Chinese automakers show off AI-powered ‘smartphones on wheels’

BEIJING — XPeng, Geely and other Chinese automakers are showing off innovative new models at the Beijing International Automotive Exhibition, as competition in China shifts from EVs to AI with cars that are starting to resemble smartphones on wheels.

“The next 10 years will be the decade of intelligence,” said He Xiaopeng, CEO of electric vehicle startup XPeng, at a news conference on Thursday, the opening day of the expo. He hinted at an impending software-based battle in the industry.