BEIJING, April 25 (Reuters) - China's largest auto show

opened in Beijing on Thursday with the biggest names showing off

their latest electric vehicles (EVs), underlining how the

world's largest auto market is already in an all-electric state

of mind, and isn't looking back.

Automakers are set to unveil 117 new models versus 93 at

last year's show in Shanghai，while overall 278 new energy

vehicles (NEVs) will go on display, seven more than last year,

organisers said.

The show, which runs through early next month, comes as NEV

sales hit a milestone in early April, accounting for over 50% of

cars sold in China, auto association data showed.

Sales have been getting a boost from a year-long price war

that has sapped profit margins, as automakers strive to keep up

by announcing newer, cheaper models and promotions.

"At the Beijing auto show, there's no doubt there is no

interest in gasoline vehicles anymore. Everyone is looking for

the latest technologies in intelligence and electrification,"

William Li, founder and CEO of Chinese EV maker Nio,

told Reuters.

"If you come here, you should have no doubt about EVs

anymore. It is actually not the future but is what's happening

right now."

Crowds flooded the booths of Chinese manufacturers such as

BYD and industry newcomer Xiaomi ( XIACF ), with the

smartphone maker stealing the show by holding one of the

earliest press events. Xiaomi ( XIACF ) CEO Lei Jun said locked-in orders

for its sporty SU7 sedan had hit 75,723 and that buyers included

owners of cars from the likes of BMW and Audi.

BYD, the world's largest EV maker, heavily promoted its

Yangwang and Denza premium brands as it tries to shed its image

as a low-cost automaker.

It also announced the Ocean-M, a sporty rear-wheel-drive

hatchback priced 150,000 to 200,000 yuan ($20,699 to $27,598)

that will be the first vehicle built on a new all-electric

platform. The mid-sized car targets China's middle class and

sells far below the price of mainstream EVs in North America and

Europe.

Foreign automakers, who have been scrambling to reset their

China strategies and catch up with the electric shift, touted

plans to invest more in local production and research, with

Japan's Nissan Motor ( NSANF ) and Mazda Motor ( MZDAF ) unveiling

cars tailored for Chinese drivers.

U.S. automaker General Motors ( GM ) left traditional engine

vehicles out of its show line-up for the first time, while

Germany's Mercedes Benz dismissed rumours it was

giving up on electrification as it showed a handful of new EVs.

Tesla skipped the show again. Its last appearance

was in 2021 when an unhappy customer clambered atop a Tesla

being displayed to protest its handling of her complaints about

brakes she said were malfunctioning.

Some Chinese brands outlined overseas plans, brushing off

European and U.S. concerns about industry overcapacity and

stressed they had simply become better through innovation.

"With the Chinese automotive industry entering a new era of

globalisation and the growing strength of Chinese domestic

brands, Chinese vehicles moving onto the world stage has also

become a new trend," said Great Wall Motor President

Mu Feng.

SMART DRIVING

Domestically designed advanced driving assistance systems

similar to Tesla's Full Self-Driving (FSD) were also marketed by

several automakers as key selling points.

A number of firms, such as Seres and Guangzhou

Automobile Group (GAC), which markets China's

third-best-selling EV brand, touted systems supplied by Huawei

Technologies whereas others like BYD and XPeng ( XPEV )

promoted features developed in-house.

BYD said it would launch two revamped models in its mass

market Dynasty and Ocean series in the second quarter equipped

with its self-developed advanced driving assistance system

(ADAS), while XPeng ( XPEV ) said it would continuously upgrade software

at a "super fast" pace to keep it ahead of rivals.

GAC said it would launch flagship models equipped with

Huawei's ADAS from January 2025. It is among seven brands of

state-owned automakers that struck partnerships with Huawei to

leverage the latter's ADAS technology.

"Huawei is leading in advanced assistance driving

capabilities," said GAC General Manager Feng Xingya. "We have to

make sure the GAC products consumers get are most advanced in

those technologies."

($1 = 7.2468 Chinese yuan renminbi)