CHINA'S DRIVERLESS VEHICLES TAKING FAST LANE TO SUCCESS

As consumers look to upgrade to smarter electric autos, fully self-driving cars are getting closer

Salesman Wu Keli is considering trading his gasoline car for a smart electric vehicle at the urging of his wife, Zhang Qing, who was recently given a ride by her friend in an Aito M7, a model codeveloped by the Chinese technology giant Huawei and carmaker Seres.

"My wife said our 2017 vehicle is nothing but a product of a previous era. She is impressed by all the flashy features in the M7, from voice command to automatic parking," said Wu, 35, who is from Beijing.

Despite initial resistance, Wu has taken to the "electric gadgets" after several test drives of models from car manufacturers such as Nio, Xpeng, Zeekr and Aito. "You can't resist the new-generation products. They can respond to your orders. In some scenarios, they can drive themselves. They are more than a car," he said.