May 21, the 12th Chengdu International Auto Parts and After-sales Service Exhibition (CAPAS) officially opened at the Chengdu Century City New International Expo Center. If one word is used to describe this year's on-site feeling, it is "changed".
In the past, many people's impression of CAPAS might still be stuck at a relatively busy parts ordering meeting in the southwest region. But after walking around this year, you will find it is quite different. In the 53,000 square meter exhibition hall, 805 companies brought not just products, but more like a roadmap of the southwest auto industry comprehensively "changing blood" (restructuring). From the accelerated implementation of commercial vehicle electrification to the scale of the new energy intelligent connected vehicle zone doubling directly, to the systematic construction of soft power such as auto culture and industry-education integration, CAPAS is completing a role transformation from "trading platform" to "industry ecosystem hub".
Southwest Auto New Trends: Commercial Vehicle Electrification is No Longer "Slogans", but "Running Scenarios"
The southwest region has many mountain roads, long slopes, and high altitudes. In the past, many people doubted the practicality of electric commercial vehicles here. But the signals released at this year's exhibition were very clear: commercial vehicle electrification has already found its scenario-based path in the southwest.
Foton's "Auman Es1 Blue" light truck directly targets four specific scenarios: cold chain, express and fast transport, high-end city distribution, and smart logistics; FAW Jiefang's displayed "H6G-132 kWh" composite version cargo truck is equipped with a 185KW high-power motor, focusing on solving slope climbing and acceleration performance, simply put, this is tailor-made for southwest terrain. Liuzhou Vehicle Chenglong's "Chenglong Wing Power 5" heavy truck controls the vehicle self-weight within 8.8 tons, the logic of carrying more and running faster always holds true in the logistics market.
More worthy of attention is that new energy mining trucks have entered the unmanned driving stage. Chitian's displayed models can intelligently adapt to various mine transportation scenarios. For provinces with rich mineral resources in the southwest region, this is a tangible productivity tool.
And in the supporting system behind it, this year's exhibition added these two core viewer groups: logistics enterprises and charging/swapping operators, while holding the New Energy Commercial Vehicle (Southwest) Service Ecosystem Conference and Logistics Scenario Electrification Conference. This means a consensus has been reached: the landing of commercial vehicle electrification in the southwest is no longer a single car selling logic, but a five-in-one ecosystem collaboration of car, charging pile, cargo, finance, and service.
New Energy and Intelligent Connected: Not "Supporting Roles", but "Protagonists"
If CAPAS in previous sessions were just a trend sector, this year its status has been completely elevated. The area of the New Energy and Intelligent Connected Vehicle Special Zone doubled compared to the last session, and the number of participating brands also increased significantly.
In terms of passenger cars, brands such as Changan, Dongfeng Fukang, Dongfeng Voyah, Geely Galaxy, Jetta, Lynk & Co, Seres, and FAW Toyota made a collective appearance; in the commercial vehicle field, Guangtong Auto, Shudu Bus, Xizhong, Sinotruk Chengdu, etc. also brought multiple new energy models. But the highlights of this exhibition are not in the whole vehicles, but in the underlying technology.
Intelligent driving systems, core trinity power technology, hydrogen fuel systems these "hardcore" content become display focus. Ziyang Exhibition Group's Hua Chuang Yong Hydrogen brought low-pressure solid-state hydrogen storage sightseeing cars and low-pressure high-density solid-state hydrogen storage bottles; Modern Commercial Vehicles displayed hydrogen fuel cell light trucks. These technologies might be a bit far for ordinary consumers, but for enterprises upstream and downstream of the industry chain, this is a tangible business opportunity.
A detail is worth noting: Academician Ouyang Minggao's Workstation as a new energy vehicle and power battery innovation platform also appeared in the Yibin exhibition group. Academician Workstation participating directly indicates that the technical concentration of this exhibition has reached a new level.
From "Selling Parts" to "Selling Services", After-sales Market is Upgrading
Changes in the after-sales service sector are also obvious. In the past, people understood after-sales as selling parts and doing maintenance, but the signal conveyed by this year's CAPAS is: after-sales services are comprehensively upgrading towards professionalism, digitization, and refinement.
Chassis maintenance becomes a hotspot. Lpieer, Tieyin, Wuhu Jiaxian, Sigmai, etc. brought chassis parts such as shock absorption, braking, steering, and transmission. Behind this is a realistic logic: with the increase in the number of new energy vehicles, the demand for traditional engine maintenance is decreasing, but the demand for chassis maintenance is rising rapidly.
Green circular economy is no longer a concept. Brands such as Chongqing Yuxiang, Puyang Jirunda, Xinjiang Tongfeng, and CAT Power brought remanufactured engines, gearboxes, and chassis parts. The Green Design, Green Manufacturing, and Remanufacturing Seminar for Automobile Products also discussed the business model of automobile remanufacturing systematically for the first time. This logic has natural advantages in the southwest promotion — as a gathering area of resource provinces, the economic account of recycling can be calculated.
Warranty equipment is also leaning towards low-carbon environmental protection. Brands such as Styler and Matthias displayed smart car washing machines with water and electricity saving advantages; Younaite, Xuna, Guangjun, etc. brands' paint booths and lifts focus on terminal store quality improvement and efficiency increase. These devices are not showing off skills, but actually helping repair stores reduce costs and improve efficiency.
