Big data reveals trend of Chinese auto market

The report also offers a list of popular search keywords, including "most popular new models", "new-energy cars", "Top 10 traffic violations" and hot issues related to car consumption.

Though the data-based report seems only to include web users, it also reflects some changes and habits of Chinese car buyers.

"It is becoming very important for people to get information about cars online, especially in cities with very few test-drives, " said one web user.

One analyst added that the report may invoke a revolution in the auto industry, indicating that search engine marketing would be prevailing.

It is not the first time that Baidu has used big data to launch hot issue discussions. In February, it applied the real-time result to trace human migration during the Chinese Spring Festival travel rush and made a similar quantitative report on the most popular issues during the annual political sessions in March.

Baidu chairman Li Yanhong said at the sessions that the Internet is accelerating the transformation of traditional industries towards higher efficiency.

Zhang Yi, CEO of an Internet consulting company iiMedia Research, said the report is not a piece of pioneering work as many conventional industries have begun to make use of big data.

"What I am concerned more is how to use big data to solve the problem that people face every day," said Zhang, who expresses the wish that Internet giants could develop new technology to tell people traffic conditions and offer drivers smart suggestions.

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