🚗 Before the global excitement around China’s EV innovation, there was a battle inside China itself.
Long before Chinese EVs became a global headline, the domestic market was already a crucible — hundreds of electric vehicle brands competing at full speed, with little margin for error.
What the world celebrates today are the survivors.
But before them, there was far more experimentation, ambition, and risk.
I was fortunate to be part of that earlier chapter.
During one of the most intense periods of China’s EV race, I worked with one of the most ambitious teams at the Shanghai Auto Show — creating what became one of the most engaging EV launches of that time.
This wasn’t just a vehicle reveal.
It was a fully integrated online-to-offline experience — digital, physical, and social working as one system, years before “OMO” became a buzzword.
And the execution worked.
Over just a few days at the show:
• 16,420 people checked in on-site through a WeChat mini-program
• 8,016 became WeChat followers
• That meant ~50% of the people who entered the booth chose to engage digitally, in real time
• Representing a 3,500%+ increase in followers during the event
Beyond the booth, the impact scaled:
• 28M+ views driven by KOL warm-up and live activation
• 12.4M live-stream views on launch day alone
• 11.8M video views across platforms
• 16.4M reads on Weibo and WeChat
• 8.2M hashtag engagements and sustained social conversation
The brand itself had everything people assume guarantees success.
Bold ideas.
Strong design.
A future-facing EV vision.
It even partnered with W Motors, the team behind the Lykan HyperSport — famously featured in the Fast & Furious series.
Great pedigree.
Great ambition.
And still — it wasn’t enough.
Because China’s EV market wasn’t just competitive.
It was a crucible.
Innovation alone didn’t determine survival.
Timing, scale, capital structure, and operational endurance mattered just as much.
Today, we enjoy the global success of the brands that survived — and they deserve that recognition.
But before them, there was far more innovation than most people ever saw.
More excitement.
More brands willing to take the risk of trying to lead the future.
I’m grateful to have been part of that earlier chapter — because the future we celebrate now was forged by many, not just the winners.
Long before Chinese EVs became a global headline, the domestic market was already a crucible — hundreds of electric vehicle brands competing at full speed, with little margin for error.
What the world celebrates today are the survivors.
But before them, there was far more experimentation, ambition, and risk.
I was fortunate to be part of that earlier chapter.
During one of the most intense periods of China’s EV race, I worked with one of the most ambitious teams at the Shanghai Auto Show — creating what became one of the most engaging EV launches of that time.
This wasn’t just a vehicle reveal.
It was a fully integrated online-to-offline experience — digital, physical, and social working as one system, years before “OMO” became a buzzword.
And the execution worked.
Over just a few days at the show:
• 16,420 people checked in on-site through a WeChat mini-program
• 8,016 became WeChat followers
• That meant ~50% of the people who entered the booth chose to engage digitally, in real time
• Representing a 3,500%+ increase in followers during the event
Beyond the booth, the impact scaled:
• 28M+ views driven by KOL warm-up and live activation
• 12.4M live-stream views on launch day alone
• 11.8M video views across platforms
• 16.4M reads on Weibo and WeChat
• 8.2M hashtag engagements and sustained social conversation
The brand itself had everything people assume guarantees success.
Bold ideas.
Strong design.
A future-facing EV vision.
It even partnered with W Motors, the team behind the Lykan HyperSport — famously featured in the Fast & Furious series.
Great pedigree.
Great ambition.
And still — it wasn’t enough.
Because China’s EV market wasn’t just competitive.
It was a crucible.
Innovation alone didn’t determine survival.
Timing, scale, capital structure, and operational endurance mattered just as much.
Today, we enjoy the global success of the brands that survived — and they deserve that recognition.
But before them, there was far more innovation than most people ever saw.
More excitement.
More brands willing to take the risk of trying to lead the future.
I’m grateful to have been part of that earlier chapter — because the future we celebrate now was forged by many, not just the winners.