Feature: Driving smart with 3rd CIIE in Shanghai

The ongoing third China International Import Expo (CIIE) in Shanghai, which showcased the latest automobile and relevant technological innovations, is an unmissable opportunity for car enthusiasts and buyers.

The expo is scheduled to run till Nov. 10.

Leading tire manufacturer Michelin launched its new self-seal tire technology that can instantly mend punctures on the tread without manual intervention. When a nail gets stuck to the Michelin I-Selfseal tire, the internal chemical coating containing stable and flexible materials, can wrap the nail and cover the puncture allowing the driving to continue.

Based on real-time monitoring and an intelligent algorithm, Michelin has created its air pressure notification system that can detect leakage in tires early and offer maintenance advice to drivers on their smartphones or display screens inside the cars.

Self-driving is the buzzword for the future of transportation. Sci-tech company Pony.ai launched its new generation self-driving hardware and software system PonyAlphaX. The system has a wide perception range of up to 200 meters. It will soon be tested in China.

General Motors plans to invest more than 20 billion U.S. dollars in electric and autonomous vehicles by 2025. More than 40 percent of the auto maker's new launches in China from 2020 to 2025 will be new energy vehicles.

Almost all automobile exhibitors brought their upgraded new energy vehicles to the CIIE.

Volkswagen has showcased eight varieties of battery-powered electric vehicles. The company aims to achieve carbon neutrality and zero carbon dioxide emissions before 2050.

Besides the battery-powered ones, new energy vehicles driven by hydrogen fuel cells are also being displayed at the CIIE.

Auto giant Toyota unveiled its first locally-developed hydrogen fuel cell commercial vehicle FCEV Coaster, while Hyundai brought its fuel-cell duty truck named XCIENT Fuel Cell.

With the popularization of new energy vehicles, German automobile component manufacturer Webasto has designed a heating solution to slow the fading of batteries and improve mileage in extremely cold weather.

The Chinese market, which is in the transformation and upgrading stage, has a great desire for technology innovation, said Jan Henning Mehlfeldt, president of Webasto in China. The group believes that its power batteries, charging piles and high-pressure heaters have been acknowledged by Chinese users.

China's automobile imports and exports continued to rebound in August, gaining 9.2 percent month on month, data from the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers (CAAM) showed.

In August, the import and export volume totaled 13.48 billion U.S. dollars, up 4.1 percent year on year, said the CAAM, citing customs data.

Enterprises, as well as all sectors of the society, have an urgent need to restore the economy and boost confidence through this expo, said Kamran Vossoughi, president and CEO of Michelin China. According to Vossoughi, China's new development pattern of "dual circulation" where domestic and foreign markets boost each other with the domestic market as the mainstay will equip two powerful engines for the country's economy.

He said he expects to learn more about the consumer demands through the CIIE.

The advent of new energy and autonomous vehicles at the CIIE manifests the Chinese automobile market's rapid development and the diversified purchase demands, Cui Dongshu, secretary general of the China Passenger Car Association, told Xinhua. Enditem