortages. Everything is available," said local resident Ali Reza.

Iranian officials have described recent disturbances as acts orchestrated by the "enemy," including some carried out by well-trained and armed "terrorists." The incidents have caused casualties among security personnel and civilians, as well as property damage.

The Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council Ali Larijani has directed authorities to severely punish the "terrorists."

Meanwhile, Iran's police chief Ahmad-Reza Radan said on Sunday that the police had raised alert levels and arrested several leaders of the troublemakers during the operations on Saturday.

President Pezeshkian noted in the interview that the normal demands of the Iranian people are reasonable and justified, but they must realize that triggering riots and carrying out terrorist acts are the enemy's attempts to undermine the country. He urged the public to remain vigilant.

Also on Sunday, Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf warned that Tehran would regard U.S. and Israeli bases and facilities in the Middle East as "legitimate targets" if Washington takes military action against Iran. His remarks followed media reports saying U.S. President Donald Trump is "seriously considering authorizing a strike" against Iran.

Iranian state media reported that at least 109 members of Iran's security forces have been killed in clashes since the protests began 14 days ago. Meanwhile, human rights groups based outside the country said the number of protesters killed has exceeded 200, though the figure could not be independently verified.

The protests initially erupted over a sharp depreciation of the rial and sweeping subsidy reforms. Iranian authorities have blamed the unrest on foreign-linked agents and sanctions imposed by the United States.

Iranian president says government focusing on ensuring supplies amid protests