One thousand domestic and international exhibitors showcased 1,400 cars – including 113 world premieres – at the biennial Shanghai auto show last week. Although traditional cars account for the majority of new models, visitors to the event – which runs until April 28 – will also notice trendsetting new energy vehicles (NEVs). According to the event’s organizers, automakers are exhibiting 159 electric cars, plug-in hybrids and fuel-cell cars this year, 12 more than at the Beijing auto show last year. Jaguar Land Rover is showcasing an electric concept car, the Jaguar I-Pace SUV, the first of its kind from Jaguar. The model will be available starting in the second half of 2018. Another British brand, Bentley Motors, is showing its electric concept car, called the EXP 12 Speed 6e. The automaker said one of its aims is to gauge public opinion in the Chinese market to help to shape its future strategy. “Bentley is fully committed to China, it is a vital market for us. We are focusing on developing an electric model in the future that will meet the luxury mobility needs of customers right here and around the world,” said Wolfgang Duerheimer, Bentley’s Chairman and CEO.

Volume brands are even more ambitious in their efforts to seize a share of the world’s largest new energy car market, which sold half a million such vehicles in 2016 and is expected to sell even more this year. Volkswagen is displaying an electric crossover concept that features both coupe and SUV characteristics. VW will launch 15 new energy cars in China in the next three to four years. By 2025, NEVs are expected to account for more than 15% of total passenger vehicle sales in China, according to the Society of Automotive Engineers of China. The market has until now been dominated by Chinese brands, such as BYD, Roewe and BAIC Motor, and more startups are joining the race. NextEV, backed by Tencent and investment firm Hillhouse Capital, brought 11 models to Shanghai, including the Nio EP9. Little-known carmaker Singulato Motors is bringing its “intelligent electric” iS6 to the show. The car will be outsourced to an original manufacturer, as the company has no production permit yet for its plant in Tongling, Anhui province. In addition to new energy cars, Chinese automakers are demonstrating strength in SUVs, including those from Geely’s Lynk & Co and Great Wall’s Wey, the China Daily reports.

A total of 83 domestic models made their debut, show organizers said, led by Shanghai Automotive Industry Corp, Geely and Guangzhou Automotive Group. Some 832,300 sport utility vehicles (SUVs) were sold in China in March, with domestic makers having nine of the top 10 best-sellers, according to the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers (CAAM). SAIC expects to double sales to 600,000 units this year. Its Roewe RX5, a compact SUV, had sold more than 140,000 units by March since its debut last July. Also eying expansion overseas is GAC, which is planning a U.S. debut in 2019. GAC unveiled its GA8 SUV under the Trumpchi brand, the company’s top selling series, with the model due on the Chinese market by December. SUV sales accounted for 37% of the total vehicle sales in China last year, up from a mere 5.7% a decade ago.