Automotive short videos refer to an audio-visual content format focused on vehicle products, car culture, driving impressions, and motoring news, created and shared in the form of short videos. As a pivotal medium in the digital era for automotive media transformation, automotive short videos leverage dynamic visuals, rapid reach, and high interactivity to become one of the primary channels for car brand marketing, motoring content creation, and consumer automotive research.
The automotive short video content ecosystem has established a diversified creator network spanning professional reviews to motoring lifestyle and entertainment.
Professional Reviews and Technical Insights remain a traditional stronghold for automotive short videos. Creators break down vehicle performance, specifications, and smart tech features through concise clips. For instance, Che Tan A Fei (Douyin) draws on his 5 years of vehicle maintenance experience and 8 years in the used car industry to share daily practical tips on car repairs, defensive driving, and traffic regulations, with a single video on handling emergency tyre blowouts garnering over 2.68 million likes. Meanwhile, Ai Che De Ray (Douyin) focuses on luxury car walkarounds and smart vehicle tech, showcasing vehicle details through real-world footage; his feature review on the Yangwang U8 clocked over 250,000 likes.
Car Culture and Lifestyle content also commands a wide audience. Yi Zong Lai Le (Douyin), adopting a "female auto boss" persona, shares behind-the-wheel impressions and car showcases through vlogs blended with relatable family and friendship themes, amassing around 3 million followers and over 40 million likes. A Long Miao Che (Kuaishou, Douyin) zeroes in on new car delivery experiences, test-drive reviews, and interesting motoring anecdotes, creating a distinct style that combines car reviews with lifestyle vlogs.
Car Detailing and Car Care represents a dedicated niche within the short video space. Jiu Ge Ge Car Detailing (Douyin) produces content around vehicle detailing, car wash techniques, and interior grooming, with its curated playlist "SGG Detailing Cases" racking up over 110 million views.
Automotive short videos have become prime territory for carmakers' brand marketing. Compared with traditional advertising, short videos present product selling points in a more engaging and immersive format, building brand recall and consideration through relatable storytelling.
Brand-Commissioned Micro-Dramas have emerged as a popular marketing trend in recent years. In 2024, to mark the launch of the new VOYAH Zhiyin, VOYAH collaborated with three popular short-drama creators to release three custom micro-dramas, accumulating over 130 million views and more than 1.15 million interactions on Douyin. While each drama featured an independent storyline, they shared a unified creative setting within the "VOYAH Zhiyin Universe". By weaving key product highlights—such as advanced intelligent driving and generous cabin space—seamlessly into the plot, the campaign earned widespread acclaim and drove a 235.51% surge in search queries for the VOYAH Zhiyin.
Large-Scale Influencer Seeding via MCN Agencies also plays a pivotal role in automotive marketing. Over a three-month span heading into 2025, Maiya Media rolled out 58 automotive short videos for over ten car companies, including Changan, WEY, Geely, SERES, and ZEEKR, pulling in 250 million total views on Douyin. Spanning immersive vlogs, hands-on reviews, storyline integrations, and interactive challenges, the influencers accurately highlighted key model features within daily driving scenarios, achieving highly effective brand building.
The distribution of automotive short videos relies primarily on mainstream short-video platforms such as Douyin, Kuaishou, and WeChat Channels, while dedicated aggregation platforms tailored specifically to the automotive vertical have also emerged.
Xingchechang is a dedicated automotive short-video aggregator and distribution platform launched in April 2021. Integrating short-video/livestream content, SaaS data analytics, private-domain operations, and an influencer network, it forms a full-funnel communication loop for the automotive sector. Its portfolio features the Xingchechang Short Video Matrix, Xingchang MCN, and Fenghuolun SaaS, supporting hundreds of automotive KOL channels. Cheshijie Technology is another interactive digital media platform centered on automotive short videos; operating an app and a website, it began with motoring content production and sharing, now boasting over 20 million active users.
The automotive short video sector is currently charting the following trends:
High-Production Quality and Differentiation. With growing competition, straightforward product walkarounds are no longer enough to retain viewers. Creators must focus on creative storytelling and emotional resonance, embedding vehicle features naturally into relatable scenarios rather than resorting to hard-sell placements. Whether through custom micro-dramas or influencer review clips, content that connects deeply with everyday lifestyle contexts resonates best with viewers.
AI-Powered Production. Selected platforms have started leveraging AI across automotive short video workflows, utilising AI-assisted content creation and data analytics to enhance production efficiency and precision targeting.
Full-Funnel Commercial Solutions. Leading platforms are expanding beyond simple content reach towards an end-to-end service model spanning "content, word-of-mouth, and showroom conversion". By equipping dealerships with SaaS tools for account audits, creative asset libraries, and private-domain customer management, they bridge the commercial loop from online discovery to final sales.
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