19th Annual Inside China Automotive Conference

19th Annual Inside China Automotive Conference: Key Trends Shaping China's Automotive Market and Global Influence

November 12, 2026

This conference will be a hybrid conference with options to attend in person or to view via a YouTube livestream.

Our 19th Annual Inside China Automotive Conference on November 12th at the University of Michigan we'll be continuing our discussion of China's auto market and its global influence. Over the past 30 years China's auto industry was almost exclusively an internal market led by foreign manufacturers, but over the past 5-10 years, the introduction of New Energy Vehices (EVs, PHEVs, and Fuel Cell Vehicies), the market has tilted towards local Chinese manufacturers who are designing, building, and selling vehicles not only in China but globally.

As the Chinese auto market matures and sales level off, Chinese auto companies are learning about being global manufacturers by flooding markets with well priced, quality, and attractive vehicles, similar to what the rest of China has been doing with consumer products for the past 25 years. How have they done this so quickly? How successful have they been? Where are they not as successful? What are they learning about automotive globalization? What will the global auto industry look like in 5-10 years? We will tackle these questions within the Chinese context.

But we'll also focus in what is going on Inside China. What vehicles are popular, what are the sales volumes, which companies are leading, are any of the 100 or more manufacturers closing shop? We'll also look at Chinese automotive labor issues, auto-related government policies, and company strategies. It will be a fulsome discussion. Please join us.

Confirmed Speakers include:

Bruce Belzowski, Managing Director, Automotive Futures will moderate the conference and provide an overview of the current trends in the Chinese auto industry.

Boy Luthge, Senior research fellow at the Institute of Social Research (Institut für Sozialforschung) in Frankfurt and visiting professor at the School of Government, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, will discuss his research on labor issues in the Chinese auto industry.

Conference Registration

Cost:

Automotive Futures Affiliates and Current UM Students, Faculty, and Staff, GERPISA members, and Media: FREE

For all others: $200 (Unchanged since our first conference in 2008)

Conference Sponsorship

Companies or groups interested in sponsoring this conference, please contact Bruce Belzowski at bbl@umich.edu or 734-936-2704. Sponsorship Amount (Minimum $1,000)

Inside China Affiliate Conference Sponsors