At the 2026 China Automotive Chongqing Forum held from June 12th to 13th, Seres Group Chairman Zhang Xinghai delivered a speech.

He stated that in facing current industry challenges, automakers must uphold a scientific spirit and rebuild the baseline for safety through innovation.

He noted that with the development of electrification and intelligence, the complexity of automotive safety has significantly increased. Traditional physical safety has now expanded to encompass system-wide safety, including software, networks, and AI, as well as comprehensive areas like privacy and health. Safety is evolving from a distributed approach to a centralized, proactive, and predictive model, becoming increasingly comprehensive and intelligent. "Without safety, there is nothing else; all efforts are nullified without safety," he emphasized, adding that premiumization and high-quality growth are impossible to achieve without it.

Addressing the survival pressures currently faced by vehicle manufacturers, Zhang Xinghai pointed out two major cost challenges: the price of storage chips has surged from 20 yuan to nearly 100 yuan, and lithium carbonate prices have risen from 80,000 yuan per ton a year ago to 180,000 yuan per ton currently. He called for industry associations and relevant regulatory bodies to strengthen guidance and for companies to exercise strict self-discipline, aiming not only to solve immediate survival issues but also to ensure sustainable development for the future.