Beijing - "Learning from Chinese President Xi Jinping's important speech at the Private Enterprise Symposium has deeply inspired and motivated me, giving me even greater confidence in the development of China's private economy," said Zhang Xinghai, a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) and Chairman of Seres Group, during the second CPPCC member's passage interview on March 7.

Zhang highlighted, "In 2024, China's new energy vehicle (NEV) sales exceeded 13 million units, maintaining the country's position as the global leader in NEV sales for the tenth consecutive year, accounting for 70% of global NEV sales."

Looking back to the 2025 Spring Festival Gala, a group of special performers at the Chongqing sub-venue caused a surge in viewership. Their remarkable performance again showcased "Auto City" Chongqing, earning praise from national audiences.

The performance featured 780 vehicles synchronizing in a coordinated display, with precise lighting and control requiring immense technical precision. Series assembled a specialized technical team to integrate car-to-cloud technology, intelligent vehicles, AI, and service-oriented vehicle design, ultimately delivering a stunning light show. This event clearly demonstrated the profound implications of software-defined vehicles.

Seven hundred eighty vehicles synchronize in a coordinated display at the 2025 Spring Festival Gala. (Photo/CCTV)

The breathtaking performance recognized Seres and paid tribute to Chongqing and China's advanced manufacturing capabilities.

Located in the Chongqing Liangjiang New Area, the Seres Super Factory in the New Energy Vehicle Industrial Park serves as a flagship for Chongqing's smart, connected, new energy vehicle production and as a symbol of the city's high-quality industrial development.

The AITO M9 is produced at the Seres Super Factory in Liangjiang New Area, Chongqing. (Photo/Chen Zhan)

As a global benchmark for smart factories within the automotive industry ecosystem, the Seres Super Factory covers 1 million square meters and houses more than 3,000 robots, achieving 100% automation in key processes and quality testing. With an annual production capacity of 400,000 vehicles, the factory is a trailblazer in automotive manufacturing, featuring innovations like the world’s first 10,000-ton integrated die-casting machine and autonomous port-level logistics.

That represents just a glimpse of the high-quality development of Chongqing-made vehicles. According to the Chongqing Economic and Information Technology Commission, in 2024, Chongqing-made vehicles posted impressive results: new energy vehicle sales reached 953,200 units, a 90.5% year-on-year growth, outpacing the national average by nearly 60 percentage points. R&D investment intensity in Chongqing's automotive sector rose to 3.1%, higher than the national average of 1.3%. The value of mainstream new energy vehicles also increased, with an average unit price of 236,000 yuan ($32,563), up 73,000 yuan from the previous year. More than 540 companies in the intelligent connected new energy vehicle parts sector and 19 automakers have formed a collaborative industrial ecosystem.

Meanwhile, Chongqing's integrated circuit production grew by 1.1 times in 2024, and the output of synthetic materials, AI, and robotics continued to show double-digit growth, with breakthroughs in several key technological challenges and industrialization efforts.

The smart factory of Seres in Chongqing Liangjiang New Area. (Photo/Seres)

Zhang emphasized that China's achievements in the new energy vehicle sector have been hard-earned, relying on government policies supporting the industry, capital market participation, consumer support for domestic brands, and the relentless efforts of companies across the entire automotive industry chain.

He explained that the emergence of new technologies in the sector has allowed new energy vehicles to offer users completely new experiences. In the context of software-defined vehicles, electrification serves as the foundation for intelligent systems, and intelligence is the soul of electrification. 

He stressed that no carmaker can succeed alone—the industry can thrive only through the integration of intelligence and electrification. Cross-industry collaboration with the information, communication, and technology sectors is key to realizing the full potential of the automotive ecosystem.