A Chinese auto executive has warned that the extreme pace of the new car industry in China is “brutal” and unsustainable.
Executive Vice President He Zhiqi took to Weibo to lament the “insane” pace with which the Chinese auto industry is progressing – citing a figure of 650 new or updated cars launched just in the first half of 2026.
That works out to around four new or refreshed cars launched per day. Contrast this with Australia, where a handful of new cars launched in a week is considered busy, and it becomes clear why the phrase ‘China speed’ has become common.
“It’s completely insane,” He Zhiqi said on Chinese social media site Weibo this week, saying the market is “not just fierce, but brutal” in China.
While carmakers must still develop cars for many months or years leading up to launches, He Zhiqi says the “buzz” of a new car launch can’t be held for “three months before it goes cold”.
In China, the pace set by brands belies the cooling market.
reports the passenger car segment is down 23 per cent compared to June last year, citing data from China’s Passenger Car Association.
While the BYD executive says the current trend in the industry is unsustainable, He Zhiqi points out that the hard times will result in carmakers emerging with the resilience to survive brutal market conditions.
“Competition also breeds prosperity,” he wrote. “You have to roll around, crawl and fight in it to build a strong body.”