Thanks to Chinese government incentives pushing 'New Energy Vehicles', the country is the world’s largest electric car market. And there are literally hundreds of domestic start-up firms all battling for a share of it.
There are nearly 500 electric car firms registered in China (the vast bulk of which have yet to make a car), which means that newcomers to that already overcrowded market need to shout loudly to have any chance of making a splash.
In the case of Human Horizons, which recently launched its first car, called the HiPhi 1, that meant taking over a substantial office building near Shanghai, converting it to an arena, inviting more than 500 journalists, influencers and hangers-on – and providing enough food and drink for double that number.
There was a live band and even dancers, dressed in shiny costumes to be better picked out by the HiPhi's adaptive lighting system.
This approach wins headlines, especially in China, but it doesn't really help casual observers work out whether the company in question has anything more than the budget necessary to put on a big party.
I've got absolutely no idea if Human Horizons is going to prove to be one of the stayers, but after chatting with technology chief Mark Stanton I reckon it’s in with a decent shout.
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