Chongqing - In 2023, China made a historic breakthrough in automobile production and sales, reaching 30.161 million and 30.094 million vehicles, respectively. According to data from the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers, China has held the world’s top spot for 15 consecutive years.
Simultaneously, nearly five million cars are exported annually, and China is poised to become the world’s largest car exporter.
Chongqing played a significant role in this remarkable achievement. According to data from the Chongqing Municipal Commission of Economic and Information Technology, Chongqing’s automobile output is expected to reach 2.3 million units in 2023, securing its position as the second-highest producer in the country.
Specifically, the “Made in Chongqing” new energy vehicle (NEV) production is expected to reach 500,000 units, a 37% year-on-year increase, surpassing the national average growth rate.
Workers assemble vehicles in a smart factory of the Changan Auto. (Photo/Wang Quanchao)
AITO M9: over 20,000 cumulative large orders
Seres Group, the maker of the AITO M9 panoramic smart flagship SUV, introduced several industry-first technologies.
The horizontal adaptive dual armrest, megapixel smart projection headlights, and smart oil cooling 2.0 have boosted the product’s competitiveness, with over 20,000 cumulative large orders.
Market observer Qu Yunchao emphasizes Chongqing’s leadership in advanced automotive technologies, including the adoption of Huawei’s ADS 2.0 intelligent driving system by Avatr and Seres Group, marking an industry-first achievement.
Robots enable a new car to be produced every two minutes
Furthermore, the Seres Group smart factory showcases its technological excellence with complete automation using over 300 robots. Processes like automated boxing, AGV transmission, and rapid stamping with one-click mold changing take just five seconds. Laser remote fly welding is employed for efficient and contactless fine welding in certain production lines.
The smart factory of Seres in Chongqing Liangjiang New Area. (Photo/Wang Quanchao)
In the assembly workshop, hundreds of robots enable a new car to be produced every two minutes. The factory can operate in the dark, earning it the nickname of a “black light factory.”
Chongqing’s automobile industry chain has accelerated its development, attracting giants such as Huawei, Baidu, Alibaba, and Tencent. Companies like BYD Auto and CATL have also become part of the nationwide “Made in Chongqing” automobile procurement, fostering a mutually beneficial situation.
By 2025, Chongqing aims to achieve an annual production and sales volume of intelligent connected new energy vehicles exceeding 1.5 million units, accounting for more than 10% of the country’s total. This will mark the formation of a world-class, intelligent, connected new energy vehicle industry cluster.
Looking ahead to 2027, Chongqing sets the ambitious goal of surpassing two million units in annual production and sales of intelligent connected new energy vehicles, officially establishing a trillion-yuan industrial cluster.
(Deng Yawen, as an intern, also contributed to this report.)