Why a Chinese Robot Vacuum Company Spun Off Two EV Brands

The pivot doesn’t look out of place at CES, where Chinese electronics companies are increasingly applying their manufacturing prowess to new industries.

If you’ve never been to Shenzhen, China’s electronics capital, the annual CES trade show in Las Vegas is the next best thing. I’m reporting this week from the sprawling event, surrounded by fancy, strange, and often unnecessary gadgets, and despite my sore legs, I’ve barely scratched the surface.

There are at least 900 Chinese tech companies attending CES this year, almost a quarter of the total exhibitors, according to an analysis of the conference’s exhibitor directory. I even saw two Chinese humanoid robots at different booths dancing to the same viral Chinese rap song five minutes apart.

But at CES, Chinese companies are showing off far more than just gadgets; also on display are artificial intelligence software, electric vehicles, self-driving technology, and ...