“This time I spent more time in #Hangzhou, the hometown of #Geely, the company that had invited me to AutoShanghai. Walking around that city of 13 million was a reminder that, when most #cars are #electric, things are much more pleasant.
The #air in Hangzhou is surprisingly clean, the #NoiseLevels low. You can hold a normal conversation even when walking across an open overpass over a busy intersection (though they don’t mind using their horns).
Another thing to note is the extraordinary #cleanliness. There is no graffiti, no vandalism, no obvious #homelessness or #poverty. It feels safe, it feels thoroughly #modern. Our #Marriott hotel, for example, had robots delivering room service. I shared a lift with one, and it chatted away the whole time, though in #Mandarin.
Of course, all this progress and order has been achieved at a great, and many would say unacceptable, price. There are #cameras watching something close to your every move, and people keeping the #score. #FacialRecognition #technology is rampant. It was a requirement to be scanned to enter #AutoShanghai.”
The (car) #future isn’t the #USA.
<https://archive.md/ygHNO / <https://www.afr.com/world/asia/this-is-how-far-the-chinese-car-industry-has-come-in-20-years-20250428-p5luwm> (paywall)
ProPublica
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Vienna, Austria
