Chongqing - The 2025 List of Top 100 Private Enterprises in Chongqing shows a notable rise in the city’s automotive sector, with the number of leading manufacturers increasing from 19 to 27, highlighting the rapid growth and dynamism of Chongqing’s car industry.

The automotive sector generated total revenue of 268.31 billion yuan (about 37.64 billion U.S. dollars) and a net profit of 16.67 billion yuan, representing 35.75% of revenue and 37.32% of net profit among the top 100 private manufacturing enterprises.

In the production workshop of the Seres factory, robotic arms process the vehicle body frame. (Photo/Seres)

Among the many private automotive manufacturers in Chongqing, Seres stands out as one of the most representative companies. As a leading automaker in Chongqing's automotive industry cluster, Seres not only topped the 2025 list of Chongqing's top 100 private enterprises but also made its mark on 2025 Fortune China 500, emerging as one of the fastest-growing companies.

Through its strategic collaboration with Huawei, Seres launched the luxury electric vehicle Aito, based in Liangjiang New Area, transforming from a relatively obscure small company into one of the world's top four most profitable new energy vehicle (NEV) companies, with a revenue surpassing 145 billion yuan. The Aito series, particularly the M8 and M9 models, have become bestsellers in China’s 400,000-yuan and 500,000-yuan luxury vehicle segment.

At the same time, Seres’ partnership with another energy giant, CATL, which also has factories in Chongqing, deserves attention. The two companies developed an innovative supply model, with CATL placing two battery pack production lines directly in Seres’ super factory. This approach shortens transportation times and reduces production costs. The collaboration not only strengthens both companies' competitiveness in the NEV market but also deepens the integration of the local industrial chain.

In terms of research and development (R&D) investment, Seres is committed to high levels of technological innovation. In the first half of 2025, Seres' R&D expenditure reached 5.198 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 154.9%.

In addition to Seres, other supporting enterprises in Chongqing have also made notable achievements in R&D. For example, Chongqing Lanshan Automotive Electronics developed a car-grade MCU chip for automotive electronic systems, which passed the highest safety level certification and has entered mass production.

The Aito M8 is the sales champion in China's 400,000-yuan luxury car market. (Photo/Seres)

Representing Chongqing’s private automotive enterprises, Seres also actively expands into overseas markets to increase their global influence. By 2024, Seres’ new energy vehicles had successfully expanded into 62 countries and regions, including Europe, America, Africa, and Southeast Asia, with over 300 dealers and a cumulative export of more than 500,000 vehicles.