The Chengdu International Trade Fair for Automotive Parts and Aftermarket Services (CAPAS) came to a close on 18 May 2024 at the Chengdu Century City New International Exhibition and Convention Center. The 10th edition of this event in Southwest China saw impressive growth in exhibitor numbers and visitor count, setting new records. The event served as a platform for business exchange, trade investment, and collaboration between industry and education. The exhibition showcased several key trends, such as green development, new energy and connected mobility, talent nurturing, and international cooperation.
Key figures from CAPAS 2024:
- Visitors: 20,853 (22 percent increase from the 2023 edition)
- Exhibitors: 690 (11 percent increase from the 2023 edition)
- Exhibition space: 50,000 sqm
- 20 concurrent events
- Online live-streaming visits: 70 million views
According to Mr James Yu, General Manager of Messe Frankfurt (Shanghai) Co Ltd, CAPAS has established a solid presence in the industry over the last ten years. The exhibition this year was incredibly successful in highlighting the latest market trends, fostering global supply chain collaborations, and engaging consumers in the region. CAPAS has continuously expanded its reach and responsibilities to align with the progress of the automotive sector. This year, the show implemented a fresh initiative to foster collaboration between industry and education, with the goal of nurturing talent within the sector. These efforts have significantly improved the collaboration between industry and education in the field.
China’s new energy vehicle sector is undergoing a significant expansion, and the Southwest region of the country is emerging as a prominent center for the development of new energy vehicles and connected mobility. With the aim of harnessing the collective power of the region, CAPAS 2024 showcased specialized pavilions from Chongqing and 15 other municipal regions in Sichuan province, such as Leshan, Nanchong, Yibin, and Ziyang. Exhibitors displayed cutting-edge advancements in vehicle manufacturing, connected mobility, and new energy vehicles from their local automotive industries within these pavilions.
As an example, Yibin, a significant manufacturing center for batteries, put together a pavilion with 20 exhibitors showcasing a diverse range of electric and intelligent technology products. KAIYI AUTO proudly presented their latest SUV model, the i-HD, which was developed on their cutting-edge i-FA platform. Yirui Automobile, a division of CHERY, showcased a variety of sanitation vehicles, such as new energy and hydrogen sweepers, as well as self-driving electric sweepers. In addition, the Sichuan New Energy Vehicle Innovation Center has unveiled four new solid-state battery products.
Meanwhile, the Nanchong pavilion gathered 27 key companies, including GEELY and Dongjia New Energy, to present the latest advancements in new energy vehicle manufacturing and key components, aiming to establish Nanchong as a hub for components manufacturing in China. Among the exhibits was GEELY’s Farizon V7E electric van, which offers a range of 305 km to meet the needs of logistics operations. Elsewhere, Ziyang, a pilot city for development in the hydrogen industry, featured HYUNDAI TRUCKN&BUS’s MIGHTY fuel cell trucks at its pavilion, engineered to improve transportation efficiency and promote sustainable development.
The 2024 event catered to the specific needs of the region’s automotive aftermarket and welcomed exhibitors from around the globe, with notable highlights including BALANCE, Botny, CurveRobot, Evamo, FARET, Fras-le, Hangcheng, Henglong Group, Hoho, Hongguan, Ironstamp, Lihong, LPR, Lucas, Phoenixfilters, Shenghuabo, SHENYANG 245, Songtian Motor, TMD Friction, Tuopu, Venjong, and YIHONG.
Ms Killy Yao, IAM Sales Manager at LPR (Zhuhai) Auto Parts Ltd, remarked: “We were pleased to find that both the quantity and quality of visitors at our booths exceeded our expectations. In addition to distributors from the Southwest region, we also met many overseas buyers. The comprehensive range of product categories, fringe events and business matching services at CAPAS helped audiences to learn more about our products and find targeted partners.”
One overseas professional buyer, Mr Marco Estrada, CEO of Direcciones Hidráulicas “Marco”, offered his perspective: “With Mexico being China’s top vehicle export destination in Latin America, we’re excited that several Chinese new energy vehicle brands plan to establish local manufacturing operations within our country. This event allows us to not only source our targeted products, but also to explore the diverse range of offerings in the country’s new energy vehicle sector.”
