A Hongqi H9, a model produced by domestic carmaker FAW Group Co., is exhibited at the 27th Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area International Auto Show held in Shenzhen from June 16 to 24 this year in this file photo. The 2023 Shenzhen International Auto Show and Intelligent Networked and Future Mobility Auto Expo is being held at the Shenzhen Convention and Exhibition Center in Futian.

Shenzhen, which has emerged as one of the world’s major centers for electric vehicles, is hosting the city’s second grand auto show of the year.

The 2023 Shenzhen International Auto Show and Intelligent Networked and Future Mobility Auto Expo is being held from September 29 to October 3 at the Shenzhen Convention and Exhibition Center in Futian.

With an exhibition area of 80,000 square meters, the five-day event is the second large international auto show held in the city this year after the 27th Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area International Auto Show from June 16 to 24.

Domestic auto firms, such as conventional carmaker SAIC Motor and electric vehicle upstarts Xpeng, Nio, Li Auto and BYD, will go head-to-head with established global players like Volkswagen, Mercedes-Benz and Tesla to showcase their latest products in a bid to take a golden opportunity to build their images.

The show’s organizer said that around 800 vehicle models from nearly 80 brands will be on display at the exhibition center’s halls 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and its outdoor exhibition area.

Hall 4 is the dedicated BYD brand pavilion, while Hall 5 is the specialized pavilion for automotive carnival activities.

The organizing committee of the auto show has made great efforts to create an automotive carnival by integrating diverse automotive cultural and entertainment activities, aiming to present a feast that brings “fashion, play and art” together to drive local auto consumption, according to a Shenzhen Economic Daily report.

Shenzhen recently has introduced several measures to promote consumption, with a number of initiatives specifically aimed at the auto sector.

The government will offer a subsidy of up to 10,000 yuan (US$1,368) for the early scrappage or relocation of cars with national IV or lower emission standards and the purchase of new energy vehicles that meet certain required conditions before the end of the year.

Introduced in 2016 and initially targeting light-duty vehicles, China’s national IV standard is approximately equal to the European IV standard.

Almost all the district governments in Shenzhen are also offering their own auto subsidies to consumers.

Bao’an, Longhua and Longgang each announced to hand out 50 million yuan, while Pingshan’s car purchase subsidies for a qualified individual can amount to up to 15,000 yuan.

The introduction of a series of subsidies is expected to further stimulate the demand for car consumption and drive local economic growth, the Shenzhen Economic Daily report said.