About four years ago, I found myself in France for the Paris Auto Show. Like most auto shows here in the United States, the tone was that the “auto show was dead,” and there was no point in going, covering, or even being seen there. Even the brand that I flew there to see, Mercedes-Benz, had its EQE SUV reveal at the famous Musée Rodin, and had no official presence at the show despite the reveal taking place the same week as the Paris Auto Show. And, well, why should anyone? The show was missing so many other European brands; it seemed to be just as dead as any other auto show around the world.

However, while European brands skipped, and the ones that did just didn’t show off much aside from mild refreshes or existing gas-powered models, Chinese brands showed up. These automakers came with models that Europeans would be interested in, not just large crossover SUVs that most can’t afford. That year, BYD and Great Wall Motors (via Ora and WEY) showed up with new EV and PHEV models, small hatchbacks and crossovers that were relatively affordable and drove further on a charge compared to the handful of similarly priced EV or PHEV options on the market at the time. This was the first time Chinese manufacturers like BYD had shown up to the Paris Auto Show, and for many, these brands were mostly unknown. Yet, French people were very much interested, to the chagrin of longstanding European automakers.

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