Auto Culture and Personalized Modification: From "Small Circle" to "Big Ecosystem"
This year's car modification gathering had a landmark event: the prototype of the movie "Pegasus 3" appeared for the first time. This is not just a gimmick, but it illustrates that auto culture is moving from a niche circle to the public vision.
At the exhibition, Austria Red Bull linked the Chengdu and Shanghai two exhibition sites, creating an Urban Workshop Tire Change Challenge Series Experience Activity. Audiences can personally feel the tense rhythm of racing pit stop tire changing. E-sports simulators allow ordinary people to experience the driving atmosphere of rally tracks. The significance of these interactive experiences lies in that they let auto culture change from "looking" to "playing".
Hardcore modified off-road vehicles and fashionable motorcycles made a concentrated appearance. Audiences can communicate face-to-face with senior modification experts to customize exclusive Southwest terrain road self-driving modification plans. The appearance of limited models such as Ford Model A, Cadillac Series 62, Formula Three (F3) racing cars, etc., also let classic car culture have a display stage.
Behind this there is policy support. This year Sichuan Province specially issued an implementation plan to promote high-quality development of the auto aftermarket, explicitly supporting auto racing, self-driving travel, auto culture experience, etc. directions. CAPAS's auto modification sector is unfolding along these three directions, using National Highway 318 as the main line, constructing a complete auto culture ecosystem.
From the perspective of trade, Changmao, Xinhui, and Yaosheng who participated for the first time brought paint protection film, window film, and color change film. Huqie displayed off-road vehicle fuel tanks and roof racks; Caleb's pickup truck tailgate covers are all precisely capturing the personalized needs of the southwest market. Although this sector scale is not large, growth potential is considerable.
Industry-Education Integration: Solving "People" Problems is the Long-term Strategy
This year CAPAS's most unexpected sector for me is the New Energy Vehicle Industry-Education Integration Activity Zone. To be honest, many industry exhibitions' emphasis on talent training often stays on the surface, but CAPAS this time is getting real.
International Auto Industry Education and Talent Development Conference, Elite Qi Hang Public Class, New Energy Auto Service Marketing Growth Training, New Energy Commercial Vehicle After-sales Maintenance Training... four activities covered the full chain from industry trends to store operations to technical practice. In the practical training zone, Lao Xiang Hao, and other enterprises brought on-site demonstrations of new energy commercial vehicle fault troubleshooting, diagnosis, and maintenance.
More worthy of attention is that second-hand car preparation practical training was newly added this year. With second-hand car preparation officially included in the new occupation of national occupational classification, the talent demand in this direction is exploding. AI paint smart detection, digital color mixing, scratchless repair, etc. new generation technology demonstrations, constructed a full-chain collaboration of technology, equipment, talent, and digitization.
With this combination of punches, CAPAS is not only displaying products, but solving the fundamental problem of "who will do the work" for the entire southwest auto aftermarket.
Internationalization and Regional Synergy: Walking on Two Legs
This year CAPAS is expected to welcome overseas audiences from Australia, Russia, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea, India, Saudi Arabia and other countries and regions. Overseas buyers from emerging markets such as UAE, Pakistan, Brazil, Ghana, Bangladesh, Mexico, Tajikistan, Armenia and other countries also formed a group to arrive.
This buyer structure is not the traditional sense of European and American markets, but "Belt and Road" line's emerging markets. This shows CAPAS chose a differentiated strategy on the internationalization path, targeting areas with stronger complementarity with the southwest region's industry.
Domestically, 56 professional buyer groups covered the southwest and surrounding areas centered on Chengdu-Chongqing, while expanding to Central China, East China, and South China. 16 city and prefecture exhibition groups within Sichuan Province made a collective appearance, the industrial cluster effect of Nanchong, Yibin, Ziyang, Guang'an, etc. was fully amplified. Yibin focuses on power batteries, Ziyang focuses on hydrogen energy technology, Nanchong and Guang'an focus on electric commercial vehicle supporting, this differentiated layout avoids internal friction and forms a combined force.
In the provincial exhibition groups, Chongqing, Hebei, Guangzhou brought advantages such as new energy intelligent connected, braking systems, auto electronics and precision manufacturing, etc., forming a complement with southwest market demand. Regional synergy is no longer a slogan, but real enterprise docking and industrial chain complementarity.
Written in the end:
After visiting this CAPAS, a strong feeling is: the southwest auto market is shifting from "following" to "leading". In the past when we talked about the southwest market, we more talked about its consumption potential and aftermarket space. But now, whether it is the scenario-based landing of commercial vehicle electrification, or the industrialization exploration of hydrogen energy technology, or the commercialization attempt of remanufacturing circular economy, the southwest has already walked in the front.
Another interesting change is CAPAS's role is shifting from "Connector" to "Incubator". It is no longer satisfied with letting buyers and sellers meet, but is starting to intervene in the construction of the industrial ecosystem. Industry-education integration solves talent supply, green circular economy promotes sustainable development, auto culture cultivates consumption upgrades. These actions may not see direct transaction data in the short term, but in the long run, this is building infrastructure for the entire southwest auto industry.
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