Fringe events offer valuable industry insights
Throughout the three-day event, CAPAS presented an extensive programme of 20 fringe events aimed at energising the region’s automotive aftermarket and providing valuable insights to attendees. Industry experts, association representatives and business leaders gathered to discuss changes in the aftermarket, new energy and connected mobility, supply chains and the skills gap.
Activities at the New Energy Vehicle Industry-Education Integration Zone
Talent development is essential for promoting innovation across China, and is an increasingly pressing priority in the automotive sector, where needs have grown for skilled workers in research, manufacturing, marketing and after-sales service. To address this, CAPAS 2024 introduced the New Energy Vehicle Industry-Education Integration Zone. Activities included the International Automotive Industry Education and Talent Development Conference, the New Energy Vehicle Diagnostics and Repair Skills Training, the National Automotive Service Skills Competition, the “UPPF Automotive Decoration” Cup Film Maker Competition Chengdu Station, the Automotive Talent Recruitment Seminar, new energy vehicle product showcases and more.
Ms Lili Xi, Director of the International Cooperation and Exchange Department at Geely University of China, delivered a speech at the conference, remarking: “To keep pace with recent trends in automotive intelligence, connectivity and electrification, today’s students must be equipped with knowledge in areas ranging from electric vehicles to data analysis and more. We are grateful to CAPAS for providing a platform that allows us to directly connect with relevant companies, as this is important for tackling the skills gap in the market”.
Ms Xuan Zeng, a student at Chengdu Engineering Techniacl Vocational School, commented: “I learnt a lot from the New Energy Vehicle Diagnostics and Repair Skills Training. It was my first exposure to the brand, TBA’s repair technologies for Tesla vehicles, and the career talk by a lecturer at Chengdu Wantong Future Advanced Technical School gave me inspiration for my future career path.”
CAPAS also organised several livestreaming activities across the three-day show, which captured significant media interest. Through the wide broadcasting and reporting by local channels, these efforts offered the public a deeper understanding of how industry and education can be linked.
Car Customising Festival
Mr Ling Duan, Head of Sichuan Nanchong Zhergen Auto Shop, attended the Car Customising Festival at CAPAS and shared his thoughts on the experience: “Seeing one of the vehicles used in a film production was a definite highlight. At the festival, I established partnerships with several suppliers of custom vehicle wraps and colour wrap films. This experience gave me fresh inspiration for growing my business in the future, helped me stay on top of market trends and new product offerings, and share knowledge within our industry community.”
China Automotive Industry Supply Chain & New Energy Vehicle International Cooperation Conference 2024
CAPAS 2024 also hosted the inaugural China Automotive Industry Supply Chain & New Energy Vehicle International Cooperation Conference 2024, which highlighted sustainable practices and innovations and explored advancements in the global automotive industry. At the conference, experts analysed China’s new energy vehicle market, along with emerging supply chain developments and international partnerships in the sector.
Key topics and speakers included:
- Development of China’s New Energy Vehicle Market at Home and Abroad:
Ms Yan Ding, Senior Economist of The State Information Center - Development Trends of the Supply Chain in the New Energy Vehicle Industry:
Mr Yonghe Huang, Senior Expert of China Automotive Technology & Research Center Co Ltd - Opportunities and Challenges of Building a New Ecosystem of China’s Automotive Supply Chain under the New Development Pattern:
Economic and Commercial Counsellor of Embassy of Portugal in China
Representative of Polish Investment & Trade Agency China Representative
State of Bavaria China Office
Jetour, NETA Auto, Skyworth and more
The latest show updates and high-resolution photos for press use are available from the “Press” page at www.capas-chengdu.com.
The 11th edition of CAPAS will take place from 22 to 24 May 2025. CAPAS is jointly organised by CCPIT-Auto, Messe Frankfurt (Shanghai) Co Ltd and CCPIT-Sichuan. For more information, please visit www.capas-chengdu.com or email auto@hongkong.messefrankfurt.
