Rectangular Steering Wheels, Floating Cars and Deluxe EVs Debut at Paris Auto Show

 A view of the logo of BYD during the launch of the BYD eMAX 7, an electric MPV by Chinese car and battery maker BYD, in New Delhi, India, October 8, 2024. (Reuters)
A view of the logo of BYD during the launch of the BYD eMAX 7, an electric MPV by Chinese car and battery maker BYD, in New Delhi, India, October 8, 2024. (Reuters)
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Rectangular Steering Wheels, Floating Cars and Deluxe EVs Debut at Paris Auto Show

 A view of the logo of BYD during the launch of the BYD eMAX 7, an electric MPV by Chinese car and battery maker BYD, in New Delhi, India, October 8, 2024. (Reuters)
A view of the logo of BYD during the launch of the BYD eMAX 7, an electric MPV by Chinese car and battery maker BYD, in New Delhi, India, October 8, 2024. (Reuters)

Chinese and European automakers are launching new models at the Paris auto show on Monday, with both heavily focusing on their electric ranges, even as demand slows and the EU gears up to impose tariffs on Chinese-made EVs later this month.

Below are some of the launches expected to generate buzz at the show, Europe's biggest. Organizers have counted around 50 European or world premieres.

CHINA'S OFFERING

Chinese EV giant BYD, which has entered many European markets this summer, is hoping to challenge Tesla's Model Y with a mid-sized electric SUV known as the Sea Lion 07.

It will also premiere for France its luxury, plug-in hybrid SUV, the Yangwang U8, which is capable of floating in the event of accidents involving water. It can also park sideways or make a complete turn on the spot thanks to four electric motors, one in each wheel.

China's state-owned GAC is launching the second generation of its compact electric crossover SUV, the Aion V, with a range of up to 750 kilometers (466 miles).

FAW's Hongqi, or Red Flag, known as former Chinese leader Chairman Mao Zedong's favored car brand and considered the nation's equivalent of a Rolls Royce, will launch its imposing luxury electric range, including the 5.2-meter long E-HS9, and EH7 and EHS7 models.

Startup Leapmotor will show the small EV T03 and new electric SUVs, the C10 and B10.

EUROPEAN MANUFACTURERS

Local manufacturer Renault is unveiling its small electric SUV, the R4, a modern version of the famous Renault 4 from the sixties, as well as a new Dacia Bigster, a larger version of the bestselling SUV Duster.

Alpine, Renault's sport brand, will unveil a show car for its forthcoming A390 fastback, its second fully electric model.

Volkswagen will premiere its seven-seater VW Tayron SUV that comes as a mild hybrid or plug-in hybrid, and available for order from 45,475 euros ($49,763).

Stellantis will launch the new compact Citroen C4 and C4X that have hybrid, electric and pure combustion-engine versions.

Peugeot, which has previously designed a mini steering wheel, is showing a rectangular wheel, or the Hypersquare, which will appear in the first car showrooms from 2026.



Apple Plays It Safe on AI despite Wall Street Pressure

Apple CEO Tim Cook speaks during the Apple Worldwide Developers Conference. JUSTIN SULLIVAN / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP
Apple CEO Tim Cook speaks during the Apple Worldwide Developers Conference. JUSTIN SULLIVAN / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP
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Apple Plays It Safe on AI despite Wall Street Pressure

Apple CEO Tim Cook speaks during the Apple Worldwide Developers Conference. JUSTIN SULLIVAN / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP
Apple CEO Tim Cook speaks during the Apple Worldwide Developers Conference. JUSTIN SULLIVAN / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP

Apple on Monday remained on its cautious path to embracing generative AI even as rivals race ahead with the technology and Wall Street expresses doubts over its strategy.

The pressure was on Apple not to disappoint at its annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) a year after the iPhone juggernaut made a promise it failed to keep -- to improve its Siri voice assistant with generative AI, said AFP.

The annual WWDC is addressed to developers who build apps and tools to run on the company's products.

Despite last year's disappointment, Apple insisted on Monday it was still very much in the AI race, announcing incremental updates to its Apple Intelligence software, including the ability for app makers to directly access a device's AI capabilities.

This would allow users to engage with apps using generative AI while offline, letting them interact ChatGPT-style with a hiking app, for example, while in remote areas without a connection.

Apple CEO Tim Cook briefly mentioned that Siri's AI makeover was still under development and "needed more time to meet our high quality bar," which includes Apple's standards on privacy and data security.

"We are making progress, and we look forward to getting these features into customers' hands," he added.

For Gadjo Sevilla, senior analyst for Emarketer, "the delays to Apple's in-house AI efforts will continue to draw scrutiny."

"Especially since rivals like Google and Samsung are moving ahead by introducing new on-device AI capabilities, or partnering with AI startups like Perplexity (in Samsung's case) to provide users with AI features," he added.

The biggest announcement at the event was the renaming of Apple's operating systems so that releases better match their release year.

The next operating system will be iOS 26 and will be available across all of Apple's devices -- including the Mac, Watch and Vision Pro headset -- in the fall, in time for the likely release of the next iPhone 17.

Today, Apple's operating systems have vastly different nomenclatures across devices, including the current iOS 18 for the iPhone or macOS 15 for Mac computers.

Apple also announced that the new operating system will be the first major iOS redesign since 2013, calling the new look "Liquid Glass."

Wall Street divided

The relationship between Apple and app-making developers has been strained in recent years, with developers chafing at the iPhone maker's high fees for getting access to the App Store.

A marathon lawsuit by Fortnite maker Epic Games ended with Apple being ordered to allow outside payment systems to be used in the US App Store.

Adding to doubts about Apple's direction is the fact that the legendary designer behind the iPhone, Jony Ive, has joined with ChatGPT maker OpenAI to create a potential rival device for engaging with AI.

Apple also has to deal with tariffs imposed by US President Donald Trump in his trade war with China, a key market for sales growth and the place where most iPhones are manufactured.

Trump has also threatened to hit Apple with tariffs if iPhone production wasn't moved to the US, a change which analysts say would be impossible given the costs and capabilities required.

Wall Street analysts remain divided on Apple's prospects, with the stock down about 17 percent since the start of the year, wiping over $600 billion from its market value and far outshone by its Big Tech rivals.

While some analysts remain optimistic about Apple's long-term AI monetization potential, others worry the company's cautious approach may prove costly in the longer term.

WWDC "was void of any major Apple Intelligence progress as Cupertino is playing it safe and close to the vest after the missteps last year," said Dan Ives of Wedbush Securities.

"We have a high level of confidence Apple can get this right, but they have a tight window to figure this out," he added.